Echo dealers... I need some answers and help please....

[eat a peach]

I will start out by saying I purchased a 355T climbing saw from a local dealer. This dealer is a good sized, landscaping mostly,store who sells stihl and echo. They used to have husky too. The saw in question has worked perfectly for3 months. Never failed to start or perform. Well it started about 3 weeks ago and hung up on the mid throttle or high idle as some call it. The throttle linkage came loose or broke. Anyway being under warranty I didn't mess with it just took it back . I told the guy at the counter the problem and demonstrated it to him. The other person at the counter commented they never have Echos come
in with problems. I told them it should be a simple fix and the saw always starts and runs great. Keep in mind he already started it very easily and knew that the throttle just would not work. I was told 2 week wait,it has been three and they called me today with a 167.00 bill for a carb rebuild that was ,you guessed it FUEL related and not a warrantied problem.
I just about blew a gasket. I told them it did not need rebuilding,the problem was explained to them as linkage or trigger related and it ran perfect when I brought it in. I went on to say I run 93 octane with husky full syn oil at 40-1. They would not put the mech on the phone so I told them I will be there bright and early thursday to talk to the owner. I am adamant about not paying them for a problem I didn't have. I need advice on how to handle this.

 

[Mike from Maine]

Tell them you never authorized a repair (after they bring the saw out) Then pick the saw up and walk out.

Don't argue, just walk out with your saw. Assuming you never signed any paperwork...

 

[o8f150]

167 to do a carb rebuild??? did they offer any vasoline with it,,,, heck I need to raise my prices,, I get 25 kit and labor to build most carbs

 

[eat a peach]

167 to do a carb rebuild??? did they offer any vasoline with it,,,, heck I need to raise my prices,, I get 25 kit and labor to build most carbs

I did tell them I could have done a carb kit but it was running perfect, I never dreamed they would try to slide this in on me. This it the oldest dealer around . I just never took anything in for service before . As I said tho it should have been warrantied.

 

[jus2fat]

This is just classic Echo warranty that is worthless generally. 5 years..50 years it's worthless.

They will somehow find a way to not fix the item under warranty...it's upper management.

My Echo dealer closed the doors after 11 yrs. in business because Echo refused two cheap repairs
(one on a trimmer and another on a blower)...up until then he did small repairs on his own dime...
He did this just to get the customer back in action promptly and it worked until these 2 larger repairs came up
He couldn't afford to do it for free again...and Echo would not budge...so he just closed the doors and retired.

J2F

 

[w8ye]

I seriously doubt the guys at the counter ever talked to the mechanic.

The saw probably just had attached a repair ticket with you name on it?

 

[1Alpha1]

Contact ECHO INC. and advise them of the situation.

Some years ago, I had an issue with an ECHO saw still under warranty. I sent an e-mail to them and they took care of it by contacting the local dealer by phone.

$167.00 for a carb rebuild? :msp_scared: Someone is pissing on your leg and hoping you think it's raining out.

 

[SawTroll]

Echo just is an arrogant brand - try to avoid them! :taped:


... but of course any brand can have some bad dealers, not just Echo.

 

[cuttingintime]

Try to be cool and collected, explain to the owned just as you stated. If you do not get a positive outcome try echo after that the gloves come off !!!

 

[Pioneer42]

167 dollars for a carb rebuild, not even a new carb? That is pathetic that they would think to charge that. Ask them what was wrong with the carb, was it debris, corrosion or a check valve in the carb?

 

[spike60]

This is NOT an Echo problem, it's a dealer problem. Mostly a communication breakdown that really isn't all that uncommon at larger shops.

They simply did the WRONG repair, not the work that the customer requested. It's on that basis that you can refuse to pay the bill. I wonder if there is a copy of whatever work order or tag that was filled out when you brought the saw in there. I would firmly, but not loudly, remind them that is was brought in for a linkage problem, not a running issue and there was no reason for them to do the carb rebuild. That is THEIR mistake, not yours and they should pay for it. I'd be additionally miffed that they monkeyed around with a carb that was working perfectly.

Now as far as $167 for the rebuild, that's outrageous. The retail of a new carb is probably less than half of that; maybe a third.

Let us know how this one turns out.

