September 20, 2002 -
Sullivan Indiana.
Photo courtesy of
Larry E. Gilbert.

Wig-Wag, LLC
Model Railroading for the Discriminating Modeler!


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Terms Page #1:
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Terms Page #2:
Contact Info page,

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Phone Number,
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Terms Page #3:
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Click here for product Directory

Pre-Orders

Pre-Order Discounts -
Our suppliers give us an additional discount if we pay them within 5-10 days of shipment.  In most cases that means we have to write the check the day the shipment arrives.  We pass this discount on to our customers who place a timely Pre-Order and have a valid credit card on file with us.  Customers with a valid CC# on file are processed automatically and always get Pre-Order pricing on items they Pre-Ordered by our posted order date.

Occasionally we accept Pre-Orders from customers who wish to pay by USPS (or foreign postal service in $US) Money Order.   Those items must be paid for within 10 days of our e-mailing the customer of the amount before a reservation will be recorded.  After 10 days if payment has not been made we reserve the right to release the item to other reserve orders or inventory.

Pre-Order Policies -
As dealers we like to think a Pre-Order is a binding contract. For that reason we have gone into the retail market to locate items that our distributors failed to deliver on several releases. We lost money on each item but we kept our commitment.

We ask customers to keep their commitments too.  However, we understand that things happen and people sometimes lose their jobs etc.  We accept cancellations, the first time with a smile.   Later reservations will require a deposit.

We have noticed recently a large percentage of modelers making reservations "lightly" and then canceling when their spouse/significant other finds out.  In most cases we commit cash (non-cancelable) on the order date and may be left with the item in inventory.   It's not a great situation as it forces us to consider if we should put a cancellation factor into the calculation of how many units we order.  No business (from General Electric, to EMD, to Fairbanks-Morse, to us) has unlimited capital to throw at inventory.

Modelers that don't honor their commitments cause strains to business' cash flow.

Please be prepared to provide a credit card number, expiration date and CVCC code either by phone (505-298-7177), fax (505-323-2419), or by splitting your CC# over more than one e-mail. We no longer accept reservations from customers for purchases to be paid for by money orders without pre-payment. It's a case of the few that ruin it for the many. Sitting on items waiting for payment costs us valuable financing dollars. We've had some items here for over 4 months.
Also, be sure your reservation e-mail includes your FULL NAME. At our pricing structure we can no longer afford to refund shipping to Australia for items that were supposed to go to Texas because both customers use their first name as their e-mail name.

Still Confused about Pre-Orders?

Please consider that this is the way we pay the rent, utilities, salaries, and put additional items in inventory. Taking Pre-Orders allows us to order enough to cover known demand. We're not independently wealthy -- we simply enjoy model railroading and hope to provide the service to modelers that we wanted to receive before we opened.
We attempt to gauge (ok, guess) how many will be ordered after the order deadline plus enough to allow us to have the item in stock for 45-60 days after shipment by the manufacturer. Sometimes we get it right and sometimes we don't.
Occasionally when an item is not likely to be produced again (C&EI RS-1325s for example) we order beyond our guess to have a few for longer than that.

Those new to the hobby may wonder why people Pre-Order
new items and why we ask for Pre-Orders.

Below are some reasons that might help you understand why:

  • Manufacturers make limited runs of most products. Usually they try to make just enough for the market to handle. This allows for the increased variety of products but not perpetual manufacturing of the same products. These items tend to be built to order.
  • When products are built to order Pre-Orders are very helpful to us. Pre-Orders enable us to order enough products to fill customer orders. If we don’t get Pre-Orders for a product we may not order it at all.
  • Manufacturers may also allocate a product. This means that there is a limited production capacity. In order to produce a high quality product in a reasonable amount of time there may not be enough products produced to fulfill overall demand. This is very limited production. Pre-Orders are always recorded on a first-come first-serve basis.

Invalid Credit Card Numbers and Declined Purchases

We need an e-mail address and phone number to contact you in case your Credit Card declines your purchase. 
Please be certain that you provide an accurate account number in your e-mail or fax.  If you call it in we will repeat it back to you. 
If the charge is declined for an invalid account number or simply declined we will make one attempt to contact you.  If we are not able to contact you or get the charge cleared within 10 days of the initial attempt, we will return the product to stock.

A Note on Stock Status:
Virtually every page that lists products on our website includes these phrases:

Not all items can be in stock at all times.
Due to minimum order requirements and shipping charges we "bunch" up re-orders to save you money.
Note: Not all of the items on any page may be in stock or available but the information is provided for reference purposes.

Regarding Stock Checks:

Inventory is a fluid commodity. It changes by the hour (sometimes by the minute). To operate within our pricing structure we maintain stock levels designed to turnover 6+ times each year. We cannot guarantee stock status till we have an order in hand. All product is subject to prior sale. If we confirm that we have it, and, while we are waiting for payment info it sells, you would be upset that we did not hold it.
We used to hold items but learned a VERY EXPENSIVE lesson. When items are held for customers’ orders, the order never materialized 80%+ of the time. We lose out on the orders placed while the item was on hold. Also, we waste staff time that could be used to pull actual orders.
Since we are well known for finding older stock, the fact that it is not on our shelves at this minute does not mean we can’t get it.
So, we don’t do stock checks without an actual order having been placed.

