I have to say that I got really good response in just the last few days from Laura at Bachmann Customer Service. I sent an email through their website's system about a problem I had been having and asking for suggestions (unresponsive 70-tonner). We worked it out and got it going again without me having to even send it in, which, to me, is the best possible outcome since I don't like the hassle of having to mail locomotives off for repair. In case anyone else has the problem, the stock decoder on a Bachmann N scale 70-tonner does not appear to have CV readback. When my 70-tonner did this thing where it acted weird on DCC and then stopped working at all I first tried reading CVs. That did not work, but in retrospect I think it's because the decoder is not set up for it. I then tried setting CV 8 to 8. That did not work. I have a Zephyr and I was trying to use Paged Mode. What I ended up doing was confirming that CV 8 to 8 was the Bachmann decoder reset (and it is, unless you have a sound decoder, in which case it is CV 30 to 2). I then put it on a programming track and tried using DIRECT mode. That didn't work. I then put the resistor down on the rails and it finally worked (indicated "Good" on my DT402 throttle, which I had by now decided to use since its interface is not arcane like the Zephyr). I then put it back on a regular track and checked it out again using address 03 and it worked. Bachmann stepped up in my case and prevented unnecessary mailing of locomotives.
Just to follow up I got my 44 toner back and it runs great, much smoother than it did originally, glad to hear they took care of you promptly.
That is good service. Now to fiddle with the dud loco and maybe get it running well - the you will have two! Another Gary in Australia!
I didn't think the replacement policy applied to overseas customers, just goes to show it never hurts to ask. Let us know how you go.
What a surprise!! the replacement loco arrived in Australia 6 days after I first contacted Bachman. I have to say this service is spectacularly great! The new loco runs perfectly, and I'm a very satisfied customer.... cheers Gary
So... whatcha gonna do with the old one? *hint hint* Glad Bachmann got you a new product and in 6 days no less!
Six days!?!?! Wow! If I were ordering something from Australia and it had gotten here within three weeks I would have been tickled pink. I ordered some power chassis from a supplier in Japan the day BEFORE the Sendai earthquake. After the quake hit I wanted to contact them and say, hey, no rush, but I had no good way of doing that. I still got them within about two weeks. I felt bad to even have that resource diverted while people were trying to dig out from the quake.
Old one will be kept for spares - I still haven't been able to get it to run smoothly, so who knows what's wrong........ I will do the right thing by Bachman because they have been great to me... cheers Gary
Probably happened because I bought it in the US by mail order from a well known supplier of model trains. I doubt if it would have happened if I had bought it in Oz cheers Gary
When I had a close read of the Bachmann warranty I can't see anything that says you have to be in the US or bought the item in the US, I always just assumed that was the case. Just goes to show you don't assume anything and it never hurts to ask.
If you sent it directly back to the manufacturer and it was swapped for a new one in six days, you bypassed the retailer completely. As an aside, Bachmann had fair to poor quality control for a long time. I would hope it has been improved. Its service was always good in my experiences. If the problem would take too long to tinker with, a new engine would be sent very quickly. I found the same issues and solution with Model Power.
