nvchris Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 4500 on ebayThis is the result of Minelab dumping 4500's on the Mid East market now that the rush is over there coming back to haunt the Legitimate Dealers. Not only did Minelab withhold units to the dealers and kill there sales (forcing some to close shop). Now they cant/wont do a thing about the units coming back except perhaps to not honor the warranties.This is a result of Minelab's top level management's $$$$$$$ first decisions.Thanks Minelab management! Way to s**t on the people who made you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted June 8, 2010 Admin Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 Hello Chris, Ya, that is a shame when you see that. You can purchase a new GPX-4500 in Dubia for less than $3,500 US right now from what I've been told by a reliable source. I was real careful with this whole Dubia/Sudan rush and played my cards just right. Some dealers raked in the cash, while some dealers are out of business over this deal. The same thing will happen with coils. Right now there is a mad rush to get coils, but it will be no different than detectors. Many coils are being shipped to Europe and other countries from Australia, so by the time the US dealers get them, many customers will already have them. If you haven't gotten the cash for the coil in advance, you might be in trouble trying to unload hundreds of coils. The customers over there have no more loyality to you than the first dealer that can put the coils in their hands. Just my thoughts,Rob Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 Yeah it's a shame that Minelab cares more about their quarterly profits than the long term value supplied by their dealers. If it's any consolation they are not the only company driven by hedge funds and pension funds screaming about shareholder returns. It used to be that you bought stock in a good company for the regular dividends. With high inflation and a get rich quick attitude among "investors" the new goal is to increase share value for the quick "profit" of a trade.But lets get real here. From the consumers point of view how is a $3,900 eBay bet going to stack up against the service Rob or Doc are going to bring to the table? Rob offers a lot more than a few extras with your purchase. IF you actually get a 4500 from the eBay seller that isn't a fake or broken what do you do when it goes belly up from a manufacturing defect? Do you really think Las Vegas is going to give you a break or even get it back to you in a reasonable time because you have a copy of an eBay ad that says it's genuine?Is that eBay seller going to hold your hand over the phone when you need to know the best settings for your situation? Do you think they are going to take you out and show you how to find gold? Are they going to give you hints, tips and encouragement with their own forum? Rob and Doc are known quantities, for a few more bucks to buy from an honest retailer I think the smart money would bet against eBay.Just one prospectors opinion.clayMinerDiggins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimGilmore Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 Ah not to worry in my case guys.cutting several hundred off of a few thousand dollar detector is still not going to prompt me to by one.I juust do not got the willingness to gamble that many bucks on the chance of finding a nugget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crookedrecords Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 so, demand for minelab's over in sudan etc. is cooling down? Did the market finally become saturated? do you think that they will become more available here locally or could these be counterfeit models? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted June 9, 2010 Admin Report Share Posted June 9, 2010 Hello Crooked, Yes, sure sounds like the dealer(s) in Dubai are overstocked. Dubai was the main hub for detectors being shipped, snuck or whatever into Sudan, Africa. The Minelab GPX-4500's are available and in stock (at least I have them) at the current time. Minelab is still running the Promo where you get a free 15x12 Commander DD Searchcoil with the purchase along with bundles the dealers are running. The price has increased from $4,495.00 to $4,750.00. Hope this helps,Rob Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Porter Posted June 9, 2010 Report Share Posted June 9, 2010 4500 on ebayThis is the result of Minelab dumping 4500's on the Mid East market now that the rush is over there coming back to haunt the Legitimate Dealers. Not only did Minelab withhold units to the dealers and kill there sales (forcing some to close shop). Now they cant/wont do a thing about the units coming back except perhaps to not honor the warranties.This is a result of Minelab's top level management's $$$$$$$ first decisions.Thanks Minelab management! Way to s**t on the people who made you!Chris couple of points if I may without causing any offense if I can help it . One is I recently noticed you were selling coils on e-bay which I assume were geared to taking advantage of the high demand in the Sudan (I also sold a few second hands coils I had laying around because of the crazy prices they were prepared to pay so please don't for a second feel I am sitting here in judgment of you ) , however I feel your comments above are a little harsh toward Minelab especially as we have both taken advantage of the market ourselves. The second and most obvious question is, is the seller you linked to on E-bay an