Pricing on our Website:

We strive to show both the Pre-Order Price and the In-Stock price on items that are available for Pre-Order. We do this to show the savings you could realize if you Pre-Order the item.

We try to announce on our Wig-Wag, LLC News Page when a "Pre-Order-able" item ships to us. That gives you several days to place a last minute Pre-Order and still take advantage of the additional discount offered.

However, even if the ship date to us isn't announced (Athearn just ships w/o notice to us), when the item arrives In-Stock pricing applies. We will not change the listing to remove the Pre-Order price. That info is retained to show new customers the benefit of Pre-Orders. When we determine an item is absolutely no longer available, as time permits, we will indicate it as sold out.

We also reserve the right to correct errors and change prices (based on changes in MSRP or manufacturer pricing policies) without prior notice.

Discounts

We discount Pre-Order orders by 35% (Ex: $145 retail is $94.25 Reserved) and, in stock items by 30% (Ex: $145 retail is $101.50 In-Stock) for the following manufacturers:

Atlas tools, books and electrical items are discounted 20%

Atlas and Kato track components are discounted a flat 32% off MSRP.  NO bulk pricing is offered to us on purchases less than $10,000(our cost) so please don't ask for a bulk price on purchases smaller than $12,000(your cost).


We discount Pre-Order orders by 30% and, in stock items by 25% for the following manufacturers:
Athearn


We discount Pre-Order orders by 28% and, in stock items by 25% for the following manufacturers:


We discount Pre-Order orders by 35% and in stock items by 32% for the following manufacturer:


We discount Micro-Trains Line monthly releases reserved by OUR posted monthly due-date by 28%. In-stock items are discounted 20%. Micro-Trains trucks, couplers, detail parts and Z-Track are discounted 20%.


Other - We order in other product lines regularly.
We have similar discounts on these product lines as well.

Other items or 'late' requests

There are several distributors that do not offer the 'normal' pricing structure in the industry. Those distributors are what we refer to as 'short discounters'. They may not be the most up-to-date but they sometimes have stock on hand for months or years after all others are sold out. We try to keep digging up little known items but ones that people want (we hope). However if a 'short discounter' sells an Atlas loco to us at only 33% off MSRP we can't sell it to you at 35% off MSRP. In those cases please understand that our pricing is controlled by their pricing and our price may be @ a lower discount than normal.

Hold for Shipping

This is one of our customers' most popular features.  It is an option you electWe will hold ALL your orders for up to 45 days in order for other announced or out-of-stock items to arrive. We do, however, have to have a credit card on file in order to run the charge for the item we are holding. If we don't charge promptly, it ties up capital, costs us more to do business, and we will be unable to continue to offer you our current pricing structure. We will not charge for the shipping until the package goes out the door. You should note that once you request Hold-for-Shipping, it applies to all orders. It is not possible to manage a listing that has multiple exceptions. If you request to come off Hold-for-Shipping then you will be off for good, no exceptions.

Time is a major factor in financing any business. Our pricing is based on getting things out as quickly as possible when they come in. You may combine Pre-Order purchases with other in-stock items. However, we cannot send e-mails to people who want to add to their Pre-Order when it arrives.

Advance notice of charging credit & debit cards

Please budget for your purchases. Some customers have asked to receive advance notice prior to charging their credit or debit cards for their Pre-Order purchases. If we must send a notice and wait for your response we can't take advantage of prompt payment discounts and will charge you the full retail price.

Please check our news page often. We post notices of shipping to us on major items when the distributors advise us. However, some lines just show up w/o notice to us including: Athearn, deLuxe Innovations, Red Caboose & Intermountain. In those cases we try to announce when they arrive and MAY extend the reserve period BRIEFLY.

Privacy Policy - please read
FAQ's page - please read

Returns:
In ALL cases contact us before sending anything back.
Any return w/o contacting us first and getting authorization from either Debra or George will be assessed a 20% re-stock charge.

If you change your mind about wanting a reserved item before it ships to us and we can adjust our order, no-problem. However once the item ships to us, or our order is locked in there will be a 20% re-stock charge on any cancellation or return. Items in scales other than N or Z scales (and MTL HOn3) are considered Special Order and are non-cancellable, non-returnable.

When we goof - (it happens -- we're human) we may elect to send you a check to refund any overcharge and the shipping cost for the item sent in error.  For regular customers we can credit the overcharge to future purchases.
In some cases it is cheaper to credit you with a refund and you keep the item so we occasionally do that. 

Warranty Issues:
If an item is less than you hoped for but is what the manufacturer produced, the warranty is with the manufacturer. The manufacturer should be contacted after you contact us.
Do not return any item to us without authorization by either Debra or George.  No other person has the authority to authorize a return.

Most manufacturers have a repair or replacement policy within 90 days of purchase.
Also, most want you to return the item directly to them. This reduces the time involved in resolving the problem (getting you happy) and wasted shipping charges.

Insurance and Damages in route:
Please understand that every item we send is securely packed.  
As appropriate, items are wrapped individually in bubble wrap. 
Then they are boxed and the box is filled with packing "bubbles" or "peanuts".  Occasionally (about one in 1000 shipments) a package is damaged by the carrier.
If damage occurs in shipping and you did not elect insurance we cannot replace the item.  If you elect insurance then you must file a claim with the USPS or your country's postal service.

 

 

 



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