Rant: The state of customer service at ToCAD

Anaglyphic

129
Anaglyphic lives!

« on: 26 / February / 2009, 09:42:45 »

Advertisements

<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 »

Logged

Since we cannot know all that there is to be known about anything,
we ought to know a little about everything. -- Blaise Pascal

whim

2046
A495/590/620/630 ixus70/115/220/230/300/870 S95

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

Logged

*Wikia FAQ *GCC Compiler Shell for Windows

PhyrePhoX

2254
make RAW not WAR

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

so now i know what i should not get

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?

Logged

Flickr*
www.PhyreWorX.de
CHDK News @ Twitter

Anaglyphic

129
Anaglyphic lives!

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 so now i know what i should not get
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.

Logged

Since we cannot know all that there is to be known about anything,
we ought to know a little about everything. -- Blaise Pascal