Makro Gold Kruzer ?....Buyer Beware.

So I ordered a new Gold Kruzer. It was dropped shipped to me from a Distributor.

1st thing the detector had already been taken out, fiddled and packed back with some box damage so the whole new box experience wasn't there.
2nd thing is that since the detector had already been fiddled with I don't even know if I got a new detector.
3rd thing is that it was missing a key part, which I wont get until I jump through all the hoops, of which I'm still collecting the required pieces to even walk up to the hoops to start jumping through.

Only good news is that I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that the detector might be new but I still don't know for sure as I don't know if its normal for the Gold Kruzer to have two different serial number stickers on the control box. Coils are new anyway.

Dam sure wont be repeating this experience in the future. Next time I have a desire for a Makro/Nokta detector I'll just wait and buy used and skip all this crap since the experience is going to be a used detector experience anyway.

Mike



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/2019 06:30PM by Mike Hillis.

Man that sucks buddy what part was missing? When I got my equinox 800 it also looked like the box had been opened before. I was thinking someone robbed the screen protectors out of my box cause I only had one English screen protector and like three of all others.

Mike I had the same experience when I bought my "new" Racer2 (it even came with a Gold Racer manual

Was a bit miffed at first, but Makro (Nokta) made everything right for me. I've never experienced from any other detecting vendor the top notch service I have from the Nok/Mak folks. I suspect that the disty likely played around with our detectors, so I'd likely place the blame there, wouldn't make sense for Mak/Nok to have played with our tectors before shipping them to the U.S.

Looking forward to seeing how you like the detector

Yeah, Brian.....I figure it was the distributor. At least I hope it was the distributor, not a return or worse yet a new priced refurbished unit. Maybe they are new distributors.and don't know better about keeping their hands off or maybe they are just sabotaging stuff. I dunno.

Missing the headphone charging cable. Distributor said to contact the repair center. Repair center said to take a picture of the serial number tag on the control head and send it and a picture of the invoice to him. I'm waiting on the invoice to be mailed to me.

Don't know which serial number tag he wants to see so I took pictures of the one on the back of the unit, the one on the side of the unit and the one on the paper card. The back and the paper card match. Side one is different.

Hopefully he can tell me if its new, too.

Can't use it without the headphone charging cable. The detector came with a 3/4 charge and updated software (figured out the software had already been updated by comparing what was in the detector to what is on the mfg site) So I'm thinking that maybe the guy dumped it all out, charged it, updated the software and then did a half ass repack job. Box doesn't really support that but I'm hopeful.

Mike

Well, some good news. Nokta | Makro's newest distributor in the USA will get their first stock next week and are the best detector distributor in the USA. No more games. Better dealer pricing on detectors and shipping. There will also be better MAP pricing (15% off current prices).

Better times ahead for all parties involved.

Quote

Looking forward to seeing how you like the detector thumbs down

ME TOO.

HH
Mike

Hey Mike if you have a Xp deus or playstation 3 its the same cord to charge the headphones. If ya can't find one let me know I have extras. Ill send ya one no prob. Will take ya a year and a month waiting on a invoice.

Thanks Kickindirt.

I have a pair of bluetooth headphones I use at work to watch training videos with that probably share the same charger. However the manual specifically states NOT to use any other headphone charger than the one supplied.

Invoice was mailed yesterday so I ought to have a replacement in a couple of weeks.

HH
Mike

no worries any basic cell phone 5 volt charger will work. If it really worries ya just make sure its not one of those high amped up cell chargers. I would make sure it stays under the 2 amp range charger to be safe. Usually the ratings are posted on the chargers.

Don't feel bad Mike my friend is a dealer and got a Multi Kruzer from the distributor and it was clearly obvious it had been opened and a repair was attempted. Then the battery started to smoke.. The distributor then finally took it back. Looks like the "wrong horse" got backed to distribute. I'm hoping the new Nokta/Makro USA repair center will help.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2019 11:02PM by texkinzee.

Time to Splain things to the distributor.

Is this a new distributor that Nokta/Makro has here in the U.S.?

I think it's North Georgia Relics and detectors whose the new distributor.

