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View Full Version : Terrible service from Coralgraph!



squashynose
10-12-2013, 01:50 PM
I have a heat press, from Coralgraph, was £199.99 when I bought it, but I think the models or prices have changed now... Just been out to buy a infrared temp gun, and the temperature is fluctuating all over the place, there are cold spots, a 17 degree temperature difference between one point and another... But I already knew that from the poor results.

And Coralgraph are completely shunning it off. I bought it in August, and have used it for a few pet tags, but mainly printing ribbon. It has always had cold spots, and I probably should have told them earlier, but it was easier to work around them, but now it's getting worse, and the areas I used to use are producing bad results.

Over the last 6 days I have exchanged emails with their laughable tech support folks, who called me Angela in one email?? and the last guy I emailed told me that if there was a fault, the whole platen wouldn't heat, there's no way it would have cold spots, or get worse.

My partner has just had a ridiculous call with the sales department, who said their warranty only lasts 14 days, despite what it says on the website and the terms and conditions I agreed to when I purchased the rotten thing.

Any ideas? lol

So now I'm stuck with the blasted thing, it's just ruined 10 pet tags

Mattie
10-12-2013, 01:54 PM
if it states more than 14 days on their website and you have ticked a box during the checkout process to say you agree to the terms they are bound by them by law.

Also your standard rights by law are 12 month and then there is the "sales of goods act 1979" which you will be covered under.

all in all if you've only had it approx 5 month you will be covered and they should deal with your complaint

Justin
10-12-2013, 02:10 PM
Must say I'm a bit surprised, I havn't bought from CG in a while but other than the odd hiccup service has generally been ok. Have you spoken to Henry there? Nice first post btw! :-( hopefully you'll be sticking around with us :-)

squashynose
10-12-2013, 02:29 PM
Via email I've spoken to a few different people, which probably doesn't help when trying to sort out a problem lol.

I know my statutory rights and distance selling regulations, but the guy on the phone didn't seem interested, and we can't send anything back after the first 14 days :confused: Just got off the phone with trading standards (who, incidentally, said there is no business registered at the address on the invoice), who have advised I ask my bank to do a chargeback, but I think I'll inform Coralgraph of this first, and see if they want to come pick the thing up before I have to.

Now I'm in a tricky spot of having orders to fulfil, I'd need to borrow money to buy a new press (my business isn't making a profit yet), but don't want to borrow if I end up not being able to get my money back for this one :frown:

After using the temp gun, and changing the temp on the display to 175C so that the platen was actually at 190C in one spot, I printed a single tag, and it was the best result I'd ever got, the black was actually black instead of mottled brown (from the temp being 15 degrees higher than the display said I presume), but then these 10 tags were all printed at once, and the results vary across all of them, because it's not an even heat :mad:

2247

pisquee
10-12-2013, 02:47 PM
Out of interest, how much of the "statuary rights" and "distance selling regulations" are consumer law and not applicable to business to business trading?

squashynose
10-12-2013, 02:51 PM
The tech support guy just emailed me back:

"The temp gun will not give accurate readings for the flat heating element ,we have special tool which can be used to check the reading across the platen

We need to check the press to see in case any problem with the press and repair it if necessary"

I thought this is what everyone used

squashynose
10-12-2013, 03:19 PM
Out of interest, how much of the "statuary rights" and "distance selling regulations" are consumer law and not applicable to business to business trading?

As far as I know, unless the t&c's say otherwise, you have the same rights. But I am not a ltd company, I'm a sole trader, so I think considered as an individual, not business.

Paul
10-12-2013, 04:39 PM
i had a few press in my life and never had one that had same temp all over the platten. just to add to this, when you press your stuff at !75C does not help :)

squashynose
10-12-2013, 05:06 PM
i had a few press in my life and never had one that had same temp all over the platten. just to add to this, when you press your stuff at !75C does not help :)

Like I said, the actual temperature is around 15 degrees higher than the display shows, so when I set it to 175C, the actual temp, measured with the gun, is 190C.

NikGrey
10-12-2013, 08:26 PM
I did, My cheap one started off fairly good but then went 100f below on One part of the platen - I wonder if there are 2x heating elements in the cheap ones and One of those elements has blown?

We can get a really good indication of temp with an IR thermometer, we (all of us) can see big temp differences, its not Rocket Science - Just hold it at the same distance every time.

That IR saved my bacon with the cheap press, without that I would have never been sure.

There is a different type of thermometer they use at the factory - Q Type is it? cant remember but its more accurate but from what you say and your images prove it - its bad.

AND, with my Adkins reading higher than advertised I compensated the difference and noticed a much better result after pressing at the right temp.

BTW, I am waiting for a new controller for mine.


