WatTyler said:
CT Power Tools ... say in their terms:
... Magic Flight vaporizers must be returned directly to CT POWER TOOLS for warranty repair or replacement at our sole discretion. ... Warranty does not cover abuse, wear, lost or stolen units.
Hi,
The basic scam here is that CT Power Tools is attempting to
substitute their own lessor version of a "warranty"
in place of the Magic Flight Warranty, while making it
seem as if they are the same. People who are expecting to get the high level of customer support associated with the Magic-Flight warranty are instead expected to deal with the CT Power Tool version. It is your classic 'bait and switch' tactic. There are a number of specific points to keep in mind about the above "terms":.
1) CT Power Tools is
not qualified and is
not equipped to properly evaluate the function of or "repair" a Launch Box. These are things that only we, as the manufacturer, could be expected to do properly, given our total knowledge of the product. With respect to our own warranty, CT Power Tools does *not* have the right to make the determination as to whether to attempt to make a repair or not. That is _our_ choice, as the manufacturer -- not that of any sales agency, store, distributor, or other middleman. We specifically request (our sales policy requires) that all of our national vendors forward all warranty support directly to our dedicated support system (BlissSville.com). This is not to make it easier for the vendors (although it does that also). This is specifically so that we can ensure that ALL customers can get direct, immediate, and knowledgeable support. Trying to coordinate such an effort through any number of distributors and vendors, each of which would have different levels of training, opinions, decisions, and different communication styles, would be a very frustrating customer experience. We like our customers -- we want everyone to treat them well. CT Power Tools, in our opinion, has not been treating their customers well -- this is in direct violation of our terms of business.
2) By their own declaration, CT Power Tools is requiring that all customers return the unit *prior* to any determination being made as to the disposition of the purchased unit. This means that any customer which is having a problem with the unit must bear the cost of mailing it to CT Power tools. This is inconvenient for the customer, particularly IF it happens that the problem is one of user technique. CT Power Tools is not qualified (and probably not willing) to communicate reasonably with the user and diagnose possible user technique issues and suggest immediate and helpful corrective actions -- these are things that could save both user considerable time and money. Furthermore, if it is determined via our own expert communication with the customer that the unit is itself at fault, our own warranty policy is to _minimize_down_time_ for the user. In contrast to their warranty, we will mail the replacement unit
without making the customer wait for us to receive the broken unit via the postal service. This saves the customer days or weeks of needless waiting.
3) The Magic-Flight Warranty is much stronger than the "CT Power Tool" version. In particular, Magic-Flight *does* cover units which are somehow "worn" to the point of non-functionality. While we do not cover deliberate intentional destruction, we *will* cover nearly everything else that other vendors would label "abuse" for the sake of evading the costs of warrantying their products. Magic-Flight loves that people are able to use our products and will do whatever we can to ensure that they continue to remain useful to our customers indefinately. Most vendors, in contrast, simply want to "make their money" and that is all -- no philosophy -- no love -- no interest in communication. For example, how much 'personality' do they have, when their posted replies to all queries is an attempt to end conversations, rather than to start them and keep them going, as we do?
In short, the CT Power Tools implements a bait and switch regarding the Magic-Flight warranty, philosophy of doing business, and overall customer experience. It detracts from the overall message we are trying to convey and undermines the trust that we have worked so hard to build. Their version of the warranty is cheaper and much more frustrating for the consumer. The purchase cost we set for the unit is designed to cover all warranty claims and ensure that the customer experience is a graceful one. CT Power Tools attempts to substitute a 'cheaper' look alike version of the warranty and pocket the difference in 'lowered support costs'. Like so many other (most) businesses, they have no regard for the consumer -- they only care about making the sale and minimizing all other expenses. It is sad.
In short, if you want the best possible customer experience, the newest products, newest versions, etc, we strongly recommend that you consult our own direct website (magic-flight.com) for sales, service, and support. If you love the Box and you love us as the maker of the Box, is it not best to show that support to us directly?
Finally, I should note that these comments are not about Ebay or Amazon in themselves -- they are a commentary and opinion about some of the businesses that operate *through* Ebay and Amazon. While we do not do any selling on either of these domains, we have made purchases there for some items in the past and have been very satisfied. It helps to do your research in advance and know who you are actually buying from.
-- Magic-Flight
Can anybody point me in the direction of a trustworthy site that sells the newer ones?
