What is a warranty worth?

[JimRB]

Weasel story. I have bought batteries for my VW at the VW parts counter as they are less expensive then Oreillys or Advance. Last battery died before the warranty was out. Dealer said you have to have the charging system checked out by our techs to warranty the battery. Charging system check was a half hour of labor or some silly amount that was more than the year left of a warranty.

Only the geothermal heat pump has been replaced in 23 years in the house. OK, I replaced a used washing machine 5 years ago and the used dryer from the same set was replaced last year.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Well actually Mark, all your recommendations was after the fact. I tried to contact you via your TBN email and Everlast website but got no response(likely because you changed your email address (which I found out via some TBN forum ), so I just looked at the website to get a plasma cutter that was somewhat in my price range. Had I gotten your bad review words about the discontinued part, I would have bought something else, maybe not even an Everlast brand. For what it is worth, 3 years vs 5 years on the warranty doesnt concern me. I rarely take the extended warranty on an item. IF it works for 30 days it usually will continue to work for many years to come.
As far as shipping, I understand the shipping to the repair facility is usually on the customer for most any product (including the watch that I posted about) but return shipping is usually on the manufacturer. What pissed me off the most (which is why I started this thread) was the boxing fee of $45 and the $50 shipping. I would have been fine with the return shipping fee but that boxing fee really go me heated up.
At least Everlast finally stepped up and covered both fees thanks to a good customer service rep who got it taken off.

No, I made the recommendation for the PowerPlasma unit before the sale. My email has never changed. It has always been perfomance@everlastwelders.com. I had a second one but never used it or got email to it, and dropped it. We always contacted each other via tbn.

Again, if you compare warranty's with other name brands, they state and do the exact same thing. Shipping is on the customer both ways. You can't really bring one industry practices into another industry and expect them to be the same. I'm glad they took care of that with you. It goes to show we do flex with the customer. The boxing fee is there if the box isn't in good shape or the customer didn't properly pack it.

Now as far as being after the fact what I told you... Here is the conversation that I have with you over TBN to clear things up. I want people to understand that when I try to recommend a product to a customer, I try to recommend the BEST product for him or her. In many cases it is something less expensive, all depending upon their need. I don't make much money from sales in %. In fact a unit like that barely makes a ripple in my check. So, when I make a recommendation after someone is looking and asking, I try to inform the customer as best as I can what unit I think is best. I've always done that no matter what industry I was in whether it was in the farm equipment industry, or welder industry... Of course people tend to ignore things when the pocketbook is the bottom line. This isn't "after the fact". This was before and during. I can't really blame you for wanting something cheap, but I told you the facts about it.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

After I built my home, every major appliance failed and continue to do so. Appliances made these days are Junk. Back to OP post. The plasma cutter in question should not have been in the product lineup if the manufacturer and sales force knew it was sub-par. No-one wins selling sub-par products.

It wasn't subpar in a technical sense, but doesn't have the life expectancy of other products. It doesn't have all the features, and it is/was HF start on plasma. It was old tech and older design. Just no future in it moving forward with new digitally controlled designs. A dinosaur of sorts. We took the design as far as we could. We always offered a step up in the PowerPlasma models with both life span and product design, for just a couple hundred dollars more. Everyone wants a cheap cutter. We had it to compete for those with extremely limited budgets and to give them an avenue into our product line. The idea was to make money, and trade up as the person's business grew.

 

[Diggin It]

At least Everlast finally stepped up and covered both fees thanks to a good customer service rep who got it taken off.

Cool.

 

[Diggin It]

4 more months pass and the jeweler calls and says Seiko repair cant fix it and it is no longer made and for me to go to the Seiko website and pick out a watch in the $200 range and they would send it to me. Nothing available that was similar to my watch so I picked out a $295 one figuring I would just pay the difference. Well Sept comes and my chosen watch arrives and I got it for no additional charge.
Not a bad exchange for my $84. I get a $295 Seiko for my $84 (including tax) investment,

I would have just requested a refund of the $84 and moved on.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I would have just requested a refund of the $84 and moved on.

They had my watch in repair facility, so that wasnt an option. I did like the watch so I was OK with getting it repaired. I could have requested for the jeweler to refund my money, but she was very helpful in getting me a replacement at no cost. She stepped up and contacted the facility personally and expressed the dissatisfaction of the whole deal and finally got them to admit that they couldnt repair it. They gave me the option of getting a genuine Seiko valued at the original sales price of the Pulsar which was $165 even upped it to $200. So I got a great deal by waiting 10 months. I really didnt suffer not having the watch since I had my $15 Walmart digital to wear for work.
By the way this Seiko Automatic (no batteries to buy) seems to keep perfect time. I have been wearing it about 3 weeks and so far it is still right in line with my weather station which gets it time from the Atomic Clock in Denver (I think that is where it is).

 

[Gary Fowler]

Only one more thing to add about this repair. I got it back yesterday and immediately checked it out. The plasma torch was cutting at a severe angle. I took it apart and all the consumables were badly arced. The electrode looked similar to a badly used FCAW contact tip. It was arc burned almost 1/2" back up the tip. and the nozzle was almost stopped up with metal. It was sent in for repair with brand new nozzle and electrode installed. I dont know how you could burn up an electrode like that.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Mark @ Everlast;5836758[/B]]No, I made the recommendation for the PowerPlasma unit before the sale. My email has never changed. It has always been perfomance@everlastwelders.com. I had a second one but never used it or got email to it, and dropped it. We always contacted each other via tbn.

