The whole model train hobby repair thing is frustrating to me.
I am happy with Lionel's products, although I will say this: I purchased a Hogwart's set and it worked for exactly ten minutes. Luckily, I had purchased on sale from Amazon, and so, as a Prime member--back it went, no hassle, no charge.
This was not the case with a set I bought at my local Hobby Shop. The Lionchief Broadway Limited loco was bad, and it had to be sent back to Lionel in the huge box, for safety of shipment. I paid.
I must say that I find it a bit off-putting that I could buy a product, not have it work, and be expected to add to the cost of having a working product by spending my own money to ship it back so they can make it right.
I understand that those are the rules, and so I play by them. But it doesn't make me happy, and it does not instill brand loyalty at all. Frankly, I buy more MTH now because I have found that the quality of the product is more consistent, even though I know MTH requires me to pay for shipping on a repair as well.
So it goes. I am limited where I can buy O gauge trains, and so that's the way it goes. But it is not customer friendly.
