Not warrantying a new boat?

[FighterCat57]

I just got a message from Venom stating they would not warranty my dead motor/esc because there are signs of corrosion.

WTF? I'm in Florida, it's called salt water.
Why would I clean a dead setup before sending it in? Of course there's going to be some water come out of the ESC, I pulled it and zipped it into a bag and sent it in within minutes of it dying...

They said the boat had been flipped and water damage caused the failure. I guess they didn't even turn the motor over (physically feel/hear clunking and doesn't spin)

Wow. How irresponsible and naieve. I'm quite offended by the response.

Anybody have a contact there so I can set them straight? :doh:

[forescott]

I would try sending a private message to Chris Nicastro. He is a member of this forum and works for venom and is usually pretty good about getting things taken care of. Just find one of his forum posts under the venom sections and shoot him a PM.

[Rumdog]

I would not but any venom product after seeing the outcome of their RTR products. It is a shame though because they are so pretty. Bad customer service. Bad electronics, not suited for the hull, no warranty, no stock on parts, no customer service. Not how you should be doing business. Venom seems to be a large company that imports all their products and makes a ton of money on markup without supporting their product. I would steer clear. Maybe if people see this kind of crap sales will slow and they may start to get a hint of an idea. I just feel bad for the guy just getting into R/C boats who pays 500 bucks plus more $$ for batteries and the boat burns up on the first run.

[FighterCat57]

I would not but any venom product after seeing the outcome of their RTR products. It is a shame though because they are so pretty. Bad customer service. Bad electronics, not suited for the hull, no warranty, no stock on parts, no customer service. Not how you should be doing business. Venom seems to be a large company that imports all their products and makes a ton of money on markup without supporting their product. I would steer clear. Maybe if people see this kind of crap sales will slow and they may start to get a hint of an idea. I just feel bad for the guy just getting into R/C boats who pays 500 bucks plus more $$ for batteries and the boat burns up on the first run.

I'm not as peeved about it as I was last night. Got the voice mail after Margarita night and it just rubbed me raw.

Really, it's all on them. If they stand behind their product and this is just a misunderstanding... then there's no problem... But if they weasel out and don't make good by blaming some ficticious situation... well..

[FighterCat57]

I would try sending a private message to Chris Nicastro. He is a member of this forum and works for venom and is usually pretty good about getting things taken care of. Just find one of his forum posts under the venom sections and shoot him a PM.

Sent him a PM. Hopefully he can assist in setting this straight.

I tried calling the 1-800 number left on my voicemail, but ended up with a generic message. Probably not open till Monday.

[JimClark]

Personally I am not sure they should be responsible because of the Salt Water. I know a lot of guy's do not do proper maintenance even when running fresh water. Salt water brings the required maintenance to a whole other level. And can trash gear very quickly. Is salt water all you have to run in?

[FighterCat57]

Personally I am not sure they should be responsible because of the Salt Water. I know a lot of guy's do not do proper maintenance even when running fresh water. Salt water brings the required maintenance to a whole other level. And can trash gear very quickly. Is salt water all you have to run in?

I agree. I wouldn't want to cover anything in salt water. My situation is a bit different though. We're talking about a physical internal motor failure on the first run, not long term damage.

This dayum thing never worked right!:doh:

Nothing was corroded when I shipped it. It's been sitting in a plastic bag for two weeks... so I'm sure it's a little green by now. The ESC fried after the motor chunked and melted the wires... on the first run, while trying to limp it to shore. :o

Just an FYI- I've replaced the motors and ESCs and have been running it just fine with the new electronics.

EDIT* Yes, I live on a peninsula about 7 miles from mainland. Saltwater, brackish water or drive for 1/2 hour.
I have plenty of other boats that I've been running in salt water for years now. It's routine here at the beach. =)

[Rumdog]

Trust me, they know it wasn't bad because of saltwater. Anyone could tell you that. It's just a way out. It's BS. Hopefully it eventually hurts their business.

[FighterCat57]

Trust me, they know it wasn't bad because of saltwater. Anyone could tell you that. It's just a way out. It's BS. Hopefully it eventually hurts their business.

To keep things in perspective, right now it is only a voice mail message. I have yet to reach anyone to discuss the details in conversation. Although it did include a full explanation in the paperwork, it may not have been read by the tech. This could easily and hopefully is just a lack of information and a misunderstanding. :unsure:

My hope is to have something positive to say after contact with one of their reps. The intention of this post was to get in contact with someone at Venom to help resolve the situation amicably and move on.

[egneg]

Kinda reminds me of the problems with the UL-1 when it first came out. Customer support was zero - nothing but excuses as to why the water jackets leaked, turn fins ripped out, etc. The designer was on here trying to defend the boat in vane, not saying it was his fault, but there definitely were some serious quality issues. All in all it's a great boat but unless you are an experienced boater and know how to fix these things it's a crap shoot.

[BILL OXIDEAN]

I'm really not aware of ANY company that warrants electronic components that show corrosion especially from salt..

