Ordering direct from Walthers- any experiences?

[nathan70000]

Hi

 

I've ordered 2 Budd Metroliner MUs direct from Walthers in Milwaukee. What has been people's experience of them, if any? It has been a few days since I ordered and there hasn't been any emails about shipping via USPS etc. so I wonder if they use their own service which might help me about getting stung by customs! I'm aware I could have ordered them through an intermediate dealer in the UK but at a price of $80 or thereabouts it would have been much cheaper to order direct than through an intermediate that goes off the prices in the catalogue.

[mabel]

Used them many times. its difficult not to impulse buy when the TFI Fridays email comes in!! Excellent service every time. I wouldn't worry (too much) re the lack of emails. I think our American cousins don't live on the internet as much as we do in the UK.

cheers

Tony

[Arthur]

 

Not used them for a while but I was a regular mail order customer at one time and my experience with them was always positive. They are a reliable and reputable company.

 

.

[30851]

I have ordered from them many times and never had a problem.

 

On the topic of emails on my last order (a week or so ago) I just got one email saying they had received the order then I received the package - there were no emails saying my package had been shipped etc, However if I logged into their site then I could find a link to track the shipping.

 

Rob

[doctor quinn]

Another +1 for Walthers, ordered a few things over the years, I don't recall any emails after the order confirmation - the stuff just turned up.

[nathan70000]

Interesting! I guess growing up in more recent decades I'm just used to following a parcel obsessively on it's journey! What courier do they use? The VAT I don't mind- the rip off handling charges I do!

[jasond]

Interesting! I guess growing up in more recent decades I'm just used to following a parcel obsessively on it's journey! What courier do they use? The VAT I don't mind- the rip off handling charges I do!

Walthers - dependable.  They've used USPS for my stuff, if it's a small packet and our Post Office delivers it, no extras.  If it's a big enough box and/or value Parcelforce get it - no import duty these days just VAT on goods plus shipping cost and £8 for the man who worked it all out.  Has anyone used the Global Shipment(?) service...?  Many years ago I was assured by a US retailer that what they were telling me that Fedex would charge was final.  Well, the final time I would risk Fedex it turned out.  Any recent experiences with them out there?

Jason

[brianusa]

The USPS varies. I ordered a loco from the UK (obviously not Walthers) which arrived in San Francisco last Sunday. According to their tracking it hasn't budged since and we're only a days truck ride away. Still not arrived!

 

Brian.

[nathan70000]

When ordering from Japan in the past I have found that postage is very quick, reliable and efficient- until getting to Heathrow! I've never had a parcel take less than 48 hours from Japan to Heathrow but Heathrow to my house can take days! The eBay Global Shipping program uses Pitney Bowes (?), not a firm I'd heard of before but the great thing is you pay VAT when you order so no nasty charges! I've found their application to be inconsistent i.e sometimes a parcel slips through, sometimes I get charged more than I should and sometimes I get charged less.

[Angelus]

I ordered Micro Engineering track from them on 27/12/17 (It was in their post christmas sale) and it was delivered on 23/1/18. As others have said the US firms don't seem to continually update with e-mails, it just turns up eventually! No duty was charged but I had to pay VAT and the £8 handling fee to the Post Office. One of the labels on the packing showed it had travelled via Germany !?

 

I've used them a few times over the years and definitely use them again.

 

Terry

[Regularity]

There is no duty charged on model railway products when imported, just the VAT plus handling fee (because the Royal Mail/Parcel Force are acting as an agent for HMRC, and HMRC won’t cover the costs of processing as a reduction from the VAT).

[jjb1970]

Parcel Force charges a £13.50 VAT handling charge for "express" items and £8 for standard items. This might infer that "express" items are handled speedily, unfortunately I have found that "express" parcels routinely take a couple of weeks to clear their international handling centre.

 

If you group items the VAT handling fee isn't quite so bad but it can end up costing a lot for single items. Hence why my preference is to wait until I am going over to the US or a friend is coming over. I am lucky in having friends who are happy to hold stuff for me. The allowance if you carry stuff in is much higher (£390) so not only do you avoid the handling charge, providing you take care of how much you bring you can avoid the VAT.

 

If that's not an option then you just to swallow the charges.

[brianusa]

The USPS varies. I ordered a loco from the UK (obviously not Walthers) which arrived in San Francisco last Sunday. According to their tracking it hasn't budged since and we're only a days truck ride away. Still not arrived!

 

Brian.

 

Finally here according to the USPS website.  All they have to do is deliver it!

 

Brian.

[Regularity]

Finally here according to the USPS website.  All they have to do is deliver it!

 

Conversely, USPS tells me that my package from the US left Heathrow for an internal U.K. destination (i.e. me) a week ago and is no longer traceable on their system. Unfortunately Royal Mail says it is not recognised on their system. (I double-checked with Parcel Farce and they confirmed that the tracking code was for a Royal Mail delivery.)