My Letter to Minelab, requesting Free of Charge "O-RIng" replacements - CTX3030

[DrunkBrother]

My Letter to Minelab, requesting Free of Charge "O-RIng" replacements - CTX3030

Hi team in Minelab,
I have been using Excalibur 2 for a year before changing to CTX3030 and was really pleased with the way battery pack was connecting to the unit.

My current details (as per warranty registration):
Product Details
Type: complete
Product: CTX 3030
Coil Serial Number: 40482506614
Control Box Serial Number: 40446506399
Secondary Coil Serial Number:
Accessory Serial Numbers:



since changing to CTX3030, i am facing same issue everybody else do when detecting in the water :

* every time i need to charge/change battery i have to remove the "O-Ring" , clean it and put back in place. (to remove all the sand that goes into the surrounding area)

I have just returned from 1 week Holiday at Rarotonga where i have been detecting for over 30 hours and needed to charge the unit twice, and twice i was at the risk of damaging O-Ring when extracting from the unit.

I strongly believe that it is design failure. So based on that, please read on my Enquiry/complaint request :

Being based in New Zealand, Auckland, We (CTX3030 users) would like Minelab to send free replaceable O-Rings to our Local trusted dealer :

DetectNZ
Unit D
4 Charann Place, Avondale
Auckland
1026
New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 8204969
Web: Metal Detectors NZ | Minelab | Buy metal detectors today | DetectNZ | New Zealand Metal detecting

So we can pick them up free of charge when we need them (My friend and i, both 3030 users are going to Tropical spot again in August and would like to have at least 1 spare "0-ring" per person with us)

Please Advice at your earliest convenience when such small request can be fulfilled
Please Note, you feedback will be published on Both, NZ metal detecting Forums and Australia Metal Detecting forums :

PayDirt Forums
Australian Metal Detecting and Relic Hunting - Index

Regards
----------------------------
THE REPLY i revived today

Hello Max,



Thank you for your email about the CTX battery seal.



We realise the maintenance required on this waterproof seal can be time consuming, but it is the only way to ensure the waterproof integrity of the battery compartment is maintained.

The below link to a product notice on our website details this

http://www.minelab.com/a...t-notices?article=109061



Seal kits are available via your dealer which include three battery seals and two headphone socket seals. We have checked with Detect NZ and they have one in stock for your ongoing maintenance needs.



Kind regards



Minelab Customer Care Team
-------------------------------------------

My reply to them :

MY REPLY TO MINELAB :

Thank you for your reply,
However it doesn't answer my inquiry in a straight forward format about having O-Rings free of charge as you pointing to purchase the product from a local dealer.


The pack you are referring to is 25$ and ,sorry, but that is way too much for 3 O-rings, when units are purchased at over 3000$ price mark
While O-rings for diving equipment are just 5-10 cents per piece from diving shops and the prices for:
O-Ring 407 piece Rubber Workshop Assortment Kit - is about 30$ , but due to minelab patent design , none of current O-rings fit the unit.

Once again, on behalf of wide community of CTX3030 users in Auckland, New Zealand we are asking for FREE stock of O-rings to Our local dealer, so an individual ctx3030 user can pick one up for general maintenance .

That would reduce the risk of leaks for us and so less warranty claims.

p.s. i will be prepared to BUY an advertised product ,but at price no higher than 5$

Please advise what would be Minelab position on this one.
Regards,
Max and many other local ctx3030 users

------------------------------------------------

Your thought guys and girls ?

 

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[vpnavy]

...However it doesn't answer my inquiry in a straight forward format about having O-Rings free of charge...

That is so darn frustrating! I just hate it when a support person doesn't actually read the e-mail, locks in on some words and pastes a boilerplate response. Obviously, he (or she) didn't read your entire request. Anyway - it has happened to me many times and I just go right back (like you did) with the question again. However, I am not normally as polite about it as you were! I normally open it by saying: Thank you for your quick response. Would you mind actually reading my entire request BEFORE you cut and paste a reply?

Anyway - looking forward to their reply.

 

[happycamper08]

It's definitely a design flaw and it looks like they would rather do repair work than help out there customers. With the cost of the 3030 I think your request is quite reasonable.

 

[Bart@Big Boys Hobbies]

Have your checked with your dealer you bought the CTX 3030 from? I bet he would help you out with a replacement if you bought it from them. I take care of my customers on things like this.

 

[CoinandRelicMan]

Looks like a good reason for not buying a CTX-3030 to me

 

[Sandman]

Looks like a good reason for not buying a CTX-3030 to me

Now I know I will not only not order one, I will bring this up at club meetings.

 

[GKman]

That is so darn frustrating! I just hate it when a support person doesn't actually read the e-mail, locks in on some words and pastes a boilerplate response. Obviously, he (or she) didn't read your entire request. Anyway - it has happened to me many times and I just go right back (like you did) with the question again. However, I am not normally as polite about it as you were! I normally open it by saying: Thank you for your quick response. Would you mind actually reading my entire request BEFORE you cut and paste a reply? Anyway - looking forward to their reply.

I am sure they read the whole thing, they just ignored the request. Not to say that any higher ups won't read it and think twice about what they could do for the end user in the future. For a company the size of Minelab to announce a change in its product placement, or giveaway in an email to one individual is an unrealistic expectation.
Besides that, the part about letting them know that your going to let the whole world know what they said is simply threatening them to watch what they say.
I am definitely not one to take no for an answer though... Minelab needs to hear more about this over and over again with incidents of proven failure after proper maintenance was followed.
Think about it even Apple caved on antennagate and gave away free cases for the iPhones a couple years back.