Dilek told us a while ago here about new service facility.
[www.dankowskidetectors.com]

Getting away from Big K.
Good move imo.

Minelab learned their lesson too it seems.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2019 12:42PM by tnsharpshooter.

Sour experience for sure. I'm sure it will be righted soon.

"It's only when we lost everything, that we are free to do anything"

Mike Hillis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So I ordered a new Gold Kruzer. It was dropped sh
> ipped to me from a Distributor.
>
> 1st thing the detector had already been taken out,
> fiddled and packed back with some box damage so th
> e whole new box experience wasn't there.
> 2nd thing is that since the detector had already b
> een fiddled with I don't even know if I got a new
> detector.
> 3rd thing is that it was missing a key part, which
> I wont get until I jump through all the hoops, of
> which I'm still collecting the required pieces to
> even walk up to the hoops to start jumping through
> .
>
> Only good news is that I'm slowly coming to the co
> nclusion that the detector might be new but I stil
> l don't know for sure as I don't know if its norma
> l for the Gold Kruzer to have two different serial
> number stickers on the control box. Coils are new
> anyway.
>
> Dam sure wont be repeating this experience in the
> future. Next time I have a desire for a Makro/Nok
> ta detector I'll just wait and buy used and skip a
> ll this crap since the experience is going to be a
> used detector experience anyway.
>
> Mike


Sorry to read that Mike - I know exactly what you're talking about.

Being a Tester for various Manufacturer's, I usually receive New boxed detectors and when opening the box (carton) they are always handled 'softly' paying particular attention to NOT tearing the cardboard corners etc which can be delicate and easy to rip (the flaps can be tricky to deal with)
At times the sender may have used an excessive amount of adhesive tape which may have gone on to the box 'graphics' and I had to be really careful NOT to tear the 'photograph' or whichever area of the box was covered!
Then, once opened everything was photographed IN SITU and it was only after that the detector and all its parts were removed, assembled and always covered with easy remove tape to keep clean and the detector was used very carefully.
After several weeks the detector was disassembled, protective coverings removed, cleaned, dusted off and polished and carefully put back in the carton, all parts double checked they were present. It was then sealed up, wrapped copiously in brown paper wrapping and returned by Courier usually at my expense also to whichever magazine I was testing for.
Occasionally I was allowed to keep a detector and/or was given a reduced price to buy it if I wanted that detector.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2019 12:48PM by Des D.

Thank you for the link, TNSS.

Mike

North Georgia Relics typically has been a good dealer to deal with. When Don owned the Co, up to a couple of years ago, I had bought several detectors from them and always smooth transactions. Just one since, but the same good service. Hope everything works out for you, Mike. HH jim tn

North Georgia is the new repair facility.

The new USA distributor is American.

I would like to let everyone know that I was the one/dealer that sold Mike the detector. I had it dropped shipped like I do all my sales. I have never ever had a problem with anything from my distributor or from any of my other customers. I gave Mike a great deal and am doing everything in my power to make him happy but I will not do business with him again.

Got a headphone charging cord laying around anywhere?

I mean, it is great you self-identified and all Steve, as I never fingered you, nor did I plan to, but I'm doing all the leg work here, trying to get my missing part, my invoice, find out if I got a new unit or a refurb. Why should I hold my joy back for fear of privately offending you? Or I should say now, publicly offending you.

As far as not doing business with me again all I can say is you already made the list so it doesn't matter. Not because you are not a good guy and all that, just that the only service you can provide is a phone number.

If I'd done business with someone like Craig or Richard or pick a name....I'd already have a headphone charging cable in my hand and my questions answered.

Only bought about 60+ detectors to scratch my buy and try itch since 2003. Just bad luck all the way around for all four of us. Me, You, and Nokta/Makro and who ever this particular distributor is.

We shut our trap and hide the issue it never gets better for the next guy.'

HH
Mike

And I'll add....don't get mad at me.....go fuss at your distributor. I'm sure he has a extra headphone charging cable laying around his place somewhere.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2019 08:41PM by Mike Hillis.

Hate to see this happen between two people I like and respect.

Mike has contributed much to my knowledge since I started detecting over eleven years ago, His posts are always a worthwhile read.

