# Gary Watkins, Sierra Valley Enterprises ???



## Chris Scott (Jan 2, 2008)

Anyone know what's happening with Gary Watkins, Sierra Valley Enterprises?

I ordered 2 Bachmann Ore Car detailing kits from him in early August. All was fine until he cashed my check (~$100) and no kits, nothing. One email followup weeks ago, Gary's reply, "kits will arrive next week." Since no emails, no kits. My last email, kits please or return money, no reply, nothing. It's not a fortune, still...

???

Thanks.


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Chris Scott said:


> Anyone know what's happening with Gary Watkins, Sierra Valley Enterprises?
> 
> I ordered 2 Bachmann Ore Car detailing kits from him in early August. All was fine until he cashed my check (~$100) and no kits, nothing. One email followup weeks ago, Gary's reply, "kits will arrive next week." Since no emails, no kits. My last email, kits please or return money, no reply, nothing. It's not a fortune, still...
> 
> ...


Talk to Gary the "old fashioned way"..........use the telephone. Merced is not that far from you in Sonoma.


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Chris, Any word on your order? I'm in the same boat. As are a bunch of others. I only call him. Even with that I get the same answer they will ship this week.


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## Chris Scott (Jan 2, 2008)

Nothing from here. Figured it's a waste of time to chase it. I've written off the $100. Cost of doing business and lesson learned. Just passing the word along to save others. If there's ever a reasonable explanation maybe there's charity.

"Easiest thing to do is loose your reputation. Toughest thing to do is to get it back"


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

Chris you are a lot more forgiving then I,am. Pete


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## JD Ledom (Jul 7, 2015)

The same ordeal is happening to me!! I ordered parts for 7/8ths cars I'm building, $134.00 worth and nothing in the mail box. Checks been cash some time ago! This has gone on for two months! Back and forth emails. He always says he will ship tomorrow but........ And for the old fashioned way of calling doesn't work either. My last email to him I said "I hope all is OK with you". He responded within two hours and said he had some health issues, but he will ship my part's tomorrow. Lol! That's been a week ago. So anyway, I'm pissed off and mad about it!


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## Vilas (Dec 12, 2011)

*Saw these warnings too late*

Long time browser, first post - Unfortunately to report the same issue as others here. 

I had ordered just a few wheel sets from Sierra Valley in early December to build a couple of BAGRS locos. Small money so written it off but feels terrible that a seller is so cavalier about cashing cheques and not shipping product.. 

Even Ebay and Paypal give some measure of complaint/claw-back than the old-fashioned way of buying mail-order with no recourse :-(


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

I just e-mailed him the other day about his brake beams for LGB/Bachmann trucks. He responded the next day, alas to say he no longer offers them. 

Later,

K


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## tln1870 (Dec 27, 2007)

*Gary Watkins Sierra Valley*

Ordered 2, 22" wheelsets in 1:20 the week before last. Gary replied on 9/23 stating he would mail the following Monday 9/26. Here it is 10 days later and no package from Sierra Valley. I have since emailed Gary for status and 1 phone call.....no response at all. 
If he is bad health then he should have someone filling in for him.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm in the same boat as you guys. I ordered 100 wheelsets from him in November 2016. He cashed my check on 11/28, but never delivered. My last two emails have gone unanswered. I wish I had read this thread first. However, I did have a successful (small) order with him before.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Any further news about Gary ? Still waiting for my wheels, though he cashed my check.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Got this email from him on 4/11:


Burl,

A check for $XX.XX will be in the mail to you this week. Sorry I was unable to fill your order.

Thanks = Gary



No check has arrived. I only got this response after about a month of emailing him every day, asking for a refund.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow. At least you got something - and presumably he's alive. I've been emailing him about every 3 months - obviously not often enough!


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Since nothing has come in the mail, I think his response was to try to get me to quit emailing him. I'm at a loss what else to do. If anyone has any legal advice, I'd love to hear it.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

I heard his health was pretty bad.


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## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

Burl check with us mail could be mail fraud.
dick


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Dick: thanks for the tip. 