If you click on the Mark @ Everlast , you get a TBN email address that is not answered. I finally found the performance linked email that you do answer. By the time you finally got around to answering about a week after the first email, I had already bought this machine via the Everlast home link. All the emails you sent with recommendations were after the fact. I suppose I might have been able to cancel the order at that point, but in some of your emails you stated that this unit was for occasional use, which is what I needed, hence why it sat for a while after I tested all of the functions including Plasma cut, TIG and Stick (where I found that it wont reliably run a 6010 just like it states on the manual) Everything worked as it should when I turned it off but nothing worked when I hooked it back up a few weeks later.

Your really dont have to defend yourself for your replies, I purchased it knowing that it was for home use and not professional but I did expect it to work for more that a couple of months even though it was setting in the back of my shop for a month or more.

 

[Gary Fowler]

First, I hate to hear of any customers unit that has a problem or fails. If it is my customer, then I tend to take it personally. I remember quoting a unit to Gary for our entry level unit.

In fact, let's just put this out there. I just checked out emails and pm's. I counseled Gary against buying this type of unit and also told him that our entry level models were being discontinued. I did not feel comfortable recommending those units to him. Best I can remember, he did not buy direct from me, and insisted on buying it anyway and bought it elsewhere against my advice and explanation. I in fact made recommendations for other machines. When he had problems initially, I think I was the first he contacted though.

If anyone has followed my advice over the years. I've never recommended those type machines, especially for the average user. They are specific designed for a purpose. Regardless of what I say, There are still people that say people "no, this is what I want." I think I recommended against Gary buying one, but he did. Sure a lot of people do buy them. Most all are happy until something happens.

But lets look at this from a rational standpoint.
The warranty has been and always has been stated on our site, and is always available by clicking a VERY visible link at the top. No one is arm twisted into buying our units if they don't like the terms of the warranty.

Our warranty reads much like Miller and Lincoln You pay shipping to their facilities to and from as well! Now for someone living close to a repair center, that may seem like a minor issue. But if you are in the heart of Montana, that's the breaks. You pay shipping for blue and red as well.

A three year warranty is all they offer. If it had been on one of their machines (and yes, they do fail too, frequently enough just out of warranty) you would have had to pay many times more for parts and repair on a machine like this. Ask the guy who has had a Miller fail shortly after a warranty expired about their machine. You won't hear very nice words come out of their mouth. There is still roughly 2 years left on the unit if it wasn't our entry level mosfet unit. If it was, it is still a better value than paying 3 to 4 times the price, and still having to pay out 1200.00 for a board plus labor to fix another brand.

Look at the value you still have for what you have invested. You still cannot come close to touching a plasma cutter or a TIG welder individually for anywhere close to this amount. Now, I understand the issue of having to pay more for shipping. I'll deal with that in a moment.

I've stressed the fact don't buy one of these units if you plan to use it primarily as a plasma cutter!!! I've said it here and elsewhere, and counseled many. Plasma is a support function. It is made clear on the site as well in the notes and elsewhere in the documentation. But that does not keep you from buying it. I can only guide you.

As far as the boxing fee, the boxing fee isn't charged if the boxing is correct and prescribed when you send it in. They even have a detailed picture to show you how to ensure that it arrives safely and can be returned to you without damage. If a boxing fee is being charged, it is because your box was not in a returnable condition and likely the packaging instructions was not carefully followed in some way. You see if you we ship it back to you, and it was not properly packaged, the cost of the unit is on us if it gets damaged in shipping. So, we make sure it is packaged properly on return. We make the advice to the customer how to package it and greater than 99% of the time, we have no issues in shipping the box both ways if our pictures and information is followed.

For shipping to us, you can always call us and we can provide a 'discounted" label to return the unit, which takes advantage of our volume shipping discount.

Additionally, I have found that items under 70 lbs ship way better and faster USPS at a much cheaper price. My experience. It may not be everyone's.

Now some of you are going to say "Well if it were a Miller or Lincoln it wouldn't have broke anyway". Yeah, right.

Well, now, isn't it a good thing that Miller now has a star rating and comment section where you can find out what some people think about their machines and the problems they have.
So, before any of you comment about this very thing to my reply, then go over there and read about some of the dissatisfied customers. Yes, blue and red nightmares do exist.

OK Mark, lets see how much stroke you have with EVERLAST. I got the Everlast SuperUltra 206 SI back yesterday. Hooked it up and the plasma works fine. The TIG works but doesnt seem to change amperage much between 75 and 150 amps. 150 is still not very hot. The biggest complaint though is that the Stick function is just like it was when i sent it in. It arcs for a couple seconds then goes to just a bit of arc similar to a weak HF start. Any Ideas before I try to send this back again?
I would be willing to take your suggestion this time for a better machine. I really dont need anything but the plama cutter but now this machine has me spooked alot about its reliability.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Well further testing of the machine with a buddy watching the digital display shows that stick welding set at 125 amps and using a 1/8" E 7018 rod shows that the machine indeed starts at 125 with a sputtering arc then almost immediately drops to 10 amps. Even with the initial arc, it is very unstable. TIG seems to give a stable arc but the amperage even at max on the dial is barely enough to TIG weld using a 1/8" TIG wire. The Plasma cuts but it destroys the electrode by arcing up the sides instead of the end of the tip. Now I can see why the unit was returned with a completely destroyed tip and electrode.
This unit is definitely going back to Everlast with a request to either refund my money or replace it with a different machine of better quality. Of course extra money will be required by myself since this 206 is the cheapest unit they sell.