Warning to all CTX users!

[BootyHunter]

Ok, so I bought my CTX brand new in July 2012. I love the detector, it's awesome, but Minelabs customer service is pathetic. Please read this entire post before you form an opinion. I know a few will agree and a few will disagree with me, but customer service is part of the equation in my future purchasing decisions and it probably is in others as well. So as I was saying bought the CTX new in 2012, I've always taken excellent care of it, it's never been submerged and I've followed all instructions that came with it. So a few months into owning the detector my charger for the battery/wm10 was defective and stopped working. I sent it into Minelab and they replaced it under warranty, ok no problem. Well a few months ago I noticed my CTX battery that used to show fully charged on the CTX indicator for days was now dropping to the 3/4 or 1/2 after just a few hours of use. Then I noticed that when charging the battery the flashing indicator on the charger would remain flashing even charging overnight, where it used to go to a steady led (fully charged indicator) after only 3 hours or so, so I decided to contact Minelab by email.
I explained the issue and received a reply stating that the battery was only warranted for 6 months. I then explained that I have been a loyal customer of Minelab having bought the Excalibur 2, Etrac, Ctx3030 and GPX 4800. I got no reply in 2 days. That's around $8000 worth of detectors and I had never had any battery issues with any of the other detectors. Besides the GPX the CTX was the most expensive detector I have ever purchased.
So I called Minelab customer service and spoke with Nadia, explained all the above and she simply kept telling me that the battery is only warranted for 6 months. I explained that the charger had been faulty and replaced by Minelab and offered the possibility that the battery was damaged by that faulty charger. She still insisted that the battery was only warranted for 6 months and that Minelab "couldn't just give away parts". GIVE AWAY?? I payed $2,500 for the detector and the battery didn't last 2 years, I don't think for $2,500 they would be "giving" me anything. When I pointed out that I understand why Minelab has a sorry customer service reputation and how I know what Garrett would do in a situation like this she put me on hold for several minutes then returned. She said they would be willing to "let" me send my battery and my charger in to them and they would test them both and IF the charger was found to be "faulty" then they would replace both the charger and the battery but if it were not found to be "faulty" they would return them both to me and I would have to purchase a new battery. All of the shipping at my cost. Well my hunting buddy got a CTX 2 months before I did and I've tried charging my battery with his charger and it does the same thing on his so I know it's not the charger so I am not going to waste my time and more money shipping it in and back when I know what the results will be.
A new CTX battery is $149, now yes I have spent thousands on Minelab detectors so undoubtedly some will say "whats another $149 bucks, whats the big deal?" Well
I didn't buy all those detectors at once, I sold the Etrac and the Excalibur to offset the cost of the CTX and the GPX along with some gold, so I am not made of money and those purchases were not made frivolously. Also at the price the CTX is I EXPECTED the battery to last more than a year and 8 months. High price SHOULD equal high quality, and a repeat loyal customer SHOULD mean something to a company, I know they could afford a $149 battery much more than I can and I'm sure it doesn't cost them $149 for the batteries in the first place. Someone who has invested over $8000 in equipment from them SHOULD be helped out I think. And the CTX has had known screen issues and leaking issues with the battery compartment gasket so my warning is this: Think long and hard before you submerge a $2500 machine after the warranty expires, because if it's 3 years and a day and you drown it, Nadia will repeatedly explain the terms of the warranty over the phone to you. I will NEVER EVER submerge this detector, before or after the warranty expires and I have real concerns about the screen, battery, and coil lasting much beyond the 3 year warranty period. I love my CTX but I don't know if I will be able to afford to keep it going after the warranty expires. I really feel let down by Minelab that they don't stand behind their equipment any more than they do. And only warranting the battery for 6 months when the rest of the machine is for 3 years they must have had doubts about the battery system to begin with. Years down the road (hopefully?) when the CTX must be replaced for something else I will remember this and look long and hard at all possible options for a new machine. Thanks for nothing MINELAB.