 

[opinion]

That's messed up. They should have called you with the break down before doing anything. And before doing even that, they should have told you their policies before taking in your saw, whether they charge for diagnosis or not. If it falls under warranty, obviously it should be waived.

Do you have a detailed invoice on what was done? Was it $17 for a kit and $150 for labor? Crazy. Keep in mind though, fuel related issues are not under warranty.

 

[mountainlake]

This is just classic Echo warranty that is worthless generally. 5 years..50 years it's worthless.

They will somehow find a way to not fix the item under warranty...it's upper management.

My Echo dealer closed the doors after 11 yrs. in business because Echo refused two cheap repairs
(one on a trimmer and another on a blower)...up until then he did small repairs on his own dime...
He did this just to get the customer back in action promptly and it worked until these 2 larger repairs came up
He couldn't afford to do it for free again...and Echo would not budge...so he just closed the doors and retired.

J2F

This has to do with another bad dealer, he shouldn't have touched the carb just the linkage. That said I haven't took anything to a dealer in over 35 years, new or not. Same thing happens at a lot of dealers over charging the consumer, cars, trucks, tractors, etc ,just like legalized stealing. Steve

 

[jus2fat]

This has to do with another bad dealer, he shouldn't have touched the carb just the linkage. That said I haven't took anything to a dealer in over 35 years, new or not. Same thing happens at a lot of dealers over charging the consumer, cars, trucks, tractors, etc ,just like legalized stealing. Steve

You are right...this dealer just screwed the owner of the saw. - But it should have been covered under warranty.

I hate to say it but it seems to me that Echo just doesn't care after the sale is made. That being upper management.
The dealer might want to do the repair under warranty...but Echo corporate office rejects the request...which the
customer does not know whether to believe or not...so he's just pissed at whole company when it may not be that way.

I..like you have never used any warranty on any of my OPE...I take care of them and do my own repairs.

But I will say that Stihl will generally try to cover under warranty...simply because they really hate to lose a customer
and they know bad new travels fast and losing one customer could soon add up to 10+ customers lost..(my 2¢)..

J2F®

 

[Guido Salvage]

The unanswered question is whether they performed the repair you took the saw in for...

 

[KenJax Tree]

The unanswered question is whether they performed the repair you took the saw in for...

I was just gonna ask that

 

[eat a peach]

This is NOT an Echo problem, it's a dealer problem. Mostly a communication breakdown that really isn't all that uncommon at larger shops.

They simply did the WRONG repair, not the work that the customer requested. It's on that basis that you can refuse to pay the bill. I wonder if there is a copy of whatever work order or tag that was filled out when you brought the saw in there. I would firmly, but not loudly, remind them that is was brought in for a linkage problem, not a running issue and there was no reason for them to do the carb rebuild. That is THEIR mistake, not yours and they should pay for it. I'd be additionally miffed that they monkeyed around with a carb that was working perfectly.

Now as far as $167 for the rebuild, that's outrageous. The retail of a new carb is probably less than half of that; maybe a third.

Let us know how this one turns out.

Well ,it's amazing how things change overnight. I need to fill in a few things left out last nite. After they told me the bill would be 167 and I blew up ,I told them I wanted to meet with the owner and mech this morning. I also mentioned that I knew a little about saws. When I got there this morning they were sooo very nice and come to find out they had not repaired my saw:msp_scared: they just wanted me to know how much it would be IF I wanted the work done. :msp_wink:
This was totally different from yesterday. The mech had all the parts laid out to show me. He tried to explain how the diaphram was hard till I asked to see a new one and show him nothing was wrong. Needless to say he weakly tried to upsell me a carb ,because it was cheaper than 70hr labor for a rebuild. He even offered to put a diaphram he had "left over" in the saw for FREE. I let him save face by walking out of his shop so he could put the old parts back on the saw. He tried to point out how it would not tune right until I informed him to put the air filter and b&c on it to tune it under load.
Well you guessed it NO CHARGE!! WOW imagine that. Oh I did tell them in a moment of rage yesterday about some derogatory newspaper ads .:taped::taped:

THANKS for the help and support guys
I will never darken their door again. Why do people have to do business that way?

 

[mitch95100]

Hope that included some HI-Temp Lube becouse they sure let you have it!!! I get $30 to rebuild a carb!!!

Sent from me to you using my fingers