I WILL NEVER BUY HUMMINBIRD AGAIN!!!!! 2024

mi_basser reply :

So I bought a new humminbird fishfinder last spring, put it on my boat, and everything worked good. That was last April, the receipt says April 25th. I go out fishing this year and the finder works fine, take it out a second time and half way throught the day it starts giving me unbelievable readings, like I know I am in about 12 foot of water and it says 500+. OK, so here is the problem, the finder comes with a one year warranty, it has been about 13 months and the humminbird customer service people tell me all they can do is refurbish it for 79.99 if I send it to them and pay for shipping, another 10 bucks, so I have to spend 90+ dollars for them to fix a finder that was only 155 new. I think that is terrible customer relations, I will never buy humminbird again. Sorry for the rant, just thought some might like to know how terrible there customer service is.

cart7t reply :

If it had been 15 months from the date of purchase and Hummingbird made that offer would that be OK? How about 18? 20? How long in your mind, should Hummingbird cover that unit, for free, beyond the expressed warranty that was offered to you when you bought it?

CWB reply :

Sorry about your bad experience , but a year means 12 months, not 13.

Did you speak to someone or email? What was your tone when you let them know? What model was it?

I'm not making any judgements or defending anyone but for all they know it could have been abused or whatever. Try to get ahold of a supervisor. Did you contact the store you bought it? They might be able to give you a contact.

If it was an 1100 or 900 series, price to repair does not sound too bad.

dmac14 reply :

He has a good point, they say a year for a reason..If milk has a due date of 6/14 is it ok if I drank it today?

As for the price to refurbish it, I think that my be a little steep.

Elite Image Fishing reply :

I work at Dick's Sporting Goods, and I have had a ton of people come in having bought Hummingbird products with the same issue. A gentlemen just yesterday came in with a problem very similar to yours he had just bought the unit 2 days prior. The customer service rep told him they had been having products with the units and were currently not replacing the units but refurbishing them for an additional cost. He returned the unit and purchased another brand... I have seen this too many times recently... enough to deter my business to another Manufacturer.

SoFl-native reply :

This thread is silly.

If you want to b*tch about the thing not working fine.......but whining about Humminbird not fixing your unit for free out of warranty is ridiculous.

done reply :

Quote
This thread is silly.
If you want to b*tch about the thing not working fine.......but whining about Humminbird not fixing your unit for free out of warranty is ridiculous.

I get where you guys are coming from. A deal is a deal and as far as warranty goes, they said 12 months. That being said, I would have to say having a product fail just out of warranty sucks. The company may choose to help you out a bit but their is their perogative. IMO, they should have helped you out.

When my Lumina's engine seals started leaking 2,000 miles out of warranty Chevy gave me a significant discount on the repair. It was not free cause it was not under warranty but the discount earned them another sale as I went in for a Trailblazer a few months later. I would be nice, not required, but nice if they recognized his unit was just out of warranty and floated him a deal on the repair. yes 12 months is 12 months but when you buy a fish finder or vehicle or any product under warranty to you do so with the expectation it is going to die immediately after the warranty expires?

IMO, a fish finder should last more than 1 year of reasonable use (yeah that is an assumption I am making here with his particular unit).

While this alone would not get me to NOT buy one, seeing a pattern of these unit breaking at 13 months certainly would ensure I would never have their product on my boat.

CWB reply :

Quote
This thread is silly.
If you want to b*tch about the thing not working fine.......but whining about Humminbird not fixing your unit for free out of warranty is ridiculous.

Don't be afraid-

Say what's really on your mind! ;D

MI-

You never did say what model it is.

done reply :

Quote

Quote
This thread is silly.
If you want to b*tch about the thing not working fine.......but whining about Humminbird not fixing your unit for free out of warranty is ridiculous.

Don't be afraid-

Say what's really on your mind! ;D

MI-

You never did say what model it is.

LOL. I was thinking that too. Poor dude, come online to rant and get some moral support, puts his head down on the collective BR shoulder and gets punched in the gut. LOL

DawsonH reply :

It was deserved. As someone that works retail I would be really upset if I had to deal with a customer with an argument structured like this one. While I like most others agree that at 13 months that feels pretty crappy to have your stuff not working, Its also like everyone else said that its out of warranty. They don't owe it to you for free.

burleytog reply :

If you didn't like the warranty, why did you purchase the product?

Oh, and when you buy that Lowrance unit, have fun just trying to contact someone if something goes wrong.

TruflShufl reply :

Quote
If you didn't like the warranty, why did you purchase the product?
Oh, and when you buy that Lowrance unit, have fun just trying to contact someone if something goes wrong.

Lowrance is located in Tulsa so I'll drive my behind right on down there if I can't ahold of anybody. ;D

I know a rep in the Oklahoma area that takes care of folks veryyyyy well with Lowrance. Based on that fact and what I'm reading here regarding the issues theyve been having, I'm more likely to side with a Lowrance unit when I buy.

As for them not replacing the unit 1 month out of warranty... a line has to be drawn somewhere I suppose. Sucks, but rules are rules.

