Questions for Fisher Customer Service

[Streak!]

its important you make that distinction. AND...as Bill ponted out, while the coils may plug in and work......they are NOT sanctiond by FT.
FT owns the Bountyhunter, Teknetics and Fisher label.....and from what I've seen the past couple of years, thats NOT a bad thing.
The T2 was essentially a Bountyhunter (Teknetics).....and it took the detecting world by storm. A LOT of guys love it and still use it with great sucess. The T2 was also the inspiration for one of the best machines on the market today....the F75.
I can remember when Bounty hunter made THEE machines to use. (And I bet Mr. Bill does too) Admittedly...that was some time ago, but they were for a long time a force to be reckoned with in the detecting world. Now they are back BIG TIME!
I think the reason they got a bad rap over the years was because they made lots of entry level machines that cound be found in Retail outlets like Wallyworld. In that respect they provided a very valuable niche in the market.....and a LOT of todays hunters cut their teeth on a BH. A lot of then actually work very well for the BUX, and I'll be the LAST to put ANYONE down for using one. I bet a lot of guys dont post at sites like this, because they are afraid of being ridiculed for what they use. Did you know BH is the best selling brand of detector in the WORLD???

Another thing you have to conisder is the quality of the engineers at FT..that are responsible for the latest innovations from them. Dave Johnson, John Gardner and Jorge Saad are some of the best engineers on the planet...and have been instrumental in the development of some of the best machines of all time. (And are still hard at it).
I think before you outright dismiss Bountyhunter............you should take a little better look at them, and the folks behind the name. Not every machine can be "top of the line". Each has it own purpose and niche in our hobby. I hope you'll reconsider you opinion. Respectfully, Streak!

 

[oneton]

I guess everyone has their own opinon,but its not hard to figure out.

 

[Anonymous]

Hello LaBeep,
I sent you a PM yesterday and if you have any questions or concerns please contact me.
Thanks,
Kellyco Chick

 

[LaBeep]

Kellyco Chick I did not receive your PM. This issue is resolved. Kinda. It took many months and a lot of telephone calls, emails, PM's, and Public posting to get it resolved. I save most of the chat logs, emails, pm's, and recorded phone calls, but I am not going to make them public never (the people I talked too and I know the truth). Now the only problem is since Bobbi called me a lier -1. if Fisher records their customer service reps then Bobbi needs to go back and review Felix's calls and 2. If Kellyoco records there phone calls to customer service the customer service manager needs to review theirs. Enough said. Now I even exchanged pm's with you Kellyco and how quick you forget but that another story. I have spent several thousand dollars at Kellyco and know who to talk with to get things done. The CZ5 was bought at Kellyco and I can only tell you what I was told that a phone call was made to Fisher and Kellyco could not get the part for me. Kellyco did go out of their way for me so I really do not have a problem with Kellyco. So if this is what your PM was about it out in the open now. I was going to live this topic along because I got the part coming but something need to be called out for what they are. I guess I will call Stu and suggest that you start saving you PM's for the company records.

 

[Anonymous]

Hello LaBeep,
I just send you a reply through PM. If you need anything please contact me.
Thanks,
Kellyco Chick

 

[chuck ky]

ford is losing millions because of a unmoral stand that they took supporting a unnatural lifestyle.

 

[jim tn]

n/t

 

[Fisher Customer Service]

If only it were that simple.
Such a database would be amazing, but I'm not sure if it would be made public. Also, some suppliers are no longer in business, and some suppliers have also made parts obsolete. However, I do know how to get the information for suppliers, but it's a matter of whether they're willing to sell one small part or not. A lot of the suppliers will only sell in bulk, which becomes an issue. If we stock parts for something we don't get many requests for, then it's collecting dust and the larger decision is to discontinue that item. That's how the suppliers work as well. It is Fisher's duty to support our products and stand behind our customers and tend to their needs, but we cannot resurrect for all when our options are limited as well. This does not make it concrete that we will not attempt to figure something out. There is more behind the manufacturing than us just having everything available for all eternity. If we're going to get metaphorical or use examples, then if the fountain of youth were a true thing that everyone had access to, procreation would be unnecessary, and we'd be far more overpopulated on this earth we call home. If Ford has everything available, then keep in mind that restoring older vehicles is also a huge money making trade. However, can you truly say that all those parts and items needed to restore your old Ford are actually straight from Ford? They have suppliers as well. I know a VW is no Ford, but I'm an avid VW fan. When I was restoring my '63 bug, I had to go out to all lengths just to find what I was looking for. VW had a lot of what I was looking for, but they don't have originals like a new deck lid. You get stuck with mod kits and look-a-likes. So it became a project and converted into a rat rod. Just had to work with what I had and scour through junk yards and other avid VW shops (not VW direct) with luck in a jar. This is totally way off Fisher advice, so I'll just say that if there is ever an issue with acquiring what you need, Fisher will do its best to find it, but like I said, our options are limited sometimes as well. I apologize if ever you get an answer you're not looking for, but we do still have some gentleman on the team that are familiar with the older products, and we do have gentleman that may have suggestions for possible replacements or possible suggestions. Just give me a call or an email direct service@fisherlab.com. For what it's worth, I'm behind you guys.

