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Warranty and repair options

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AviJake View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AviJake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Sep 2013 at 6:13pm
This kind of set up only happens a few times in a lifetime......just lock in AeroPlan and the $1200 is gone.
Steve Jacobson
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote brou0040 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Sep 2013 at 12:04am
Originally posted by AviJake AviJake wrote:

This kind of set up only happens a few times in a lifetime......just lock in AeroPlan and the $1200 is gone.

"There is no requirement to sign any indemnification statement for the IFD540/440.    We should probably start a different thread on that clause that is part of the AeroPlan Extended Warranty offering for some of the other Avidyne products to stop the fundamental misunderstandings."

I thought the AeroPlan (and the indemnification statement) was for other products.  Maybe we need to start that other thread if there will be an IFD AeroPlan, if it contains an indemnification statement, and what it will cost.

Since I don't have details of the AeroPlan, I can't comment on that.  I just think it's a bit extreme to have to pay $1200 to change the battery - a known wear item.  I don't care if it's only every 7-10 years.  I shouldn't have to add another $171 to my annual fixed costs, that's not negligible.

Another way to look at is that I'll have to pay another 13% of the unit cost just to change the battery...


Edited by brou0040 - 27 Sep 2013 at 12:09am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AviJake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Sep 2013 at 9:52am
You're right in that AeroPlan is for other products.   I suspect we'll eventually generate several extended warranty options for the IFD series of products.   Right now, we're focused on getting them done and shipping and then we'll begin to craft some extended warranty plans.
Steve Jacobson
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote phkmn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Sep 2013 at 11:55am
I got to wondering about the battery issue relative to my existing 10 year old 530W (battery still good) and posted the question on another forum, with the following response.  Unfortunately, it deals primarily with the 480, which was a superior design to the 530.  I'll post additionally if more information shows up.

"The 430W/530W does have a battery powering some RAM and a clock. It's supposed to last 10 years. The GNS480 has a similar setup and that battery costs something like $50 from Garmin and can be replaced by a dealer (no need to send the unit to Garmin). On a recent thread there were some 480 owners indicating they were charged for 3 hours of labor for this job although I've done it myself and it took about 30 minutes to do the R&R starting with the box on my bench. Garmin's service manual does say the unit should be bench checked after battery replacement and that could add an hour tops."

Another post: "I know the Garmin part number is the same between the legacy units and WAAS units. The $800 price looks to be the flat rate repair by Garmin which would cover the battery, but most shops in the US charge around $100-$200 for a battery change including the battery."

Edited by phkmn - 29 Sep 2013 at 8:53pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jhbehrens Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Oct 2013 at 4:36am
Originally posted by AviJake AviJake wrote:

This kind of set up only happens a few times in a lifetime......just lock in AeroPlan and the $1200 is gone.

That's really not an acceptable answer. Neither $unknown AeroPlan costs, nor $1200 are a reasonable charge for simply replacing a cheap battery every 7-10 years. You need to make this dealer replaceable or come up with a much lower fee. Keep in mind having to send the unit off to Avidyne from, say, Europe and be without it for two weeks is a terrible customer experience already regardless of cost.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FORANE Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Oct 2013 at 5:48am
Originally posted by jhbehrens jhbehrens wrote:

Originally posted by AviJake AviJake wrote:

This kind of set up only happens a few times in a lifetime......just lock in AeroPlan and the $1200 is gone.

That's really not an acceptable answer. Neither $unknown AeroPlan costs, nor $1200 are a reasonable charge for simply replacing a cheap battery every 7-10 years. You need to make this dealer replaceable or come up with a much lower fee. Keep in mind having to send the unit off to Avidyne from, say, Europe and be without it for two weeks is a terrible customer experience already regardless of cost.


While I agree with this sentiment, G has the same policy (I believe, correct me if I am wrong).  Even so, some "techs" have offered / provided the service on the side for 2-300 bucks.  Others of us figured out on our own that it was possible to change with zero prior experience in an hours time, and after doing it a couple times were able to change it in just 15 minutes.

I started this thread with some genuine concerns I, and it appears many others, had regarding after the sale service and support.  Just wanted to thank Steve for eventually getting us some answers to these concerns.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AviJake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Oct 2013 at 9:24am
To try and tie up at least the battery question, 10ish years is a long time.  Noting how the extended warranty and various repair cost models have changed over the last 10 years implies to me that the options will evolve a lot between now and then.

At this time, if you are under whatever extended warranty plan(s) exist at the time, then no problem - it's covered.    If you are not covered under an extended warranty plan at the time, then right now, we have a $1200 flat rate out-of-warranty repair charge.  And yes, that out-of-warranty repair charge was designed to be on-par with Garmin, for better or for worse.

Will some evolution happen to the specific battery replacement fee along the lines of much cheaper knob replacements?  Maybe or maybe not.

To reiterate a point with the specific battery design here, it is buried way inside the unit and access is not as simple as removing the back plate or a single card.   We are not comfortable with a lay person or even a highly respected and capable avionics shop performing that specific maintenance at this time.   Might that change in the future?  Maybe or maybe not.
Steve Jacobson
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MikeK Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 2013 at 12:14am
I think it's safe to say that it would have been greatly preferable to design the unit so that a consumable item is easily replaced by an avionics shop, rather than something that requires a factory repair, even one that only happens on a 7-10 year time scale.  

Personally, I'm very unhappy with the indemnity nonsense that is built into the AeroPlan on the other product lines.  Avidyne is getting a black eye in the press for it, and I think that black eye is richly deserved.  I will not purchase any service agreement that includes such an indemnity clause.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AviJake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 2013 at 9:27am
Maybe but having been intimately involved with the design of the unit, the location for the battery was carefully weighed against the various tradeoffs and this location was determined to be the best solution.

As for the AeroPlan, again, there are, and will be, options available that do not contain an indemnity clause.
Steve Jacobson
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tony Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Oct 2013 at 8:15pm
Steve,  you're missing the message everyone is trying to tell you.  The indemnity clause has caused such bad press in the industry that you are loosing business.  You guys need to sunset that plan and replace it with another plan that just makes you sign a hold harmless clause.  You should really should read the link I posted some time ago that gives a complete legal interpretation of that clause.  It just makes people mad.
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AviJake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Oct 2013 at 5:55am
Hi Tony,

We don't believe we're missing the message.  We absolutely recognize that without customers, we don't exist and those opinions and input are critically important.   We also believe we're doing the right thing.  We've read all the input and postings on every forum and through every media we can find and we've had extensive internal discussions on the topic.  We have altered some of the plans in response to the significant feedback.

As repeatedly noted, there is no plan for the IFD540/440 series of products that contains an indemnity clause.  For those products that do have that as a plan option, since that reduces the fiscal risk to the company, the customer who elects to sign up for that plan, is rewarded with a less expensive extended warranty plan.   For those customers who elect not to sign up for that plan, the extended warranty plans are comparable to industry norms.
Steve Jacobson
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tony Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Oct 2013 at 6:21am
Thank you for the response
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