 

[goodmore]

You have been a loyal customer to Minelab. But the battery is a wear and tear item that has a six month warranty. I don't think Minelab is being that unreasonable. Why not get yourself some rechargeable AA's and use the other battery holder? By the way it may be a 2500.00 detector, but I didn't come close to actually spending that amount. More like 1700.00. I agree on the submerging part. If it isn't under warranty I would not do it. Face it. Your a Minelab guy. No other detector is going to satisfy you. So pony up the money for a new battery or go the rechargeable route or continue to use the one you have until it runs out of power during a hunt.

By the way I put a new dimmer switch in my Mazda one time. Two months later they went on recall. I wanted my money back. Mazda said no. I told them I would never buy another Mazda. They said "We don't care" . My wife has a Subaru now.

 

[thE-TRACker]

Like you said ,"the 30/30 is an awsome machine.". You had a battery problem, it happens. Everytime I buy a new car or truck it seems the battery always needs to be replaced after a couple years. Enjoy your machine, and don't be afraid to submerge it ! That is the beauty of this detector. Have fun and go get more of that gold !

 

[deep-digger-dan]

Being the only person who actually paid full retail for that machine you deserve it. I don't know a single person who pays what the company advertises. Sorry but if you had shopped around you would have saved hundreds and then had enough leftover to buy the battery you need. Bummer.
Coe on get in!

 

[BootyHunter]

Being the only person who actually paid full retail for that machine you deserve it. I don't know a single person who pays what the company advertises. Sorry but if you had shopped around you would have saved hundreds and then had enough leftover to buy the battery you need. Bummer.
Coe on get in!

Yeah I didn't get the basic model or whatever they called it, I got the one with the wireless headphone module. So I deserve to have a faulty battery? Whatever, I'm sure you will "deserve" whatever happens to your machine down the road too. I did shop around thank you. At the time I got the machine I got the most competitive price available for it I assure you.

 

[LI Tom]

The point he is making is that the defective charger could well have KO"d his battery and Minelab should of done the smart thing and replaced it as Whites and Garrett most likely had done.It"s asinine to bring up that he paid retail,how does that matter.I've used many brands and yes for the last 7 years I used a Minelab because they work best,but after so many stories of Minelab post sale horror stories compared to other brands,if another maker comes close to the Minelab machines,they will get my business.

 

[deep-digger-dan]

The point I'm making along with another member is you are actually whining and not being truthful. As soon as the ctx was released the reputable dealers were selling the wireless package for a few dollars over $2,000. I don't know asingle person who paid more than $2,100 for some great packages. A warranty is a warranty. Batteries are fickle and yours lasted two years or so.
Use some clad that your $2,400 machine is funding and buy a battery. Better yet, go to the drug store and pick up 8 AA batteries and go hunting. I get tired of people exaggerating stories about how bad minelab is.
Sorry,
Just remember this.......
You have to get out, before you can get in! COME ON, GET IN

 

[coondog]

Sorry to hear of your experience with customer service. I think a deeply discounted battery was in order. At 149.00 for a battery I would think there is some wiggle room.

I personally don't think when my battery goes out that I could pay that kind of money for a new one. I would probably go the rechargeable AA route.

I don't think anyone in this sport wants to give up all there finds value just to maintain there machine. What's the point of going out if you can't come out a little ahead at the end of the season.

149.00 for a battery? That's a serious profit margin right there! Feeling your pain booty hunter! Your frustration is justified.

Makes you want to uke:

 

[BootyHunter]

The point I'm making along with another member is you are actually whining and not being truthful. As soon as the ctx was released the reputable dealers were selling the wireless package for a few dollars over $2,000. I don't know asingle person who paid more than $2,100 for some great packages. A warranty is a warranty. Batteries are fickle and yours lasted two years or so.
Use some clad that your $2,400 machine is funding and buy a battery. Better yet, go to the drug store and pick up 8 AA batteries and go hunting. I get tired of people exaggerating stories about how bad minelab is.
Sorry,
Just remember this.......
You have to get out, before you can get in! COME ON, GET IN

So you are calling me a liar?? You don't know what I payed for my detector. Call it whining if you like, I got a sub par battery on a hella expensive machine is what it is and is an indication of the treatment you, I and everyone else will receive when things go wrong with this detector out of warranty, fanboy. This is no exaggeration Minelab is this bad. Read over the forums, look at all the leaking issues, burned out screen pixels and so on. This is not the only battery issue either. The CTX is an awesome detector, I believe that, but it has some inherent faults that will prove to be super costly when the warranty runs out.

