Machine Dealer Rant - long

Yes they do reimburse for the repairs. My warranty is registered under the name of the original owner. However during the 2 years I had to have a board replaced in the emb. module. I was very happy that I didn;t have to pay for that, but if I did have to, I wouldn't do it at that dealer. I won;t even take lessons there anymore. Every once in a while I will go there with a friend and she always tries to make nice. Too late.

Linda in Tx

But isn't it transferable, like it is with cars? We've had a couple of those bought 2 years old with 3 still to run on the warranty, and it HAS to be honoured by the manufacturer. Same with sewing machines here, as far as I can tell.

My machine was so new, the registration had not been sent in yet. I actually sent in the papers. What if I had moved, and found a new dealer? She was just petty and not thinking in the long term. No harm for me, as I found a great dealer who valued my future business.

Linda

Kate Dicey wrote in news:44abcd48$0$22113$ snipped-for-privacy@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net:

It is honored by the manufacturer. And when I was contemplating which brother machine, I got the royal run around from local dealers on what they would cover. So I called Brother.... who assured me that all machines bought from whomever are covered and if a dealer that is a brother authorized dealer refused service, they would risk loosing their dealership... I did email them the local dealer that was particularly hateful as well as nice comments about the nice local dealer.

One thing to be careful about..... often machines that are listed as new and at a really great price may be stolen. I know of at least one that came into a dealership for service and when they checked it had been reported stolen. The person that brought it in didn't know, but was out the money they spent on the machine and out the machine. Please check with the company for any of these great deals. I also know that the local dealer (Viking) does check the net regularly for serial numbers of stolen machines. Not all are bad deals, but I would hate for any of my friends to be caught in such a deal.

Pati, > My machine was so new, the registration had not been sent in yet. I

Oh yes Pati, I was well aware of that. I thoroughly checked out my machine before I bid on it. The Seller gave me the number of the dealer in Ca. where it was purchased. That would be an absolute nightmare if that would happen. I also paid for it with my MC after I checked with Citibank to make sure I was protected against something like that. Whew!

Linda in Tx

Linda, are you talking about the one on Hwy. 112? I love some of the fabrics they carry but I won't go there because of the snootiness. I plan to get a Brother Embroidery machine soon and will go back to Pocono Sew and Vac in Stroudsburg, PA. It's a bit of a drive but for the customer service and selection of machines, notions and everything else, it's worth the drive. I bought my Viking MegaQuilter and frame there and would have gotten the embroidery machine too but at the last minute DH decided he didn't want me to finance anything. But the guy was very patient, answered all our questions and was just great to deal with. Everyone there was great. NAAYY but they have my business over 112 anytime. In fact, DH stopped in there one day and picked up some bobbins for me and they were very friendly to him then. You might want to check them out.

Mika

Yup, that's the one! I will look at the Babylock at the store in Selden. They have been really great with me with the Bernina. Also, I bought my first real sewing machine from Harvey at Sew Right. It's a bit far to travel, but they carry Babylock too. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a Brother dealer I'd want to do business with on a regular basis, although I do like their machines.

I'm working summer school again this year (saving for that ultimate machine). Do you want to meet for lunch again one day after school?

L>Linda, are you talking about the one on Hwy. 112? I love some of the fabrics

I have only been to the Selden store twice. The first time I was totally ignored and they acted like I was committing some crime for asking questions. The second time I was in there, the lady had no clue what she was talking about. I was considering buying a Singer Quantum XL6000 embroidery machine and had done the research so I knew what kind of prices they had on them. Since they are a Singer dealer I was thinking about purchasing from them. When I asked about it, she knew nothing about the machine and didn't even know the price of them. She said they go for about $800 when they actually go for more than $3000. I have pretty much decided to go with the Brother though. I really like Brother products so I think I'll stick with them. But that is not written in stone.

Would love to meet up for lunch. Just let me know when it's convenient for you and where you want to meet. The 17th is the only day I have anything going on other than taking care of Gregory. I may have to bring him with me but he's a good baby so he shouldn't be a problem.

Mika

Mika, I heartily second your opinion of Pocono Sew 'n' Vac! While they have tried on occasion to sell me a new machine, they have been friendly and helpful in keeping my old machines working. In fact, when I needed a tiny screw for the bobbin case of a 1960s Singer (which I had seen online for $2, but NO WAY was I going to pay $6.95 shipping for it) they GAVE it to me. They have parts for an amazing variety of vintage machines and their prices are very reasonable.

They are happy to give advice and talk quilting, and they love to have quilters come in with their quilts for show 'n' tell. And they always have beautiful fabrics on their half-price table. I never go to Stroudsburg wihout stopping there.

Maria in NE PA

Sew and Vac in

Customer service is a biggy with me. As long as I have a choice of where to take my business, if I get lousy customer service, I won't go back there. But when I get good CS I take pleasure in letting people know.

There is a fabric shop in the Ft. Lauderdale area that has less than mediocre CS but they have such a HUGE selection of fabrics and so many that are in the color schemes that I like. In a case like that, I can tolerate the mediocre CS to get fabric that I can't find anywhere in my area. So sometimes, product outweighs the CS but not very often.

Funny thing about Pocono Sew 'n' Vac. When I bought my MegaQuilter and frame I got the Quilters Cruise Control with it. Well it had to be special ordered to fit my machine. They normally keep them in stock but were out at that time. I was told it would take about a week and they would just ship it to me. Well, a week went by and no QCC. Before I knew it almost a month had passed and still no QCC. So I called them and was told it was on back order and wouldn't be in until the middle of June. This was around the middle of May. I was so disappointed as I had a baby quilt that I really needed to get quilted and I wasn't confident enough to do it without the QCC. There was nothing I could do but wait. The very next day it was delivered. I was so happy and pleasantly surprised.

Where in PA do you live? I'm on Long Island. My husband goes to Allentown frequently for his job. I occasionally talk him into taking me with him so I can visit Hancock's.

Mika

Mika, I recommend Pocono Sew 'n' Vac every chance I get. I am in Pocono Summit, about 15 miles from Stroudsburg and 35 miles north of Allentown. I like the Hancock store in Bethlehem, and the one in Dickson City, near Scranton, is about the same distance from me. That's also a nice place to shop, with friendly help and lots of wonderful fabric.

Maria in NE PA