accredited Minelab dealer or someone who was obtaining GPX-4500's through the grey market either out of Australia or America? (the same people who were snapping up all the coils on behalf of the Sudanese or re-sellers from Dubai) If it is not a Minelab dealer I find it hard to see the correlation to you laying the blame at Minelabs feet for a person snapping up GPX-4500s to resell at huge profits now finding they have lots of units laying around due to demand dropping off so offloading onto the market in the knowledge they can do so because of the profits they have made on the other previous units being sold at high margins. Minelab dealers world wide were inundated by people wanting 4500's who were prepared to do almost anything to get them, this then had a flow on effect to Minelab Australia who I assume would have had a nightmare trying to work out where all the detectors were actually going. I know of a number of dealers here in Australia who had firm orders for detectors with lists as long as your arm from so called Aussies, yet when the bubble burst the lists vanished over night hence orders to Minelab also being cancelled etc. I fail to see how Minelab can be expected to stop the reverse flow when it was impossible to stop it in the original instance especially when dealers were only too happy to supply the market before (innocently or otherwise supplying expat Sudanese or savvy money makers on-selling to the grey market).It seems to me Minelab are damned if they do and damned if they don't, the reality is there are a lot of dealers out there world wide right now who are very cashed up thanks to the Sudanese gold rush. To suggest Minelab were dumping GPX-4500's onto the mid East market is plain wrong in my opinion, to also suggest they were withholding product also seems very unfair. JP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvchris Posted June 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2010 Your points are well taken JP, I did ask the ebay seller if they were a dealer before I made the post, the response was they were acting as an agent for a dealer. I doubt that there willing to take a loss on the stock. If my assumption is right then they likely paid "dealer price".I do feel that Minelab's management could have handled the limited supply differently. Your right, it's likely Dealers were supplying the majority of product at a tidy profit. What about the Minelab dealer policy ensuring that the original buyer is matched to the warranty. Was that to track grey market?I still stand by my opinion that it was a conscious decision that Minelab management supplied the market at the expense of some dealers.My point was that the dealers that were hardest hit are now having to endure unfair competition.I'll add to that these are my personal uninformed opinions based on just my observations and hearsay.Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benz Posted June 10, 2010 Report Share Posted June 10, 2010 I think ill be buying a GPX soon, I talked to a dealer who will stay anonymous about this ebay deal. He said that he cant sell me one at a lower price because he could get into trouble if minelab finds out. I feel bad i want to buy from a US dealer but i cant afford to spend a extra 1000 bucks just because minelab says i have to.its messed up.Rudy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Dorado Posted June 10, 2010 Report Share Posted June 10, 2010 This is nothing more than pure capitalism. Soon enough all will straighten out and be back on a normal track....... One thing for certain, I would never buy a detector (or anything else) on an ebay deal from Dubai......... where would you send it for service if it ever needed it, who could you call for help, why send more dollars out of the country? Pretty soon there will be some great deals on commander 12X15 coils also.......Rudy, went by Jim's house and no truck in the driveway? ? ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benz Posted June 10, 2010 Report Share Posted June 10, 2010 This is nothing more than pure capitalism. Soon enough all will straighten out and be back on a normal track....... One thing for certain, I would never buy a detector (or anything else) on an ebay deal from Dubai......... where would you send it for service if it ever needed it, who could you call for help, why send more dollars out of the country? Pretty soon there will be some great deals on commander 12X15 coils also.......Rudy, went by Jim's house and no truck in the driveway? ? ?Wouldnt minelab service the detectors? All items on ebay paid for with paypal are 100% secure. If you dont get what you paid for you get your money back. I seen that a few others have bought for this guys in dubai i sent them a questions abou the detector they got................................................