My order status was updated at 9pm Wednesday evening after multiple enquiries via email (no response btw), conveniently no tracking number has been supplied but I am hoping it will turn up today. I don't know what the hell is going on with these guys but they don't even bother to answer the bloody phone, I've called 5 times now. I think I will purchase from a distributer from now on. Very poor customer service.
It happens unfortunately mate. Communication is always the #1 priority in quality customer service for my money. If there are delays in processing orders, letting your customers know why and giving them a realistic timeline can go a long way towards ensuring repeat business. As a result, you're unlikely to buy through these people again and anyone reading this might also be thinking twice. Word of mouth (good or bad) is highly under estimated in today's 'hi tech communication & social media' driven society by many business owners I find.
I have decided to give them to 5pm today to respond to my emails or phone calls otherwise I am opening up a PayPal dispute. I have emailed them about this, lets see if I get a response now :/
Moving warehouses may be taking priority over small single orders at the moment. Moving warehouses is not a small exercise. As you've said, you would have been better off going to a dealer. Good customer service is more than someone shipping boxes out of a warehouse. You get what you pay for....or dont. On a brighter note Squiggles, if you ever have a warranty issue Im sure they will remember who you are and probably take as long as possible to deal with whatever the issue. If you reckon waiting for a detector to turn up when you've never been out before is hard, wait until your hooked on the hobby and something goes amiss and you have to send away for repairs. Murphys Law says its usually a week before a well planned trip. Good luck getting a repair or replacement in a hurry Im afraid.
BTW Minelab offer a lightning quick turnaround for warranty and servicing. You just mail it straight to them. They concentrate on the assembly and servicing of their machines in their warehouse and do not sell direct to the public. They only sell through dealers.
I realise this but customers should come first no matter what, without them there would be no Garrett. I think better planning was needed. I think a $1500 purchase deserves good customer service as would a $50 purchase. I still consider Garrett to make quality products, just the service at this point in time really sux. I'm not sure how this is the brighter side? but I do now have the concern that after sales support is going to be a pain in the ass should it ever be required. Knowing my luck though it will turn up, not work and I will be shipping it away for repairs after the first day lol
I had actually read similar stories online regarding Garrett, but I'm not sure if this is really the case.
Dont stress Squiggles. Keep watching you-tube and reading and researching your intended hunting areas. Time spent on this is very much worth it. As valuable as time in the field. Im glad your as keen as and frustrated because you cant get started yet. Stay this keen for as long as you can. You have to be a bit hungry to succeed to do ok at detecting. It takes a lot of determination and persistence but does provide reward for repeated effort. All the best Squiggles, I reckon you might do alright at it.
Hey guys, my order arrived mid last week and so far I am very happy with the AT-GOLD. In regards to my poor dealings with Garrett, they have apologised and advised me that a number of customers were effected also by the warehouse move and they were working hard to get on top of things as well as provide compensation to those effected. They have since provided me with free product which I am very grateful for ;p Overall this purchase didn't go as smoothly as one would expect and it was frustrating to say the least, BUT Garrett did come to the party in the end and I will purchase from them again. All I can say is a little communication works wonders, oh and free product doesn't hurt either =)
Hey Squiggles. Serious question. What sort of battery setup does the AT-gold have? Is it a rechargeable Li-Ion thingy or does it need a handfull of AAs to make it run.
It ships with 4 x standard AAs but NiMH rechargeables can also be used. The book says to expect 20 to 40 hours of operation depending on battery type and quality. So far I have done around 18-20 hours of detecting and its down to 2 out 4 bars. I'm pretty happy with that.
Thanks for that. 4xAA is not expensive to run or replace. You may or may not notice a variation in your machine's performance as the peak voltage drops away. In general terms it looses its punchuing power as the voltage drops below the optimum level. My Minelab older 2200 had an adapter that allowed it to run from a camcorder battery. Held peak voltage for longer than the standard battery (also heaps lighter) and it performed better. The problem with it and other rechargables is that they lose memory and performance and so eventually you find less. "Energiser Ultimate Lithium" is an excellent battery as far as maintaining peak power output and longevity compared to alkaline ones or rechargeables. They costs around $5 a pop, but should last way longer. Single use, but IMO worth it.