Makes my blood boil all of this.. its hard enough for us as it is without dodgy gear :(

soulclaimed
10-12-2013, 11:18 PM
has anybody else had problems with their blanks, i ordered some galaxy tab 2 cases from them as couldnt find anywhere else that had them and the coating of the first one i pressed flaked off at the edges luckily second one pressed fine but thought it a bit of a waste when the print came out nicely..

purpledragon
11-12-2013, 12:11 AM
Hate to sound harsh but you paid £199 for a press i paid £1200 for my stahls press you do get what you pay for i know its no comfort and in my opinion you have made the same mistake most of us have on here and thats to buy cheap buy twice its a tuff lesson mark it up n move on

Renniwano
11-12-2013, 12:24 AM
I agree buy cheap buy twice.. but she's only had it 5 months.. and whether it's cheap or not I would expect it to last longer than that..

James990
11-12-2013, 08:12 AM
Must admit that my press, which I bought from Corlagraph has been wonderful, not given me an ounce of trouble, and have always had great service and great goods from them.

I always speak to Henry, he I think is in charge.

mrs maggot
11-12-2013, 01:26 PM
if you paid by credit card, it might be worth checking that you are covered that way. i have a paypal account that i keep empty and charge to my credit card, so even if a site is paypal payments, im still using my credit card for the purchase

RogerC
12-12-2013, 12:23 AM
if you paid by credit card, it might be worth checking that you are covered that way. i have a paypal account that i keep empty and charge to my credit card, so even if a site is paypal payments, im still using my credit card for the purchase

I, and a large number of other m'cycle riders recently had problem with a company going bust. They provided track days as a package of 10 days of your choice to be used over a two year period and were seemingly pretty solid having been in business for a number of years. Those with recovery problems paid by CC through PPal. Unfortunately after literally months of e mails, phone calls etc the card provider (Bank) fell back on legislation that says they are not liable as the transaction was done via PPal hence a third party was involved thereby absolving the bank of liability. So a word to the wise.....If you think you've got recourse through your bank (CC provider) having paid through PPal you don't. You only have the timescale as determined by PPal to claim).

In essence recovering funds for faulty goods etc via CC payments through PPal is almost impossible and the occasions the bank agrees to help is as rare as hens teeth. If you want/need CC 'libility' cover make sure you pay direct and NOT through PPal.

mrs maggot
12-12-2013, 12:06 PM
thanks Roger thats very interesting, and certainly not what i was aware of - must listen harder to you and yours on Radio 4 when they are discussing it

viccar
12-12-2013, 03:41 PM
I, and a large number of other m'cycle riders recently had problem with a company going bust. They provided track days as a package of 10 days of your choice to be used over a two year period and were seemingly pretty solid having been in business for a number of years. Those with recovery problems paid by CC through PPal. Unfortunately after literally months of e mails, phone calls etc the card provider (Bank) fell back on legislation that says they are not liable as the transaction was done via PPal hence a third party was involved thereby absolving the bank of liability. So a word to the wise.....If you think you've got recourse through your bank (CC provider) having paid through PPal you don't. You only have the timescale as determined by PPal to claim).



In essence recovering funds for faulty goods etc via CC payments through PPal is almost impossible and the occasions the bank agrees to help is as rare as hens teeth. If you want/need CC 'libility' cover make sure you pay direct and NOT through PPal.

Yes i have heard this too, i believe that some banks dont pay out and some do, my bank Lloyds told me id be ok if i used a card with visa logo, paid direct and it was over £100.

RogerC
12-12-2013, 06:43 PM
Yes i have heard this too, i believe that some banks dont pay out and some do, my bank Lloyds told me id be ok if i used a card with visa logo, paid direct and it was over £100.

viccar.........you're partly correct. If you pay for something (direct from the seller) valued at over £100.00 with your credit card then you have purchase protection through the bank.

However if you pay with your credit card through PayPal then the situation becomes more difficult if you need to claim because your claim is then with PayPal and not the bank/card provider. The Banks consider that PayPal in this situation is the 'first' supplier and whomever you 'actually' get the goods from becomes a third party and therefore the banks are not responsible for the claim against said 'third' party.

mrs maggot
12-12-2013, 11:05 PM
taken from the which consumer page

Paid on credit card via PayPalThere are some transactions where the company that deals with your credit card payment is not the same as the one that provides the goods or service - such as Paypal (http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/problem/can-i-claim-against-paypal-if-i-dont-get-what-i-paid-for/).
If you use your credit card to pay for something through PayPal and the funds go direct to the seller, then as long as the company you're buying from has a 'Commercial Entity Agreement' with Paypal you may still be able to claim under Section 75 for any misrepresentation or breach of contract.

PayPal offers its own buyer protection scheme, called PayPal Buyer Protection, so it's worth checking if you'd be covered by that if you have a problem with your purchase.

chongsta
13-12-2013, 01:08 AM
not much help im sure but i used to use a clam press, results varied from phone cases to tshirts. i was told often enough that clams weren't that reliable and that i should invest in a Swing-away press i.e. Adkins (or magic touch re-branded)

luckily i got the Adkins off of ebay for £400 and since then ive never had a problem (oh how i like to tempt fate!)...anyways...i would advise anyone to get a swing press. they hold the temps far more even than clams. I'll never go back, although i do still have the clam as a back up.

good luck
dave

RogerC
13-12-2013, 01:50 PM
taken from the which consumer page

f you use your credit card to pay for something through PayPal and the funds go direct to the seller, then as long as the company you're buying from has a 'Commercial Entity Agreement' with Paypal you may still be able to claim under Section 75 for any misrepresentation or breach of contract.


