Trainz
Trainz.com Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I shop from you at Trainz.com instead of eBay?
It's a simple question - why create a profile to buy on Trainz.com?
Early Access We post all of our collectibles on Trainz.com for two weeks before they are listed on our eBay Store.
Better prices Our prices on Trainz.com are lower than eBay.
Free Shipping option We offer free shipping on orders of $500 or more to the continental United States.
Earn points for your purchases Trainz Rewards lets you earn up to three point for every dollar spent (excluding tax and shipping) on every purchase. Step up to a Private Car membership and earn five points per dollar. It adds up quickly!
More products We offer a wider selection of products on Trainz.com, with over 140,000 items listed, compared to the 83,000 on our eBay Store. The difference? Factory Stock items under $25.
Promotions! We offer multiple sales, special discounts, and promotions on Trainz.com during the year. Your dollar goes farther at Trainz.com!
Wish List Once you've created an account on Trainz.com you can begin adding items to your wish list. Find something you want but it's out of stock? Add it to your wish list and we'll reach out when it's back on the shelf.
Price Drop Alerts Have your eye on something but don't have the funds just yet? No need to sit there and hit refresh over and over. Opt-in for our Wish List Price Drop Alert emails, and we'll let you know when your wish is less expensive.
How do I find products on Trainz.com?
Trainz is located at 4195 Industry Way, Flowery Branch, GA 30542.
Note: We cannot accept checks for eBay purchases per eBay and our payment processing software.
Trainz wants every customer to be satisfied with their purchase. If something is not right, we will work with you to repair, replace, refund, or provide partial credit when appropriate.
Customers must contact Trainz within 30 days of confirmed delivery to request assistance. Private Car members have 60 days.
To begin a return or request assistance, please submit a support ticket or email customerservice@trainz.com with your order number and a description of the issue. If the item is damaged, defective, or not as expected, please include clear photographs of the item and packaging.
All returns require authorization from Trainz before items are shipped back. Unauthorized returns may be refused.
Returned items must be in the same condition in which they were received, including original packaging, parts, accessories, and documentation. Items that are modified, altered, installed, or damaged after delivery may not qualify for return.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to Submit a Support Ticket.
International Return Policy
For international orders:
- Shipping charges are non-refundable
- Customs duties, taxes, and import fees are non-refundable
- Customers are responsible for return shipping costs unless otherwise agreed by Trainz
- Shipping to Brazil: Please note that due to international customs restrictions, all sales shipped to Brazil are final and ineligible for return
What is your return policy for International Orders
Our Return Policy for International Orders is the same as our regular return policy with the following exceptions:
- For international orders:
- Shipping charges are non-refundable
- Customs duties, taxes, and import fees are non-refundable
- Customers are responsible for return shipping costs unless otherwise agreed by Trainz
- Shipping to Brazil: Please note that due to international customs restrictions, all sales shipped to Brazil are final and ineligible for return
My package is damaged, what do I do now?
Please contact Trainz as soon as possible with your order number, a description of the issue, and photographs of the item and packaging.
We will review the issue and work with you to determine the best resolution.
My item does not operate correctly. Can Trainz repair it?
Trainz is an authorized service station for Lionel and MTH.
If an item purchased from Trainz was listed as functional but arrives in non-operating condition, please contact us within the return window. Our technicians will inspect the item and determine whether repair, replacement, refund, or another resolution is appropriate.
Do marketplace purchases follow the same return policy?
Not always. Return policies may differ for purchases made through third-party marketplaces such as eBay.
If your item was not purchased directly from Trainz.com, please review the return policy on the marketplace where the purchase was made.
Can I sell my model trains to you?
We're always on the lookout for new collections to purchase. While we're best known for our O gauge offerings, Trainz has experience in selling everything from tiny Z all the way up to giant G scale.
Visit our site Sellmytrains.com to learn more!
How does the selling process work?
A good rule of thumb is that Trainz will typically offer to purchase collections only if we can offer at least $1,000.
- In general, if a collection is worth substantially more than $1,000 then Trainz is interested.
- Trainz buys model train collectibles (our bread and butter) and some other non-train collectibles.
- We are usually interested in looking at all train collections that are Brass, O Scale, Standard Gauge or G Scale.
- We are sometimes interested in collections if they contain just a few valuable pieces. Conversely, we sometimes choose to pass on collections if they contain many common or inexpensive items where most of the items in the collection are worth less than $30 each.
- Lower-value collections where there is a lot of box-matching labor required are tough for us, and we will sometimes choose to pass on these collections.
Learn more at Sellmytrains.com!
