Support After Selling Through Sears

[osia12]

I was a bit surprised to learn that these machines will be sellig through Sears, probably by the end of the year. I was also kind of surprised at the revelation that the advanced software will be sold separetly.

I am totally in favor of profit and wish these guys success, but I have to wonder what the impact will be on the customer service that so many have raved about. It may be more convenient to take the machine to Sears for service, but if it turns out like any of their mowers or other larger items I don't think that the owner will be able to exchange it for a new one on the spot.

Operators will be faced with a substantial amount of down time either waiting for repair or replacement. Although this news has not caused me to totally say I won't purchase the system I am hopeful that someone can address these concerns through one of the forums.

And if a person waits for the Sears version how much extra will someone have to pay for the advanced software that is provided to purchasers prior to the unveilling at Sears?

[BobHill]

If it's the same machine, can anyone really care?
Bob

[Dan-Woodman]

I look for it to be more expensive with more plastic,as sears is noted for.

[Dan-Woodman]

maybe this would be a good time for cw to make an official anouncement
and displace any rumors that might start floating.

[pkunk]

Got a flier in the mail today..

[cmorlier]

Please read our announcement, which can be found here: http://carvewright.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=413.

[Jimmygee]

Don't think so. And the machine is listed at $100 less than I paid for it from then directly. Service is good now, however I have paid for my unit for a couple of months, and have used it for a couple of hours. It's been unoperative the rest of the time. I am waiting for my replacement to come. No date givin about when I will get it. I too wish the guys all the luck in the world as they seem very professional and highly helpfull, but I agree that the sales clerks at Sears will in no way be able to answer any questions or be in any way of assitance as they are of no help with Craftman products that they have sold for years. You can make their day by buying extended service plan, which one clerk told me he was getting beat up on by his manager because he hadn't sold enough of them. Oh well. My answer is a big NO.

[BobHill]

Just curious, but did you thoroughly read the announcement?

[Jimmygee]

Yes. If I missed something could you specifie?

[BobHill]

You commented on the price differential of $100, but don't you believe the extras you get over what those purchasing from Sears will get more than makes up for the difference? I also doubt that those folks will get anywhere near the personal and great service that we have gotten and will still receive (details in their announcement to us). I don't know anything about the problem with your machine, but for it to be inoperative for months (or whatever time you are alluding to) I'd have to ask what they say about the replacement. This isn't to pick a fight, or for that matter, neither am I connected to LHR or anyone there, except for being also one who bought the machine and understood quickly that I was a "Beta" tester, then found their great service made any inconveniences well worth it. I'm equally waiting for the Scanning Device to be available.
Hope you get your machine soon and that it works as it should for you.

Bob

[Jimmygee]

Ok Here are the answers, but first let me comment that I have some of your work posted, and your answers to people and must say I am very impressed with what you have done with the CW. Enough so that I would fly to your location to see how you do it and pay for some training. Second though, I had no clue I was a Betta tester. I was never told that when I bought the unit. The service response has or should I say had been very good to excellent. I don't know if they can keep that up on mass production through Sears or not. Maybe they are geared up for that. Hope the time is not taken away from us. To answer your question, I received my unit, it imedately did not work. I called and had to go buy a wasger, then had to file down a sensor, then had x and y sensor problems, then the bit driver cable had problems. That was within a couple of hours, or I should say less then one hour. I sent the unit back and a couple of weeks later I recieved it back. All seemed well, at lease for the first piece I cut. The in feed belt then ripped. I did as they said and all was well. Then after the cutting, or I should say during the cutting the unit totaly died. No power at all. I called, and I must say that Chris gave me his cell number to call, as I spoke to him the power came back on the unit. When I tried to power up the next day, dead. I called Chris on his cell and he said that my problems where very strange and he wanted to replace the system with a new one. Great news and again great service. Mary sent me a Fed Ex return. That was well over a week ago. I communicated with Mary as to when to expect a replacement. I was told that Chris would e-mail me with a date. After not hearing for several days I contacted them again and was told that they did not want to send out any more units untill they inspeceted mine. Not sure why if they plan on selling to a mass market and are planning on supporting it in house. That is why I think they may be ahead of themselves in the mass market. don't get me wrong, I beleieve still that it has the potential to be a great unit, esp with it's price point, but for not a whole lot mor dollars there are products available that have gone through the Betta test, that again when I paid for it I had no clue that I was a tester. I do a lot of testing for software that is one, provided free for my imput, or actually my company is paid to test it. So after this novel is done, I am not totaly dissatisfied, nor really bithching. But I thought it was solid and I coud get the bit set when ordered, in a resonable time, not two months and I appreciate that they did not want to send it out with too much runout. The finale chapter to this novel. I had no clue I was testing a new machine. And againg your work appears to be very nice if not spectacular and I hope I can come even close to it with the CW.
Jim

[ManuOGE]

is it okay if I put up an animated avatar on my profile?