That's the 'big' caveat regarding this protection/claim proceedure. The Court of Appeal ruled 'sometime back' regarding Section 75 cover in one of these cases (it involved thousands of ££££'s hence it went so far own the legal track) and found for the claimant. However as it was the Court of Appeal, under the UK legal system, it doesn't set an all encompassing precedent.

In cases such as these unfortunately the banks have a massive amount of legal power and an arsenal of 'avoidance' tactics.

In the case I referred to in my earlier post out of over 100 claimants only one got a satisfactory result and that was down to the claimant being good at spinning a sob story over the phone. The bank representative (lady) was considerate and compassionate regarding his case and agreed a 'good will' gesture refunding 75% of his loss. The rest of us met with 'brick walls'.

If you look at Martin Lewis's Moneysavingexpert site and search for 'Section 75' you'll find some information there. I hasten to add Martin Lewis does say there that if PayPal is involved your chance of success is minimal.

squashynose
17-12-2013, 04:15 PM
Purchase was made 28/08, so it's less than 4 calendar months at the moment, so I definitely won't be buying cheap and buying twice haha, they can at least give me my money back! Unfortunately I don't have the funds to buy anything more expensive, I've started this from nothing, with nothing, and don't have a sugar daddy to fund it lol :p The press is now back with Coralgraph, but they haven't even acknowleged that they've received it, despite me emailing to ask yesterday, but tracking tells me it was signed for on Saturday. After them stating 3-4 days to test and repair, which would be by Thurs, I don't expect it back before the new year :(

NikGrey
17-12-2013, 06:19 PM
Even my new Adkins has got to go back - they sent me a new controller board which I of course immediately fitted and tested.

I now have to set it at 230 to get 190 on the Platen, even then it just stops and cools down after displaying H-F on the display - I was hoping for a call from them today but it looks like I will be calling them tomorrow. I just ruined the very last bit of Canvas I had whilst trying to make a Christmas present :(

I hope you get yours sorted, I know how it feels to try to make something good from nothing... just to be kicked in the teeth.

NikGrey
22-12-2013, 02:42 PM
Any news on this ?

Looks like I will be without a press over Christmas - they didn't bring me a replacement, or even show up at all.. I'm Up Christmas Creek without a Press.

socialgiraffe
22-12-2013, 03:09 PM
I'm Up Christmas Creek without a Press.

Hi Nik

I have a spare one sitting here if you want to borrow it. I admit it is a cheap one but it did serve me well and the only reason I upgraded to an Adkins was because TMT Wow paper required better pressure. As you are dye sub the pressure does not need to be so high.

You may need to work your magic and make a couple of mods but it works and may get you out of a hole.

squashynose
22-12-2013, 03:31 PM
I forgot to update, so thanks for the nudge :) I terrible at remembering to come back to forums lol

I got a reply to my email on Tuesday, saying yes they had it, 3-4 days to repair blah blah blah, we're closed from 20th.

I emailed them again on Friday, saying you've had it for 5 days, what's happening? And they replied that they'd not even looked at it! But were going to send a replacement, should be here on Monday. I can't help but think this is their way of not admitting it was faulty... And now they're refusing to reimburse me for the return postage :mad:, apparently they don't do that, despite the t&c's saying they do if they find a fault. But they've not admitted to a fault, very clever...

Paul
22-12-2013, 03:35 PM
And they replied that they'd not even looked at it! But were going to send a replacement
aint that not good enough? I love to have just a replacement! another new press with warranty :)

James990
25-12-2013, 02:33 PM
That may not be the case! When I was working for Dell (Which means Don't Ever Last Long!) when we repaired any of the machines the warranty ran out at exactly the same time as it would have done if we had not reapired it.

Many of the parts we used, including mother boards were recycled!

I remember more than once going on a call to repair a laptop, brand new out of the box, it wouldn't switch on, and the replacement mother board was second hand! They had a few new items, but most of the stuff we took out was refurbished/recycled!

Paul
25-12-2013, 08:10 PM
Rapair and replace means two diferent things.
If you have heat press replaced for new one then warranty should be new. I may be wrong

JMugs
25-12-2013, 10:08 PM
Warranty runs from original purchase date, not from date of replacement.

Janners

Paul
25-12-2013, 10:59 PM
did you ask Henry nicely? :wink:

James990
26-12-2013, 09:46 AM
With Dell, if it was repaird, or replaced the warranty still ran out a year after the original machine was bought. They would not extend it, just goes to show how much faith they had in their own goods really doesn't it!

New Horizons
26-12-2013, 09:49 AM
For my input, I have always used cheaper swingaway presses and have never had any problems with them. True the more expensive western made presses may be marginally better built, but they are not immune from failing and can leave you with a repair bill for more than the press is worth.