While an inventory list is immensely helpful in providing you with a fast and accurate quote, not everyone has one. If you have the time, we do offer an Excel sheet for recording your inventory.
For those who prefer the handwritten approach, we also have a PFD list available for download.
Why should I go with Trainz? Couldn't I sell it myself?
Good question! It comes down to how you value three things: price received, effort, and payment speed. With Trainz, we provide a good value for your collection with minimal effort on your part, and a clear payment schedule.
Interested in learning more? Check out this article on the selling process written by Trainz founder and chief engineer, Scott Griggs.
Okay, you've sold me. How do I get in touch with Trainz to sell my collection?
Ready to reach out? We have a few different ways you can contact us.
Contact form: Click here!
Email: sellmytrains@trainz.com
Phone: 1-866-285-5840
Physical address: 4195 Industry Way, Flowery Branch, GA 30542
Where are the items I placed in my shopping cart?
For website orders, it is important that you complete the checkout process in the same sitting. The shopping cart will not save items for you, unless you create an account. So, if you go back to your shopping cart, say later in the day, your cart will be empty. If you see anything you absolutely want right now, please checkout.
I noticed an item on your site yesterday, now it is gone. Where did it go?
Sorry about that! Our inventory can move very quickly.
Will you notify me when my order ships?
The moment your order ships, you will receive an automated confirmation email that provides tracking or shipment confirmation information.
Note: If your order contains SPECIAL ORDER items or is shipping in multiple packages, additional packages may ship separately and may not generate a separate email.
I’m not getting your emails. What’s going on?
Email deliverability can be impacted by multiple issues.
- A typo in your email address.
- Length of time since the last Trainz.com email you opened.
- You’ve previously marked Trainz.com as spam.
- Your email provider has decided Trainz.com emails are spam.
Start by making sure you entered your email address correctly when signing up. Check your spam folder for emails from us, and if you find one you can Mark this email as not spam or drag it to your inbox folder. Lastly, some email providers such as Yahoo, RR.com, and iCloud can be excessive in their filtering of emails received.
If you’re still having trouble receiving emails from Trainz, consider signing up with a free email provider like Gmail.
How do you determine conditions - Grading Standards?
We utilize TCA condition standards as follows:
C-10 Mint - Brand New all original, unused and unblemished.
C-9 Factory New - Brand New all original, unused, may evidence factory rubs and the slightest evidence of handling, shipping and having been test run at the factory.
C-8 Like New - Complete all original, no rust, no missing parts, may show effects of being on display and/or age, may have been run.
C-7 Excellent - all original minute scratches and paint nicks, no rust and no missing parts. No distortion of component parts.
C-6 Very Good - Minor scratches and paint nicks, minor spots of surface rust, free of dents. May have minor parts replaced.
C-5 Good - Sign of play wear with scratches and minor paint loss. Small dents, minor surface rust. Evidence of heavy use.
C-4 Fair - Scratched, moderate paint loss, dented missing parts, surface rust. Evidence of heavy use.
C-3 Poor - Requires major body repair. Heavily scratched, major rust and missing parts. Restoration candidate.
C-2 Restoration required.
C-1 Junk, parts value only.
Box Grading:
P-10 Never opened. All edges are crisp. All applicable wrap/tape is undisturbed.
P-9 Same as P-10, but item may have original store or dealer stamp.
P-8 Same as P-9, but box has been neatly or carefully opened. Box is complete including liners.
P-7 Same as P-8, but box shows moderate wear from being opened or closed.
P-6 Same as P-7, but heavy wear. Inner flaps may require repair.
P-5 Same as P-6, but very heavy wear. Outer flaps may require repair. Liners/inner flaps may be missing.
P-4 Same as P-5, but one or both of the exterior flaps are missing.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept direct credit card payments from Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. We also accept PayPal.
Due to the ruling in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., Overstock.com, Inc., and Newegg, Inc., Trainz must collect the appropriate tax for your address.
I am a reseller. How do I register my business as exempt from sales tax?
If your business is legally registered for sales tax exemption in your state, please email customerservice@trainz.com with the subject line "Sales tax exemption request" before placing your order . You will need to provide a digital copy of your sales tax certificate for our records. To aid you in filling out your form, we’ve provided the information below.
On your sales tax certificate seller/supplier field, please enter: Trainz.com, Inc. In the address field for our company, please enter: 4195 Industry Way, Flowery Branch, GA 30542.
Please note this application is solely for purchases made on Trainz.com and does not apply to eBay, as that site has its own policies regarding Sales Tax.
The Trainz Wish List allows you to save items in one handy location. When that product returns to stock, or drops in price, you will be alerted via email.
