I Purchased a brand new D6i dive computer and transmitter last month for nearly $1400 at Force-E in Boca Raton. They are a large, reputable and very personable dive shoppe. I was able to use the setup 3 times successfully until it started showing a "no comm" between the computer and transmitter. As any consumer would naturally do, I immediately brought the computer and transmitter into ForceE and asked them to see if they could figure out what was wrong. The store manager tried my setup on different tanks and with different transmitters to see if the computer was the issue, or the transmitter, potentially both. In total, two dive store employees tried my setup out and agreed that i should send the transmitter to Suunto immediately for a repair that would be covered by the warranty since it was a new item and covered by the manufacturer warranty. They were even kind enough to lend me a temporary transmitter to use temporarily until my broken one was returned from Suunto. Furthermore, they provided me with a phone number and address for Suunto so that i could overnight the faulty transmitter to them directly. I immediately contacted Suunto directly and they told me to send my item to their repair center in Tampa, Florida. Approximately 10 days later i received a call from the suunto repair shop "Calypso Divers" aka www.SuuntoRepair.com stating that my transmitter was functioning perfectly, they saw no problems, and therefore it was not covered by their warranty. This was conflicting with not only what I experienced, but the dive shoppe employees at my local store witnessed as well.
The suunto technican, Chris, was accommodating and was never rude with me; however, when i explained that I didn't feel comfortable with the item, knowing that it was defective, he told me that he tested it numerous times and it was fine. He then asked me where he should send the "perfectly fine" transmitter, and told me that i would need to pay for shipping as well as "technical analysis/diagnosis" which was performed!
I was astonished, outraged, completely shocked. I know what occurred with the transmitter, Force-E knows what happened with the transmitter, yet the "repair shoppe" claims that it is perfectly fine. Chris then went on to tell me that IF the transmitter were broken, then he would ship it back for free, and there would be no charge for labor; however, in this case, it is not covered by warranty because nothing is wrong with the item.
I responded by asking Chris if he truly believed that THREE separate individuals would all see the same issue, and then waste their time, my time, and his by sending an item overnight (at my expense) to the manufacturers designated repair center. Do you really think i wanted to go thru this hassle?
The final straw that broke the camels back was when i received a voicemail from Calypso divers stating that if I wanted my item returned to me, I had to provide them a credit card payment for shipping and repairs. Hold on a second....shipping and repairs?? I thought there were no repairs, i thought the item was perfectly fine? So, i called them back and stated that their must be a misunderstanding once again......And so it goes....An agent of Calypso divers told me that my situation wasn't covered by warranty because "it wasn't a warranty replacement." Now not only do i feel unsafe using the transmitter they are "withholding" but i have lost faith in Suunto and its repair shoppe. I was a loyal suunto customer since i was 12 years old. I have owned 3 gekko computers, two Zoops, and now a D6i. I can promise you that as soon as this matter is resolved, I will never buy their product(s) again.
So, here i am the night before thanksgiving writing consumer reports, filing state complaints with the division of business and professional regulation, and BBB. I am a very reasonable consumer, but to deceptively mislead someone and then force them to pay in order to receive their item back is blatantly unethical and outright theft. They made representations under false pretenses, and this will not go unnoticed. Their "warranty" policy from what they say is only applicable to items tha tare broken.....Well, what constitutes broken? If a new item doesn't function as intended, is it broken? I tend to think so. Additionally, they are now withholding my item against my will which I rightfully have ownership to. The division of Consumer Services (FL) has strict bi-laws governing such actions, all of which I will clearly depict in my filings.
The simple solution would have been to appease me and send me a brand new transmitter. I don't trust the transmitter that i had/have with them. I know that in the middle of a dive it lost signal, and i was diving solo, so it can't be from interference of another similar device. What happens if this were to occur again at a significant depth? Should i trust this item with my life? read more
