Excal repair update

[erikk]

Here is an update for all who are thinking of sending in your excals for repair. Spoke with them yesterday about the excal that I had sent in and they had received on July 2nd.
Seems that it will take a minimum of 40, yes that is 40 WORKING DAYS before someone will even get around to open the box to see what is wrong and then who knows how long to call, fix the unit and get it in the mail
Now don't get me wrong-the excal is a great machine but in order to hunt like we do down here in FL one machine just will not stand up to constant use and that is why I have 3 of them. It just seems a shame that when you pay over $1000 for a detector that they can't be made to keep running a while or if not get repaired in less than a couple of months.
Garrett, Whites and Fisher can do it in a few weeks-what is wrong with Minelab? I really don't need to hear that crap that they are behind because of the confusion of moving the operation from NV to IL because I sent mine to NV and that is where it is being repaired.
And the BEST PART....when you call you get "Welcome to Minelab where we make the best detectors in the world" They should also add "But they are the most expensive, we can't keep them running and if you need them repaired-GOOD LUCK"

 

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[Smudge]

The only Minelab I ever hear of consistently having problems is the Excal.

I hardly ever hear of problems with any of the other machines.

The Excal seems to be the problem child in that family (I'm speaking of the new ones, of course).

 

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[Andy Sabisch]

Service problems seem to be the norm for most that need it . . . . .

It is a shame that a company that at one time not only had equipment that was at the top in terms of technology and performance but also a customer service organization that was about as good as you could expect has slid to where post after post laments the extensive delays in getting a repair performed and then in many cases, the repair was not done right and the machine has to go back yet again.

My daughter started water hunting / diving with me and I got her an Excal II 800. The first time we took it to the beach on the coast she turned it on and the on/off control stripped out and would not turn off. The only way around it was to disconnect the battery when you left the beach. Back to Vegas for a repair and the $30 postage bill. Got it back and the first dive to 30 feet, guess what . . . it flooded. Another $30 and back to Vegas. Came back . . . . . next dive, flooded again at less than 30 feet. Back again. The last time we used it, was right after it came back and this time it was erratic and unstable . . . unless you turned it OFF and back ON quickly . . . . then 30 minutes later it would start again. After 4 trips back, $120 in postage and a detector my daughter was questioning if I was trying to keep her from finding gold, I got her a Head Hunter Diver and she has done super since then with no issues.

The Excalibur is a super detector as countless hunters will attest to. If it works, you are golden. If it needs service . . . . . well, no that Dick Shultz and Sandy Burton are gone, any detector goes into what people are calling a "black hole" with an exit date up in the air as well as what you will get when it does come home.

The move from Vegas has been blamed for the backlog but the backlog has existed for most of 2010 . . . how long does a move take to get up and running.

People have mentioned the service from Whites and Garrett . . . . . heck, it seems like they have replacement parts in the mail while you are still on the phone with them , , , and that is a great thing in that you can actually talk to some in the repair departments without going through an intermediary and then not get a call back for weeks if at all.

Minelab certainly reads the forums but whether the countless posts describing what has happened over the past year in terms of how customers that have invested $1,000's for their equipment will have an immediate impact is to be seen.

It is a shame when one looses an entire summer water hunting season due to detector that failed at the start and is not expected back until the beaches close in many areas . . . . . .

Maybe the techs are out hunting the beaches where they know there are no Excalibur's cleaning them out

Hope everyone finds gold in their scoop!

Andy

 

[Andy Sabisch]

I think everyone hopes things turn around

Customers that spent all that money hate to be without the detector they hoped would produce for them in the field and dealers hate to be the one that sold a detector where the customer is unhappy and can do little to expedite the repairs. Unfortunately with the product backlog that has existed since late 2009, even dealers that would like to simply replace a defective unit for a customer are not able to as they have nothing in stock to do that with.

Hopefully the move / relocation to Chicago and the move / relocation of production from Ireland to Malaysia will settle out soon and things will improve . . . . . that's been promised for some time and hopefully the light at the end of the tunnel is not as they saying goes "the headlight of the oncoming freight train".

