KATOUSA

[bc6]

I dont know if this belongs here but Im having problems ordering from Kato's part website. Whenever I put in my CC info it rejects or cant process it. I know the CC works and Ive tried several of them with no success. This is the site I'm having a problem with. https://store.katousa.com/ If anyone has a solution please share it with me thanks.

[cteno4]

I’d contact katousa directly. The store site says email them at katoonline@katousa.com or you could just try calling their main number 847-781-9500. They are in Illinois. They have been pretty good about answering the phone and routing you to someone in the past but not called them in the last few years. Sounds like something funky with their site. If its a visa debit, some systems just refuse them with errors.

 

btw you can also order japanese parts thru Katousa, they usually have a process where you send them the instruction sheet from the model you want a part for with the part number circled on those instructions. I think they implemented this to make sure exactly what you wanted. The process changed a few times along the way so best to call if you want to gry to get japanese parts. Last time i ordered parts thru them it took a few months and was sent from Kato usa [figure it just comes over in their container shipments] and was like $8-10. In the end i found it easier, cheaper and faster to order from japanese sources. But that was when small packet and air mail was dirt cheap for shipping from japan.

 

jeff

[bc6]

Wow thanks for all the information Jeff, I was planning on giving them a call on Thursday. 

I didn't know that you could order Japanese parts from them either. I think I need to pull out the parts list for one of my sets. 

 

Thanks again for moving this post also sorry for the trouble.

[cteno4]

Before you get into it too far for japanese parts call them and ask they are doing this and what the current proceedure is. Over the years its gone all over the place.

 

kato japan is pretty separate from katousa. From time to time Katousa has brought over a few japanese trains now and then, but it’s not been consistent at all and been problematic at times with support for them in the us. 

 

jeff

[bc6]

A little update on the situation I called Kato and spoke to a nice lady there and she helped my place my order. My only regret is that I didn't get to use what little Japanese I know to thank her.

[cteno4]

They always seem to have someone there at katousa from japan. I have wondered if its sort of a rotation position for Kato japan people to do and maybe Kato japan having a representative from the mother ship always there at katousa. It seems to have always been an odd relationship. There was a prominent n scale modeler that worked at katousa for many years and had gone over to japan many times. He would talk about the strangeness of the setup. Apparently katousa was kept at a certain size compared to Kato japan. Not sure if true anymore though.

 

good will be interesting to here how it goes now. Like i mentioned it seemed to always be in flux to get stuff and if you could get stuff. Maybe be a bit better with current shipping being like $20 min from japan now for a small thing unless you bundle it with a larger order. Rokko is good at ordering from Kato hobby center and then easy and flexible shipping bundling.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[bc6]

I've found the same to be true also there is definitely a rotation of folks between Japan an USA answering the phones.

 

I can see why there would be a staffing difference between the USA and Japan. 

 

I will have to remember to engage RG-ROKKO in my parts search the next time I'm in need of parts.