I purchased a Roland TrueVIS VG3-640 printer through Pacific Office Automation in November 2025 for my print shop in Fountain Hills, Arizona. As a print shop owner running production equipment daily, reliable training and service support are extremely important.
Based on my experience since the purchase, the post-sale support has been very disappointing.
The printer arrived with faulty printheads and dampers, which had to be replaced shortly after installation. While those parts were eventually swapped out, it was not the start I expected when purchasing a brand-new production printer.
In light of these issues occurring immediately after installation, I requested in writing that the machine be replaced or the purchase refunded. That request was declined, and the approach taken was to replace the defective parts. During those discussions, it was also communicated to me that if I did not agree with that approach, the matter could be sent to their legal department for review, which I was told could take months to resolve.
The training provided after installation was also very minimal. It was outsourced to a third-party technician who was polite and clearly trying to help, but the session mostly covered basic control panel functions rather than practical operational instruction for running the printer in a production environment. For a printer of this size and complexity, I expected hands-on training covering workflow, maintenance, troubleshooting, media setup, and daily operating best practices. That level of training was not provided, and we paid $1,400 for that "training."
After installation, the sales representative who handled the deal was no longer available, and communication largely stopped.
The most concerning issue came later when I contacted the company for assistance due to an error code and was informed that Pacific Office Automation does not service or support the Roland printers they sell. As a result, I was directed to submit support requests directly to Roland and wait for responses--some of which take days, and some never come--while trying to operate a working print shop.
This information was communicated to me directly when I contacted the company for support.
In my experience, when purchasing professional production equipment through a dealer, most business owners expect some level of ongoing service or support after the sale. That expectation was not met in this case.
Because equipment like this is critical to operating a production print business, I expected a dealer relationship that included proper training and support. If Pacific Office Automation sells wide-format printers like the Roland VG3-640, customers should clearly confirm before purchase what service and support will actually be provided after installation. This was not disclosed during the sales process.
I have since located another service provider who supports the printer, but the experience with the sales process, training, and post-sale support from Pacific Office Automation has been frustrating, to say the least.
Based on my experience since purchasing the printer in November 2025, I would strongly encourage other business owners to confirm exactly who will provide service, training, and ongoing support before purchasing equipment through this company.
Buyer beware. read more