 

[Indasurf]

Re: Service problems seem to be the norm for most that need it . . . . .

It is a shame that a company that at one time not only had equipment that was at the top in terms of technology and performance but also a customer service organization that was about as good as you could expect has slid to where post after post laments the extensive delays in getting a repair performed and then in many cases, the repair was not done right and the machine has to go back yet again.

My daughter started water hunting / diving with me and I got her an Excal II 800. The first time we took it to the beach on the coast she turned it on and the on/off control stripped out and would not turn off. The only way around it was to disconnect the battery when you left the beach. Back to Vegas for a repair and the $30 postage bill. Got it back and the first dive to 30 feet, guess what . . . it flooded. Another $30 and back to Vegas. Came back . . . . . next dive, flooded again at less than 30 feet. Back again. The last time we used it, was right after it came back and this time it was erratic and unstable . . . unless you turned it OFF and back ON quickly . . . . then 30 minutes later it would start again. After 4 trips back, $120 in postage and a detector my daughter was questioning if I was trying to keep her from finding gold, I got her a Head Hunter Diver and she has done super since then with no issues.



The Excalibur is a super detector as countless hunters will attest to. If it works, you are golden. If it needs service . . . . . well, no that Dick Shultz and Sandy Burton are gone, any detector goes into what people are calling a "black hole" with an exit date up in the air as well as what you will get when it does come home.

The move from Vegas has been blamed for the backlog but the backlog has existed for most of 2010 . . . how long does a move take to get up and running.

People have mentioned the service from Whites and Garrett . . . . . heck, it seems like they have replacement parts in the mail while you are still on the phone with them , , , and that is a great thing in that you can actually talk to some in the repair departments without going through an intermediary and then not get a call back for weeks if at all.

Minelab certainly reads the forums but whether the countless posts describing what has happened over the past year in terms of how customers that have invested $1,000's for their equipment will have an immediate impact is to be seen.

It is a shame when one looses an entire summer water hunting season due to detector that failed at the start and is not expected back until the beaches close in many areas . . . . . .

Maybe the techs are out hunting the beaches where they know there are no Excalibur's cleaning them out

Hope everyone finds gold in their scoop!

Andy

Andy, What you went through regarding the Excal 2 800 is simply mind-boggling to say the least!!!

Sending a new machine in 4 times and still having it not perform correctly really stinks!!!

That's what happens when you downsize and hire workers with little experience for repairs and ship manufacturing over to Asia......the product will always suffer!

This corporate greed mentality of many "BIG" corporations has put plenty of manufactures out of business and will continue to do so in the future (they never really learn).

 

[Silver Surfer]

And to add insult to injury, they told me they would "send me a hat for my trouble", and guess what?? No hat came when I got my Excal back..
I am really starting to believe that instead of just a major move as part of the company's reorganization, they should have gotten rid of a few of the top officials.. They are surely not earning their salary.. Attention to detail is about par with customer service, and they are sorely lacking in both areas...

 

[JOE(USA)]

Andy Sabisch,

THANK YOU, for joining this forum! You have done a great service for this hobby. Your books and field tests are the epitome of professional excellence. Thank you for your comments on the apparent demise of Minelab . Could it be that Minelab management is just out of touch with their customer base? If so, how can we, the end user's make them aware of it so it gets turned around?

Joe

 

[Andy Sabisch]

Thanks for the positive words . . . . .

I've been around the hobby for more years than I care to acknowledge but it has been a great ride so far. They people I've met have been some of the greatest characters ever and many super friendships have been cultivated even with people halfway around the world that I might never have the opportunity to meet.

The issues that Minelab are facing right now are unfortunate but the equipment is still top notch (as long as it remains in the field) . . . . . while I had a dismal experience with the Excall 800 I got for my daughter, I still have an original Seasearch coil model as well as two Excal 800's (the blue ones) that are work horses and - knock on wood - have not had to go back to the service center yet. They continue to find the good stuff deep and taht has been under some rough conditions such as diving to 75 feet+ or hours in rolling surf.

