[1000mp] Warranty Service -- a report from the front

[Joe Subich, K4IK]

> From: Pete Smith
> Sent: Friday, April 26, 2002 11:23 AM
> To: 1000mp@mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [1000mp] Warranty Service -- a report from the front
>
>
>
> Of course, I had intended to send this reply just to Bob, but because of
> the absurd way this list is set up, unlike any other mailing list I
> subscribe to, I got faked out and it went to the world at large.
> I assume one or more of those named at Yaesu lurk on the list, and
> therefore my name is mud there, with who knows what effect on the
> servicing of my Mark 5....
> all I can say is that I didn't mean to blacken their names publicly.


Pete,

I wouldn't worry ... it seems that all of the places that still service
amateur equipment are in much the same boat.

I was in one of the large dealerships this past week and overheard someone
asking about service.  The were told "warranty service only" since the
dealer's chief technician had retired and the remaining technician could
only keep up with warranty work (translation: triage equipment for shipment
to the manufacturer <G>).

With Yaesu's backlog, I sent my original FT-1000 to an independent (factory
certified) shop for alignment eight weeks ago (I had delivered it) based
on their e-mail information that they were running a two week turnaround.
When I delivered the rig, I was told turnaround was four weeks.  After four
weeks, when I inquired about the status I and was told they had found a
problem (that caused no symptoms for me) and were troubleshooting it.  Just
yesterday, they answered my 10 day old e-mail status inquiry with the
information that the defective component had been isolated, a replacement
received and was ready for installation.  However, I still do not have a
date to pick up the rig.

Frankly, with the increasing complexity of the radios and the rapidly
declining number of technicians competent to do component level repair,
I'm afraid the situation will only get worse!

73,

   ... Joe, K4IK