I have a smaller A4 sized swingaway press I use for tags that came from Coralgraph several years ago and has never let me down.

squashynose
06-01-2014, 07:10 PM
Finally got round to trying the replacement press today, and it doesn't heat up at all!! :eek: Really fed up with this now...

squashynose
08-01-2014, 03:22 PM
I am getting SO annoyed with them now, no replies to two emails, no refund for my return postage, and shunning all responsibility for the new one not working... (phone call) "We've sent you a new item", and "it's company policy that we don't refund postage, it's the customer's responsibility"...

Quote from their website:
"Important Notice You will be responsible for the safety and condition of the goods whilst they are within your control and whilst the goods are being returned to us. All goods must be returned in accordance with our ‘Return Shipping’ provisions. We will re-imburse you the outlays of returning the goods to us providing you have followed our instructions, the Return Shipping provisions and the goods are received by us without further damage and are found to be defective as claimed."

Waiting for a call back from trading standards again, because this is beyond a joke, I am losing orders, as well as being out of pocket for their shoddy goods.

JMugs
08-01-2014, 04:29 PM
I must say this is the opposite of the service I have had from Henry, but as you point out earlier, you can only speak as you find.
I understand your frustration, hope it gets sorted soon.

Janners

squashynose
08-01-2014, 05:25 PM
Thanks, me too.

I've had an email from Henry, saying it was tested before they sent it out, so it works, and he gave me a link to a video on how to use it!!! :mad:

And he says, "The RT cost are refundable for DOA items for the products are sent for repair the return delivery costs are paid by the sender for more details please check the return policy /warranties return section on our website link below"

So, again, I have... Copied from their website:

"If the goods are covered by a ‘RTB Warranty’ and the goods become defective within the period of that warranty you must notify us immediately and we will provide instructions for a return to us of the goods. (See important notice below)
The Warranties cover defects. They do not cover ‘wear and tear’ from usage or durable components, or consumables which have been opened/used.
These contractual warranties are in addition to any statutory rights you may have.

Important Notice
You will be responsible for the safety and condition of the goods whilst they are within your control and whilst the goods are being returned to us. All goods must be returned in accordance with our ‘Return Shipping’ provisions. We will re-imburse you the outlays of returning the goods to us providing you have followed our instructions, the Return Shipping provisions and the goods are received by us without further damage and are found to be defective as claimed."

Now is it just me, or does that say they will reimburse??

Trading Standards are no use, they said we just send it back and suck up the £40 loss :mad:

purpledragon
08-01-2014, 05:46 PM
Not the best service is it !
i think sometimes you just have to say lesson learnt and move on , not what you want to hear im sure . if the existing press isnt working you need to contact coralgraph again and see where it goes from there explain the issue you are having and the fact you have followed their instructions including the video on how to use it but the machine is still not working allow them the oppertunity to fix the problem again keep calm i know its difficult but as soon as you start shouting you have lost the argument i would back all this up with an email so you have a record of the complaint i would also point out you will be contacting trading standards if you can not reslove the problem . How did you pay for the item was it through paypal ? if so you could consider a chargeback through paypal if bought with a credit card contact your card provider they may also have a charge back facility .i dont use coralgraph a lot to be honest and the times i have ive never really experianced much of a problem but that doesnt mean it doesnt happenen and just because others have a good relationship with coralgraph and never have issues doesnt mean it never happens things do go wrong its not what happens thats important but how its dealt with that counts and it sounds like you have been dealt with quite unfairly. Perhaps if henry frequents this forum in some guise he might do well to take note. a good reputation is hard to gain but very easy to lose.
in the mean time dont lose business over this if you have orders mounting up theres plenty on here myself included who would im sure give a very reasonable price to produce your items for you whilst you get this sorted shame youre not closer id be more than happy to let you use my workshop and equiptment. Good luck with it all i hope you get the issue resolved
Brett

squashynose
08-01-2014, 05:59 PM
Thanks Brett :) I do have a friend who is taking my tag orders for me (thanks Nikki!), but the other design stuff is a bit trickier to pass on to someone else, especially if I have to post things back and forth.

I have backed up all phone calls with emails anyway. Trading Standards have been as much use as a chocolate teapot unfortunately, they would recommend we just send it back, again for repair/replacement, and forget about getting the postage back. I would be more than happy with a full refund at this point, we have a local place that sell these cheap presses, which I can physically walk into (had pretty poor service from there before I turned to Coralgraph, but being able to walk in would be so much easier) but as they have already stated, I can't have a refund outside the first 14 days :(

I paid on a debit card, so I guess I need to contact the bank and see if I can do a chargeback that way. It still wont help me get my postage back, and the principle of that has infuriated me lol

Has anyone ever done a chargeback through their bank or cc company? I can imagine it's not an easy task

squashynose
09-01-2014, 03:40 PM
Dear Emily

Thank you for the reply , the return delivery costs are payable by the sender as per our return policy clearly states ,we have also confirmed this to you by my previous email and also by phone several times ,We do not intend to enter into further dialogue with you on this matter.

Henry

I hope that anyone considering dealing with Coralgraph reads this thread first. This is the owner if I'm not mistaken, refusing to even talk to me, even though he is failing to comply with the sale of goods act, let alone his own business terms and conditions... Oh dear.

