At ModelTrainStuff, we're committed to providing flexibility and cost-efficiency for your model train purchases. That’s why we’re excited to offer the Hold & Consolidate (H&C) service, designed to simplify and economize your shopping and shipping experience.
What is Hold & Consolidate (H&C)?
Now available to all customers worldwide, Hold & Consolidate allows you to group multiple purchases over time into as few shipments as possible. This service is perfect for hobbyists who are looking to minimize shipping costs and can wait for their items.
Why Choose Hold & Consolidate?
Cost-Effective: Consolidate multiple orders into fewer shipments to significantly reduce your shipping costs.
Zero Upfront Shipping Charges: You pay $0 for shipping at checkout when you choose the H&C option. Shipping costs are calculated and charged only when you decide to ship the items.
Flexible: Take control of how and when your purchases are shipped with holding periods of up to 90 days for domestic customers and up to 6 months for international customers.
Convenient: You can view and keep track of your H&C orders through your customer account. When you're ready for your products, just contact us to initiate the shipping process.
BONUS VALUE: Accumulate $1000+ in your H&C and your order ships FREE! (US Contiguous 48 only)
How to Use Hold & Consolidate
Shop: Add your items to your cart and choose the H&C option at checkout—at no initial shipping charge.
Hold: We securely store your purchases at our facility.
Combine: Continue shopping and adding to your H&C order at your convenience.
Ship: When you’re ready for your items to be shipped, please contact us directly to arrange for delivery. This ensures that your items are prepared and shipped according to your specific needs.
Hold & Consolidate FAQs
H&C allows you to combine multiple purchases into one shipment. This service helps you control shipping costs and reduces the environmental impact of multiple deliveries.
All customers, both within the contiguous United States and internationally, can take advantage of our H&C service.
For customers within the contiguous 48 states, we can hold your items for up to 90 days. For those outside the contiguous 48 states, including international customers, we can hold your orders for up to 6 months.
Yes, the minimum hold time for any H&C order is 14 days.
At checkout, simply select the H&C shipping option. It will cost $0. We will hold your items at our warehouse until you’re ready to have them shipped.
Definitely! Feel free to keep shopping, and select H&C for each new purchase. We'll hold all your orders together until you notify us to ship them.
We’ll keep you informed via email. When you’re ready for your items to be shipped, just contact us via email or telephone.
For orders within the contiguous 48 states, if not notified first by you, we will reach out. For other customers, we'll reach out before the 6-month mark to arrange for shipping.
No, there are no hidden fees. You’ll pay a single shipping cost, which will not exceed $25 for most customers within the contiguous 48 states. For international customers, while there is no capped rate, we strive to minimize shipping costs.
Yes, you have the flexibility to modify or cancel your Hold & Consolidate orders within the holding period. To add more items to your order, simply place another Hold & Consolidate order online. For reductions or cancellations, please contact our customer service directly. Refunds for cancelled orders are processed in accordance with our standard refund policy, ensuring you receive your refund promptly and efficiently.
For most orders within the contiguous 48 states using the H&C service, the shipping cost will not exceed $25. However, we are now offering an even better deal: If you accumulate orders totaling $1000 or more through our Hold & Consolidate service, we'll ship your orders for free! There are exceptional cases, such as oversized or extremely heavy items, where shipping costs may vary. In such instances, we will always proactively contact you to discuss any potential additional shipping costs before proceeding with your shipment.
While we do not have a capped shipping rate for international customers, we are committed to minimizing your shipping costs as much as possible. We utilize various strategies to reduce shipping expenses, including package consolidation and selecting the most cost-effective carriers.
For orders placed using the H&C service, refunds can be issued to the original payment method within 30 days of purchase. After this period, refunds are provided as store credit only.
For certain items such as special order products or other exceptions where the distributor does not accept a return, a restocking fee of 10% will apply. This fee helps cover the costs associated with returning these items to our inventory.
You can view all your H&C orders within your customer account, helping you keep track of what has been purchased and what is awaiting shipment.
Yes, currently, all items available on our website are eligible for the H&C service. This also includes preorder items.
We're excited to announce that all Hold & Consolidate orders totaling $1000 or more now qualify for free shipping! This offer is exclusive to our customers in the contiguous 48 states.
The final shipping cost is calculated by securely packing all your items into the fewest possible boxes to ensure their safe transport. After weighing and insuring the shipment, we obtain competitive shipping quotes from various carriers. We will then send you an email invoice with the calculated shipping fee. However, for our customers who take advantage of our Hold & Consolidate program and accumulate orders totaling $1000 or more, we are happy to offer free shipping as a token of our appreciation for your significant purchases. This free shipping applies to orders within the contiguous 48 states. Once the invoice is paid, or if your order qualifies for our free shipping offer, we will proceed with shipping your items.
For further inquiries, our helpful customer service staff can be reached at customercare@modeltrainstuff.com or by calling 828-341-2295.
