# Lowrance unpleasantries



## spooled1 (Sep 16, 2005)

OK I'm gonna have a Friday moan.

On 29 June I bought a HDS-5 from BCF that I installed on my stinky and software updated straight away. First I got big black bars running through the screen even in simulator mode and my GPS did wierdness. A few days later when I took the unit out onto the water for the test voyage, no amount of tweaking to the ping speed, chart speed etc let me get a good signal above 4km/h and then it'd take 5 minutes for the screen to refresh on new drifts.

I rang Navico who told me to try a few adjusty things which I did. Off the water I was still getting the same wierdness in simulator mode as the last time. The next time I took it on the water I had a mate onboard who owns a HDS-5 and HDS-8 that are perfectly tuned and he mucked about with the settings. Everything would work properly for about 10 minutes then the settings randomly did randomness like change pallettes and stuff.

Another 3-4 phonecalls to Navico and a couple of emails over the next 3 weeks that were not responded to before more wierdness. Then, when I finally got the sh*ts the first time they kindly issued me a RMA# for a product return.

The HDS has been sitting there for 2 weeks so I called them to follow up. Apparently they're waiting for a shipment of "plain packaged" units to arrive. When these arrive I'm supposedly getting a "brand new" unit. They tell me that according to "policy" they can't send me a replacement "retail packaged" product until 21 days has expired even though the damn thing was clearly DOA and faulty from the first the day I bought it 8 weeks ago.

So now I have to wait at least another 7 days before I get ANYTHING back from Navico in either plain box or retail box. As a loyal customer that has owned 5 Lowrance sounders, this has been a totally sh*thouse $850 purchase experience. Sure the tech guys are friendly when I finally get hold of them but I've had zero follow up on Navico's part and I've been without a sounder for 8 freakin weeks (soon to be 9 freakin' weeks).

Seriously, How much patience does a guy have to have with a product that costs $850. It's frikken ridiculous!


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

Ok firstly you bought the unit from BCF so you have a contract with them not Navico.

If it is faulty then BCF has a duty to either refund or replace immediately. I'm assuming BCF have other units in stock.

let BCF get the replacement unit from Navico, and save yourself the stress


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## spooled1 (Sep 16, 2005)

Easier said than done Davey. BCF is an hours drive away and I would have needed to take the entire package inc tranny and power cables back to enact a DOA return through the retailer.

Things like cables and trannies need to be run, connected, bolted in and terminated and I'd be frikked if I was gonna strip the hours of wiring and handi work I put in knowing that the issue was with the head unit.

The impression I got from Navico on early discussions was that this was a settings issue and NOT a head unit DOA. That makes sense too because HDS systems are so powerful compared to say a LCX or Elite so the right settings and tranny placements need to be spot on and that sort of stuff could easily fall outside BCF's knowledge bank.

Oh yeah, when I sent back the busted unit, I sent it to them in the original retail box! Why the hell should I get a brown box to replace it? It sucks, I paid for that colourful packaging and I like to keep the pretty retail boxes for when I sell my electrical stuff down the track.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

spooled1 said:


> Easier said than done Davey. BCF is an hours drive away and I would have needed to take the entire package inc tranny and power cables back to enact a DOA return through the retailer.
> 
> Things like cables and trannies need to be run, connected, bolted in and terminated and I'd be frikked if I was gonna strip the hours of wiring and handi work I put in knowing that the issue was with the head unit.
> 
> ...


I think under Australian law BCF are required to give you a brand new replacement unit. It has not performed the function for which it was intended.

Pity about the long drive to place it back in their hands, but call them first and discuss it with someone with clout. I find that intolerable when you've paid all that money.

Good luck! Keep us informed.

Trevor


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## GT79 (Mar 4, 2011)

I had a reel from BCF that had a faulty spool. At first they wanted the whole reel, but on explaining that it was only the spool and that the reel was still usable with the spare spool they accepted that and only replaced the spool.
I guess what I'm getting at is that if you explain that the rest is mounted in the boat (I'd suggest to a manager) they may swap the head unit with a new one and do the warranty return with the transducer etc. from the box.
It's gotta be worth the question, and surely an hour or two driving is better than "8 freakin weeks" without it ???

GT79


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## spooled1 (Sep 16, 2005)

kayakone said:


> I think under Australian law BCF are required to give you a brand new replacement unit. It has not performed the function for which it was intended.


BCF would have 100% ensured the product was swapped out immediately if I returned the head unit WITH the tranny, power cables and purchase receipt. BCF are not the issue. I called Navico support as an initial troubleshooting exercise because many user problems with sounders are user created settings problems that can be fixed with Navico tech support. After a time it became more and more apparent that the issue might be in the head unit and as a result Navico accepted ownership of any potential resolution. BCF were never discussed as an option.

The issue is Navico NOT pulling a retail box out of thier Frikken warehouse the second they tested my head unit and deemed it to be faulty. The issue is Navico NOT following up on repeated emails and phonecalls; The issue is Navico not allocating an RMA# on the first day I emailed them my screenshots; The issue is Navico forcing customers to wait 21 days for a frikken brown box to arrive from overseas before they can open up and send out a retail package.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

And I was about to buy one. You've just put me off Lowrance! The lack of service we often get in this great country is woeful. Don't they know happy customers are repeat customers, or that happy customers sell their product for them. Navico should be shot.

Have scotch. I am after reading this.

Good luck.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

gra said:


> I agree with Dan, the support from Navico should be better and he should be able to expect direct support. I've had issues with them in the past, they're hard work. By contrast, I took a dead second-hand Humminbird to the counter at BLA one day and picked up the repaired unit the next day. $120 flat repair fee for a non-warranty unit that was well rooted. That's better service.
> 
> Gra


"That's better service". Wouldn't be hard to beatter, after what Dan's been through.

Trevor


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## doddsj (May 24, 2010)

G'day,

That's not good service at all from Navico! i would have sent it back as soon as it didn't work properly in Simulator Mode. To me that would have been the trigger to suspect the Head Unit.

Cheers, STeve.


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## spooled1 (Sep 16, 2005)

This morning I got in touch again and they fully worked to resolve the outstanding issues. They put a new retail unit on a courier and with a little luck everything will be 100% sorted.


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## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

Sorry to hear about your travails Dan, but it sounds like resolution is imminent.

I just installed an HDS 5 and am entirely delighted, straight out of the box. Next step for me is Dr Depth, then structure scan, then a blonde yak sherpa...


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