Paul
09-01-2014, 11:21 PM
Henry is not the owner of coralgraph. And... as it says in the email they advised you few times ovr the phone and it looks like they have it on email too. I dont think you have a leg to stand on tbh... :frown:

reference to service i received from coralgraph was always excellent. they may have a lack of some blanks for longer periods then they should realy... but cant fault they service...

squashynose
10-01-2014, 12:00 AM
Henry is not the owner of coralgraph. And... as it says in the email they advised you few times ovr the phone and it looks like they have it on email too. I dont think you have a leg to stand on tbh...

Yes, I realised that after I re-read the email, he is just sales. I thought I recalled someone saying I should ask to speak to him, which I did, so I wrongly presumed he was high up.

I didn't realise that by repeating something a few times, a business could change the terms of sale AFTER the sale, or that it meant it became law, over the sale of goods act... Henry has now told me I have to inspect the internal wiring for any loose connections, before they'll accept it back... although that will void my warranty, by his own returns and warranty policies.

My bank has submitted a chargeback now through the visa debit chargeback scheme, I'll hear back in 7-10 days.

Paul
10-01-2014, 12:03 AM
i wonder what heat press did they send you? any chance for a photo please?

purpledragon
10-01-2014, 01:10 AM
Yes, I realised that after I re-read the email, he is just sales. I thought I recalled someone saying I should ask to speak to him, which I did, so I wrongly presumed he was high up.

I didn't realise that by repeating something a few times, a business could change the terms of sale AFTER the sale, or that it meant it became law, over the sale of goods act... Henry has now told me I have to inspect the internal wiring for any loose connections, before they'll accept it back... although that will void my warranty, by his own returns and warranty policies.

My bank has submitted a chargeback now through the visa debit chargeback scheme, I'll hear back in 7-10 days.
Unless you are a qualified electrition this is an extemely dangerous suggestion and you are quite right i
The second you remove the caseing to look at the wireing you have rendered any warranty void DONT DO IT
I have to disagree with paul it doesnt matter how many times they have advised in email or by phone if its in their terms and conditions then they have to honour it. You cant lay out a set of terms then change them at will after a purchase. If your banks going forward with chargeback then they obviously agree with you

squashynose
11-01-2014, 09:58 PM
Lol, he's just replied to me, after I quoted and highlighted his own terms to him... He's backtracked... Apparently we were advised over the phone that rather than refund me the return postage, they are going to give me a discount off my next order to cover the cost. First of all, no one has ever said that, and HA, as if I'm ordering anything from them ever again lol

squashynose
11-01-2014, 10:11 PM
i wonder what heat press did they send you? any chance for a photo please?

Not sure why it matters? They sent the one I ordered lol

pisquee
12-01-2014, 12:43 AM
Lol, he's just replied to me, after I quoted and highlighted his own terms to him... He's backtracked... Apparently we were advised over the phone that rather than refund me the return postage, they are going to give me a discount off my next order to cover the cost. First of all, no one has ever said that, and HA, as if I'm ordering anything from them ever again lol

Agreed - I can only go on your account of events, but from the way you've told it, CG haven't really gone out of their way to ensure that you're a long term happy customer, they seem to have made it clear that they don't want/need your business.

Paul
12-01-2014, 10:08 AM
Not sure why it matters? They sent the one I ordered lolit does :)
iam after new press and i dont want to buy same as you lol :)

Justin
12-01-2014, 06:34 PM
For the value of the machine they'd have been far better just to sort this quickly for you, this is doing them no good at all. It really is a shame, I've had some good stuff (as i know many others have) in the past but it's difficult to overlook poor service. I appreciate we're only seeing one side of this but even so it does look very bad.

Andrew
12-01-2014, 07:56 PM
You learn what to use different suppliers for over time. CG blanks are good and price always decent. Presses are cheap and with items like this you do get what you pay for. Bought a press from CG before and wouldn't get another as I prefer to get the best quality. Blanks I will regularly spend a few k without problem.

I think people should do a bit more research if they are trying to go cheap on equipment as it is to easy to end up with an inferior product. It's easier to try cheap blanks as the loss is not so bad to take.

GoonerGary
13-01-2014, 11:42 AM
it does :)
iam after new press and i dont want to buy same as you lol :)

Me too, considering one of their presses also, now I don't know whether to splash out x5 the price on a press for a new product?

NikGrey
13-01-2014, 01:40 PM
I always think of the resale value - if you ever needed to sell your gear (it happens) and you had a cheap Chinese press which hopefully works then you would get nothing for it. if it were a branded press that would hold its value somewhat.

A contact of a friend has a Roland product I am going to try to buy, i know he will be commanding a decent price due to it being a Roland - if it were a lesser name I would be counting my pennies out. the point is, people expect to pay more for quality.

It's a Versa (something) - wide format (waiting for details) which has blocked heads.. something hopefully I will be able to fix/repair.

RogerC
13-01-2014, 03:07 PM
I always think of the resale value - if you ever needed to sell your gear (it happens) and you had a cheap Chinese press which hopefully works then you would get nothing for it. if it were a branded press that would hold its value somewhat.

