Warning to Deus Users Warranty

[GuitarGuy]

New to owning one, I have heard in the last few months of people being asked for sales receipts before warranty work will be honored in the States. After a few online conversations with a large MA dealer and phone calls, I have confirmed that if you own a Deus and don't have the original sales receipt or you sold or traded a Deus without providing them to the other party, the 2nd party has no warranty to claim.

I find that Deus not having, or at least providing, US dealers & service departments a searchable database to check warranty status is as non professional as it gets folks. The dealer tried to side step my direct question & told me it was common knowledge that warranties are transferable. I said, its NOT common knowledge that they would have no warranty if they don't transfer the sales receipt with the machine and that needed to be told to customers of new machines and stated on their websites. They had no answer to that. They did answer that it was Deus who didn't supply them a database. This is one of the craziest practices for a "large" manufacture I have ever seen. I mentioned Garrett replacing a coil on a used ATP I bought 2nd hand and didn't ask anything except for a serial number. The reasoning was " You should see my office vs Garrett's hahaha. The response I got from a question; " What about people who own a two year old machine and they are the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th, owner and can't trace back the original source for receipts ? " They should'nt be buying used machines from places like Ebay, etc :O So, if you own a Deus, don't be selling those online guys lol. This has to be the least professional warranty scam I have ever seen for a large company. I told them as much over the phone and said someone needs to contact Deus and start demanding a serial database. Basically left the guy stuttering to explain this garbage.

I was lucky and just remembered the name of the dealer from few months old phone conversation and got the sales receipts emailed to me from the dealer who sold the guy the machine I traded for. Awesome deal with trading in a F75 + $575

 

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[rick67]

If you are first owner all the info was registered as well as where you bought it.
I had a problem with the meter showing the coil battery was discharged when it wasnt. I had Moe on the phone who was ready to send me a new coil with only me telling him who I was and who I bought it from. With only that info he pulled me right up in the computer.

Let's say I took a box out of someone's garbage. It had two XP machines in it that didn't work. Should I be able to make a warranty claim?

 

[GuitarGuy]

Not sure if that was a question or being sarcastic, but if it was a Garret or any other company that knows what they were doing & uses serial number databases as they should have been doing from the start, then the answer would be yes if the machine was still under warranty period. That was the whole point. They should be no need to trace back an item to who sold it, when, and where. It's also none of anyone's business who the machine was sold too or how many times. It should be a simple serial number search and proof of manufacture date and warranty time is known. Of course, that would require them to spend some money on a database system and think ahead like a large company should be doing instead of making people who buy used machines become private detectives to claim that "transferable warranty". They give no disclaimer or anything on dealer or company sites about this when reading info on warranty. I'm sure many who can't trace back the original sales receipts is a convenient extra profit for the company when they don't have to service the machines.

 

[choppadude]

I agree GuitarGuy I think we should get word out then do a mass email to XP company asking that since they want to compete with US business then why not use similar methods of dealing with warranty. I will shame them myself by saying I bought a new Makro racer and had a coil issue within the first couple months now this company is located in TURKEY, with one email in which I provided them with the serial # of my unit, they confirmed that the machine was under warranty and had a replacement coil shipped to my door from Turkey in LESS THAN A WEEK!
If you do not want to lose business to the "other guy" then you need to treat customers at least as well as the other guy is.

 

[GuitarGuy]

This may not be an issue in France or the UK, this I don't know. If they do maintain a database then they don't give US dealers access. This was confirmed by a phone call I made this morning at a very large and known dealer in the northeast. They should at least warn new Deus customers of this little warranty trap when they sell machines in the States. It cuts out business for them for warranty services too.

 

[GuitarGuy]

Serial numbers should be a direct reflection of the Month-Day-Year-Time the item was made. A coil made Jan, 7th, 2017 at 3:11 PM should have a serial number of 1717311P. Doing that method wouldn't even require a database, It's easily read by customer and dealer.

 

[GuitarGuy]

I was argued all day from a very well known detecting book writer that a Deus with a proper product registration will solve all your problems and that warranty can be looked up via this database by dealers. My argument was that they don't have a database, because a large dealer told me as much, and they are strong arming customers to prove warranty via a sales receipt. This may not be an issue for people who are the original owner and can do a simple phone call to the dealer in which it was sold to them. They even argued against buying and selling the used machines online because of this little warranty secret haha. A global company that boasts a industry best warranty and if you buy a used 1 year old machine and don't get a sales receipt like a pair of shoes bought and returned to Walmart, you are SOL.

