Rant: The state of customer service at ToCAD - General Chat - CHDK Forum
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Rant: The state of customer service at ToCAD

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Offline Anaglyphic

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Rant: The state of customer service at ToCAD
« on: 26 / February / 2009, 09:42:45 »
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<rant>

Uhm. I'm trying my best to conform to the rules about these kinds of posts. If it comes across as too abrasive, PM me and I'll be happy to change the wording - I suggest if you don't like raving maniacal rants from lunatics, just skip the post.
- - -

So, I bought a ultra-compact Velbon, the ULTRA LUXi-l F (champagne finish) from B&H Photo about 10 months ago. And it was a bit pricey for a "budget" tripod company such as Velbon, and 1/3rd the price of the comparable ultra portable from Bogen/Manfrotto, and about 1/10th the price of a nice carbon fibre Gitzo. So I didn't expect much, but it's an excellent tripod! Compact, extends well, and with a light sandbag or a couple battery packs, the thing is very stable even in a stiff seaside breeze. I am quite impressed and quickly fell in love with it.

Trivia: It's pronounced VER-bon, not VEL-bon. Those wacky Japanese. Translated it means 'very good'.

Well, in the process of setting up a studio shot last month, a leg fell out of the head. Literally just <plonk!> fell out. WHAT THE???

So begins my customer service - ToCAD Energy Co Ltd. distributes it and ToCAD America distributes it here. (as well as Hakuba & Sunpak, both subsidaries.). Their website tells you to head over to Hakuba's site. So at hakubausa.com I find the repairs section, get my info together, and email them with everything they require.

It bounces. the "repairs@" mailbox is full. Go figure. I do it the next day, and the next, and the next. They all bounce. I wait a week and try again. Bouncy bounce. I'm beginning to feel like it's fake and intentionally full.

I try to call them, but the customer service # is buried and hard to find. So I call investor relations, and then play stupid oh sorry, I meant to call customer service, could you transfer me? They couldn't, probably because it's outsourced. But I got the number.

In 10 attempts, I never got an agent. I'm guessing it's one - possibly two-  people, and they're overworked and loathe to answer the call queue that's a hundred callers deep. I sympathize with them, I do. I understand that kind of workload. Having said that, I want my frickin' tripod fixed. Please? Help? Hello?

(skipping lots of frustration and cussing at the universe for the reader's benefit)
- -- --

I surrender. I epoxied the leg back in place myself. I STILL want a replacement leg. They owe me. I'll use it as a midget monopod or a self-defense baton. I won't even send them the tripod if I ever get ahold of anyone, I just want my replacement leg. I've had it apart to epoxy the leg, it's not like it's something complicated or technical.

Hey ToCAD: You OWE me. And in another month when the warranty runs out and you refuse to help me, assuming I get a hold of Hakuba, I will post this everywhere I can, including printing & taping it to the windows of B&H Photo every single time they rip it down. This isn't a threat. Bank on it. Grr. GRR!

</rant>
« Last Edit: 26 / February / 2009, 09:44:23 by Anaglyphic »
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Offline whim

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Re: Rant: The state of customer service at ToCAD
« Reply #1 on: 26 / February / 2009, 11:02:35 »
It's all very logical:  the Service Dpt. is on it's way ToCAD, so all you gotta do is wait until they're AtCAD

wim
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Offline PhyrePhoX

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Re: Rant: The state of customer service at ToCAD
« Reply #2 on: 26 / February / 2009, 16:15:46 »
lol whim.

and lol@story, as i am looking for a stable tripod for a few weeks now, and i read a story by a guy who tested a velbon tripod and one of the legs fell off - while IN THE STORE. quite the concidence :D so now i know what i should not get :D
i was thinking about getting me a Feisol CT-3442 as that was getting good reviews, isnt that expensive and is carbon light-weight.
they should have these as well in the b&h megastore in new york.
btw, shouldnt b&h just replace the tripod?
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Offline Anaglyphic

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Re: Rant: The state of customer service at ToCAD
« Reply #3 on: 26 / February / 2009, 20:26:56 »
Quote from: PhyrePhoX on 26 / February / 2009, 16:15:46
lol whim.

and lol@story, as i am looking for a stable tripod for a few weeks now, and i read a story by a guy who tested a velbon tripod and one of the legs fell off - while IN THE STORE. quite the concidence :D so now i know what i should not get :D
i was thinking about getting me a Feisol CT-3442 as that was getting good reviews, isnt that expensive and is carbon light-weight.
they should have these as well in the b&h megastore in new york.
btw, shouldnt b&h just replace the tripod?

Yea I guess I could walk over and ask, one advantage of being in NYC. It's just - blah. I mean you expect your gear to work, and when it doesn't it's always when you really want it to. :) I'm ea lot calmer now that my epoxy job worked. Heh.

re: the Feisol, woah nice set of carbosticks! Way outside my price range, I'd buy another camera or a lens for ~300usd... or in this economy, groceries.
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Since we cannot know all that there is to be known about anything,
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