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The other day I got a call from my LHS.  The conversation went something like this:

LHS - "Hi Tom.  Just calling to let you know your order came in today."

Me - "Which one?" (I had no clue what he was talking about)

LHS - "The MTH cars you ordered"

Me - " Which ones?" (still no clue)

LHS - "The AC&Y's"

Me - "I thought I picked up the caboose last week?"

LHS- "No.  The boxcars."

Me - "The forty footers? Oh! Okay!  I was wondering about those" (BS)

LHS - "I've got two of them here with your name on them.  You can pick them up when you are in the area."

Me - "Thanks. See you in a couple of weeks."

I don't pre-order that much stuff and am usually aware of any outstanding orders.  This one completely slipped by me.  I don't know if it is just life getting in the way or I'm getting old.  I'm putting my money on the latter.  I know there is a locomotive on pre-order, but what else might be out there?  This is almost like Christmas!

Tom

 

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Tuscan Jim posted:
Mallard4468 posted:

I wonder how many "your preorder arrived" calls go to dead people?  

Very funny - I think pre-order forms should have a contingent beneficiary clause like life insurance! I have often wondered if I would live long enough to seem some items actually make it to the consumer.

I heard that one of the manufacturers has a grief counselor on staff for these situations.

(IMO, it would be even funnier if I mentioned the company, but that would probably cause it to be deleted.)

 Tuscan Jim posted:
Mallard4468 posted:

I wonder how many "your preorder arrived" calls go to dead people?  

Very funny - I think pre-order forms should have a contingent beneficiary clause like life insurance! I have often wondered if I would live long enough to seem some items actually make it to the consumer.

Jim;

As someone who spent 34 years working for one of the largest U.S. Life Insurance companies and spent quite a few years doing Beneficiary and Ownership work as well as Death Claims, I have to tell you that your suggestion wouldn’t crack the top 10 most bizarre bene arrangements or Death Claims I handled!!!

One caveat... such a bene designation would require a legal opinion on whether or not your LHS has an insurable interest in you (in other words, are you worth more to them dead or alive)  

Apples55 posted:
 Tuscan Jim posted:
Mallard4468 posted:

I wonder how many "your preorder arrived" calls go to dead people?  

Very funny - I think pre-order forms should have a contingent beneficiary clause like life insurance! I have often wondered if I would live long enough to seem some items actually make it to the consumer.

As someone who spent 34 years working for one of the largest U.S. Life Insurance companies and spent quite a few years doing Beneficiary and Ownership work as well as Death Claims, I have to tell you that your suggestion wouldn’t crack the top 10 most bizarre bene arrangements or Death Claims I handled!!!

I'm sure!

Dave Warburton posted:

This happens to me too frequently. The worst is when you order something from a new catalog, forget you did, and order it AGAIN  from another dealer. SMH repeatedly when that happens! 

Old age has its problems...

I've done that with some Atlas flatcars. Ended up with a bunch of doubles, and even a few triples.

Most of the time I use one dealer. but lately I've added a couple more. I usually write down my pre-order from the catalog, and read it back to Butch at Charlie Ro, then stick it in the drawer of the coffee table. Credit card is on file, and the stuff just lands on the doorstep. I've got Lionel and MTH orders going back through all the catalogs for the last five years.

FWIW, I've had a couple of incidents where the seller forgot I had the preorder. One time I went into our LHS asking if my car was in. One of the guys said yeah, I just sold it to that guy getting into his car in the parking lot. That's one car I never did get.

Another time involved one of the big retailers and a MTH Steamer. That one got very ugly. Ultimately, I did get my engine from another vendor. And I got the charges canceled on my credit card for the engine that the first vender never shipped.

Right now I have three cars and one engine on preorder. I'm not buying, or preordering anything else until somebody ships something.

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OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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