nitrosportsandrunner

I got a letter today, from futaba hobby services.

Its in regards to the duratrax element esc I sent in 2 months ago.

I was told (via email) that it couldnt be repaired, but could be replaced for a reduced cost.

I never answered the email. I had expected them to replace it. I was told they couldnt cause I didnt have a recipt.


So, today the letter came.

It shows the cost of replacement ($37.17 with the 27.17 discount)
It says I can pay that, or "if no repair is done there is a handling charge for the inspection and return of the item"

Ok, so I didnt have a recipt. That has never stopped traxxas from replacing a esc for me.

And whats with charging me for inspection and returning it? Why would I want to pay for the return of a crapped out ESC?

Anyway, I could just pay the $37.17 to get a new esc sent. And thats a decent price. Thing is, I hate the sidewinder/element esc.
So the only reason I would pay for a new on is if I could then sell it for a small profit.


So, you guy's thoughts on this? Why doesnt duratrax handle its repairs? How would you feel if a company wanted to charge you for the inspection and return of a defective item?

proanti1

My Feedback: (2)

Complain some more. Keep going up the chain until you get a hold of a supervisor. Was this ESC under warranty? If so, they should not be charging you to replace it.

nitrosportsandrunner

well, i got the esc with a used truck.
so it likely wasnt under warrenty.
never stopped traxxas from replacing esc's ive sent them.

the recipt rule is dumb, who keeps recipts for 3 months?

the wanting to charge me for the inspection and return of the defective unit is pretty ubsurd if you ask me.

Id pay the $37 for the new replacement esc, if I liked the 1st one even alittle.

bronco25ton

My Feedback: (-2)

You bought it second hand, of course their not going to warranty it. Warranties are usually only good for the original purchaser.

proanti1

My Feedback: (2)

Welp, looks like you're SOL. If it's broken, why do you even want it back?

nitroexpress

Because it stopped working youbelieve that it was defective? Let me see, second hand owner, no sales slip, past warranty period.Precious!

yakfish

My Feedback: (27)

Original consumers and people who want to be able to have warranty repairs covered!

nitrosportsandrunner

guys, to date, traxxas has replaced 4...yes 4 VXL esc's and one vxl motor for me. Every time, I was told it was a 1 time thing since I didnt have a recipt.

And I dont know how many Redcat owners have simply emailed redcat when a part failed and redcat sent out a new one....many times even without having the faulty unit sent to them.

I know that the "must have recipt" is a general rule. But most companies are more concerned with customer loyalty than with paper work.


And I really dont get them wanting to charge me for returning it. I never asked for it to be returned.


I think the core problem here is that Duratrax isnt handling their own repair service. Which is crap. If a smaller company like redcat can handle their own warrenty service, why shouldnt duratrax?


Im not so much upset that they didnt replace it for free. I didnt have a recipt and they stick to their guns on that rule. No big deal really. But that they dont handle their warrenty issues theirself....that it took soo long for them to get back to me, and that they want to charge for "inspecting it" is all pretty lame.

I already spent $5 to ship it to them. They are the ones who produced a crappy product (yes, this is my opinion, and my opinion only) why should I pay for it to be inspected? Or for it to be shipped back (when I have no desire for it to be returned)


Basically, this is the stupid kinda stuff that happens whenever you employ "middle men"

I guess to me the "have to have a recipt" rule is a way for companies to get out of their end of the warrenty.

I know some people save all their recipts. But for the other 90% of us humans who dont have the time or file system to do so, their recipt rule means that you are SOL when your $100 esc takes a crap 1 month into you owning it.

Had I actually bought the element esc new, not kept the recipt and had it fail within 90 days I would be stuck with the loss. How is that good buisiness?


I guess traxxas has spoiled me

SyCo_VeNoM

every place I shopped from I could just print up a new one if that happened...


In this case I don't blame em in all honesty.
Truthfully like what you pulled on traxxas 5 times is a perfect reason why more and more places are becoming ass holes to deal with for warranties, and require the receipt. Also why the costs have gone up they are not going to lose money they will push their replacement cost off to the customers.

yakfish

My Feedback: (27)

the "must have reciept" rule iis ment to keep people like you (second owners) from getting brand new stuff for free. the warranty policy of most companies is meant for the original purchaser.

phmaximus

I sugest next time u make a purches get yourself a folder and file the recipt, and if u buy 2nd hand dont even bother with warrenty unless its a very epensive item. Then make sure the seller has the recipt when u buy it.

I know it sucks, but they are just protecting them self, why should they pay some guy to check it out for free then post it back for free??? for a item that in NOT under warrenty.

nitrosportsandrunner

OK OK, you guys have made me see the error of my ways.

I disagree about the charge to inspect tho. Warrenty or no warrenty the should inspect it for free. Would you expect your hobby shop to charge you $5 to spend a couple of minutes to figure out whats wrong with an ESC? My hobby shop wouldnt charge to do that. Why should the RC company...who is many times bigger than a hobby shop and makes alot more proffit?

I dont think they should pay return shipping. But then, I didnt ask for the broken ESC back!

