The_Ghan Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Yesterday I received my HS order containing the Kato 10000 series, the Tomix Dr Yellow (soon to be heading to webskipper), and my Kato and Tomix 2012 catalogs. I'm not happy with the quality of my Kato 2012 catalog. It has obviously been wet, but not in shipping as it was in the same wrapper as my Tomix catalog, which doesn't have the same problem. My Kato catalog has wrinkled pages that creak when you turn them. I've included a few images here to show you what I mean, and compared it with my Kato 2011 catalog. I've sent a similar message directly to HS, basically asking for a replacement. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Am I being too picky? Edit: The last image is a page from my Kato 2011 catalog, to compare with the one before. Cheers The_Ghan Link to comment
bikkuri bahn Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 From photo appearances it looks like the catalog was in a high humidity environment, which you could remedy by placing in a dry place between a couple of heavy books (I find American railroad books handy for this). But the crinkling suggests true water damage- in that case you rightfully should ask for a replacement. Link to comment
cteno4 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Probably a few boxes stored in a bad spot at some point in their history. Crinkly paper makes me think water damage. Try pressing it as bikkuri suggests, but I doubt that will help the crinkle... I guess it falls if it really bothers you that much to request a new one or not. Who know where in its life it was damaged before it got to you. Jeff Link to comment
linkey Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I've got mine with the TOMIX catalogue with not problems, I even had wrapping to protect the three catalogues. Hopefully HS will be able to comply and replace the KATO catalogue for you. Link to comment
The_Ghan Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Yuh, Thanks guys. I haven't heard back yet but I'll give them a day or two. Cheers The_Ghan Link to comment
westfalen Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 My Kato catalog from HS is in pristine condition (apart from the fingerprints after all the club members pawing it on Saturday). I had an issue of Japan Railfan Magazine end up like your catalog, worse actually, after I had it in my bag at work one day when it rained and it got a bit damp. Link to comment
The_Ghan Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Hmmm .... it seems either HS isn't telling me the truth or all of you are having a lend of me. Here is the HS reply: [i]"Thank you very much for contacting us. We had checked your photos of the product, so we had compared them with the items we have in stock at the moment and have confirmed that the items in stock are all also wavy when placed flat on table. As such, it seems that your suspicion of the problem being at the printing stage was correct. So we had contacted Kato regarding the print quality of their 2012 catalog. However, unfortunately they had not been very helpful and could only tell us that they are all the same this year. We would've liked to send you a replacement if we had a nicer copy, but as they are all in the same state, unfortunately there would be no point. As such, we are very sorry but we are unable to be of your assistance with this case. We apologize for your inconvenience, but your understanding would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely Yours, Ryo Negishi" [/i] Any advice, anyone? According to HS you are all wrong !!! Cheers The_Ghan Link to comment
Tecchan Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Type of paper, orientation of the paper in the machines, type of ink used, time for letting the catalogs dry, etc. Believe me, there is lots of factors in the printing process that can be the cause of this. ;-) Link to comment
The_Ghan Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Does your copy have this problem Kumo? Cheers The_Ghan Link to comment
cteno4 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 yeah i have been involved in projects with huge print runs and all the things kumo said can go wrong (and usually do even on the best of runs) and even for a short while it can end up with cases of effected product. hard to always qa the whole huge batch! but having the whole thing that way makes me think something happened after printing and it looks like moisture... jeff Link to comment
bill937ca Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Anyone order from Plaza Japan? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kato-Model-Railroad-Japanese-Catalogue-2012-25-000-/120838123217?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item1c22836ed1 If its the whole print run PJ`s should be no better. Link to comment
The_Ghan Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Good point Bill, I'm thinking to order a second copy from another supplier, actually. I'm going to contact a few and see if they have this problem. If not, I'll buy a second one. Mine really is quite bad. If HS has sent me an honest reply then Linkey and the rest of you who've bought catalogs from them should all have the same problem as me, yet none of you have. Is HS being dishonest with me? I hope not. If Kato's attitude is really "take it or leave it, they're all like that" then I'll be voting with my feet and purchasing more from Tomix, MA, and maybe even my first Greenmax train. Actually, my next order will probably include a High Grade Tomix Yufuin-no-mori. I spent just over $10k in 2011 across all aspects of N-gauge. Nearly half of that was with HS, so they do OK out of me. Perhaps I might direct more of my business to other suppliers. I had my first order from Hobby Plaza Bigman over Christmas. They offer 20/25% discounts and the goods were well packaged. But I'll just ask the question here one more time: Do any of you have a Kato catalog with the same problem as mine? Cheers The_Ghan Link to comment
cteno4 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 HS usually takes some pushing to get them to do much. i think part of their problem is the use interns to do the english orders so they are only there like 6 months and gone, so your longer history with hs is never really known. i expect interns are also a bit timid of giving in and about the time they get the hand of customer service they are gone... best of luck with this. jeff Link to comment
keitaro Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Hmm ill ask mother in law she bought for me i have not received it yet though. Link to comment
bill937ca Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I've not ordered any catalogs this year. So my experience isn't of any help. Link to comment
IST Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 My Kato catalog is still in Japan at one of my friends, I will ask him about its quality. Link to comment
The_Ghan Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 I'd really like to know how some of the other catalogs look before taking this further. Cheers The_Ghan Link to comment
linkey Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 The_Ghan, Looking at the first photo, my 2012 catalogue looks similar flatness to your 2011 KATO catalogue. It could be due to the printing ink that could cause it. Again I had three catalogues shipped out together and wrapped up so that might of gave me the look as it was mostly flat. Your second photo gives a define detail of how the inner psges are affected but not much of the outer cover, that would give HS and KATO the idea it would most likely be printing issue not weather related. Link to comment
cteno4 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Since the whole catalogue is warped in the same way it was probably not in the printing process. Page layouts would be several pages across so you would probably not end up having the identical warping all the way thru. Also thr crinkling pages sounds like the page coating/varnish getting damp. Ink is usually dry once it's leaving the press. I think they had some boxes get damp some where in the delivery chain from the printer, but who knows how or where. Still it's the sort of thing that would be kicked back from a print run or supplier. Big question is how many are out there like that. Japanese printing is usually very first rare for glossy print run like this. Cheers jeff Link to comment
The_Ghan Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 ... Big question is how many are out there like that.. Only one, according to this thread. But if you ask Hobby Search, then every single catalog is the same and westfalen and Linkey are both telling me fibs! Cheers The_Ghan Link to comment
The_Ghan Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 I've sent HS a rather unfriendly email. :sad: I might place my next order with Bigman. Cheers The_Ghan Link to comment
westfalen Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 After a year mine will be looking a bit the worse for wear anyway. Link to comment
linkey Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 ... Big question is how many are out there like that.. Only one, according to this thread. But if you ask Hobby Search, then every single catalog is the same and westfalen and Linkey are both telling me fibs! Cheers The_Ghan No we were not telling fibs, it is very unusal to see a KATO catalogue and I have the 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012 catalgoues and none of them even looked like the one you got The_Ghan. Link to comment
The_Ghan Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 After a year mine will be looking a bit the worse for wear anyway. I look after mine west ... ... something I wish I'd done with my old Hornby catalogs years ago ... Cheers The_Ghan Link to comment
angusmclean Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I'd really like to know how some of the other catalogs look before taking this further. Cheers The_Ghan Apart from being speared by a sharp object in the postal system, the new cat. looks normal to me. Angus Link to comment
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