 

[nolanation]

It's hard to compare customer service with products. Yes Garrett and White's have better customer service, but guess what, they have inferior detectors as well. Minelab knows they have the advantage as of right now, and they can afford to be less cooperative with their customer service. We can threaten Minelab all we want, but we all know they make the best detectors overall, and it will not bother them. Minelabs do the job, and they do it well. Once we find $2k worth of goods, guess what, we have a FREE detector. This hobby pays for itself, and the CTX is the best chance to make that happen quickly. They have to stick to their guns with warranties because once they start using the "Just this one time" process, and they will get phone calls looking for handouts every minute. It sucks your battery has died so quick but there WILL be or already has been someone who has had their battery for only 6 months, and it has died on them. They will get the same response from Nadia. She is just doing her job. We all know what the CTX is capable of, and personally, mines not going anywhere. Minelab knows that.

 

[pettit]

Never had any prob with my tesoro warranty one of the best sent it in back in a week all fixed to bad they cant hang with minelab the deleon is my etrack back upbeen watching the ctx fourm was thinking on geting one still on the fence

 

[BootyHunter]

Never had any prob with my tesoro warranty one of the best sent it in back in a week all fixed to bad they cant hang with minelab the deleon is my etrack back upbeen watching the ctx fourm was thinking on geting one still on the fence

The CTX is a great detector, that said don't believe for a second that it's waterproof, they have known leaking issues and the rechargeable battery is only warranted for 6 months and obviously there are battery and charger issues. I wouldn't say not to buy one, because again, it's an awesome detector and will find the goods in the trash and iron. BUT it's a expensive gamble past the 3 year warranty and if your battery craps out after 6 months well that's $149 right there. But apparently some folks can get a new CTX for less than what a new Etrac cost 2 years ago lol, so maybe check with the "fan club" and they can get you that deal. Good luck to you.

 

[electricmetal21]

Even if you aren't paying full price for a CTX 3030, it's still a very expensive machine. And, one of the most expensive machines on the market.

And, if you pay for a Cadillac, you should be getting Cadillac quality. It's as simple as that!!

One of the posts above said he didn't know a single person who paid more that $2100.00 for a CTX. I don't believe that. Used maybe. But brand new? I don't think so. If someone knows where you can get a CTX brand new and unused in a package with some other goodies that cheap they should share the info with the rest of us.

I'm wondering how many people posting here under this topic are Minelab dealers??

 

[Sir Digs A Lot]

Don't believe for a second? What?
My CTX has been in the water for hours & hours. Most of the the time fully submerged. Taking great care to clean the battery gasket is all it takes.

Minelab has been awesome to me. Replacing my headset with very little hassle. Next my wireless module started having issues. One call to Nadia and I had another module in the mail.

Sorry that you are having difficulty with minelab and the CTX.

 

[firefighter254]

I sold my ctx 3030 because i like so many others sees whats comeing a very costly repair once the warranty runs out and look at all the issues i know multiple ctx 3030 users who have had the screen problems wm10 problems battery issues pinpoint problems water proof issues if minelab loves there machines so much why not a warranty on all parts and have a fixed rate on repairs and for all the people who say bootyhunter is whining ALL OF YOU WILL BE WHINING ONCE THE WARRANTY RUNS OUT....the ctx 3030 should be recalled minelab rushed it

 

[Shayne]

Lots of complaining here on both sides, but NO one offering to help out or point BootyHunter to a vendor that can at least offer him a deal on a new battery. There have to be tons of used batteries out there that belonged to machines that no longer exist; as I am rather confident that not every CTX unit ever sold is still in operation. It's easy to say go buy some AA batteries - rechargeable or otherwise - and forget about the faulty Lithium-ion Battery Pack. That still does not resolve the issue. Last time I checked, we are a community and we should take care of one another.

I have two CTX3030's, the first one I paid FULL PRICE for when they first came out - yes, full price. That detector had a leak issue, had a screen issue and the Lithium-ion charger base also failed; all issues were repaired through warranty by Minelab, but it took three (3) trips back to the manufacturer. That detector is so undependable, that a year ago I bought a new CTX3030 as a backup. As I type this message, the new CTX is functioning perfectly, never a problem, but the original one has yet another screen isssue. Bottom line, I am now using the first CTX for spare parts!