Wayne P. reply :

I read the same complaints about Garmin, Eagle and Lowrance with the same " I will never buy xxxxxxx again" and " just thought some might like to know how terrible there customer service is". A very large majority of purchasers of all brands are satisfied with the product and service.

mi_basser reply :

I understand the 12 months but my only complaint is am I expected to pay for a "new" or refurbished unit every year?? I just feel that they could go a little farther with there product coverage. I started out very calm with them on this situation. My argument with them was "what if this had been a 1500 dollar unit, not a 150 dollar one?? should I still be expected to just lay down and say OK, I guess I will just keep buying your equipment even though it doesn't hold up, I am very picky about taking care of my equipment, I can't afford to go out and abuse what I have.

burleytog reply :

Where should they draw the line? 13 months? 15 months? 24 months?

Humminbird is a business. The only purpose of a business is to make money. How are they making money if they are replacing everyone's graph at 13 months?

You agreed to the 12 month warranty when you purchased and used the unit. It sucks that it malfunctioned, but that is the way it goes.

Honestly, what is HB supposed to do?

done reply :

Quote
I understand the 12 months but my only complaint is am I expected to pay for a "new" or refurbished unit every year?? I just feel that they could go a little farther with there product coverage. I started out very calm with them on this situation. My argument with them was "what if this had been a 1500 dollar unit, not a 150 dollar one?? should I still be expected to just lay down and say OK, I guess I will just keep buying your equipment even though it doesn't hold up, I am very picky about taking care of my equipment, I can't afford to go out and abuse what I have.

Truthfully mi_Basser with complete ignorance on the length of current warranties with other products, one thing I will take away from your post is, when I buy my next unit, length of warranty will be a consideration. Frequently i do not give it any mention but you probably should of and so should I. That is of course assuming that any out there have >12 months warranty coverage.

flechero reply :

Quote
Oh, and when you buy that Lowrance unit, have fun just trying to contact someone if something goes wrong.

Seriously? The are easy to get in touch with and even easier to get help from. You must not have the right number, or they have you on call block. ...lol

To the OP, I wish they would have offered something in the way of a repair... not just a one size fits all refurb. I had a hummingbird once... I was thrilled to sell it!!

Anyone (including the naysayers above) that buys a new graph that dies after 13 months would be upset. If they were advertised as "may last through the warranty period", I suspect you would not buy that one.

Heck Burley, a freaking quantum will make it a year. ;D Give the guy a break.

Anyone here willing to buy a new car that melts down at 37,000 miles? Bet you'd be ticked off then, even though you made it past the typical 36,000 mile warranty. :

mi_basser reply :

Flechero, that is kind of where I was headed with the whole topic, I am really disappointed with how it didn't last, I bought the unit thinking it would be the only one I would buy for a long time, not that it would last for a year,I didn't even pay attention to the warranty as I didn't expect it to be an issue.

done reply :

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Flechero, that is kind of where I was headed with the whole topic, I am really disappointed with how it didn't last, I bought the unit thinking it would be the only one I would buy for a long time, not that it would last for a year,I didn't even pay attention to the warranty as I didn't expect it to be an issue.

I really had no idea how long mine was. I had to go back and look it up. LOL So you are not alone there.

jax reply :

I agree there has to be a line drawn but how many upset honda and toyota owners would there be if they started crapping out right after the warranty. Those vehicles are expected to last many many miles after the warranty expires. The is why american made vehicles got a bad rap. They crapped out a little past the warranty. Heck cell phones are expected to last at least two years now and we all know how crappy they are.

That being said whether we read the fine print or not the stated time is the stated time. Sometimes things fail sooner than others. I wouldn't get mad at Humminbird and call them a crap company just because they wouldn't replace something out of warranty. They have no idea who you are or what you put the equipment thru.

It sucks that it died but sometimes things happen. Something may have happened to it while you have had it that you don't even know about. Unfortunately no one will ever know.

I personally would still buy another humminbird if I was happy with that unit. Now if it happened again then you are starting to build a history with them that warrants complain. Until then it is hard to say the whole company sucks when there are thousands upon thousands of satisfied customers.

Not every toyota or honda has made it to 300,000 miles.

TrippyJai reply :

I'm sure we all mentioned some valid points about this thread, but I can understand why he is a very unhappy customer. $90 to replace a $155 unit that crapped out just when the warranty ends? That leaves the OP with no choice, but to cough up $90 or buy a brand new one.

If Hummingbird really valued their customers, they would of given him a break and replaced it for him. That way, Hummingbird can expect this person to buy another unit from them in the future, maybe a more expensive unit too. As well as this post should of been how great Hummingbird customer service was.

How do you think Shimano is loved by all on this forum? Great service, great products, great warranty and the word keeps spreading = more customers.

cart7t reply :

Quote
I'm sure we all mentioned some valid points about this thread, but I can understand why he is a very unhappy customer. $90 to replace a $155 unit that crapped out just when the warranty ends? That leaves the OP with no choice, but to cough up $90 or buy a brand new one.