 

[BarnacleBill]

http://www.nesda.com/consumers/parts.html

And now a little reality check, in order to meet the laws with the longest requirement periods, manufacturers must continue to stock those parts for a minimum of 7 years. Don't let anybody blow sunshine up your skirt and tell you that we're all going to hold hands and walk merrily into the future, and just you never mind about those old detectors 'cause we can't get the parts any more. That's pure BS and against the laws in several states.

I can guarantee you that there are Schematics, Gerber files, Mechanical Drawings, and Bills of Material with an enumeration of every last part and it's cost for those older Fisher detectors. You can take any detector, and with the exception of the software in the microprocessors or DSPs, send that detector to China. They will completely reverse engineer it and send you an exact copy in about 6 months time, right down to custom LCD's, control panel etc. They have become very proficient at copying even sophisticated electronics. So for FT to make the claim "those parts are no longer made" is baloney. More like, we don't want to pay for the tooling because there's very little upside in it. But the law is the law!

HH
BarnacleBill

 

[LaBeep]

Fisher Customer Service
Fisher for many years carried a LIFETIME warranty on many models, so it will have to "be that simple" as long as Fisher is in business, Sorry it may cost you more but it comes down to a company living up to their word or not. You want hard earned money then you will have to deliver the goods and services that a "TOP OF THE LINE" manufacturer should.
So in my book the quotes below just don't cut it. Remember LIFETIME warranty does not stop when you run out of parts.

"If only it were that simple"
"If we stock parts for something we don't get many requests for, then it's collecting dust and the larger decision is to discontinue that item"
"There is more behind the manufacturing than us just having everything available for all eternity."

BarnacleBill,
At least one state states:

New Hampshire:
For goods valued at over $100, parts and service info for the period of time covered by the warranty.

Fisher had LIFETIME warranties on several detectors as I stated before. All the CZ series. All the X series. So is carrying parts realy the issue? I was getting the feeling that it came down to two separate issues.

One That was the old Fisher and First Texas don't want anything to do with them. (They must have known that they pick up the good and the bad when buying a company out.)

Two so just buy a new one from us because we will do every thing in our power to make you unhappy to keep you from fixing your old detector. (This really got to change.)

 

[Fisher Customer Service]

OK. Point made. Very nice. Let me reiterate then. Lifetime is lifetime. Not all CZ models had lifetime warranty, neither did all X series.

I'll let you in on this, when something is unavailable, it could also mean that the part is not for sale simply because it is strictly for repair for those older units. If we have something in-house that has been discontinued for regular sale, then it will be announced as discontinued as well, but it is left available to our repair centers and our local repair team. Is this "fair" or does it make much sense? I guess not. But this is not something I can change, because I do not make these decisions.

As for the "Parts Availability Laws by State," show me exactly where Fisher falls into that. We are located in Texas, and your point does not show that any of it constitutes anything for us. Now I'm sort of at odds as to what is being suggested. First Texas is fully aware of the "pros and cons" that came with purchasing Fisher, but the customers need to be aware of change as well. It's sort of similar to a contracted job. Once one contract expires, the employees need to worry whether or not they will still have a job with a possibly new contractor or if they'll be replaced by new employees and be out of a job. Everyone has to accommodate for something. I don't mean to sound crude or like I'm not showing any reserve for any remarks or suggestions, but it is completely absurd to pin such accusations like "make you unhappy" simply because there has been change. No one is being left down and out with their products. It's simply a matter of questions and answers. "If only it were that simple" was in regard to having a database available with all supplier information, not a general answer to all the ruckus about obsolete parts. I very rarely turn a customer away. I take my job seriously, therefore, I try to find every outlet possible to acquire what's needed and meet satisfactory needs.