[FighterCat57]

I'm really not aware of ANY company that warrants electronic components that show corrosion especially from salt..

If you're talking about damaged PC boards, you are correct.

Just to be clear, we're only talking about a "bit of corrosion on the ends of the battery connectors of the motor and esc" from the message.

See post above:

I agree. I wouldn't want to cover anything in salt water. My situation is a bit different though. We're talking about a physical internal motor failure on the first run, not long term damage.

This dayum thing never worked right!:doh:

Nothing was corroded when I shipped it. It's been sitting in a plastic bag for two weeks... so I'm sure it's a little green by now. The ESC fried after the motor chunked and melted the wires... on the first run, while trying to limp it to shore. :o

Just an FYI- I've replaced the motors and ESCs and have been running it just fine with the new electronics.




I'll post photos when I get them and you will all get to see what is at hand, rather than imagining it.

[FighterCat57]

NOTE* I've just realized how defensive I've been with all of this. It's not called for... I have nothing to defend...

The voice mail message just really rubbed me the wrong way and I posted this original message after a couple margaritas!

[BILL OXIDEAN]

If you're talking about damaged PC boards, you are correct.

Just to be clear, we're only talking about a "bit of corrosion on the ends of the battery connectors of the motor and esc" from the message.

See post above:



I'll post photos when I get them and you will all get to see what is at hand, rather than imagining it.


I'm sorry you're having a tough time with it..
Yeah man, ANY signs of that green corrosion from salt anywhere is curtains for most any electronics mfgr I'm not saying its wrong or right its just that salt water can be HIGHLY conductive as well as corrosive. one decent splash on the plugs or any exposed pins can short the system out like an electric eel..

Follow my build thread and upgrade to some 540 big blocks.. I hate to say it but nearly any RTR anything comes with a power system you will need to upgrade, its the nature of these products from cars to planes..

[FighterCat57]

I'm sorry you're having a tough time with it..
Yeah man, ANY signs of that green corrosion from salt anywhere is curtains for most any electronics mfgr I'm not saying its wrong or right its just that salt water can be HIGHLY conductive as well as corrosive. one decent splash on the plugs or any exposed pins can short the system out like an electric eel..

Follow my build thread and upgrade to some 540 big blocks.. I hate to say it but nearly any RTR anything comes with a power system you will need to upgrade, its the nature of these products from cars to planes..

Yeah, I saw the thread, nice build!

I've already popped in the HXT 2700's and Turnigy 120's and the boat's going great. Now just waiting for good water. http://forums.offshoreelectrics.com/showthread.php?t=14252

I really just want the old motor/esc to put in a smaller setup to mess around with. One esc/motor still works, so might just put it in an old *cough* Blast *cough* hull and see how long I can run it without breaking the coupler. :huh:

The only reason I considered an RTR is it included the hardware. I've never been able to find a good electric hull/hardware kit combo and know little about chosing compatible hardware. I see alot of a la carte retail items that add up quick...

[dana]

anyone can say what they want about proboat but i'll tell you this, they have been excellent when it comes to service. i had a questionable radio system they sent me a brand new one without even taking the old one back, then i sent them a speed control with a capacitor that looked blown to have them test it...they just sent me a brand new one, no questions asked. they have been very good to me

[forescott]

anyone can say what they want about proboat but i'll tell you this, they have been excellent when it comes to service. i had a questionable radio system they sent me a brand new one without even taking the old one back, then i sent them a speed control with a capacitor that looked blown to have them test it...they just sent me a brand new one, no questions asked. they have been very good to me

I thought we were talking about Venom?? :confused2:

[dana]

we are. im just making a comparison. venom's support blows, proboats has been awesome...even tho alot of people trash proboat

[sippirat]

Benjamin, my EKOS crapped out on my first run too. i only ran it for 2 minutes and took all precautions before hand. i called and called and called but never could get through to customer service at Venom. it took a couple of nasty emails just to get them to respond to me. all three wires on the back of one motor melted and shorted and one wire on the other motor. at first the rep wanted to replace the entire boat which would have been the right thing for Venom to do but he said that his manager would not allow it and of course they are OUT OF STOCK ON EVERYTHING. what a mickey mouse outfit!!! about two weeks ago i sent in both motors and esc's for the techs to look at. i have called twice and no word on the status yet. yeah it's BS and we are all getting F'd on this deal. but i'm not staying quiet about this. i have and will continue to send emails to Venom until they hold up their end of the warranty. i also am not affraid to get "others" involved if i need to. i have posts on my issues here and rcgroups and rc universe if you are curious. i will pm you the number and extension of the rep i am working with. good luck

Hey Venom,,,,,,,RECALL RECALL RECALL THIS PIECE OF CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!

[skater368]

Hell, i cant even find batteries for this stock set up

[FighterCat57]

FYI- Venom made good on this and is replacing the motor and the ESC.

I got the call from James this am and they will be shipping the replacements as soon as they are in stock.