I spoke with a USPS agent, and she said I could file a mail fraud report. She also said it was more likely to be investigated if other people filed complaints against him. I'm going to wait a little while longer to see if he responds, but if not, I guess I'll have to file the complaint.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, I threatened Gary with a mail fraud report on the 24th. I received an email on the 25th, stating he mailed the check that day. I received it in today's mail (28th). Now I'm just waiting to see if it clears.


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## Chris Scott (Jan 2, 2008)

Chris Scott said:


> Anyone know what's happening with Gary Watkins, Sierra Valley Enterprises?
> 
> I ordered 2 Bachmann Ore Car detailing kits from him in early August. All was fine until he cashed my check (~$100) and no kits, nothing. One email followup weeks ago, Gary's reply, "kits will arrive next week." Since no emails, no kits. My last email, kits please or return money, no reply, nothing. It's not a fortune, still...
> 
> ...


Gary;
I hope whatever is behind you and it's good to hear you're working your way back. If you'd like send me a PM and I'll send you my address.
Thanks. All the best 
Chris


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## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

Burl hate you had to go to that extreme but glad it worked out for you.
Dick


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## adir tom (Dec 4, 2011)

I am having a hard time believing the illness excuse.He is well enough to drive to the bank and deposit the checks from us, but not well enough to return our checks or rewrite a check to return our money with a note that illness restricts his ability to fill the order? Sure sounds fishy to me. I will take the postal fraud approach, Not with him but directly with USPS, Perhaps a few letters from them will scare him into returning everyone's funds.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

I sent Gary the email about mail fraud as a last resort before I filed a report. I wanted to be sure I had been fair on my end. Like the others, I’m not sure what to believe. If he is really having health problems, then I hope he recovers. I’m not sure what “problems” means anyway – no one (including Gary himself) has elaborated on it. I have to take his word at face value, and here’s the only things I feel like I can say with confidence:

1) He told me my order would ship 2 days after he received my check – it did not.
2) When I followed up, he said he was behind because of the holidays (order was placed in November), and it would ship soon – it did not.
3) I waited several more months (February), and he said “medical problems, will ship in a few days” – he did not.
4) I started emailing him once a day in March, asking for a refund. Finally, in April, he replied and said he’d mail me a refund check by the end of the week. I waited 2 weeks, it was never mailed.
5) I finally told him my next resort would be to file a mail fraud report, then – bingo: the check was cut & mailed the next day.

I don’t wish ill on him, but its not OK to take people’s money & lie about it.


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## Steve S. (Jan 2, 2008)

I sure hope that none of you ever have any real problems in life. I have done business with Gary for many years and have become phone friends with him and trust him. He has had many problems over the past few years and then to top it off his health went. I realize that when the almighty dollar is involved people use words like fraud, lier, dishonest, etc. Even if Gary could not refund any of the funds I would be willing to bet that nobody out there in "Toy train World" had enough tied up with him that it would have had an affect on their daily lives one tiny bit.

Give the guy a break. Sometimes you have to walk in another mans shoes..............................


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Steve, I understand about being ill, walking in another man's shoes.

It's one thing to get financially behind.

It's another to not be up front about it.

It's quite another to break promises involving money and products AND you are running a business.

Illness does not make you tell lies.

Greg


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

My understanding from talking to his son is that Gary Watkins passed away last weekend. He had been fighting cancer. Tim, the son, is working through his estate and is anxious to make right any problems. He says there were many uncashed checks which have now been destroyed. He also indicates there are many wheels, but he has no idea what they all are.
Maybe we should tell him about the BAGRS?


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## zubi (May 14, 2009)

It is very sad to hear about Gary's passing. I ordered several cars from him back in 2009 which were promptly shipped and which I greatly enjoy! From Tokyo, Zubi


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## Fred Mills (Nov 24, 2008)

I have deleted my message due to it being in poor taste under the circumstances I now have been made aware of.
My apologies.
Fred Mills


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## scottemcdonald (Jan 11, 2008)

Link to his Obit.


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## Steve S. (Jan 2, 2008)

Just saw this. I really liked Gary and knew about all the emotional strain he went through taking care of his Wife who died before him. It really tore him up. Then right as he was getting things back together he became very ill. He would have never "Gotten" to anybody on purpose. 

Rest in peace Gary, I always enjoyed talking to you on the phone. Even during the really bad times.


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