In today's unstable global economy - with all of the crap that is happening all over the world - if all we have to complain about is our metal detector warranties, than we should step back and reassess whats important. So - BootyHunter - I will mail you a used but perfectly functioning Lithium-ion CTX battery to replace your faulty one for FREE - including shipping. Just PM me your name and address and I'll get it in the mail this week. Be patient, I am a military officer assigned to Japan, so it may take a week or two to make its way back to the US. Problem solved!

 

[GKMan]

If you search this forum you will find that there has been a large amount of people reporting that Minelab service did a great job for them, I know they have by me. I am sorry they wouldn't bend the rules you agreed to when you purchased the machine. But, if they had and you reported it on here, the next thing you know a whole lot of others may try to take advantage of their leniency....

On the other hand , like someone mentioned earlier, if the failure of one part (the charger) caused the failure of another (the battery) they should consider that in coming to a solution for you that may mean replacing the battery outside of warranty...

 

[BootyHunter]

Lots of complaining here on both sides, but NO one offering to help out or point BootyHunter to a vendor that can at least offer him a deal on a new battery. There have to be tons of used batteries out there that belonged to machines that no longer exist; as I am rather confident that not every CTX unit ever sold is still in operation. It's easy to say go buy some AA batteries - rechargeable or otherwise - and forget about the faulty Lithium-ion Battery Pack. That still does not resolve the issue. Last time I checked, we are a community and we should take care of one another.

I have two CTX3030's, the first one I paid FULL PRICE for when they first came out - yes, full price. That detector had a leak issue, had a screen issue and the Lithium-ion charger base also failed; all issues were repaired through warranty by Minelab, but it took three (3) trips back to the manufacturer. That detector is so undependable, that a year ago I bought a new CTX3030 as a backup. As I type this message, the new CTX is functioning perfectly, never a problem, but the original one has yet another screen isssue. Bottom line, I am now using the first CTX for spare parts!

In today's unstable global economy - with all of the crap that is happening all over the world - if all we have to complain about is our metal detector warranties, than we should step back and reassess whats important. So - BootyHunter - I will mail you a used but perfectly functioning Lithium-ion CTX battery to replace your faulty one for FREE - including shipping. Just PM me your name and address and I'll get it in the mail this week. Be patient, I am a military officer assigned to Japan, so it may take a week or two to make its way back to the US. Problem solved!

As an officer in a career fire department that I have worked for the last 22 years and the father of 2 boys let me assure you that I have much more to worry about than how a warranty is handled. But I post on metal detecting forums to talk about metal detectors and metal detecting, not world politics or personal problems. Thanks for the very generous offer but you do not owe me a thing and I would not feel right taking your battery, and you should probably hang on to it as you will probably need it.
My point was and is if this is the way Minelab chooses to handle this when it is clear they have issues with the chargers and mine I particular, then when the machine warranty expires and it leaks we are gonna have to dig deep in the wallet to get the machine fixed. As someone said when you pay Cadillac prices you expect Cadillac quality, not Chevette parts on the Cadillac.

 

[Shayne]

Not calling you out, just trying to help resolve the issue by offering you a free battery. We all know that the CTX has its issues in terms of overall quality and dependability. We also agree that there isn't another machine out there that can do what the CTX does. The CTX is approaching 3 years in service and a number of early model buyers will likely share your sentiments sooner or later. That said, no commercial company can afford to warranty their products and/or product sub-components for life. Offer stands - if you want the battery, you know where to find me. HH - Shayne

 

[CT Todd]

Gezz guys, Out of Warranty, Sorry, $150 solves it or get some battery's. All the top units are up in this price range.I Paid $1850 with all the toys. Nobody pays the same price for the same Car or Truck why surprised. If you think the CTX is so awfully expensive then you most likely spent way beyond your means. Almost everything we find is 0 to 6" down and can be found with an Ace 250 for $215. You have a battery issue, they are the week point of every unit out there.
Get rid of it before the next issue that you think is coming. Really is starting to sound like whining.