I still dont get why duratrax doesnt handle the warrenty themselves tho. Even if I had a recipt and it was covered under warrenty, I just dont like the idea that I gotta send a unit to a company I didnt buy it from. It gives me no faith in the company.

But Im old school. I believe that the place you buy an item from is who you should deal with if it doesnt live upto expectations.

I work at a small hardware store. Its a chain called aubuchons. The company wants to give customers the idea its a "home town" hardware store. As a emplyee, I have to greet customers and help them find stuff (which means I have to know the store)

But the company does stupid stuff, like selling lawn mowers they cannot take back. Per their agreement with the supplier, any mowers found defective or in need of repair have to be sent to a repair facility.
Now, thats kinda expected at big box stores. This is a small store. Customers expect us to handle the issue...whether to repair it or to refund. But the company's policy prevents us from doing anything. Long story short, customer lost. They will not buy from our store again.
If you buy from a store...or a particular company, you expect to have them back it up. Not to have to send it to a 2nd or 3rd party. And good luck finding the info on where to send it.

I realize that how I "feel" things should work and how they they really do are often different. Its just frustrating when it seems a company is more intersted in profit than customer service.

I dont mean to rag on duratrax. This is the 1st time I have ever sent something to them. But with traxxas and redcat I have has speedier responce and better service overall. Both of them made me feel like they wanted to keep me as a customer more than anything. But with redcat and traxxas, Im dealing with Redcat and traxxas...not another party.

yakfish

My Feedback: (27)

Because that is why they are an RC company. Regardless of what any company says, they are not in business to help you or me. They are in business for ONE reason: To make a profit.

SyCo_VeNoM

Neither would mine. They will charge $35 an hour(or whatever their hourly repair rate is now) to find out...
I'm being serious to use a screwdriver to take a broken part off to see if it compares to another piece they will charge you a tool rental fee... I'm attributing that to why they had to downsize a while back. Place is now usually empty where before they had lines.

Max_Power

So why can't you just tell them to NOT send the ESC back and NOT charge you? Isn't that what you say you want? Are they gonna have a guy named Vinny bring it back to your house with his hand out for the return shipping? So if I get your drift you wouldn't use the ESC even if they did just replace it and what you want is just them to send you a new one so you can sell parts from the 2nd hand vehicle and make a profit?...But everyone else are the immoral ones just trying to get out of their end of the deal?

As far as your hardware store I'd bet the lawnmower return thing is more dictated by the lawnmower manufacturer than the retailer. They don't want a bunch of hardware store employees deciding what they are gonna eat as warranty, And the hardware store isn't going to be in a position of "Well just give the money back to anyone who doesn't like their mower and roll it into the back room and take the loss"...No Mom and Pop store could afford that either. No matter how much they want to serve the consumer, its not a way to stay in business giving away money.

Always seems funny to me that everyone always has the outlook "These guys should take the hit because they are making extreme profit, yadda yadda" Its a competitive world...If it was easy just to open a huge company and make some extreme profit easily everybody would be doing it. ....Oh wait? I forgot they are all holding us down

As far as the inspection cost, was it part of their warranty service written details? A lot of companies word the warranty as when you send the product in you are authorizing a certain repair amount and a possible charge if it is deemed not under warranty. Did you tell them you bought it used, or did you try to play it off like you lost the reciept? Their warranty plainly says it is only for original purchaser.

samguan

I've dealt with many companies for warranty. Most companies do require receipt! I've dealt with companies that will even replace products that have expired warranties if you explain to them nicely. Every company has different policy, requiring receipt doesn't mean bad service.

HOWEVER, don't expect every company to be like Traxxas and don't take advantage of that. Sooner or later, they will tighten up the warranty policy and it would be bad for everyone.

yakfish

My Feedback: (27)

I agree with this and will add: Taxxas can afford to have amazing customer service since they charged overly inflated prices for their new models they sell.

TheKennyKiller

I find that logic dumb.

HerrSavage

x2. Was watching drag racing on TV yesterday - big Traxxas banner in the background. Lots of costs advertising like that, AND replacing every component some newby Schmoe (not you OP - but in general) comes along and asks for - for free.. I suppose Traxxas deserves some credit for popularizing RC. Not a company I would ever deal with though. Expensive kits, which need lots of expensive hop-ups to be worth a d.amn. Seems a vicious circle - pay big money to market to newbs, newbs buy stuff, then expect freebies when they screw something up, and on and on.. Oh well, I'm sure they make a nice profit on all those hopups...

Futaba itself I think of more as a "serious" hobby company..

Kind of amusing to imagine Traxxas getting into planes, with every other newb who demolishes his plane on its first flight calling Futaba demanding free replacements...

yakfish

My Feedback: (27)

That's awfully vague. Would you care to expound on that at all?

TheKennyKiller

No.

turok007

bit off topic but you say ( never stopped traxxas from replacing esc's ive sent them) traxxas only really do this because when buying a traxxas truck you are paying for a couple of replacements with the over inflated costs.

yakfish

My Feedback: (27)

OK...

TheKennyKiller

Yup...

rgburrill

Yeah,. Sounds like anohter person who wans, wantsw, wants, and let someone else pay for it.