Peace.

[Brushless55]

FYI- Venom made good on this and is replacing the motor and the ESC.

I got the call from James this am and they will be shipping the replacements as soon as they are in stock.

Peace.

ya, good luck with that one!
many have been burnt by Venom with no help at all from them, and they love to blame the user...

[Brushless55]

I would not but any venom product after seeing the outcome of their RTR products. It is a shame though because they are so pretty. Bad customer service. Bad electronics, not suited for the hull, no warranty, no stock on parts, no customer service. Not how you should be doing business. Venom seems to be a large company that imports all their products and makes a ton of money on markup without supporting their product. I would steer clear. Maybe if people see this kind of crap sales will slow and they may start to get a hint of an idea. I just feel bad for the guy just getting into R/C boats who pays 500 bucks plus more $$ for batteries and the boat burns up on the first run.

:iagree:
what really did it for me, was how someone from venom ripped on Aquacraft to sell their product and bragging how much better the ekos is over the ul-1, and other rtrs, and now many have burnt electronics and the lame so called engineer blames the user and making excuses.. get real :ThumbsDown01:

[sippirat]

can you say BETTER BUSINESS BEREAU??????????????

[sippirat]

The file is getting thicker. I have been taking notes on all who have been screwed

[Brushless55]

Looks like Venom is over at RCU trying to kiss butt!
more excuses

[sippirat]

they need to be replacing our motors with feigoas

[BILL OXIDEAN]

Venom is a fairly new company to the main stream. Their wild success has been a bit overwhelming. They can't keep anything on the shelfes. Just like any company, the'yll improve customer service and product availability as time progresses and they figure out what the market demands..

Boats can be finicky and problematic, many companies wont deal with boats for that reason. Bashing companies like them really gets a person and us as a FE group nowhere..

Constructive criticism is well received by any company, and I've learned it gets your equipment replaced Much quicker than gryping..

[FighterCat57]

Venom is a fairly new company to the main stream. Their wild success has been a bit overwhelming. They can't keep anything on the shelfes. Just like any company, the'yll improve customer service and product availability as time progresses and they figure out what the market demands..

Boats can be finicky and problematic, many companies wont deal with boats for that reason. Bashing companies like them really gets a person and us as a FE group nowhere..

Constructive criticism is well received by any company, and I've learned it gets your equipment replaced Much quicker than gryping..



Well stated. It's clear that they have some more refinement to do.
They did do right by me once I was able to contact them over the phone.

[BILL OXIDEAN]

Well stated. It's clear that they have some more refinement to do.
They did do right by me once I was able to contact them over the phone.

Thanx man, I'm glad to know those statements were well received..

[Steven Vaccaro]

I just emailed Chris from Venom support to see what the story is on this.

[Brushless55]

not sure if I agree wit this about being new, or wild success?
Venom has been around for a bit, and most items they no longer have, and they seem to only stock a few items.. and alot of there stuff does not sell well
and I think the biggest reason is they over price things, and that does not sell well..
specially when you can get the same items cheaper somewhere else..
like even the gas kos hop up motor was $500 at venom and the same motor at DDM is only $250
and lipo chargers, one was $150 and the same charge without the green and venom on it is $50 elsewhere

[sippirat]

hey gilligan, i have to totally disagree with you. VENOM is no more than a heavy importer of low grade products who spends more time and money on twisting their marketing schemes to mislead the consumer than they do on quality assurance, customer service or quality parts. they have always been this way and sadly it appears they always will. after-all it is difficult to find factory workers in the states who are willing to work for $1.75/hour. but one of the biggest problems is that these overseas factories can and quite often do stop production on a particular product at their own discretion.

well anyhow VENOM is sending my esc's back to me and will send new motors when they get them in.

[Chris Nicastro]

In regards to claims that the motor screws have caused motors to fail here are some measurements to consider;
Screw is specified as M3X12mm, thread engagement range in motor 3.5-5mm
Depth or distance to motor windings = 7.56mm average
Thickness of motor mount = 6.97-7.0mm
Total = 14.53mm
Screw length = 12mm specified, 11.95 or so as measured
So there is well over 2mm (approx. 2.53mm) of clearance before interference and shorting the windings as specified for production.
We are looking into whether or not our motor screw supply could have been changed or mixed up.
If you have a motor which you believe was shorted due to contact with a motor screw then we need you to send it in with the motor screws. We have shipped a rush order of motors to cope with the current run of bad motors and we will have those on hand next week. If you have motors reserved for you they should be going out next week.

About warranties; We create a customer file for each person and the file contains your info and the product info. The date of purchase is recorded and our warranty history is tracked and is applied as it is related per item, per instance. Beyond that if you have any more questions please contact our Customer Service Department and they can explain any details you would like to know.

Best regards,
Chris Nicastro
Venom R&D

[Steven Vaccaro]

Chris thanks for responding to the issues and an update on the motor replacements.
It seems for now we can put this one to bed. For now I'm closing this thread.