Aircraft Spruce or RC Allen-Who's at Fault?

cathead

cathead

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cathead
I ordered a "new" not overhauled RC Allen model 22-11F horizon on 06/29/2015 from Aircraft Spruce. It is warranted for 1 year supposedly. This past Monday on a flight it started showing a turn in level flight. It had worked prior to this flight. I talked to Aircraft Spruce and they say it's not their problem. They say I must go through RC Allen even though Aircraft Spruce sold the item to me. RC Allen or now Kelly says I have to send it in. I'll be responsible for paying an A/P to take it out and reinstall it. I'll have to pay the shipping charges and miss my scheduled flight this Monday. They will not send me a new one to install when this one is taken out and then send the defective one back to them. I think Aircraft Spruce should stand behind what their selling and send me a new one then deal with RC Allen for making crappy stuff. Who's at fault here?
 
Man, that sucks. I would think that AS would hook you up with a new one ASAP and get you back in the air. They can deal with their vendor better than you can. But what do I know?
 
Amazon has us all spoiled. Fact is neither Aircraft Spruce nor RC Allen are, or ever will be anywhere near as big as Amazon. There is no way they can compete on that level in regards to returns especially in regards to a delicate instrument when there is no way to verify that it wasn't dropped by the shipper or the installer or that the vacuum system lines and filters were not replaced along with the installation and may have been contaminated. I don't think you're going to find an Amazon-like return policy on something like this anywhere.
 
I wouldn't expect AS to replace it unless it was DOA or damage was found at unpacking. Returning an item to the manufacturer for repair or replacement instead of the supplier is pretty normal.
 
Good customer service should not be an option just because you employ 55,000 people or 5. Great companies are great because they care about their customers. Big companies are big, and can absorb expensive returns. Small companies are usually more personal and will go above and beyond to win loyalty and remain in business. I owned a small business (sold it long ago) and sometimes the painfully expensive thing to do resulted in great dividends down the road. Of course, the times they are a-changin'.
 
AS Provides a return policy - 30 Days.
RC Allen Provides a Warranty - 1 year.

I don't see how this is any different than buying a product from anywhere. If your vacuum cleaner breaks 9 months after you buy it, you call hoover, not walmart.
 
I would think you would go to the manufacturer that provides the warranty.
 
Lachlan said:
Good customer service should not be an option just because you employ 55,000 people or 5. Great companies are great because they care about their customers. Big companies are big, and can absorb expensive returns. Small companies are usually more personal and will go above and beyond to win loyalty and remain in business. I owned a small business (sold it long ago) and sometimes the painfully expensive thing to do resulted in great dividends down the road. Of course, the times they are a-changin'.
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Good customer service doesn't imply that you should be covering downtime and supplying replacement parts/duplicate R&I costs. I do believe AS has no stake in this as they have no implied warranty past the 30 days from purchase date. RC Allen is the only vendor that should be involved, and they should do what they can to accommodate the warranty issue. If the turn-around time is low, then I don't see that much else other than covering shipping/receiving both ways is warranted. If the turn-around time is lengthy (more than a week or two), then perhaps they should consider sending a replacement unit.
 
SoonerAviator said:
Good customer service doesn't imply that you should be covering downtime and supplying replacement parts/duplicate R&I costs. I do believe AS has no stake in this as they have no implied warranty past the 30 days from purchase date. RC Allen is the only vendor that should be involved, and they should do what they can to accommodate the warranty issue. If the turn-around time is low, then I don't see that much else other than covering shipping/receiving both ways is warranted. If the turn-around time is lengthy (more than a week or two), then perhaps they should consider sending a replacement unit.
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I don't disagree with a single word. Good customer service doesn't mean much, any more, except to those that don't receive it. It used to be that people took pride in their workplace, their company, their role, and helping others. Now we feel happiest when we point out someone's mistake, or get the better of them, or make them look bad. Generalizations, to be sure, but based in truth. Pilots seem to be different, though. Angel Flight, Pilots & Paws... Ever have a hard time bumming a ride around the patch with another pilot? Aviators are a special breed who tend to be more open, accepting, and friendly. Aviation already makes a good buck for those who earn their living supplying expensive avionics, service, etc. Billionaires? Not many. Paupers? Hardly. When a box of plastic with a few silicon chips inside costs upwards of ten grand, well, someone is making money. $2000 to get it installed? Someone else made money. (Best Buy will install your car stereo for free, but that's probably not a good comparison, ha ha!) Knowing that pilots spend decent chunks of scratch on pieces and parts should produce great customer service by those who sell them, and I believe that it does. Now, whether or not AS should take the OP's part back is entirely up to them, but at avionics' prices these days, is helping out a customer who dropped the cash in the first place really such a big ask?
 
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