A contact of a friend has a Roland product I am going to try to buy, i know he will be commanding a decent price due to it being a Roland - if it were a lesser name I would be counting my pennies out. the point is, people expect to pay more for quality.

It's a Versa (something) - wide format (waiting for details) which has blocked heads.. something hopefully I will be able to fix/repair.

If it is a Versacamm with blocked heads be prepared for a 'BIG' expenditure of pennies. The cheapest print head I found to 'self fit' is £450 for a 300V model which has two heads printing two colours each. If the machine is a newer one be prepared for even greater outlay. If it has had 'non Roland' inks through it Roland won't touch it. Replacing the heads might seem relatively easy but the set up/calibration is not, nor is the determining if ancilliary items are required. Calling out an engineer to fit/service the machine is going to cost in the region of £1000, though as I said before Roland won't be interested.

If I were you, if it needs print heads I would walk away unless you've got lots of patience and deep pockets. Also I would be looking for Versaworks to come with it. Versaworks is the management programme and is worth a few hundred £'s.

Good luck.

Renniwano
13-01-2014, 09:09 PM
I have a CG press and *touching wood* have had it for over 2 years now and it's working great.. at the time over £200 was a lot to splash out as I was just starting..

Yes, I would love a new press.. and yes the one I would like is the Fusion.. but sometimes we don't all have those kinds of funds available to start.. and CG were recommended to her by me to start out as I had never had an issue with them and Henry was always quick to deal with any issues..

Whether buying cheap or not.. it's the fact that the presses she has received haven't worked, or worked incorrectly.. that doesn't mean all their presses are like that though..

James990
14-01-2014, 12:21 AM
I have three presses from CG, mug, plate and swing away, and they are all great, not had an ounce of bother with any of them. Always had great service from CG, and Henry couldn't be more of a gentleman if he tried.

squashynose
18-01-2014, 09:15 PM
Sorry, I didn't get emails about any replies on here...

The press in question was this:
http://www.coralgraph.com/heat-press/flat-press/38cm-x-38-cm-garment-clam-3-heat-press-ce-certified-new-model?zenid=0f1b09300da8689ec551a7dad68ce506

The first was crappy, the replacement didn't work at all.

I am now being completely ignored. In his last email (already mentioned above, dated 11th), Henry told me "Please check the press and if the unit are still not work let us know and we will resolve the issue ,as a goodwill gesture we can arrange a collection as well subject the press are still have the original packaging and the protective Styrofoam", and for the first time, I actually got an apology for this whole kerfuffle...

But since my reply, asking for either the offered collection or confirmation that if I send it back, they will reimburse me... Nothing. But they have taken the time to block me on their Facebook page. I expected as much, after I posted on there this morning, "what do Coralgraph customer support and Coralgraph heat presses have in common? They're both cold and unresponsive." lol

Unfortunately my bank have said no to the chargeback, I can't find the letter, but it says they can't do it because it's been too long since the transaction. The rules actually state 120 days of realising there is a problem, not from the date of transaction, but hey are notorious for trying to avoid chargebacks, most staff don't even know what they are lol. So I'm going to argue it, and failing that, go through Money Claim Online. A letter before action might actually make them do something! I wish I lived closer, I'd go throw the thing at them!

The good news is I'm going to pick up a press from a local place on Monday, taking my temp gun and test sheets with me! No way am I paying for something again before I've seen it working!

purpledragon
18-01-2014, 09:24 PM
When your heads in the tigers mouth dont kick it in the nuts
Why on earth antagonise them by posting on their facebook page especially after an offer to sort the problem out . Ok they may be taking their time in doing so but if i had a disgruntled customer posting such things on my face book page id be less than helpful too. I think you may have shot yourself in the foot here

Andrew
18-01-2014, 09:29 PM
I'll remember that tiger saying for future use. Thanks Brett.

OP- just remember when buying this new press...... you do generally get what you pay for. Also, if you let people know what make abd model you are looking at then you might get some good advice before buying.

squashynose
23-01-2014, 12:02 AM
When your heads in the tigers mouth dont kick it in the nuts
Why on earth antagonise them by posting on their facebook page especially after an offer to sort the problem out . Ok they may be taking their time in doing so but if i had a disgruntled customer posting such things on my face book page id be less than helpful too. I think you may have shot yourself in the foot here

I know, but it made me feel better lol

I finally got a reply, from Gabor Csepeli (Director of Sales), apparently because I'd quoted sections from the sale of goods act, it had to be passed to his department (from sales, to sales it seems)...

It starts
It is notable that you pick and choose which parts of communications you respond to, limiting your replies only to those parts you think you can argue with.

The wouldbeamusingifitwasn'tsoridiculous thing is that every single reply I have received has failed to respond to me quoting their own policies! Lol

They are under the delusion that as I purchased the press with both my name and my home-business's name, that I am no longer covered by consumer laws, and that we (them and me) have a business contract, which removes all of my statutory rights :confused: This WOULD be the case, if they had a contract with an exclusion clause in it, stating that, as a business, I was no longer covered by a, b and c... Apart from the small fact that they have NO terms of sale that I can find ANYWHERE on the site. I even went through their checkout again today to check it wasn't hidden in a "click here to confirm you've read and agree to our terms & conditions" link, but they don't even have that, so I would LOVE to know what terms I have agreed to, if it isn't their general terms of use (of the website) and returns and shipping policies.