- The Wish List tracks the model number of each item you add a wish for, so it can let you know when similar items, regardless of grading condition, become available on Trainz.com.
- It informs you about any recently listed Trainz.com inventory that matches your wishes.
- It informs you about price reductions of any Trainz.com inventory that matches your wishes.
- If you choose to, you can now opt-in to receive email alerts for new inventory or price reductions. Please note that you will not receive wish list emails unless you opt-in on the Wish List Preferences.
How do I add items to my Wish List?
To add items to your Wish List, you will need to be logged into Trainz.com. Using the Trainz.com search or browse functionality, find a listing that you would like to add a wish for.
On the Trainz.com search results page, you will see a "heart" in the top left of the listing. Hover over heart symbol and the phrase “Add to Wish List" appears. If you click the heart, the heart will go green indicating that the item is in your Wish List. Clicking the heart icon when you have already added an item to the Wish List will toggle the item back off of your Wish List.
Please note that you can now find and add wishes for out-of-stock items!
To manage your Wish List, click on the ”Wish List” link in the header of any Trainz.com page:
You will be taken to the “Wish List” page, where you can manage all the options for your wishes. See below for what this page looks like.
We have annotated the above screenshot with numbers, to show the various features of the My Wish List page.
- Search your Wish List (useful for long lists!)
- Choose whether you want email alerts.
- Checkbox to remove unwanted items.
- Clicking stock status will take you to the listing(s) corresponding to the wish.
- Choose to receive an availability alert.
- Choose to receive a price drop alert.
- Sort by newest wishes, price, stock status, or alphabetical order.
- Click to add a note to your wish.
- Change the number of wishes displayed per page.
- Navigate from page to page.
Will I get spammed if I add items to my Wish List?
Our intent is never to spam your inbox. By default, the Trainz Wish List will not send you emails. You must actively opt-in to receive email alerts by clicking on the Email Alerts button (2), and choosing the Availability Alert (5) and/or Price Alert (6) options shown below so we know what we are allowed to send.
The item I wished for was sold, why am I still getting notifications?
Let's say you wished for a Lionel 2055 Hudson steam locomotive, grade C-5. That particular engine might be sold, but we may have a grade C-4 or C-6 in stock as well. The Trainz Wishlist will notify you if an item is in stock by looking at the model number only, exclusive of grading.
Why were my Wishlist Email Alerts turned off?
If Trainz Wishlist emails are undeliverable, Trainz can turn off Wishlist Email Alerts.
When Trainz sends out Wishlist emails, sometimes the receiving Internet Service Provider (ISP) that is providing you with your email address, does not deliver the message, and the message 'bounces'. Examples of bounces are:
- The mailbox is full or over quota
- The email address does not exist - usually the result of a typo
- The ISP is aggressively filtering for SPAM messages and has deemed our wishlist emails to be SPAM
These email bounces can hurt Trainz ability to send wishlist emails in general, therefore Trainz can choose to turn off Email Alerts for addresses that frequently bounce.
ISPs that are known to be strict with our type of emails include AOL, iCloud, Outlook, RoadRunner/Time Warner Cable/Charter/Spectrum, Windstream, Yahoo, and zoominternet.net.
Gmail appears to be a good choice if you are looking for an alternate email provider to receive Trainz Wishlist Email Alerts. If you are using Gmail and you suspect your mailbox is nearly full, Google provides some cleanup advice in their article Manage files in your Google Drive storage as storage is shared across Google Drive, Gmail & Google Photos.
I unsubscribed. Why am I still receiving wishlist emails?
Unsubscribing from our newsletter does not automatically disable email alerts for items on your wishlist. Wishlist alerts are managed separately and are based on your specific preferences for each item.
To stop receiving these alerts, please follow these steps:
- Sign in to your Trainz account.
- Navigate to your Wishlist.
- Make sure to toggle off the "Email Alerts" option. This will turn off receiving emails for all wishlist items.
- Alternatively, for more granular control, you can toggle off the "Availability Alert" and/or "Price Alert" options for each individual item as desired.
This will ensure you no longer receive emails related to those specific wishlist items.
In-stock items are marked “Ships in 1 Business Day.” If your order is placed before noon, we can often ship it the same day.
Some items are special orders and may take a little longer. These products will show a message such as “Ships in 5–10 Business Days.”
Please note we ship orders on business days, Monday through Friday. Weekends and holidays are not counted as business days.
During busy times, such as holidays, sales, and promotions, shipping carriers may experience delays. We will always do our best to process and ship your order as quickly as possible, but we cannot guarantee an exact delivery date. To help ensure your order arrives when needed, we recommend ordering early.
