matthend said:
... They are a small company and are working as quickly as they possibly can to meet demand of a growing customer base.
Hi Matthend,
Thanks for understanding! Our overall intent is to have others 'breath easier' because of what we do, hence the warranty process. We genuinely want people to have working units wherever possible -- a notion consistent with the idea of 'that which enables choice'.
Since mention of our process has come up a lot of late, I figure it may be helpful for me to describe how it works in general so that people can have a better idea of what to expect, if there is ever a need to contact us. All of our warranty requests are processed via the CustomerService@magic-flight.com email (the web form provided on our website for that purpose sends to that address). Currently we do
not have a call center (we are not a large corporation) and the one phone that we do use is mostly for outgoing calls -- hence we are not really able to easily receive/answer warranty requests by phone. What messages we do get are processed in the order they are received (first in, first out).
We do attempt to at least respond to all incoming messages within one business day (Monday thru Friday). Sometimes this is not always possible as things can get especially busy around here (phases of the moon perhaps). Even though we are occasionally unable to respond to all incoming messages as quickly as we would like, we do have a very firm commitment to respond to everyone within 48 working hours at the very latest. This is to at least let you know that we have received your request and have made at least an attempt at determining next steps. While we will
sometimes work late into the night and even through some weekends to generate replies,
we ask that you do not expect a response from us during weekends or holidays, even if you happen to receive (or hear of someone receiving) such a reply from us on occasion (we are a small crew that happens to believe in sane working conditions and "having a life").
Since each warranty message is different, and reflecting of a unique situation, there is sometimes a need for a diagnosis period. Since there are a number of distinct things that can be meant by the general description "not working", we sometimes need to ask additional questions so that we can at least take a guess as to the root cause. This is for *your* benefit, even if it adds time to the warranty processing. For example, consider what happens if we issue the wrong item even at your request -- for example, sending a unit when a replacement battery or charger is what is actually required -- it does not actually help anyone. In many cases, people may describe something as "not working" may be due to side effects of the usage technique, or perhaps even because of misplaced hope that the Box will do something completely outside of its range of function (eg, "be usable with a lighter"). The good news in such educational situations is that since
the results of an improved practice are immediately available, there no waiting for something to be sent through the mail!
In an effort to make things easier, we strongly recommend and request that people be
as clear and complete as possible in any warranty message. When sending us an email,
you are our eyes and ears -- we need you to actually tell us and provide clear details of what you have observed and what diagnostic tests you have done yourself. Unfortunately, people often forget to tell us something important (which is perfectly obvious to them, but not to us) leading to a lot of unnecessary delays and confusion in warranty processing. Occasionally, we may need you to perform some specific tests on the unit on our behalf so that we can better understand what is the best 'next step' towards getting it fixed. For this to really work as it should, we need your patience and open mindedness.
For a number of reasons, we also usually need some clear and up close photographs of the unit, particularly showing the damaged area (if there is one) and the serial number on the back. Usually, we request that these be attached to a reply email (if they have not already been sent). Any email sent to us must naturally include the serial number of the unit in question (Box or PA) and a postal shipping address. You would be surprised at how many people forget to include this vital and necessary information, or even any description of their observations/diagnosis at all, necessitating us to reply asking for these details.
If a message is particularly unclear or we notice some ambiguity that needs clarification, we may also request a phone number where you can be reached (timezone is good to know too). If there is a possibility that the mutual schedule/timing can work out *and* it is believed that it may be helpful, we may initiate a call to the number you gave us. The only reason we might call is to more quickly resolve what warranty support is actually best and most helpful. We would like everyone to become "expert" in the Art of a Good Launch and so therefore, with your permission, we generally like to offer usage tips and suggestions that may be helpful to your specific needs.
For fastest warranty processing, it is best that all of the important info be included with as clear and complete a description as possible, as early on as possible. This will minimize the diagnosis time, which in particularly complex cases can take many days (and a number of communications) to resolve correctly. Given that there is also sometimes a backlog of things to ship out -- that can add some days of delay as well -- and then add to that the postal delivery time, we ask that people have a reasonable expectation that it might take as long as two weeks for a warranty request to be fully completed with satisfaction. If you live in another country, shipping of a warranty unit can take significantly longer, due to customs processing delays (we have no control over that). Therefore, it is very important that people have patience with our process (be polite!) so that we mutually have the best chance of getting it right on the first try.
-- Magic-Flight
