Biting the bullet and sending in my 600

[SultansOfSwing]

With it being the dead of winter, Ive decided to send in my 600 for its needed repairs. If you all recall, I have a short battery life (6hours on full charge), shaft wobble, and currently a broken cuff(actually one of the blades you rest it on when on the ground).

Emailed customer service, got a quick reply, got an RMA#.

Now did they used to send UPS shipping labels previously? Or am I having a misunderstanding? Do I fork over the $15 to have it shipped?

Im instructed to send it to the Detector Center in Alum Bank, PA.

 

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[Dan(NM)]

They should have sent you over a FedEx shipping label, I had to send in two different ones and that's what they did for me.

 

[Iffy Signals]

Not me. I sent in two. I repeat TWO profind 35s for cracking and i had to pay my own way there. They gave me an RMA but i had to pay. Great thing though is they sent me a brand new one both times... pick my battles right.

 

[vferrari]

Not me. I sent in two. I repeat TWO profind 35s for cracking and i had to pay my own way there. They gave me an RMA but i had to pay. Great thing though is they sent me a brand new one both times... pick my battles right.

Probably because the cost of shipping a pinpointer is a lot less expensive than shipping an entire detector, so they let the buyer pay shipping in that case because it is less painful for the buyer to swallow.

ML has been providing pre-paid shipping on the initial round of Equinox warranty repairs (i.e., over the past year) from what I have observed, but perhaps they are changing their tune as the Equinox user base has grown. Doesn't hurt to ask and act like you are expecting them to pay shipping to see how they respond.

 

[SultansOfSwing]

Ok i just emailed Jamie again. Itd be nice to get a prepaid shipping label so i can just drop the detector off and run rather than stand in line and have to lie about the package containing any lithium ion batteries, which answering yes, would obviously get me denied from shipping my detector.

 

[Voyager32]

I don’t know if it’s different in the United States but here in Canada they expect you to pay shipping and insurance with no chance of getting reimbursed, so far I’ve had two warranty issues and it’s cost me close to $60, one was for a drop of water in the screen and the other was a broken cuff.

 

[SultansOfSwing]

I got my reply email back regarding shipping, minelab warranty covers return shipping only.

 

[vferrari]

Ok i just emailed Jamie again. Itd be nice to get a prepaid shipping label so i can just drop the detector off and run rather than stand in line and have to lie about the package containing any lithium ion batteries, which answering yes, would obviously get me denied from shipping my detector.

There is absolutely no prohibition on shipping items with small lithium batteries in the US so no need to lie about anything. The shipper simply needs to know so the appropriate warning label can be placed on the package to meet the appropriate restrictions on air shipment. The capacity of the LI battery used in the Equinox is well below the threshold at which such batteries are provided in checked baggage, so domestic shipping in the US should not be an issue.

Sad to hear that the free return label honeymoon for Equinox is over. I guess ML recognizes they have enough Equinox’s out there that they have a captured customer base, unfortunately. So the customer service model has reverted to the industry standard.

 

[HighVDI]

Almost like the new healthcare setup.....shipping deductible. LoL!

 

[wallrat_1975]

Too bad they aren't like First Texas. They have always paid my shipping both ways. Crossing my fingers that I never have to send in my 800!

 

[McKinney_5900]

Too bad they aren't like First Texas. They have always paid my shipping both ways. Crossing my fingers that I never have to send in my 800!

First Texas made me pay for shipping on the F-Pulse I had to send back, due to the well known lockup requiring battery removal. It wasn't two months old. They ain't perfect.

 

[vferrari]

First Texas made me pay for shipping on the F-Pulse I had to send back, due to the well known lockup requiring battery removal. It wasn't two months old. They ain't perfect.

Same here and the Tek T2 that failed a month after being upgraded by them.

Service and return were relatively quick turnaround but definitely had to pay to ship them both in under warranty.

 

[wallrat_1975]

Same here and the Tek T2 that failed a month after being upgraded by them.

Service and return were relatively quick turnaround but definitely had to pay to ship them both in under warranty.

Odd, Felix sent me labels immediately after my email and phone call. My T2 LTD 11" coil had a loose wrap

 

[wallrat_1975]

First Texas made me pay for shipping on the F-Pulse I had to send back, due to the well known lockup requiring battery removal. It wasn't two months old. They ain't perfect.

Definitely not saying they are perfect. They lost my machine for 2 weeks and mailed someone else's parts to me for an F11 instead of my complete T2!

 

[FloridaSon]

Just shipped mine back to Jaime also. I paid $32 UPS from Fla. Only need to ship the pod and coil (& broken cuff etc). That middle rod takes a longer box. UPS asks if Li battery is in equipment - no problem saying yes.

 

[SultansOfSwing]

Got an update today. I unfortunately forgot the name of the gentleman who called, maybe Chris or Dan? He called from Detector Center, Minelabs repair facility in PA. He let me know they received the detector, thanked me for proper detailed note inside, and told me he had put a new battery in my 600, charged it and ran it down. He was only able to get 6.5 hours out of a full charge. Nearly identical to my issue, but this was a new battery!

He said he had never seen this issue and wasnt sure what was wrong without testing it some more. He said he was going to keep it for testing and is sending me a brand new unit. I imagine this new machine will be a more recent built batch and the shaft wobble issue will already be corrected. Im also thinking its going to have the updated software, which ive avoided applying to my original detector. I will try it if it comes that way but hopefully can roll it back if i dont like it.

 

[vferrari]

The update utility allows you to roll it back if desired.

 

[SultansOfSwing]

The update utility allows you to roll it back if desired.

Does the original program have to be present on the machine originally? Or is the old program available online?

 

[vferrari]

The original program and the update are contained in the in update utility program package you download from Minelab.

 

[SultansOfSwing]

The original program and the update are contained in the in update utility program package you download from Minelab.

Thank you again. Thats what i was hoping.