No manufacturer wants a product to fail under use but what sets companies apart is what they do when a failure does occur and if they recognize that an average Joe (or Jane) spent a great deal of hard earned money to buy the product. When you read about the customer service provided by companies such as White's, Garrett, First Texas, DetectorPro and Tesoro, they clearly understand that the customer wants to feel they made a good decision in buying their product. From fast turn around to being able to talk to a technician when you call, a repair is a minor hassle and one is back in the field . . . . . . . hopefully that will spread

Andy

 

[gravediggermax-vabeachva]

i agree - Nice Having U Here Mr Andy

u are the best

 

[Andy Sabisch]

That would be my luck . . . . .

As they sometimes if it weren't for bad luck I'd have not luck and my luck would be my long awaited detector coming back to me would be in the trailer that was a total loss . . . . .

 

[crazyman]

I won't buy anything new from Minelab after my own bad experience with them but I also won't use anything else so as long as I can find a used Sovereign for sale if I need one in the future I'm happy. My Sovereigns have taken a beating so far with no problems.

 

[FloridaBill]

LOL as of last night Mine was in Jacksonville,fl UPS in Transit to Orlando Hub... Whoopsies...

But, I think they said the truck was heading to the West coast of Fl... you know where Erikk lives....

Dennis not to worry we will see it gets a good testing out

 

[erikk]

LOL as of last night Mine was in Jacksonville,fl UPS in Transit to Orlando Hub... Whoopsies...

But, I think they said the truck was heading to the West coast of Fl... you know where Erikk lives....

RIGHT!!!!

 

[S.S.Tupperware]

I just hope it works properly and you don't have to send her back again...

 

[Silver Surfer]

I am debating sending mine back in... I am going to email Ena and Ewout.. The tones are just plain off... I did some air testing after doing the Peltor conversion, and a newer bottlecap produced the EXACT tone as that heavy Topaz 18k ring I found. The small diamond ring I found, even when not under inches of sand, made such a weak and broken signal (as it did when I dug it), that if I had swept it prior to them screwing, er, I mean fixing it up, I would not have dug it.. You are NOT supposed to dig broken signals, right?
Pennies and dimes sound the same, which is new, and silver rings produce a pretty low tone (compared to what they used to- a high, tinny, tone before).. Actually, everytihing I tested had relatively low tones, so it looks like I will be digging everything with it if I dont send it back..
And lastly, the other day when I was out, I dug 3 bobby pins, and 4 of those "snap" hair pins.. I NEVER dug one of those prior to repair..
So it is now acting like a PI machine basically..
I am much more than upset with Minelab..

 

[Indasurf]

I am debating sending mine back in... I am going to email Ena and Ewout.. The tones are just plain off... I did some air testing after doing the Peltor conversion, and a newer bottlecap produced the EXACT tone as that heavy Topaz 18k ring I found. The small diamond ring I found, even when not under inches of sand, made such a weak and broken signal (as it did when I dug it), that if I had swept it prior to them screwing, er, I mean fixing it up, I would not have dug it.. You are NOT supposed to dig broken signals, right?
Pennies and dimes sound the same, which is new, and silver rings produce a pretty low tone (compared to what they used to- a high, tinny, tone before).. Actually, everytihing I tested had relatively low tones, so it looks like I will be digging everything with it if I dont send it back..
And lastly, the other day when I was out, I dug 3 bobby pins, and 4 of those "snap" hair pins.. I NEVER dug one of those prior to repair..
So it is now acting like a PI machine basically..
I am much more than upset with Minelab..

Silver Surfer, as bad as it seems, I think your going to need to bite the bullet and send it in again!!!
You won't be a happy camper if the issues are not resolved soon!

I would suggest contacting senior management “BEFORE” you send the machine back in
to make damn sure the issue is resolved without any more down time!!!