So the repair price should be based on what you originally paid for it? LOL, as someone who's in the electronics repair business it just doesn't work that way. You either pay a much higher up front cost for a better engineered unit that will probably last a long time and has good support from the manufacturer OR you pay very little for the product up front but the quality engineering and longevity of the product suffers. One way or the other you're going to pay for it.

Quote
If Hummingbird really valued their customers, they would of given him a break and replaced it for him. That way, Hummingbird can expect this person to buy another unit from them in the future, maybe a more expensive unit too. As well as this post should of been how great Hummingbird customer service was.

As has been asked before, should Hummingbird just give him a new unit to keep him happy regardless of when he bought it? You are probably from the big box retailers generation, if the thing breaks (even if I'm responsible), I don't like it, I got tired of it, etc, etc, I should be able to just take it back and get a new one or my money back, despite how old it is. If I don't I'll just go someplace else.

Did you ever think Hummingbird may not want someone as a customer who, when he/she doesn't get their way, goes to a public forum and whines?

Quote
How do you think Shimano is loved by all on this forum? Great service, great products, great warranty and the word keeps spreading = more customers.

A longtime poster, he's posted in this thread BTW, told of how he got brand new Curado's right out of the box new that were defective and then was told he had to pay to ship them to get them fixed or replaced.

I suspect there are far more happier Hummingbird customers than unhappy. They've been in business longer than you've been around. They didn't get there from building junk product all these years nor providing bad customer service.

Long Mike reply :

I don't have any HB equipment, so I can't comment on their customer service. I have Lowrance units and can verify that trying to talk to ANY Lowrance rep on the phone is a major exercise in frustration. However, I live only three miles from their factory, so it's easy to talk to someone face to face. What really surprised me when I walked into their Customer Service facility is that it consists of only a 10'x10' waiting room that adjoins a secretary's office of about the same size. Fortunately for me, the people on the other side of the little window really knew their stuff. Unfortunately for them, that little office of theirs is so packed full of cables, connectors and such that there is hardly any room to move.

HPBB reply :

I had a lowrance unit go out a few years ago and they wanted $250 to look at it and that didn't guarantee it to be fixed. They did fix it. I also had a Humminbird go out on me and they overnighted me a new one. It was however still under warranty. That being said the warranty said 12 months and 12 months is 12 months not 13. You said you motor was out of warranty and GM gave you a discounton fixing it. Well, Humminbird saying they could fix your unit for $75 that is a discount over a new one. They could have said that you were out of luck and should buy a new one.

Fishing Rhino reply :

Here's the deal.

It seems everytime you buy something with a warranty, they try to sell you an extended warranty at the cash register, or at the web site when ordering online.

They will fix, or replace it free. If that particular model is no longer being made, you will get the model which replaced it.

I don't buy the extended warranty. Saved more than enough money by declining to replace whatever might turn to junk out of warranty.

The point is, if you want extended coverage beyond the standard warranty, you can buy it.

TommyBass reply :

Thats a tough one.... everyone else is pretty much right that its just bad luck that its a month after the warranty. In all reality your responsible for the product after that. But I do get your point. Heck... if its only a year warranty why wouldn't HB just design in a little flaw to have a few units break down after 13 or 14 months... make a little extra cash on the side refurbishing all of them? To me, once the lady said that they have had this probllem alot and are refurbishing them, that puts it on their shoulders. A known problem that hasn't been recalled (as most honest companies would do) is a shame. That should be taken care of on the line by the QA/QC department. If it was a one in a million problem then ya, you just had a run of bad luck, but multiple unit problems I believe is a different story. I also agree that the amount of money requested for the refurbish is beyond rediculous considering the MSRP and the situation.

Bull Hurley reply :

Quote
Where should they draw the line? 13 months? 15 months? 24 months?
Humminbird is a business. The only purpose of a business is to make money. How are they making money if they are replacing everyone's graph at 13 months?

You agreed to the 12 month warranty when you purchased and used the unit. It sucks that it malfunctioned, but that is the way it goes.

Honestly, what is HB supposed to do?

HB did exactly what they are supposed to do. They gave him an option on fixing the unit at half the price of a new one, no matter what brand you switch to. All he could reasonably ask for is if he sends it in to be refurbished do they give a warranty on the work. A reasonable amount of time on the refurbish warranty would be 30-90 days.

crw reply :

You may want to make sure your transponder is pointed down and try cleaning the transponder bottom with Windex or alcohol. When mine get hit by a stump/rock and unlatches, it gives strange depth readings.

SnowBass23 reply :

That situation is certainly one that nobody wants to be in. It always sucks when something we pay hard earned money for breaks. But, I think HB did a good thing in offering to refurb the unit at half price. They could have just told you buy a new one and be done with it. Anytime you buy something you expect it to last a long time, but every now and then that just doesn't happen. Stuff happens as Murphy's little Law says. I have a HB that I bought a few years ago, I've beaten the crap out of it, and it still works great. But, it is all in the individual experience and product.

Wildbillb reply :

Did the simulation mode get turned on?

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I WILL NEVER BUY HUMMINBIRD AGAIN!!!!! 2024

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