He told me that a consumer (which I am not in his eyes) would not be entitled to any "consequential losses", as it is only money a business would chase for, due to loss of sales etc. Apparently consumers can't have consequential losses, like if it burnt their house down etc., they'd just be screwed. And as such, if I tried to take them to court, my argument would not stand up (by the way, I didn't threaten court, but they told me I did lol). And if I were to take this to a court, they would put considerable costs against me!

Apparently they tested this new press twice, so KNOW it works. It's funny how they sent a replacement because they didn't have time to test the returned one, but had time to test the replacement TWICE before they sent it to me :rolleyes: But now they have tested the old one, and it is working fine (so I can only presume their 'test' is to flick the switch, and see if the pretty numbers light up), so if I return the new one, I can only have my old press back. And it also seems they have taken back the offer (x2) to send a courier to collect it, because now I am being accused of failing to return this!

They can't seem to grasp the fact that I didn't send it back for not working, it wasn't a black and white "this doesn't work"... I sent them the image of its transfer results, and was told it couldn't have cold spots, and they couldn't tell what was wrong from a picture, and I would need to send it back. And now that I have, and it turns on and heats up, it's my own fault for following their instructions. They have admitted to another forum user that their presses are "inferior", yet he accuses me of causing trouble, just because I want my money back, when I'm not entitled. As it stands, I have spent £217 buying a press and returning it to them, I have a machine that lights up and sits at room temperature for 30 minutes until I give up and switch it off. And they don't think they have a responsibility to provide a business with working, fit for purpose equipment. I'm a business, so it's okay to send me rubbish? He has told me I obviously don't know how to use heat presses...

Aaaaanyway, the GOOD, no, GREAT news is I went to my local place today, test samples in hand, and a lovely sales lady was very patient, let us test it out, and then come back later to collect it when it had cooled :biggrin: I now have a fully working heat press, hallelujah!! To be honest, I wasn't expecting to walk away with one, they are cheap (cheaper than Coralgraph's!), but I was pleasantly surprised at the quality, sturdy machines (CG's top platen wobbled left to right like it wasn't attached), and the results were great. I took the old test in, to compare it to the new... Top is CG's press, bottom is the new one, if the link works...

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/v/t34/154869_579400875478751_282474028_n.jpg?oh=9dda2b8c cacd4dbae1407f3971601932&oe=52E208AB&__gda__=1390552108_286e3921dcb98d5229f071ebc517005 3

JMugs
23-01-2014, 10:08 AM
Action would be small claims court where legal fees are not payable. Fixed fees apply.

Janners.

purpledragon
23-01-2014, 10:22 AM
seems like the tiger closed his mouth then! whilst i agree you appear to have recieved less than ideal service from coralgraph it is also true to say we on this forum only have your side of events to go by so its a little one sided not at all suggesting you are wrong just theres 2 sides to every story and we are only getting one side and thats yours so human nature dictates it will be weighted in your favour .
regardless of this you buy an item you expect it to work and quite rightly too personally i think you may have a got a little further with them had you been a little less aggressive not matter how good it makes you feel to vent publically, how good do you feel when it results in getting you nowhere fast! mty old granny always told me you catch more flies with honey than with vinigar.
whilst re reading your posts a couple of points you make seem odd . I dnot know how theres a differance between a business and joe public as regards to a years warranty i always a ssumed there was a statatory 12 months regardless perhaps im wrong but i do wonder why you think that as a sole trader you dont consider yourself to be a business you pay taxes and ni as a business dont you ??
i also noticed the pictures you posted of the results from coralgraphs press not great huh 1 but i wonder how this might have been improved with tinkering with times and temps maybe not at all but then maybe they would be ok i have 5 presses and 4 mug presses 1 being a double head and 1 wideformat rotary press let me concentrate on the flat beds
press 1 i bought this from joys when i first started the biggest load of crap i ever bought thats now spares price 250 quid
press 2 i bought from bms you might call this a cheap chinease press but i have to say i bought it about 5 years ago and still works great though it can be a bit finiky with certain items place mats were always a problem but tinkering with times / temps generally solve this price i think around 400 quid
press 3 was a love cut special (will i ever learn) to be fair for 2 years this worked great and even now its only the thermostat thats playing up price about 250 quid
press 4 a stahls clam press ... what can i say cracking piece of kit never lets me down perfect results every time well built lovly price around 1200 quid
press 5 a knight press bought with a buisness i bought but i know they aint cheap good sturdy build took 5 of us to move the thing down stairs again a cracking bit of kit price dunno but on a par with adkins or stahls
each of these presses have differnt settings to gain the same results one may have less time one may be slightly hotter / colder
i suppose what im saying is and i say this a lot you get what you pay for ! if you want results you get from a stahls then buy a stahls by all means take a chance on a cheapo chinease special but remember it will always be a chance .
interesting to hear you now have another press but cheaper i hope it lasts you well but again dont be suprised if it doesnt its cheap for a reason
its a harsh reality

squashynose
23-01-2014, 11:57 AM
(Sorry in advance for typos etc. I'm replying on mobile) Oh I know that, when we got it I said that for that price, if it conks out after the warranty period I won't care, I'll get my money's worth in a year, and then perhaps I'll be in a position to get a better one. Right now I'm not, so I have to make do with what I can afford :( the fact that this place is 15 mins away is very comforting though!