I would also “DEMAND” that a senior level tech work on the Excal and that they
keep you in the loop throughout the whole process!!!

Also, make Minelab pay the shipping charges because they screwed up your machine this time around and need to be held responsible for that!!!

If you do decide to hunt out the rest of the season and send it in after, do yourself a favor and make sure the big boss knows about the issues you're having now as they might try to say you messed it up again if you wait too long!!!

Good luck and I wish you well!!!

 

[Silver Surfer]

Good advice, and I will email them tomorrow..

 

[ToyMan]

I had bought my excal 5 years ago to use on the East Coast under a salvage agreement. The thing never did work right from day one. I used my CZ-20 and just didn't take the time to send it in.

I finally sent it in earlier this year and did not hear from them. 60 days went by and I called them and, guess what. mine was next to be repaired.

A week later I received an emal from UPS that I had a delivery from Minelab. Minelab never called to let me know what was wrong and what the charge would be.

I received the package and when I opened it, it had yellow headphones and excal II stickers. WOW! A free upgrade. It works flawlessly. The paperwork said "repaired under warranty"

I can't compain. I was treated fairly.

TM

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I had bought my excal 5 years ago to use on the East Coast under a salvage agreement. The thing never did work right from day one. I used my CZ-20 and just didn't take the time to send it in.

I finally sent it in earlier this year and did not hear from them. 60 days went by and I called them and, guess what. mine was next to be repaired.

A week later I received an emal from UPS that I had a delivery from Minelab. Minelab never called to let me know what was wrong and what the charge would be.

I received the package and when I opened it, it had yellow headphones and excal II stickers. WOW! A free upgrade. It works flawlessly. The paperwork said "repaired under warranty"

I can't compain. I was treated fairly.


TM

 

[Silver Surfer]

I am debating sending mine back in... I am going to email Ena and Ewout.. The tones are just plain off... I did some air testing after doing the Peltor conversion, and a newer bottlecap produced the EXACT tone as that heavy Topaz 18k ring I found. The small diamond ring I found, even when not under inches of sand, made such a weak and broken signal (as it did when I dug it), that if I had swept it prior to them screwing, er, I mean fixing it up, I would not have dug it.. You are NOT supposed to dig broken signals, right?
Pennies and dimes sound the same, which is new, and silver rings produce a pretty low tone (compared to what they used to- a high, tinny, tone before).. Actually, everytihing I tested had relatively low tones, so it looks like I will be digging everything with it if I dont send it back..
And lastly, the other day when I was out, I dug 3 bobby pins, and 4 of those "snap" hair pins.. I NEVER dug one of those prior to repair..
So it is now acting like a PI machine basically..
I am much more than upset with Minelab..

Silver Surfer, as bad as it seems, I think your going to need to bite the bullet and send it in again!!!
You won't be a happy camper if the issues are not resolved soon!

I would suggest contacting senior management “BEFORE” you send the machine back in
to make damn sure the issue is resolved without any more down time!!!

I would also “DEMAND” that a senior level tech work on the Excal and that they
keep you in the loop throughout the whole process!!!

Also, make Minelab pay the shipping charges because they screwed up your machine this time around and need to be held responsible for that!!!

If you do decide to hunt out the rest of the season and send it in after, do yourself a favor and make sure the big boss knows about the issues you're having now as they might try to say you messed it up again if you wait too long!!!

Good luck and I wish you well!!!

I emailed them, will wait till I hear from them... I have to wonder, since I didnt cut any wires when doing the Peltor Headphone conversion, can they deny my extended warranty work?
I will let you all know when I get a reply..

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Minelab considers any after market changes as mods and could void the waranty. Rubber truck bed spray, or marine epoxy on the coil voids the coil waranty if the coil goes bad, opening up the control mod usually voids the warranty if the circuit board is bad....It is their call, I just know what they told me 18 months ago. It is highly recommended no mods are done while a detector is under waranty.