I took my Pfaff 200C back to the dealer a couple of weeks ago (2 tomorrow) because of the nasty buttonholes. She told me it was "out of balance". Well, I hadn't heard back from them, so I called them today. They told me the circuit board was bad and needed to be replaced. And, because it is now 14 months old - not 12, 14 - the manufacturer (Pfaff) would not honor the warranty and replace the board. The machine cost $556, I know because the slip is next to me on the couch. To replace the board will be about $220. So, for a machine that is only a year old, I'm looking at a repair half the cost of the machine. I'm more than a little fumed and not really sure what I want to do. The dealer offered to take it "as is" for a trade in and would "make a good deal" - no dollar amount was mentioned on the phone. I DO NOT want to spend half the price of the machine to get it fixed, that's just crap.
Now, I know they are legally under no obligation. But 2 months?!?! And this really explains a lot of the problems I've had and thought they were just "me". That I hadn't sewn in years, that I had never used a modern machine, that I wasn't careful enough, that I needed a different foot - needle - stitch length, yada, yada, yada. Things like when I sewed in reverse then back forward it wouldn't stop sewing (sometimes, not always) and had to turn off the machine to make it stop (fortunately it sewed slowly) - because this is intermittant the dealer couldn't replicate it and didn't fix it. I was unable to turn off the "auto lock" feature, so it always tacked the seam at the beginning - not good if basting. The dealer said this was just the way it worked, but the book says otherwise. I asked about both of these last April. I was never able to get a straight stitch, it always pulled to the left. Forget about using the overcast or any near the edge stitches. I thought that was just me. And the buttonholes, I spent a year with stabilizers, ripping out, varying widths and threads... That I just didn't know how to do it.
I just really couldn't believe there would be something really wrong with a brand new machine from a very reputable manufacturer. This isn't a thousands of dollars machine, but it wasn't the Walmart special, either. I emailed Pfaff this evening, I sincerely hope they will work with on this. I know they don't have to, but the right thing to do will be to replace the board. I have really been kicking around upgrading and a Pfaff Creative (not sure which one, yet) was at the top of my list.
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Isn't this the way! How many millions of us have sat blaming ourselves for crashed computers, haywire videos, blown-up microwaves - then doubting our skills and buying extra stuff to work around the problem. I have total sympathy and so should Pfaff. Keep us posted. Susan
ReplyDeleteHmmm. I once took my Viking in because the automatic alert that the bobbin was empty wasn't working. And that turned into the circuit board needing to be replaced too. hmmm. I think mine was still under warranty though--BARELY.
ReplyDeleteSorry this happened to you. :-( Hope it all works out.
Do you have record of previous dealer visits? If this was a problem that they didn't catch before, shouldn't they at least be partially responsible for it?
When I've encountered a problem like this, I take the time to write a letter (snail mail) to the CEO of the company, outlining the history of problems and my expectations--not a rant, but a pointed and specific letter. I haven't had 100% success, but usually a handwritten letter gets a better response. It wouldn't hurt to let the company know about this blog--word of mouth is important to sewing machine companies. I'd hold off on accepting the dealer's offer until I'd pursued the issue further. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteYes< Beebee ,for sure, if you had some of these problems when the machine was under warranty. They should replace the mother board. Do you have any proof you had it , to the dealer for work and the dates. I would sure write a later. Thats redicules with a machine 14 months old. I have know car dealers to do the same thing on peoples car. Keep putting off the problem as nothing major, until the warranty is out and then suddenly find what was wrong all the time, and its a major expense.
ReplyDeleteI sure hope you get it fixed without paying for the Mother Board.
Well Phooey. That really does stink. And it explains those wonky buttonholes that looked like you were TRYING to screw them up! Yeah, I agree with the letter to Pfaff. No screaming, just polite pointing out what happened and how disappointed you are, and how this has really made you rethink your view of Pfaff, and how you will likely poll your friends on the various sewing sites and blogs you frequent for advice. Give 'em heck. K
ReplyDeleteThis post makes me a little scared. LOL I just purchased my 200c on clearance from a local dealer. I still have the year warranty, luckily, and I will keep an eye on it in case something starts to go wonky with it. Being a beginner sewer though I am not sure I will realize if something is wrong. :(
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I found your blog from sewing.patternreview and came across your post from about a year ago about a walking foot for the 200c. I am having the same dilemma right now, I want a walking foot, but don't want to buy one unless I am sure it will fit. Did you ever find a walking foot that works??? Please email me if so! kasmith_02@hotmail.com
Kelly, I hope you enjoy your machine and that it works well. They can't all be bad or we would know. My advice is that if you think it's a problem, don't assume it's you. Take it back and make them show you it works. Don't worry about "looking dumb", it's their job to show you how to work the machine. Not how to sew, but how to work it (I'm assuming you get a free class with this).
ReplyDeleteNo, I didn't get the walking foot, I started having so many problems that I spent my time working on those rather than investing more in the machine. Your dealer should be able to help you find one that fits, though. Just be sure that the one you get has the same stitch width (7mm) as your machine. Many are too narrow (5mm) and will not work. Let me know how you like your machine. It has a lot of fun stuff on it.