Beware - Multimaster warranty

H

Holzhacker

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Joined
Mar 31, 2009
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1,192
As background, sometime during the middle of July my multimaster broke. I was notching 5/4 cedar around 6x6 posts. All of a sudden the blade stopped moving, motor still running. Clearly, the drive gear in the head broke. At the end of July I dropped the tool off for repair. And yes, I've been dealing with this since then and finally got sort of answers today.
According to the Fein repair center they won't fix it because it is out of 1 year warranty by 2 weeks. They don't care that it broke one to 2 weeks prior to that and may have still been under warranty. I can't prove exactly which day of the month it broke. However, and this is why I am posting this, besides a little rant, the Fein rep says they also WILL NOT cover the tool under the 3 year warranty because i did not register the tool online, even though I have the original dated purchase receipt.
I don't generally register anything because history has shown, as soon as I register something I get all kinds of spam email and junk mail.
So for those of you who also don't register, if its a Fein go through the hassle.
I have to do some research but am gearing up for a fight if they refuse to fix under warranty. They'll of course fix the tool for $343.00; that's more than the cost of a new purchase.
It gets even more ridiculous ... they tried giving me back the wrong un-repaired tool; and they completed disassembled the tool into dozens of pieces because of a broken drive gear; and according to the Fein rep they return all un-repaired tools in pieces regardless of what condition they arrived in.
So beware with Fein...
Once again, THANKS Festool for great tool and warranty service.
 
Shame on Fein!

Okay, so you should have registered the tool and you were just a tiny dash out of the warranty period but what a marketing own goal - they have done quite a bit of damage to their reputation....or have they? How many potential Fein buyers are reading this? Maybe Fein realise this and just don't care.

I have read a number of posts in the (relatively) short time that I have been a FOG member where Festool USA have bent the rules and allowed late warranty claims. I am sure that Festool UK would do the same. We all believe that Festool would not let us down.

Fein's mistake will do them no good but the pressure is on others never to let their customers down.

Peter
 
Holzhacker said:
As background, sometime during the middle of July my multimaster broke. I was notching 5/4 cedar around 6x6 posts. All of a sudden the blade stopped moving, motor still running. Clearly, the drive gear in the head broke. At the end of July I dropped the tool off for repair. And yes, I've been dealing with this since then and finally got sort of answers today.
According to the Fein repair center they won't fix it because it is out of 1 year warranty by 2 weeks. They don't care that it broke one to 2 weeks prior to that and may have still been under warranty. I can't prove exactly which day of the month it broke. However, and this is why I am posting this, besides a little rant, the Fein rep says they also WILL NOT cover the tool under the 3 year warranty because i did not register the tool online, even though I have the original dated purchase receipt.
I don't generally register anything because history has shown, as soon as I register something I get all kinds of spam email and junk mail.
So for those of you who also don't register, if its a Fein go through the hassle.
I have to do some research but am gearing up for a fight if they refuse to fix under warranty. They'll of course fix the tool for $343.00; that's more than the cost of a new purchase.
It gets even more ridiculous ... they tried giving me back the wrong un-repaired tool; and they completed disassembled the tool into dozens of pieces because of a broken drive gear; and according to the Fein rep they return all un-repaired tools in pieces regardless of what condition they arrived in.
So beware with Fein...
Once again, THANKS Festool for great tool and warranty service.
Click to expand...

Hi I am not trying to defend rubish service but all tool repairers will return unrepaired tools in pieces.they have to why it was taken apart at all is odd if it was out of warrantee
 
1st i have never received spam because i registered a tool.
if the tools was broken and sent in for repair (or rang in ect) then it should be done under warrenty.

i know its frustraiting that it was 2 weeks over the warrenty but if they start letiing people go over it then the 1 year is pointless. but they should show some loyalty and leway .
i sent in my dewalt 625 router  for repair(the whole collet casting flew off  while doing a cut) the router was a month or 2 out of warranty but they fixed it free of charge and gave me a new collet and nut.

i would ring up and complain  and say that the replacment one wont be one of theirs.
 
Took a bit of prodding but Bosch recently sent out a sealed switch to replace the one that stopped working on my well out of warranty (at least 3 years) router.  Was happy with their customer service.  Sorry you aren't having better luck but maybe a few examples of competitors going beyond will help wake them up.
 
yep guess its all about the product. Just had a real good experience with my $900 Onkyo amp where the output hdmi sound board failed. Unit was 2 1/2 yrs old but warranty is for 2 yrs only. Did some internet research and found that this particular board has failed 100's of times but Onkyo did not put out any recalls. So after many calls and nice kinda conversations finally got the board replaced for free on a one time out of warranty repair, thankyou Onkyo. Sucks for your fein maybe worth call fein direct and explain.

Lambeater
 
I like reading stories like this. It reminds me why every new tool that I buy or recommend is Festool. At first it seems hard to drop $500 for a drill, but when you hear how the competition is treating customers, then its not hard at all.

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk 2
 
Don't know if anything like this exists in the US, but here in the EU warranty is just a no questions asked repair oblication for the manufacturer and after that they still retain responsibility of repair or compensation if a product fails long before it's expected usage life.

Some companies try to get away with the not under warranty claim and hope the customer doesn't know their right and escalate the case to the consumer protection authorities.
 