A years warranty is a years warranty. As a sole trader, a contract of sale is still covered by the same statutory rights any consumer has, UNLESS the contract states otherwise. I am registered with HMRC, although haven't had to file a return yet, and have just had my first NI bill. So yes, i stand corrected, as a sole trader I could be a business and therefore have different (or less) protection, but in this instance I don't. I didn't even realise I had put my business name on it until he told me and I had to go check! Lol but he says they only supply to businesses...

When pressing things, like lanyard material, I had stripes where it was colder and hadn't transferred properly, same on tags. The temp gun showed fluctuations, and if I'd increase the temp to get the cold spots up, the hot spots would have been hotter. The whole thing was already hotter than the display read, so was burning my blacks.

I did what they told me to do, and it still did it, sent it back as they told me to do, and they sent me something that doesn't heat at all. If we were close enough I'd be happy for them to show me that the original has even temp, and press something in front of me to prove it, then I'd happily take it back. Unfortunately they're about 400 miles away :( we might be going down to London soon, so if that's the case, we'll try to set something up, but it's only a chance. He thinks I returned a perfectly good 5 month old (he can't count, it was 3.5 months when I contacted them about it) press just to get a brand new one, so they think I've cheated them. We actually called them when the first one arrived to tell them that the pressure knob wasn't attached, and it would screw down (increase pressure) but would come off when trying to bring it back up. I made a point of telling them, because their warranty specifically says you have to notify them of any problems straight away, and I didn't want to risk any problems further down the line. Thy said it wasn't a problem, so i asked them to put a note on my file at their end about it, and they said they would. In his last email, Gabor told me that that never happened, the first time I contacted them was December, and that he looked at the knob and it's fine...! Obviously now I know to do everything in writing! :D

purpledragon
23-01-2014, 01:21 PM
with the cheap presses you often find uneven tempritures accross the platern more expensive presses have a micro coil which gives a much more even heat . as for the business side of things how can they say they sell to businesses only , they sell on ebay which as far as im aware is open to anyone who wants to bid they must obviously assume that because the items are for constructing items ie printing a placemat, mug whatever then you obviously are a business which isnt strictly the case here after all theres plenty of hobbiests who print items . You should definatly keep a record of all correspondence and if they said something in email which they later deny id forward the email back to them and see what they say then though it would be easy to alter an email if they wanted to go down that route.
In the end i think you have found the conclusion to this and thats obviously that coralgraph are not a company you want to deal with again , as i said in an earlier post i personally have never had a problem with them but then ive only ever bought blanks from them i will say that they are the cheaper end of the market though so if this follows through with their equiptment then its not suprising you are having problems .

As a buyer i would say cut your losses dont waste anymore time and energy on this and learn from the experiance im sure you will have advice for anyone who asks you about coralgraph and their customer care and in life unfortunatl;y shit happens and this has happened to you its unfortunate but move on and concentrate on making money with better equiptment its a loss yess but then as a business you can certainly account for that loss in your tax returns

As seller id say coralgraph would probably been better to just bite the bullet and sort this out they wouldve earnt much more in brownie points and good reputation but instead have allowed their name to be dragged through the mud somewhat sometimes it pays to just say to hell with it keep the customer happy we've all had to do it how many of us hacve had mugs go missing in the post which we know deep down is rubbish but there are times when you have to say its not worth the hasstle .

i think 6 of 1 half a doz of the other applies here coralgraph have shown pretty poor service but then you have stoked the fires a bit and more could probably been achieved had both sides been a little more reasonable oh well thats life

RogerC
23-01-2014, 04:44 PM
I have to agree with our winged firebreathing friend.......accept it and move on. Like has been said we have only got one side of the story but 'smoke/fire' comes to mind. CG have not done themselves any favours over this one and in the grand scheme of things to them it is pennies which has cost them a big 'dent' in their reputation.
You never see this sort of thread/line of negativity with the likes of BMS, indeed it is completely the opposite. So if CG ever read these pages maybe they might reconsider their customer service ethic and take a look at the likes of BMS as a role model.

squashynose
23-01-2014, 06:18 PM
:) I agree as well lol

Having a working machine now, it's like a weight has been lifted, I've been stressing over this for far too long, and also had customers waiting on me to let them know when I can do their collars! They're all happy as well! Thanks everyone for all your replies :)

For anyone interested, this is the kind of thing I do with the dye sub., most of my products are pre-printed ribbons and fabrics, but being able to offer custom stuff is great.

http://www.leadingthepackstore.co.uk/storev2/open-product.php?page=viewproduct&product=20mm-25mm-collars-and-leads-printed-ribbon-25mm-pointing-pointer-collars-and-leads