How do I track my order?
-- Contact our Customer Service team
Yes! We ship to select destinations across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, and we're adding more locations. EU shipping is currently being rolled out, so please check availability at checkout for the latest options.
At checkout, we will show a detailed "all-in" Shipping price.
- Duties and taxes are included and quoted at checkout.
- Shipping transit time is estimated and shown at checkout.
- The actual shipping label may display "OpenBorder".
When shopping outside the USA, we identify your country/region by geolocation. You have the option to change your country/region if the geolocation feature is incorrect, or you can update the country setting on the header of any Trainz.com page.
Not all products are available for sale in the international market because of shipping restrictions on weight, dimensions, and content set by each receiving country.
What shipping method do you use?
We ship most orders through FedEx or USPS. To keep shipping costs low and delivery times as fast as possible, our system automatically selects the best available carrier when your order ships.
The carrier may vary depending on the shipping option you choose, the size of your order, your delivery address, and current carrier availability.
Economy Shipping: Includes FedEx Ground Economy, USPS Ground Advantage, and USPS First-Class Mail.
Standard Shipping: Includes FedEx Home Delivery / Ground and USPS Priority Mail.
Free Shipping: For orders that qualify for free shipping, including special Trainz promotions, Trainz will select the carrier and shipping service.
P.O. Box Addresses: Some larger packages may not be eligible for P.O. Box delivery. If needed, we may contact you to request a physical street address or an alternate pickup location, such as a FedEx or Walgreens pickup center.
Carrier Requests: We are happy to review carrier requests when possible. However, requests can only be honored if the shipping amount paid covers the cost of the requested service.
International orders may be delivered by various local carriers after leaving the United States.
Will you notify me when my order ships?
Yes. As soon as your order ships, we will send you a confirmation email with your tracking or shipment information.
If you placed your order through our website, the email will come from Trainz.com. If your order contains SPECIAL ORDER items or is shipping in multiple packages, additional packages may ship separately and may not generate a separate email.
If you placed your order through our eBay store, the email will come through eBay.
For some eBay orders, your items may ship in more than one package. If additional packages are shipped after the first one, our Customer Service team can provide tracking information for those shipments.
Why did my package ship as "Signature Required"?
For added security, Trainz requires a signature upon delivery for packages over a certain value. This helps ensure that higher-value orders are delivered safely to the intended recipient.
When your order ships, we will send you a “Your Item Has Shipped” email. This email will include your tracking number and shipment information.
To track your package, click the tracking link in the email. You may also copy the tracking number and enter it on the carrier’s website, such as FedEx.com or USPS.com, depending on the shipping method used.
For international orders, please use the tracking link included in your shipping email. Once the package reaches your country, tracking updates may come from your local delivery carrier.
Why was my order flagged for review?
To help protect our customers, some orders may require additional review before they can be shipped.
This may happen for several reasons, including first-time purchases over a certain amount, orders shipping to an address different from the billing address, or concerns reported by the payment provider.
If your order requires review, our Customer Service team may contact you for additional information. In some cases, we may request an alternate delivery address where the package can be delivered securely, such as a FedEx hold location or another approved pickup location.
This review process helps us prevent unauthorized purchases and make sure your order is delivered safely.
Orders paid through PayPal are not included in this review process.
When are Pre-Orders coming to Trainz.com?
Pre-orders are in development. We are targeting late 2026 to 2027. Watch for updates!
How do I use the free shipping promotion?
Trainz.com offers free shipping to the contiguous United States (48 states, excluding Hawaii and Alaska) year-round when your order subtotal exceeds $500.
At times we offer a special free shipping promotion, which lowers the minimum order subtotal. When the offer is active, you will see the "Free shipping on orders over $100" appear at checkout.
Please note that free shipping must be selected at checkout. It is not automatically applied. It cannot be applied retroactively.
At times we will offer special discount codes to be used on Trainz.com. We announce this through our email, as well as our social media channels.
At checkout, you will need to enter the discount code in order to receive the special offer. It cannot be stacked or combined with other discount codes, or used with Trainz Rewards points.
Discounts may have requirements that must be fulfilled before the code will work. If you are experiencing an issue, please make sure you have fulfilled those requirements before contacting customer service.
Discounts cannot be applied retroactively.
How do I use my Trainz Rewards points?
Every purchase you make while logged in to your account on Trainz.com will earn points. These points can then be converted into a special discount just for you.
You will see your points balance and the option to apply them at the checkout screen. Enter the discount desired, press apply, and your order subtotal will be updated with your savings.
Please note that your Trainz Rewards points are a type of discount code, and cannot be stacked with promotion discounts.