[BobHill]

Jimmy,
What lead me to know about the machine being perhaps in Beta, not full production , but was going to be (and is) a great one wasn't what was said, but

1) the price of the machine, and what it includes. Are you familiar with the price of even the machines close to the price of the CW and what comes with them? One if just under $3000 and doesn't come with a router/cutter motor or software at all. And the recommended motor is the RotoZip which hardly compares with the power and quality of the one in the CW. The software which you got with the machine will do things that even software costing close to $1000 won't do. BobCAD/Cam was trying to sell me thier "super" software, version 21, but when I told them about the CarveWright, the salesman turned me over to their key software engineer who said he was familiar with the CarveWright and saw the work it would do, and as yet their software was unable to do the same work. They don't call me any more.

2) The CarveWright comes with a built in computer and the others do not

3) the obvious dedication to the machine and their customers shown by the LHR people (which I found out means "Left Hand Rules" for Chris being left handed <g>). The quality of the people with the product vs the number of units I understood being purchased it was obvious that it was not yet in full production. Yet with all the work, I'm sure they have to do to get ready for full production, I drove my machine from Tampa, Florida to Houston, Texas and two of the top people which included the CEO (plus others periodically) spent the whole day working with me on ideas and methods to do what I wish as well as showing me personally the best way to do some things. Pretty impressive with that alone.

4) The number of people on the forum, number of subjects, and the overall attitude there, including the work being shown shows a very strong ownership attachement to the machine, so it's not just me, for sure.

Thanks for the compliment, but I'm just starting with what I plan to do with this machine, and although they didn't design the machine and software for things that small (wooden model ship fancy work), I am working on a way to do it and believe it can be done (1:48 scale). As for my work so far, others have done a lot better. I'm very much into vector graphics, but i'm still a bare novice using Designer as they've created it, but I'm learning.

Also a big big plus is not just the soon coming 2D+ scanning device for the CW and it's software, but also other "biggie" additions they are thinking of for the future. I forsee nothing but great things for this machine ... it's already far far ahead of even it's closest competition, regardless of price.

However, be aware that if you really are unhappy with the machine for what you wish it to do, or because of your problems with it, I'll bet even some on the Forum list will be more than willing to buy it from you. But, if I were in your shoes, I'd sure take another look at what you have and what's available out there before doing so. Just a thought.

Bob Hill
Tampa Florida

[Jimmygee]

Bob,
I here you. I belueve the unit has GREAT porential. But I sent mine back last week. They were to send a new unit as the expressed a concern for the numer and type of problems I was experiencing. I e-mailed them as to when I was to expect a new CW. So far no response, which I will admit is strange from them as they have been very responsive so far. I agree the software that came with the system is nicely done. And also agree that it could cost some big bucks alone. I also believe enough in LHR that I would gladly go to work for them or invest in them. I just wish I had a working machine that I could use. Guess I am a bit frustrated seeing everyones work posted and not be able to play with my unit. I'll e-mail them again now and see if I get a response. Guess my frustration is that no matter how good a price point the unit has, 2k is a lot of money for something you can't use, or in my case don't even have but is paid for. That is why i believe they may be a bit ahead of themselves in going mass market with Sears and being able to provide the machines and service to a multitude market of people without hurting themselves. My guess is there will be a lot of people without any wood working experience at all seeing the ad and marketing promotions that will buy the machine thinking it is a point and play system and not expecting a learning curve and associated problems who will truly bad mouth the machine, and of course Sears which could hurt LHR and it's apparent great unit. I hope, and believe my stroy will have a happy ending as I do believe in LHR and all their people. I would gladly hop a plane and go visit them or anyone who has a unit that is willing to show me the ropes.
Jim

[BobHill]

Jim,
If I were in your shoes, I'd put in a personal call directly to LHR and ask Mary to talk with Chris, telling her it'a about your machine that is there to be repaired and that you are anxious for it's return in good condition. Their number is: 713-473-6545. I'll bet you'll get your answer, but remember that it takes at least three days for the machine to get to Houston, regardless of where you are, unless you are in Houston (in which case I'd take it there directly and personally). Also it'll take a day or so probably to fix the problem if it's readily known what the problem is. Then it takes at least another three days for it to get back to you. AND, don't include the two weekend days in that time, so in most cases you are talking about ten days and even perhaps a couple more, depending upon circumstances. Anyone who has had to send their machine back can tell you that their anxiety level was high for it's return, and that included myself. I also didn't trust FedEx that much either as they were the main original problem for my initial problems, which is one of the reasons I drove from Florida to Texas with the CW in the back. I KNEW how I would be handling it. But then I learned as a child particularly at Christmas time, that it didn't pay to be too anxious and that things happened on their own time schedule, not out of respect for my personal anxiety requirements. So until then, or at least until the time was outrageously agreivious, I find something else to keep me active. But that's my way, anyway.

