Thanks Ranger for help fixing my Humminbird

[DoorCo]

Thanks to the Ranger warranty department for helping to fix my Humminbird 1197C issue. Boat and Humminbird unit will be 2 years old in July. Called Humminbird and they were of no help. Their customer service did little except tell me to restore defaults on unit. When this didn't work they told me to send unit in and it was going to cost me $375 just to have them look at the unit since it was out of warranty (1 year).

Ranger installed the unit and transducers when I ordered the boat. When I called them they told me it sounded like a transducer and to replace one of the transducers. They sent me a transducer no charge. This fixed my problem and now good to go. Thanks Ranger. Excellant customer service.

Humminbird. I'm disappointed. I expected more when I spend $2,500 on your products.

[ranger1850]

I agree, I would be upset it I only shelled out $500. I am only asking since I cant remember, isnt your Ranger boat, trailer and all on boat etc, covered by their 3 year warranty?

[DoorCo]

Yes your correct. Ranger covers 3 years on boat and accessories if they install them. This is a good example of where paying the slight premium to have them install is worth it. I could have taken the boat back to the dealer and they would have installed the new transducer. But I live a ways away and decided to do install myself.

I was still surprised by Humminbirds lack of help and the high fee they wanted to look into issue further.

[solangler]

Makes one wonder how many others have wasted hard earned cash when it could have been resolved over the phone.

[reddog]

I think some more diagnostics on the users end, may have helped also. The more things you can eliminate customer support from having to do, helps immensely..

If it were me and my unit, I wouldve take the unit off my boat, and found someone elses boat to try it on. That accomplishes a couple things.. it eliminates the electrical system of your boat, and it also puts the unit on a different transducer, which wouldve told you what the problem was.

There is the Humminbird Select warranty that you can register for, which extends your warranty to 2 years also. Everyone that has their unit registered with Humminbird, got an email at least a year ago, offering this extended protection. Even if your warranty was out of date, like mine, you still should sign up, because it entitles you to a CS hotline for Select users..

Any Humminbird rigged from Ranger or Skeeter, carries a 3 year warranty, I believe.. you just have to go thru the proper channels..

Im not saying DoorCo doesnt have a complaint and could have been treated better by Humminbird..

There are literally hundreds of CS issues that do get hashed thru on message boards across the www..

This saves CS alot of time, having their customers help others who are in distress, or dont know all the ins and out of their particular unit.

But then again, there are people on the www that call CS and ask questions like.. I seen on a message board that you cant do this or that with this unit... is that true? This clogs up the CS line also, when the caller doesnt have a problem, but just wants verification of something he seen or heard.,..

And no, I dont work for Hmminbird..

[Buck Snort]

Originally Posted by DoorCo

Humminbird. I'm disappointed. I expected more when I spend $2,500 on your products.

Then don't buy a Lowrance. You'll be very underwhelmed.

[K Gonefishin]

Originally Posted by Buck Snort

Then don't buy a Lowrance. You'll be very underwhelmed.

Sounds like he underwhelmed is by his 1 year warranty, weird.

[Cooldawg]

I had almost the exact same experience with Lowrance on brand new Ranger boat. My HDS-10 was power cycling itself when the GPS tracking system was active-so dealer or rigger wouldn't have observed problem when rig was inside/ GPS not tracking.

When I called Lowrance the customer service was nearly hostile. My blood pressure was through the roof. They wanted me to upgrade software, send in for repair, etc... I as politely as I could, informed her that I didn't pay for a "reconditioned unit," and that I'd like to have navigation to use my brand new $60+k boat in sooner than 10-15 business days.

My dealer contacted Ranger (who rigged the electronics), and I got an email from Lowrance about 1.5hrs later. Even asked if they needed to expedite for next day arrival. I wouldn't expect any less for a brand new boat, but still,,, kudos to Ranger.