why does it cost more to fix than replace?

[pdxmonkeyboy]

SO I have an 832 that is not connecting. Customer support has been great even thought the item is out of warranty. They said that it is not connecting and I would have to send it in. I gave them the info for a RA then I got an email saying well, it is going to cost $185 to fix and we can send you a refurb for $175.

I get that shipping is costly.. lets say $25 total, and people's time is valuable. But it just seems odd that all the casing, outlets, relays, everything is fine, it is just not connecting.. so it seems it just needs another board or something?

Adding to the somewhat annoyance is that I moved tanks and when I took the 832 down, everything was peachy, now on reinstall it doesn't work? Just seems odd.

 

[flabryth]

I can go into the whole story about logistics and part sourcing but that would go over anyones head who did not build and/or manage something like a jet engine production line...for the record I scheduled over 80 million in maintenance a year for the US airforce. So to keep this brief it's because they want it that way.

 

[flabryth]

I can go into the whole story about logistics and part sourcing but that would go over anyones head who did not build and/or manage something like a jet engine production line...for the record I scheduled over 80 million in maintenance a year for the US airforce. So to keep this brief it's because they want it that way.

No I am not calling anyone stupid, but there is a lot thought and BS wrapped up in this subject. I can break bits of it down but trust me your eyes are going to glaze over and 65 to 90 percent of your mind is going to say this HOT GARBAGE. I would tell you that you are correct and you would be left saying really

 

[Mhart032]

If this is an issue, dont even take the back off the alkatronic, you will be very disappointed with the 20.00 Rasberry pi and 70.00 bucks worth of circuits counting the PH board. i would say the PH probe costs more than most the rest.

I should add, that i do love the alkatronic. so it is what it is.

 

[User1]

SO I have an 832 that is not connecting. Customer support has been great even thought the item is out of warranty. They said that it is not connecting and I would have to send it in. I gave them the info for a RA then I got an email saying well, it is going to cost $185 to fix and we can send you a refurb for $175.

I get that shipping is costly.. lets say $25 total, and people's time is valuable. But it just seems odd that all the casing, outlets, relays, everything is fine, it is just not connecting.. so it seems it just needs another board or something?

Adding to the somewhat annoyance is that I moved tanks and when I took the 832 down, everything was peachy, now on reinstall it doesn't work? Just seems odd.

1. What is it that they are replacing? What is bad?
2. I understand the refurbish price but did you ask what a new one would cost if purchased from them? They run 250 - 280 depending on who you use. I bet they would give you a discount. Just ask.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

Don't understand the lauging emoji comment on that post. Maybe he is laughing at the thought of them selling a new one at a discount? While i was not a service manager for the military, i do have a masters degree in the biosciences. I digress though, I am sure that even a basic explanation is over my head.

I just reread the email that they sent and they are offering me a new unit, not a refurb. I just think its silly to throw out this plastic and circuitry because it is easier.

 

[User1]

I just reread the email that they sent and it they are offering me a new unit, not a refurb. I just think its silly to throw out this plastic and circuitry because it is easier.

That is what I would expect. They are giving you a new one at discount.

May or may not be easier though although I'm not in their shoes. Time is money or maybe they don't have the part. Or they find that it is more reliable to offer discount and send a new one. Regardless sounds like it is resolved and that is what matters!

Have a great weekend.

 

[Ben Pedersen]

I had a similar experience and was told that they don't do solder repairs at their facility.. So instead of removing and re-sodering a $.60 USB connector on a board, they replace the board. So they could replace the board for $140.

I had them send my EB8 back. I will do the repair myself.

 

[cesar6261]

As a mechanic I can tell you trouble shooting/finding the problem, then removing the parts, then installing good parts yea labor is expensive

 

[RobB'z Reef]

Don't understand the lauging emoji comment on that post. Maybe he is laughing at the thought of them selling a new one at a discount? While i was not a service manager for the military, i do have a masters degree in the biosciences. I digress though, I am sure that even a basic explanation is over my head.

I just reread the email that they sent and they are offering me a new unit, not a refurb. I just think its silly to throw out this plastic and circuitry because it is easier.

His analogy was way off base anyhow, not really an accurate or applicable comparison. It comes mostly down to labor and logistics (read more labor). Any units coming off the production line are priced to an expected profit margin based off forecasted units sold and expected material and overhead costs during a given period. Repairs fall far outside that model and most manufacturers aren't in the business of repairs and don't have the infastructure in place to support it to a scalable and efficient price point. One might question if it ever became economically incentivized to do so where is there a need for a quality control system? Having been in direct manufacturing my whole life this makes complete sense to me and it isn't a conspiracy at all. I'd take that deal and run or exercise your power as a consumer and go elsewhere with your business . Just my 2¢

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

Now see... that makes total sense. Some part of me thought.. hey, they have all these extra parts laying around.

Anyways, I ordered the replacement. Thanks for the insight.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

Now see... that makes total sense. Some part of me thought.. hey, they have all these extra parts laying around.

Anyways, I ordered the replacement. Thanks for the insight.

Yeah no worries! I love chatting about that stuff. If you think about it, those things scale up well when you talk about houses and cars because the initial investment is huge and average repairs are much a smaller percentage of your upfront cost. But as you go down, they don't scale as well. While $200 is a lot to me it, because of the repair realities with labor etc it stops making sense.