After I challenged any Deus dealer to run a serial number from my machine and tell me when it was sold and registered the Facebook group discussion was promptly deleted. As you see from my screenshot done today, Bill Ladd agree's with my inquiry. A direct question to look up my coil for warranty status. No question if I registered the product to aid in his search, no question on anything. They want you to prove it so if you can't for any reason, they won't have to honor the warranty. Now, someone is lying or they are no database just as I suspected. You can find a Garret ATP in the trash & make one call to them and check warranty status in a few minutes, but if you buy a used Deus anywhere, or even have a new one and can't provide a sales receipt they can suddenly not find your records and deny you warranty services. I actually have a friend who had this done to him and he bought the machine new from a well known dealer. My used machine sales receipts that I had to investigate and find on my own were sent with no serial number information at all. I requested that dealer to edit the invoices to include them for both the machine and the spare 11'' coil as proof that machine was the one purchased on that date. He did so without a issue and for that, he will have my future business. Just a warning to anyone with a Deus or anyone planning to get one used.

 

[BAM]

GuitarGuy pretty much agree with most of what your saying, but the serial # is a bad idea because if the coil was made in say the 1st of May but didnt get put into service (bought ) till December then you would be out of 6 months of warranty....

 

[austin_luker]

Great information, anyone that doesn't have a hard copy of the purchase should get one and keep in a safe place. I agree should be done with serial number at time of purchase. #47892 was sold May 3 2015 at big beards sold to jack blow selling price $X and so on all with a quick scan of a QR code. This is XP and they obviously know how to write a program/code for what seems like a simple database.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GuitarGuy]

This is the best method IMO, other than an online serial database for customers and dealers. They will be no dispute across the board of a items build date and warranty status. As of right now invoices are not given with the current serial number or at least many are not. So what do they prove ? Dealers drop ship orders and send you an invoice with no machine serial number. They don't even get the serial info that way themselves.

Two things need to be mandatory;

1. Serial numbers reflect item build dates and time.
2. ALL invoices must include serial numbers given to the customer.

This will fix any doubt of any item sold new or used as to when it was made and will eliminate dealers having to get a receipt on every claim. The receipts now don't even have a serial number so why are they even being asked for ? What do they prove if nothing is on there to show the invoice tied to a serial ? Your warranty starts at date of purchase. Most people send in items within 5 years. If a item comes in for warranty service the serial number will automatically show it was manufactured on a given qualifying period. If the item just falls short of that THEN demand the customer to provide his sales receipt which will override the serial build date if the purchase dates extends the time for it to qualify under warranty period. Who would send in an item out of warranty period anyway ? If someone posts an item used one look at the serial will prove its age and warranty, to a degree on the warranty, which is 1000% better than hoping they are telling the truth or having to trace down past owners and no database needed either.

 

[DannyB.]

"Let's say I took a box out of someone's garbage. It had two XP machines in it that didn't work. Should I be able to make a warranty claim?"

This seems like a valid question to me... I would never assume that I'm going to have a warranty on something I bought used.. I expect to have something I bought new to be covered; if it has to be registered to be covered; then register it..

If you can't.. and need a receipt. Save your receipt.

Certainly doesn't sound like bad business; just sounds like a process you don't like.

Tesoro has a lifetime warranty.. if you are the original owner. If you aren't; to bad. It's going to cost you. To me it is a fine example of customer loyalty.

 

[GuitarGuy]

"Let's say I took a box out of someone's garbage. It had two XP machines in it that didn't work. Should I be able to make a warranty claim?"

This seems like a valid question to me... I would never assume that I'm going to have a warranty on something I bought used.. I expect to have something I bought new to be covered; if it has to be registered to be covered; then register it..

If you can't.. and need a receipt. Save your receipt.

Certainly doesn't sound like bad business; just sounds like a process you don't like.

Tesoro has a lifetime warranty.. if you are the original owner. If you aren't; to bad. It's going to cost you. To me it is a fine example of customer loyalty.

If an item is warranted for 5 years its warranted for 5 years. If you buy a pre owned car with 1000 miles and it has a 100,000 mile warranty would you pay 90% of its new value and be happy with no warranty as well ? No, I'd sink that money into a different brand of car, or detector, from a company who doesn't hassle me and honors the manufactures warranty no matter who owns it. Garret being one and besides, they say the warranty can be transferred. If it wasn't I would just get a detector that held up its claims and resale value of a transferable warranty.

