El Dorado Posted April 14, 2010 Report Share Posted April 14, 2010 They have had my 4000 for two weeks to upgrade the switch. I have tried calling numerous times(800 # and 702#) and each time I call the call is answered by a call center not by Las Vegas. Apparently the call center can only forward info... Does anyone have an actual telephone number to Las Vegas Minelab......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOC Posted April 14, 2010 Report Share Posted April 14, 2010 See your private message, I have notified Minelab of your plight.Sorry!Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldbug Ron Posted April 15, 2010 Report Share Posted April 15, 2010 Hey Steve, I just got my 4000 back yesterday for the same switch upgrade problem. I received it exactly 4 (four) weeks to the day from when they received it. My calls to the 702 number were put right through to service. In my opinion that is way too long for a 'simple' repair. Thank heaven I had the ESP on it, I can't imagine how much they would have charged for the repair.Goldbug Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grubstake Posted April 15, 2010 Report Share Posted April 15, 2010 Yeh< DOC. Whats up with Minelab, seem there service has gone bad again. Jerry Balcer{ Sandtrap} sent a coil in that the mount just fell apart when he used it, that was in March. The coil was in waranty he said. He tried contacting Bill Southern when it did that. Many emails, phone calls. Bill Never returned not one. Finally he got ahold of Minelab, they said send it in. That was March. Still no coil or replacement. It was a Commander 8 inch mono. He's going to Vegas this weekend. Staying through Monday. He's going into Minelab to see whats up. They did pretty well for a bit. Now it seems like there back in the same bad service mod they were in before. What give's? Grubstake And Bill S. is just missing in action. he's not taking care of his customers either. I know he lost a few people that will never go to him again. Robs Gain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montana Posted April 15, 2010 Report Share Posted April 15, 2010 Steve. The minelab service center in LV has gone from very good 5 years ago to very bad 2 years ago to deplorable now. A friend of mine recently sent his GPX4000 in for the switch replacement and got it back after a month. It came back unusable with a blank screen. Betsies 4000 has the new switch but it is already starting to fail. Sometimes you have to flip the switch 5 or 6 times before it will turn on. This summer when it is too hot for her to detect, I will send it to Australia for repairs. Even on a slow boat it shouldn't take much over a month to get it back. Minelab should scrap their palatial office suites near the airport and rent a garage somewhere and use the saved money to hire an extra technician, hopefully one who actually knows how to fix a detector. It is pitiful, shameful, and downright outrageous that we can't get dependable, timely service on our expensive machines. All the Minelab dealers should band together and demand that their customers get the service that promised or implied by their warranty. Even out of warranty machines should get top service. I'm sure with the economy the way it is , there are electrical engineers out of work who would take a tech job. Minelab could have their pick of some top people right now , and anyone who can't do the job quickly and properly should be given only a few slip ups before they are sent packing . There are thousands of highly qualified people out of work who would jump at the job. Why can't they get this right. They can't use the excuse that sales are slow and can't afford good techs.----Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye Posted April 15, 2010 Report Share Posted April 15, 2010 Bob I had to send my 4000 in last year to have the on/off switch replaced and it took almost 4 weeks. I got it back when they said I would but that still seems like a lot of time to just replace a switch. I sent a 2100v2 off to Australia to have Woody do an upgrade on it and got it back in less than three weeks and that was with having trouble getting it back out of Australia customs. So I agree with you next time I will contact either Woody or Ismail for repairs to my detector. The warranty isn't any good if they can't fix it right or it ends up with other problems that it didn't have before.You all take care, Wes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt Posted April 15, 2010 Report Share Posted April 15, 2010 Nothing new Steve. I have one of the original 4500's that were recalled. It was hard to even use the detector out of the box. I sent it in as soon as the recall was announced. The same day I took the 4500 in to UPS, I went out to use my 4000, and I could not turn it on! I sent it in the next day. Too bad I had to pay the shipping cause I could have sent them both to Minelab on their tab. I had the 4500 back in about 2 weeks and the 4000 back in about 5 weeks. I don't know why it took so much longer to fix the 4000. See you soon.Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted April 15, 2010 Admin Report Share Posted April 15, 2010 Hey Guys, I'm hoping to get some answers from Minelab USA here in the next day or so on this. I was told about a month ago all the Minelab Repair Tech's were let go, but when I questioned Minelab on this they said it was false. I'm hoping to hear something from Minelab about what is going on down there. Take care,Rob Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skipperbill Posted April 15, 2010 Report Share Posted April 15, 2010 Donna's 2100 went crazy last September and I sent it to Las Vegas in early Oct. It has been back and forth ever since. The first two times they couldn't find anything wrong. I finaly sent a video along with it to show how unusable it is and also showing my 4000 running smoothly so they couldn't keep saying it must be EMI. Now they say it needs a complete new board. I have to wonder how it goes from nothing wrong to a total board replacement and what new board they are going to put in an old green box 2100 and what it might cost me. Shouldn't they give an estimate before doing a repair? I never hear from Minelab I always have to contact them and that takes some doing.Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grubstake Posted April 15, 2010 Report Share Posted April 15, 2010 seems I remember a post a ways back, that said they were move most of the service department to Ill. Obama's home state. He does good at printing money up, I wonder how good they are with circuit boards? Grubstake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredm Posted April 15, 2010 Report Share Posted April 15, 2010 Well, if misery loves company, I see I have plenty of friends...I foolishly never considered that the Las Vegas techs are not competent...But, I am finding out through sad and never ending experience just how naive I have been...This affair reminds of a work reference that a former employer gave for a guy...He is a great worker when he ain't drinking...similarly...Minelab;the best and most expensive detector available...when they work!!!Fred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlakMagnet Posted April 15, 2010 Report Share Posted April 15, 2010 It is interesting to see that the "service" department crashcoincides with the change in ownership. A sign of the times for sure...Too bad.Flak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montana Posted April 15, 2010 Report Share Posted April 15, 2010 Wes. The horror stories continue. So many people have sent their detectors in with minor problems only to have the come with major problems. It happened to me twice. Both times they also came back with screws missing on the end caps. They must be getting their techs from the ranks of the illegals standing on the street corners, or the "will work for food" guys. One of my freinds had his 3000 come back with one of the endcaps replaced upside down.The problem started when Dick Schultz retired. When he was in charge of the service department they came back properly repaired and usually within a week.----Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Dorado Posted April 15, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2010 I wish I could just get in touch with them and get my detector back if they have not replaced the switch. Maybe the old switch will last longer. Not a good sign when Rob can't even get answers..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredm Posted April 15, 2010 Report Share Posted April 15, 2010 yes, Dick was the MAN!!! He had a great customer service policy....however, he could not check on all the work and the techs didn't alway get things right, at least in the last 3-4 years...waa, waa, waa...instead of crying a river maybe I will throw the detector in over at Hoover Dam.fred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye Posted April 15, 2010 Report Share Posted April 15, 2010 Wes. The horror stories continue. So many people have sent their detectors in with minor problems only to have the come with major problems. It happened to me twice. Both times they also came back with screws missing on the end caps. They must be getting their techs from the ranks of the illegals standing on the street corners, or the "will work for food" guys. One of my freinds had his 3000 come back with one of the endcaps replaced upside down.The problem started when Dick Schultz retired. When he was in charge of the service department they came back properly repaired and usually within a week.----Bob Bob That kind of workmanship you describe is totally unacceptable, its ridiculas. I had over the years a 2100, 2200, GP-Extreme,3000 and my 4000 along with my latest 2100v2. I have had trouble with the first 2100, the Extreme and the 4000. Not a very good track record for a product, especially for what they cost. When they recalled all those 4500's right after releasing them for sale I wasn't overly surprised because of the problems I've had with my detectors over the years. I wonder if minelab provides any factory training for it techs, it doesn't seem like it, at least not here in the states. I was an auto tech for years and was constantly going to factory training classes. You have to if you want to keep up with the technology. The things you describe here is just a lack of pride in your work. I think some of there quality control may have to do with a lack of competition. They do make a detector that no one seems to be able to duplicate. I hope you all get your detectors back soon without any further problems.Take care, Wes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sawmill Posted April 15, 2010 Report Share Posted April 15, 2010 Someone there must have a screw fetish,because I just got a 4500 back with amissing screw in the front cover. The good thing is that this is the best ithas ever worked since the recall. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mglgoldstriker Posted April 15, 2010 Report Share Posted April 15, 2010 yes, Dick was the MAN!!! He had a great customer service policy....however, he could not check on all the work and the techs didn't alway get things right, at least in the last 3-4 years...waa, waa, waa...instead of crying a river maybe I will throw the detector in over at Hoover Dam.fredOh no, just donate it to me If you're so desperate try to sell good parts like chargers, coils, shafts, headphones etc, at least it's worth something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carter Posted April 15, 2010 Report Share Posted April 15, 2010 could you go into more detail on the "had trouble with Australia Customs" if some one wants to do the Australia thing what hoops do you have to jump through Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 could you go into more detail on the "had trouble with Australia Customs" if some one wants to do the Australia thing what hoops do you have to jump throughDogrunner If I remember correctly I had to write on the package "for warranty repair only, not for resale". If not they look at as a sale or something like that and try to charge an extra tax on it. They do the same on packages leaving. I had no trouble getting it there to Woody but for some reason he had problems on his end at his local postal office. It only delayed it about 3 or 4 days. Other than that it all went well, the detector works great. Check out detectormods.com. Its Woodies web site.Wes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOC Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Steve, after speaking to Minelab today they informed me that the phone number they have for you is disconnected as they tried to get in touch with you today to speak with you.Can you PM me a valid phone number so we can get some action going on this little challenge?Or email me at cop704@yahoo.comThanks!DocThey have had my 4000 for two weeks to upgrade the switch. I have tried calling numerous times(800 # and 702#) and each time I call the call is answered by a call center not by Las Vegas. Apparently the call center can only forward info... Does anyone have an actual telephone number to Las Vegas Minelab......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Dorado Posted April 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Doc... thanks for your concern and help. Trina called me today and gave me the great news that my detector was back on it's way to me. I am a happy camper now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grubstake Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Doc, has pull for sure. Now if he could just get out once in awhile and detect. Without getting lost. He would be perfect. Ha! Ha! Grubstake PS. DOC it will be along time before I let you live that one down. Never did find your other GPS, prob. Got burned up in the fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inhere Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 It is interesting to see that the "service" department crashcoincides with the change in ownership. A sign of the times for sure...Too bad.FlakI think that the problem is local Flak,I know 2 guys who just had their 4500's serviced at Minelab in oz,turnaround about a week and they both can't believe how good they came back.They both claim that their 4500's are better then when new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montana Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 Inhere. You are probably right . Minelab USA has had a constant turnover of management and personnel in the last few years which more than likely contributes to the problem.----Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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