Bob

[nicobie]

Hi J,

I'm in the same boat as you. My machine has been back twice and it still won't spin a bit.

I guess I'll try calling again. The guys are great but my tool just doesn't work.
I have spent more time trying to get the thing to work than it has worked.

Sorry for the rant, but I am bummed, and the warranty will be over soon. :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

What will I do then?

[BobHill]

If you read the news bulletin announcing that the CarveWright would be sold through Sears, you'd also see that all of us that purchased it directly from LHR will be covered as before via CarveWright in Texas and the warranty is for two full years. Check the ANNOUNCEMENTS in the Forum list.

Bob Hill
Tampa Florida

[nicobie]

I found my missing post.

Again I apologize for ranting on such a nice bunch of people.

I figure (hope) my machine will get fixed before the warranty runs out.

[BobHill]

If you read the announcement, the warranty is good for a full two years.

Bob

[bobreda]

Take heart guys. Mine went back, got it back in about 3 weeks, was waiting to finish a ncie size job with it, was getting a littel frustrated as can be expected. But what I got back was a machine with a lot of new parts, things they found out after you got your machines and other improvements. I even got a new spindle which I could even hear was a lot sturdier than the one original. Thats what is probably taking the time. Just my guess.

Bob

[BobHill]

Frustration, as I also know, but well worth it once it's back and running right, huh !

Bob

[roner123]

I am just letting you all know what has happened to me I ordered my machine from Sears and had to wait a month for it to arrive I pick it up and turn it on and I get stall error I call tech support they tell me that since this is the first run of systems for sears that have encountered some problems with manufacturer with using parts not on the original plans so the tech tells me not worry though he can get me up and running first all I have to do is disassemble the top of the unit and find the ribbon cable that attaches to the motor and take off the protective cover then remove the cable and reinsert it and then he tells me to put some liquid nail on the cable to hold it in place because he says that all the first batch were shipped with the wrong cable holder. So I do what he says and put it all back together and turn it on and same thing stall error. So I say that I want to get it fixed he tells me that he has no parts in stock to fix it so I say ok I'll take a replacement one. He tells me that he has none of these as well and informs me that the best thing that I can do is return it to sears. So that’s what I do Return and rebuy the same thing sears now tells me that it will be in 2 weeks. 2 Weeks pass and I get my 2nd machine and set it turn it on and it works!!! I make my first carving I am so happy I then go to make my 2nd Carving and I get a Check Motor Error then I get Clear Board Sensor and the I get a check Board Error So I call tech support and they walk me though and tell me that this the 3rd batch and most of the kinks should be all worked out now and don’t understand why I am getting these errors so we do some test and get it to work then it shoots my board out of the unit so the tech ask if I have a bathroom scale handy I tell him the unit is in my shop not the bathroom. He says that I should always have one handy so I will know if I am getting the proper 90LBs of pressure needed on the board for the board sensor to work. He determines that I will need a new board sensor and a motor sensor for the RPMs and says he will overnight them to me with instructions on how to fix it. I am so upset now Why should I have to beta test there machine I did not buy a carvewright I bought a Compucarve and that is why I bought it from sears I was thinking if sears sells it most be a great tool. So here it is next day my parts arrive and there are no instructions with it. I call the Carvewright and ask for the owner I guess his name is Chris and tell him all that has happen to me. He says he rather me not fix it my self and that he wants me to send the unit back to him so he can see what is wrong with it. He tells me it will take about 2 weeks before I would get it back I agreed on one condition the he himself would have to fix it so I would get one that works. Whets 2 weeks more when you already waited 45 days for one. I will follow up with what happens once I get it back. It sucks that this has happened but they are very nice people and have great support after the sale and its nice that you can still talk to the man that invented it and owns the company.

[BobHill]

Your last sentence says it all. Check into any other CNC router for wood; compare what you get and what they'll do and what they cost; and since the CarveWright is so potentially superior to whatever else comes close, that company attitude shouts it's a winner, but for some patience is a must. If that's not in one's bag, perhaps it's not yet the time for them.

Bob