 

[Rawhide]

war·ran·ty
ˈwôrən(t)ē/
noun
[COLOR=#878787 !important][/COLOR]

• a written guarantee, issued to the purchaser of an article by its manufacturer, promising to repair or replace it if necessary within a specified period of time.
  
  
  
  

 

[GuitarGuy]

I know one thing, if I bought a machine that boasts a 5 year warranty only to get hassled because it changed hands while still under warranty it would be sold and I wouldn't waste my time with them again. It's funny how all the major American made brands don't have any question marks or grey issues involving warranty. They are plenty of other machines in that price range.

 

[DannyB.]

If an item is warranted for 5 years its warranted for 5 years. If you buy a pre owned car with 1000 miles and it has a 100,000 mile warranty would you pay 90% of its new value and be happy with no warranty as well ? No, I'd sink that money into a different brand of car, or detector, from a company who doesn't hassle me and honors the manufactures warranty no matter who owns it. Garret being one and besides, they say the warranty can be transferred. If it wasn't I would just get a detector that held up its claims and resale value of a transferable warranty.

I hear what you are saying... I agree mostly.

But, you have to do it the way they tell you to do it. The only choice you have, if you or anyone isn't happy with the way a company policy works.. is to use a different company like you said.

I hope you get it worked out to your liking.. I certainly here good things about the Deus.

Danny.

 

[RustyGold]

This is good to know..I'm notorious at misplacing my receipts.
Part of a detector's value when reselling is a transferable warranty.
Thanks for the update GuitarGuy!

 

[BAM]

Life is full of warranty to original purchasers only...... Bought a new used camper less than 1 year old and when i inquired about the warranty with the manufacture, they said to original purchaser only..... Kinda pissed me off so i started to look at the other manufactures warranties and they were the same....

 

[baspinall]

Guess I'm SOL as well I swapped an ETRAC for couple year old one. No receipt here.

 

[vferrari]

Looked into this further online - it seems if you have a receipt from an authorized retailer, then no problem (even if you are not the original purchaser). Likewise, if your SN was registered at some point by a previous owner, you are likely all set. If you have no receipt and/or your SN is not registered by XP Americas service center, then life may be more difficult, but I would ask if anything could be done based providing the serial number alone. Should be more bullet proof for such a long warranty such that the end user does not have to hang on to a slip of paper for five years otherwise this is pretty standard stuff when it comes to honoring warranties.

BTW - hard to tell whether that F75 trade + $575 was a good deal or not. A used Deus with coil, remote, and wireless phones can be obtained for about $1100 or less, F75 variants can run anywhere from $600 up to $1100 retail. If it was the low end F75 you maybe got got a good deal, if not, then not so much. So did you trade a "stripped down" or "loaded" variant of the F75 to get the Deus? I own both a Deus and F75 and while the Deus is my go to machine, I like the F75 in certain situations because of the variety of accessory coils you can use with it (5" sniper to 15" Spider and also coaxial/concentric coils which do not exist for the Deus). I would have hung on to the F75 if at all possible, but if it was the only way to get a Deus since I couldn't afford to swing both detectors, then, yes, I would have given up the F75 for the Deus. HH

 

[vferrari]

If you are first owner all the info was registered as well as where you bought it.
I had a problem with the meter showing the coil battery was discharged when it wasnt. I had Moe on the phone who was ready to send me a new coil with only me telling him who I was and who I bought it from. With only that info he pulled me right up in the computer.

Let's say I took a box out of someone's garbage. It had two XP machines in it that didn't work. Should I be able to make a warranty claim?

You had to provide the registration info originally into the system though, correct? It is not done automatically via tracking by the XP Americas distributor/service center. If the original owner you bought the Deus from did not register then it would not be in the database, correct? I still have my proofs of purchase but never sent in a registration card (I always considered that to be just a means for the manufacturer to get and sell your info and to get a free demographic information on purchases - if the receipt suffices then why bother). On the other hand, if it really facilitates warranty service even in the event I should lose the receipt, then I will reconsider registering.

I agree with the OP that in today's day and age with manufacturing documentation the Manufacturing Date should be built into the Serial Number and that should be used as a backup to the purchase date for warranty service - even taking into consideration the "lost" time that incurs between manufacture and actual purchase date. That way, no registration should be required and the you would have true transferrable warranty service independent of the number of owners of the detector.