--------------------------------------------------------------------------------From: rm-modelsTo: aaron.j.hardSubject: rm-models has sent a messageSent Date: 08-Jun-10 19:34:24 AESTDear aaron.j.hard,hello i see you bought on of those gpx 4500 detectors from the guy in the middle east. I was wondering it its a real GPX? what does it come with/ thanks.yeh mate its the real deal, great unit brand new in box evrything you need and warranty papers, seems to cheap to be true, but its all good, thanks aaron.j.hard- aaron.j.hard Click "respond" to reply through Messages, or go to your email to reply ............................................................................the units come with a 3 year warranty.Trust me i dont want to send more USD out of the good ole USA but i dont really have a choice. Unless you want to give me 800 bucks then ill keep the money here.. I hope jim is ok im going to drive upthere soon ill stop by and leave him a note if hes not home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOC Posted June 10, 2010 Report Share Posted June 10, 2010 The warranty card requires you to fill in the dealer that your purchased the detector from. Authorized dealers are not allowed to ship outside of their country. So if this is an authorized dealer in Dubai, shipping to the U.S., the warranty will not be honored. If a U.S. dealer's name is filled in, Minelab will check the serial number against the U.S. dealers allotment, if it doesn't match, no warranty.Bottom line is, you are buying a machine with NO WARRANTY. So you have to ask yourself, will my repair bills over three years exceed the $1000 I am going to save.Trust me, if I were you, I would probably be strongly considering a purchase where I could save $1000 too. At least at first impulse. But God forbid you fry a board in the machine; because your $1000 savings will go up in smoke; literally.There are a ton of cheap Minelab machines listed on Alibaba.com Best prices in the world, except they are all bogus machines, that do not have Minelab electronics in them. They are just manufactured to look like Minelabs.You know the old saying, BUYER BEWARE.Let me explain to you in the kindest way possible the reality of owning a product or a service. There are two ways you can INVEST in a product or service. You can consider the PRICE ONLY, or you can consider the COST.OK so you buy this great EBAY deal, the PRICE is $3,900 with shipping vs. $4750 from a dealer. The PRICE is the amount you pay one time.OK so you are already $850 ahead on PRICE with the Ebay purchase. Oh, darn, something wrong with the battery, it has to be replaced; no warranty $450. Savings now $850 - $450 = $400. You have questions about the proper adjustment of the machine, but every dealer you call wants to know where you purchased the machine, and advises you that each Minelab dealer is expected to give their customers follow-up service. You are a little reluctant to say you got the machine from Dubai, and end the call quickly.That day you go out into the field, without the expert advice that your local dealer could have given you. Trust me, the good stuff isn't included in the instruction manual. The good stuff is inside the heads of experienced detectorists. like Rob Allison. Those little tips that that will help you be more successful.You hunt all day long, with a machine that is not tweaked correctly, or perhaps you are not using the optimum coil for the area. At the end of the day you go home empty handed, but hey you had fun! You are unaware that because you did not have your detector set correctly you actually walked right over a 1 ounce nugget that you didn't hear. What's gold now? $1,200 an ounce. Well you just cost yourself $1,200. So now your detector has cost you $3900. 450 for the battery and now $1200; or $5,500.So while your PRICE for the detector was $3900, the COST of the detector is now $5,550. On the other hand, your PRICE of the detector purchased from you local dealer was $4750, bad battery was covered under warranty. Because of the on hands training and advice you got from your local dealer you found that $1,200 nugget, so your COST has been reduced to $3,550.So the COST for the $3900 detector is $5,500, the COST of your $4,750 U.S. Dealer machine is $3550.PRICE you pay for once, the COST of an item is the ongoing expense or benefit you get when you take other things into consideration.There is a famous quote:“There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey.” BCOTDocWouldnt minelab service the detectors? All items on ebay paid for with paypal are 100% secure. If you dont get what you paid for you get your money back. I seen that a few others have bought for this guys in dubai i sent them a questions abou the detector they got................................................--------------------------------------------------------------------------------From: rm-modelsTo: aaron.j.hardSubject: rm-models has sent a messageSent Date: 08-Jun-10 19:34:24 AESTDear aaron.j.hard,hello i see you bought on of those gpx 4500 detectors from the guy in the middle east. I was wondering it its a real GPX? what does it come with/ thanks.yeh mate its the real deal, great unit brand new in box evrything you need and warranty papers, seems to cheap to be true, but its all good, thanks aaron.j.hard- aaron.j.hard Click "respond" to reply through Messages, or go to your email to reply ............................................................................the units come with a 3 year warranty.Trust me i dont want to send more USD out of the good ole USA but i dont really have a choice. Unless you want to give me 800 bucks then ill keep the money here.. I hope jim is ok im going to drive upthere soon ill stop by and leave him a note if hes not home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benz Posted June 10, 2010 Report Share Posted June 10, 2010 Your saying that minelab does not cover its warrenty unless the unit is sold by a authrized dealer? In that country? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Dorado Posted June 10, 2010 Report Share Posted June 10, 2010 Rudy.... that is what Doc is saying! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyLundy Posted June 10, 2010 Report Share Posted June 10, 2010 Rudy,I don't agree with Doc much, but he is correct. I'm telling you as a buddy, your best to keep your hard earned money here in the USA. Rob Allison, has a total package that will make the difference up in cost by far. Not that you need to run to Arizona for any training, El Dorado and I will be more than happy to train you on your new machine...but Rob will take you out (when it cools off) to a couple of his own patch's for his training in Arizona. Remember, you didn't rush into marriage and don't rush of to save some money from a Minelab dealer in the Middle East. That difference your talking about I have detected in the last 8 days and that's not 8 days in the field.LuckyLundy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Soloman Posted June 10, 2010 Report Share Posted June 10, 2010 That is the BEST advice you are going to get. My 2-cents! - TerryRudy,I don't agree with Doc much, but he is correct. I'm telling you as a buddy, your best to keep your hard earned money here in the USA. Rob Allison, has a total package that will make the difference up in cost by far. Not that you need to run to Arizona for any training, El Dorado and I will be more than happy to train you on your new machine...but Rob will take you out (when it cools off) to a couple of his own patch's for his training in Arizona. Remember, you didn't rush into marriage and don't rush of to save some money from a Minelab dealer in the Middle East. That difference your talking about I have detected in the last 8 days and that's not 8 days in the field.LuckyLundy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted June 10, 2010 Admin Report Share Posted June 10, 2010 Hello Rudy and All, Rudy - That is what I was trying to tell you on the phone. If you purchase a detector that was sold to Dubia, or was being shipped to the US from Dubai or anywhere else besides the US, Minelab USA will see that it was not purchased from the US and void the warranty. Not saying there have been a bunch of issues with GPX-4500's, but if something went wrong you might rake out the cash to have it fixed out of pocket. I had to go to the ER last night, so been away from the phone. I will call you, or you can call me again and we can discuss it. Most of the dealers that are willing to sell a GPX-4500 for less than the selling price are not offering bundles, free coils, support and field instructions. This in the long haul will add up to more than saving $800-$900. Think about it, if you purchase a GPX-4500 for $4,750.00, you take the Commander DD and place it on Ebay. I'm sure you will make $400-$500 right there. Now you're only about $300 down, you can take the other coil and sell it and now your about breaking even. If you purchase that GPX-4500 for $3,700 - $3,800 you don't know if it's real, no warranty and no support. Is that worth trying to save? Trust me, I've heard many horror stories about guys trying to save and most of them ended up calling and saying, "Rob, you were right!Talk with you later,Rob Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldnomad Posted June 10, 2010 Report Share Posted June 10, 2010 Also keep in mind that buying or selling a second hand ML detector, that the warranty is NOT transferable. Many listings on Ebay, especially for 4000's and 4500's will say "it's still under warranty". It's notCaveat EmptorRobert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benz Posted June 10, 2010 Report Share Posted June 10, 2010 Ok guys I took the words of advice from you wise wise old men and got a 4500 from a dealer here in the USA. Brand new. Paid a little more then I wanted, but you guys wont disown me for supporting the terrorist .Thanks for all the help chris and rick, doc. Rob sorry it didnt work out hope your ok.And Because of what DOC said i called minelab and asked about the warranty and hes 100% right. They will take the warranty card however if you ever need to use the warranty they will match the name on the warranty card to who it was first sold to. If it dont match no warranty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted June 11, 2010 Admin Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Hello Benz, Great to hear you got a deal on a GPX-4500. I actually sold mine the following day to a local customer. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call or email me. You will be glad you invested the extra for a GPX. I recommend getting some training and maybe even picking one of the DVD's up (AZO's or JP's) if you didn't get one included. It's just a matter of time until you're picking up nuggets! Take care,Rob Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benz Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Thanks man.I was thinking of buying one of JPs vids.. I have the one he did for the gp3000 and still watch it. Always learn something new. I just have to pay off this gpx. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted June 12, 2010 Admin Report Share Posted June 12, 2010 Hey Benz, It's a great video. JP is like the Pioneer when it comes to modern DVD's for the Minelab PI's. I would take a trip up to Lucky and Co's place and get some instructions from them. Top notch guys up there! Also, use this forum as a place to ask questions about your new GPX-4500. There are handfuls of others that want to ask questions, just don't for some reason. The forums are a great place to learn and exchange valuable information. My phone line is always open for calls also. Take care,Rob Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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