Recent Customer Service Experiences.

[lifeofreilly57]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

Direct quote: "We can't help you. You'll have to call Icom." I called twice and got the same answer from two different CSRs.

When it comes to tech support for electronics very few volume dealers carry specialized techs for that, if you bought from a direct installer who you had bought from and paid to install then that's a different story.
If installing myself I usually expect to get tech support directly from the manufacturer.
I bought my Icom 802 and complete B&G nav system from Defender but installed it myself and used the factory tech support people for more esoteric questions. Even there I found the quality of support depended on the nature of the question.

[verb88]

hello lifeofreily! i think i anchored behind you in benji bay for the September full moon party

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by lifeofreilly57

When it comes to tech support for electronics very few volume dealers carry specialized techs for that

There is a difference between tech support and dealing with a new product dead out of the box. Defender is an Icom dealer. They didn't act like one for me or for my customer.

The OPs point was to give credit where due on this thread and I made a number of contributions - Defender's disappointing support was a side note to the very good support from Icom America.

[lifeofreilly57]

Originally Posted by verb88

hello lifeofreily! i think i anchored behind you in benji bay for the September full moon party

You are correct. We were there on one of Benji Bay Marina's mooring while replacing our forestay and roller furling unit.
Our old furler self destructed during the round the island race.
We sat out the hurricane season in Grenada. Soon to be moving on now that the boats back together.
I owe a bunch if friends a lot of beer for hauling my lard butt up the mast repeatedly.
What boat are you on?

[lifeofreilly57]

Gotcha.
I've had good experiences with defender over the years, so I'm surprised.
They've always made good when they did have a hiccup.
Of course when you get dead electronics out if the box the only difference between sending it directly to the OEM and having it go through the vendor is the amount if time.
Even Defender, as big as they are, can't make a warranty judgement call, they have to send it to the OEM for verification.
I'm currently in Grenada.
A buddy boat friend had a windlass fail at three months old. There is a dealer of there's in Grenada, but the OEM won't let the local dealer make a judgement call on the warranty. He has to send it back to Europe on his own dime and wait for them to make that call. All that time he has no windlass.
Even more ridiculous is another friend who wanted to send his defective part back directly to the OEM but can't. He has to send it back to the vendor in the US so they can send it to the OEM in Europe. It's absurd.
It's good in a way though, I know who's products I'll never buy.