One if you think you will receive spam etc  then just make an email address for this kind of thing I have! It's my spam email I give to people/companies who require an email but I don't want them to have my main one.

companies have to send the tools back in bits festool do it awell.  It's because of health and safety they can't send a broken tool you might try and use after they have messed around with it!  So they leave it in bits.  Very annoying.

Jmb
 
jmbfestool said:
One if you think you will receive spam etc  then just make an email address for this kind of thing I have! It's my spam email I give to people/companies who require an email but I don't want them to have my main one.

...............

Jmb
Click to expand...
No wonder you did not reply - I thought that I had upset you!

Peter
 
Reiska said:
Don't know if anything like this exists in the US, but here in the EU warranty is just a no questions asked repair oblication for the manufacturer and after that they still retain responsibility of repair or compensation if a product fails long before it's expected usage life.

Some companies try to get away with the not under warranty claim and hope the customer doesn't know their right and escalate the case to the consumer protection authorities.
Click to expand...

Hmmm  interesting point. Perhaps that's one of the reasons stuff is generally less expensive in the US.

 
Unscrupulous repair facilities will take apart the object that was left with them and give it back as a "basket case", essentially parts in a box. It's an old trick to try to force you to pay them to get it working.

A certain transmission repair chain that started in Houston would offer "free" analyses. They would ask that you leave the car and they'd take you home or to work. At the end of the day, you come by to get the results of the analysis. They have your car on the lift with no trans'. They role out a metal cart with a completely disassembled ruined trans' (not yours). They then tell you a bunch of nonsense about what they will do to fix it and the astronomical sum associated.

If you don't want to pay, they put the parts in the trunk and tell you to get the car out of there. If you are willing to pay, when you are gone, they go get your trans' and do the minimal thing to get it working again, reinstall it and charge you for a complete overhaul including the price of all the parts. That is, including the parts they didn't use...

Unfortunately, that sort of thing is not uncommon.

Tom
 
I haven't had many tools repaired over the last 3 decades. I mostly just buy a new one instead. However, I have had some stuff repaired and other stuff estimated for repair. I've never had an un-repaired tool returned to me in a box full of pieces. I would think that would be illegal considering the service provider is giving your property back in worse condition than it was received in.
Imagine if you went to fix someones door and took the jamb out, just to be sure it was Ok.
I think its a racket to milk the jobs. Considering new is $200 and repair is $343, one has to wonder.
As an update, the Fein service center repair guy called me today. Per him:
Fein told him he could repair the tool under warranty at his discretion as a courtesy repair
He will repair the tool under warranty as a courtesy to the dealer that I normally deal with
Repair will take 10 days or more
I lost track of how many times he mentioned 'courtesy repair' like he was doing me the biggest favor in the world and its such a burden on him. Thank God we weren't standing face to face, I might have puked. I was nice to the guy and am glad he didn't just blow me off. I think he would have preferred to.
I don't know if the email I sent Fein or the fact that I've been buying from that particular dealer since I was a teenager has anything to do with all the 'courtesy'.
As much as I'd love to say Fein is coming through and making this right, I'm not sure what's motivating who. Doesn't matter though, I'll have a working tool in a couple weeks.
 
Holzhacker said:
I haven't had many tools repaired over the last 3 decades. I mostly just buy a new one instead. However, I have had some stuff repaired and other stuff estimated for repair. I've never had an un-repaired tool returned to me in a box full of pieces. I would think that would be illegal considering the service provider is giving your property back in worse condition than it was received in.
Click to expand...
That s the way it is.I don't know of any place that will put the tool back together if you are not planning on paying for it.Waste of their time.
Also,here in VA,any tool repair shops cannot return a tool(s) that is unsafe .Let say you take a skill saw for repair,and the blade guard does not work right or missing,they will have to repair/replace the parts so that it does operate properly.
 
Holzhacker said:
As much as I'd love to say Fein is coming through and making this right, I'm not sure what's motivating who. Doesn't matter though, I'll have a working tool in a couple weeks.
Click to expand...

Its nice that you are getting a working tool back.  I guess the squeaky wheel gets the grease. 

You would think that with all of the new oscillating tools that have flooded the market, Fein would step up their customer service.  It may be that they have taken such a hit that they can't afford the flexibility on their warranty. 
 
They were recently replaced at the BORG around here with Bosch.

That had to hurt.

Tom
 
Vindingo said:
Holzhacker said:
As much as I'd love to say Fein is coming through and making this right, I'm not sure what's motivating who. Doesn't matter though, I'll have a working tool in a couple weeks.
Click to expand...

Its nice that you are getting a working tool back.  I guess the squeaky wheel gets the grease. 

You would think that with all of the new oscillating tools that have flooded the market, Fein would step up their customer service.  It may be that they have taken such a hit that they can't afford the flexibility on their warranty.   
Click to expand...
Considering that they basically gave the HEPA Dust Extraction market to Festool without much of a fight here in the US when they had a presence way before Festool did, it will be interesting to see how they handle all the direct competition to their MM. McFeely's lists a lot of the sanders and grinders that they offer in addition to their two Oscillating tools and also their vacuums. Maybe they hope to expand the product line to help absorb losses with the MM's.
Their accessories for the MM's have been pricey, and now that Imperial is making great blades for the MM's, we have choices in our money spending.
 
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