Every company produces problem products. It can't be helped, the persons and
machines that assemble things sometimes are having a bad day, day after
holiday or weekend or before holiday, or machine robot out of adjustment,
(which I have seen drop components instead of inserting them in circuit
boards). Even in the best of companies, who try to control quality and have
good customer relations efforts.
Given that, many companies have ways besides sending the original rig for
repair that will remove the rare intermittent, or other failing in the eyes of
the customer. Sears retail stores in USA offer "Satisfaction guaranteed or
your money back" I was able to use that on a bad TV design they marketed one
year, and give it back to them right before the warranty ran out, and get my
money. They had tried to repair it 3 times, and it would come back and in
shipping develop more problems.
This is not unlike Alex's case. Extended shipping distance can make a
marginal unit fail again. However, his good score in contesting says the rig
is working to some standard. But not to his, by his account.
My suggestion, since the rig is out of warranty, is to trade it in on an Omni
VI, or another used Paragon. Ten Tec does trade ins all the time. Maybe
whatever is wrong can be fixed if the rig is gone over in the factory
reconditioning that goes on for even the used rigs, and anyway, a warranty for
limited time will be furnished the new owner.
With Sears, I took the bad design TV in, got my cash money, walked over to the
TV department, (which, it being year later had an improved vendor design in
the same set style), and bought the newer and improved design.
I finally gave that TV to the kids when I needed a cable ready model.
The Paragon was an evolutionary model along the way to present models, which
themselves have been greatly improved in the Omni VI plus upgrade. (Something
I cannot get from Kenwood on my TS 450, or from Yaesu on my VHF equipment).
Years ago, Americans were plagued more than now by "lemon" automobiles. Most
states here now have laws affecting products that good faith efforts to have
repaired have not fixed the product and produced customer satisfaction, and
there are ways to get your money back. But replacement is the easiest option,
when your patience wears out.
Stuart K5KVH
--
FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/tentecfaq.htm
Submissions: tentec@contesting.com
Administrative requests: tentec-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: owner-tentec@contesting.com
Search: http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm
|