 

[Silverfishin]

I love my CTX. Original o-ring is no problem to get out with toothpick, wipe with light layer of silicone and put back in... it takes 30 seconds.

 

[Bart@Big Boys Hobbies]

I love my CTX. Original o-ring is no problem to get out with toothpick, wipe with light layer of silicone and put back in... it takes 30 seconds.

Great post! This is really not near as big of a problem as it is being made out to be. I have used the same CTX 3030 on many many hunts. Many hours swing time on mine. Had it submerged on two different vacations for several hours with 0 problems. I am not anal by any means but I do take care of my stuff.

This is more of a maintenance issue. A quick look to be sure your installed correctly and your good. If your a pilot you will relate it to a walk around before flight. Just makes sense.

 

[GKman]

Great post! This is really not near as big of a problem as it is being made out to be. I have used the same CTX 3030 on many many hunts. Many hours swing time on mine. Had it submerged on two different vacations for several hours with 0 problems. I am not anal by any means but I do take care of my stuff.

This is more of a maintenance issue. A quick look to be sure your installed correctly and your good. If your a pilot you will relate it to a walk around before flight. Just makes sense.

I had mentioned in another thread how I spent hours in streams last season with no problems. However, for whatever reason people are having problems, I just don't know if it is user error or a real problem with the seal.

 

[Im2stoked]

my friend had the same problem today, he's had to send his back 3 times, now a faulty o-ring let in water and corroded everything. Luckily he has an EXCAL for back-up. He has to send back the whole machine again. He loves his machine but having to send a 2500$machine back 3 times, is too much.

 

[cudamark]

It reminds me a little of a new SRT Jeep a friend of mine bought. He about had heart failure when he went in for a brake job and it was going to cost about $2000.00! I have no problem with high maintenance costs if the manufacturer is up front about it. You can then choose to accept that deal or not. To find out after the purchase that you need to buy overpriced maintenance parts on a continuing basis is not fair. Hopefully, the aftermarket will come up with their own versions of that seal for a fraction of the factory part. Of course, the guarantee would probably be void if you use them.

 

[roadrunner]

Go to a good plumbing supply store,or an equipment repair shop that works on hydrolic systems.
They have hundreds of assorted o-rings for 5-10 cents a piece.
Just pick out one that fits.
I also mean heavy equipment, or agricultural repair centers.
Heck,just go to an automobile dealer.

Or,maybe not in your case,but over here,go to an Ace hardware.They have drawers of o-rings.
Ill tell you what,I was a mechanic.
Send me one of each,PM me and I will give you my address.
And I will ship you a box of each after I locate them.
then you can give them away or sell them yourself.
Screw Minelab.

 

[Longhair]

Not something that you'll find in a hardware store.

 

[roadrunner]

Not something that you'll find in a hardware store.
View attachment 834024

Have no idea what that means,but I have always been able to find o-rings for anything I wanted to.
Been turning wrenches since 1972.
Even in hardware stores.
What does DJL mean?

 

[GKman]

Have no idea what that means,but I have always been able to find o-rings for anything I wanted to.
Been turning wrenches since 1972.
Even in hardware stores.
What does DJL mean?

I think he is saying because it has the preshaped bends in it

 

[GreenMeanie]

And those cases from Apple didn't help at all.

But really Minelab is only hurting themselves not fixing it right? They have to warranty all the machines costing them money in the long run.
Personally I would want a longer warranty maybe two years more than I want a o-ring.

I am sure they read the whole thing, they just ignored the request. Not to say that any higher ups won't read it and think twice about what they could do for the end user in the future. For a company the size of Minelab to announce a change in its product placement, or giveaway in an email to one individual is an unrealistic expectation.
Besides that, the part about letting them know that your going to let the whole world know what they said is simply threatening them to watch what they say.
I am definitely not one to take no for an answer though... Minelab needs to hear more about this over and over again with incidents of proven failure after proper maintenance was followed.
Think about it even Apple caved on antennagate and gave away free cases for the iPhones a couple years back.

 

[GKman]

And those cases from Apple didn't help at all.

But really Minelab is only hurting themselves not fixing it right? They have to warranty all the machines costing them money in the long run.
Personally I would want a longer warranty instead of two years more than I want a o-ring.

Those cases didn't fix the problem? Minelab hasn't said that there is anything other than user error as far as flooding goes, right? Agreed that it is costing them money. Have you heard of anyone having to pay for any water damage repair?

 

[Sandman]

Whether the O ring fails because of user error or the O ring contracts to much with cold water, Minelab should have made these things IDIOT proof. I know how to take care of O rings and never had one of my other water detectors flood even with the water pressure at +100 feet. Camera's never leaked either. So it has to be the O ring contracts and has to be made with another material. There can't be all these guys that don't know how to keep the O rings and surfaces clean.

Since the O ring is preformed, it might be not inserted correctly where it belongs and that causes the leaks.
Maybe we should cover the joint with Duct Tape till Minelab comes up with a solution.

 

[GKman]

Whether the O ring fails because of user error or the O ring contracts to much with cold water, Minelab should have made these things IDIOT proof. I know how to take care of O rings and never had one of my other water detectors flood even with the water pressure at +100 feet. Camera's never leaked either. So it has to be the O ring contracts and has to be made with another material. There can't be all these guys that don't know how to keep the O rings and surfaces clean.

Since the O ring is preformed, it might be not inserted correctly where it belongs and that causes the leaks.
Maybe we should cover the joint with Duct Tape till Minelab comes up with a solution.

You could save yourself a lot of headaches by doing that... Definitely not a permanent solution. But I suppose if I was worried about it I would use it. The streams I was in last year were pretty cold so I'm surprised I did not experience any shrinkage (of the o ring hahaha)