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nartak

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Here in the us buying from a business PayPal account there is no charged exchange fee, just an exchange rate that is about 2% higher for yen to us dollar than the going rate you get with a credit card that does not charge any exchange fees. Things vary country to country with PayPal. Lots of complaints out there that they bury fees in exchange rates here.

 

Jeff

Edited by cteno4
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Well my CC would be $5 + 2.4% fee for currency converstion. Or PP does 3.4%. I'm happy with PP conversion amount.

 

In Australia, the going rate for cash currency conversion is about 4.85% normally, depending on whom you go to. So PPs rate is fine my me.

 

Some people will always want the currency rate they see when they google it. But businesses need to make money. Some just dont see it that way. They just want their 95JPY they just googled. They flip out when the conversion comes back at 91JPY.

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I think Australia and EU probably have consumer regs that force PayPal to spell out the currency exchange fees separately. Bly recently here have the banking regulations started forcing things to be clearer here. In the us paypal claims to use the bank exchange rate, but this is what the credit cards so as well, so that's why I know PayPal is padding by a couple percent n the exchange rate here. I wish they would be clearer on it here. Some cc here in the states don't charge an exchange fee, but I expect that may start to go away here.

 

Sorry this has strayed so far, mods feel free to move the exchange rate stuff to its own thread and out of nariichi's.

 

Cheers

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I do not understand what all the fuss is about. Of course Japanese store will charge in JPY ¥.

 

HS is also in JPY ¥ and the international purchaser gets the conversion rate at the time of sale.

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I do not understand what all the fuss is about. Of course Japanese store will charge in JPY ¥.

 

HS is also in JPY ¥ and the international purchaser gets the conversion rate at the time of sale.

Correct - but I've found that normally PayPal shows the price in your payment currency during checkout. That is what was unusual here.

 

As I said, no matter - it is reflected correctly in my PayPal account.

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Blog updated as attended sales meeting at Kato head office.

 

Some Orient Express set will also be available later as Kato will be making additional release.

 

 

Thank you for taking the time to summarize the Kato sales meeting.  The details of these meetings always fascinate me.   :)

 

The "request for re-run" section included a wide variety of products; I'm glad that you were able to raise a request for the 221 series, among other things.  

 

Also, I'm pleasantly surprised that Kato intends to make additional quantities of the Orient Express in the near future.  

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Hello Mr Nartak,

 

Was there any discussion on the Orient Express, with particular regard for the yellowing applied to the Pullman cars?  I've not seen such yellowing on the prototype and I'm wondering why Kato chose to apply it?

 

If it wasn't mentioned, perhaps you might raise this topic at the next meeting?

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Just a remark: The yellowing is the same color as the two thin bands above and below the white stripe. This could be a simple misprint...

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The summary of the Kato sales meeting is very interesting.   Thank you for sharing this with us.

 

I agree, thanks for the info.

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Yes thanks very much nariichi for taking the time to go to these and to inform us! Very helpful.

 

Mr kato is doing a good thing by doing this, keeping in touch with the customers thru the dealers is a good thing all around. Inspires confidnece that someone is listening and information is dessiminated and less chance of issues being talked about just based on gossip and rumors! Nice to do the free lunch!

 

Jeff

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Dear Everyone who commented,

Thank you for the feedback.  Sorry, I have more photo as there are other prototypes shown but didn't have time to list everything in so detail.

Actually, there was no topic raised regarding the color of Orient Express from other dealers.  As far as now, I have also not received anything about it from my customer.  I might ask this if I have a chance on next meeting but considering the objective of the event, the priority will be given to feedback/comments/request from my customer.  Appreciate if you can send PM or e-mail if anything to be raised.  Thank you.

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The orient express car could be a one off misprint, so the dealer who sold it or kato's customer service might be able to help. Anyway, thanks for the information. I would like to ask if there are similar events at other manufacturers or this is a Kato speciality?

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West

 

What did you order for the emblem, did you mean for the car side? Thought that did not come with the flag spare part. The new imperial car has the emblem already on it.

 

Jeff

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The orient express car could be a one off misprint, so the dealer who sold it or kato's customer service might be able to help. Anyway, thanks for the information. I would like to ask if there are similar events at other manufacturers or this is a Kato speciality?

I know some of the us manufactures do this now and then at larger conventions with dealers, but I have not heard of meetings happening once a month ever nor for most of the day! I have also heard of manufactures hiring consultants who talk with dealers and the market. Nice that kato is privately held as they can do what they want. Tomix may have procedures and rules from tomy on doing things like this. Maybe nariichi knows if tomytec, ma, or greenmax ever do meetings like this.

 

Mr kato has been very friendly when he has visited American conventions, seems like he likes the company to be engaged and he is not afraid to be out in front. The kato Japan / Katousa relationship on the other hand always seems to be a bit a kilter one way or another, but that maybe biz culture clash and market differences.

 

Jeff

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Sales meetings are not unique to Kato. What might be unique is the big man himself appearing at the meeting.  The point of sales meeting is to gauge reaction to new products. In some ways this sounds like old complaints about Kato only hearing what they want to hear.

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West

 

What did you order for the emblem, did you mean for the car side? Thought that did not come with the flag spare part. The new imperial car has the emblem already on it.

 

Jeff

I have the original special run imperial car that came without the emblem so I'll still have to make one up for that because I'm not going to buy a whole new car just to put money in Kato's bank account rather than mine, but I will have the flags and emblem for the front of the train.

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Hello Mr Nartak,

 

I am referring to this post by Mr smit: http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/4-kato-new-releases/?p=97772

 

If you look at the attached image Mr smit has circled the error.

 

Here is a photo of the real train.  Please see the car at the left end and note that it does not have yellow: http://static.belmond.com/static/vsoe/images/720x300images/vsoe_720x300_slovakia01.jpg

 

Finally, please see this HO model of the same car and note it does not have yellow: http://www.reynaulds.com/products/Consignment/3633.aspx

 

So, I was wondering if Kato has any comment about the yellow on the Pullman car?

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New items listed.

 

http://www.modeltrainplus.net/collections/new-arrival

 

Including following

KATO E7 Shinkansen

TOMIX 300-0 Shinkansen

KATO 3036-1 EF200

Tomytec Hiroshima Electric Railway Type 1000 "PICCOLA" (optional motor unit TM-LRT03 also available)

KATO E2 Shinkansen "SUICA PENGUIN"

and many other added.

 

E655 Nagomi may be the last one... but still have some Imperial coach available.

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My second ModelTrainPlus order arrived yesterday after being posted earlier this week - my first one is still in the care of the US Postal Service but should be here soon. Packing was done beautifully, everything made it through intact. Thank you!

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Ordered the set of flags and imperial emblem for the E655.

Arrived today.  The flags and gold chrysanthemum emblem really make a difference to the front of the train.

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