I've done business with Steve multiple times. His prices and service have been great and I highly recommend him. He didn't have to identify himself here, but he did because he is a standup guy.

I think this is a situation where two good people are getting frustrated with each other because a third party screwed up.

Mike Hillis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Got a headphone charging cord laying around anywhe
> re?
>
> I mean, it is great you self-identified and all St
> eve, as I never fingered you, nor did I plan to,
> but I'm doing all the leg work here, trying to get
> my missing part, my invoice, find out if I got a n
> ew unit or a refurb. Why should I hold my joy ba
> ck for fear of privately offending you? Or I sho
> uld say now, publicly offending you.
>
> As far as not doing business with me again all I c
> an say is you already made the list so it doesn't
> matter. Not because you are not a good guy and al
> l that, just that the only service you can provide
> is a phone number.
>
> If I'd done business with someone like Craig or Ri
> chard or pick a name....I'd already have a headpho
> ne charging cable in my hand and my questions answ
> ered.
>
> Only bought about 60+ detectors to scratch my buy
> and try itch since 2003. Just bad luck all the wa
> y around for all four of us. Me, You, and Nokta/M
> akro and who ever this particular distributor is.
>
> We shut our trap and hide the issue it never gets
> better for the next guy.'
>
> HH
> Mike
>
> And I'll add....don't get mad at me.....go fuss at
> your distributor. I'm sure he has a extra headpho
> ne charging cable laying around his place somewher
> e.

Mike Hillis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Got a headphone charging cord laying around anywhe
> re?
>
> I mean, it is great you self-identified and all St
> eve, as I never fingered you, nor did I plan to,
> but I'm doing all the leg work here, trying to get
> my missing part, my invoice, find out if I got a n
> ew unit or a refurb. Why should I hold my joy ba
> ck for fear of privately offending you? Or I sho
> uld say now, publicly offending you.
>
> As far as not doing business with me again all I c
> an say is you already made the list so it doesn't
> matter. Not because you are not a good guy and al
> l that, just that the only service you can provide
> is a phone number.
>
> If I'd done business with someone like Craig or Ri
> chard or pick a name....I'd already have a headpho
> ne charging cable in my hand and my questions answ
> ered.
>
> Only bought about 60+ detectors to scratch my buy
> and try itch since 2003. Just bad luck all the wa
> y around for all four of us. Me, You, and Nokta/M
> akro and who ever this particular distributor is.
>
> We shut our trap and hide the issue it never gets
> better for the next guy.'
>
> HH
> Mike
>
> And I'll add....don't get mad at me.....go fuss at
> your distributor. I'm sure he has a extra headpho
> ne charging cable laying around his place somewher
> e.


I do not have a website or a store but I do have a very good reputation from years of wheeling & dealing of my personal detecting items such as detectors,accessories, headphones that I have built and from my sales as a detector. Word of mouth is very important to me & I have done okay over years by not advertising. I do write out an invoice and mail it off to my customers and also I email them a copy as I did you which gets there instantaneously. I am sure that you are a good guy Mike, and will continue reading your posts as I always have but I don't need the hassle doing business with you over the little profit that I make. Posting this on the forums doesn't bother me in the least but what did you expect to gain over it.

If you hadn't posted, your name would have never came up as you were not the issue. As a middle man you never touch the product so being mad at you is unreasonable and counter productive. But you brought yourself into the discourse.

I'm really easy to make happy. Just need the missing headphone charging cable and confirmation I have a new detector with full warranty. Or confirmation I have a refurb with full warranty. Then I'll move on.

Have had the detector a full week now (Thursday to Thursday) and I'm still playing hide and seek over my problem.

I'll delete my response to your initial post and all these little followups once I get my problem taking care of.

Regards,
Mike

Sorry to hear of trouble within our circle - but we are human - it happens.

Funny thing about “distributors”. Here in the U.S., manufacturers of all kinds of industrial goods, appliances, consumer goods - and darned near everything else - sold their products regionally to distributors who sold them on to retailers.

Fast forward to around 1955 or so. I was a kid in San Antonio. My dad was in the life insurance business and had an office in a building downtown (it was a long time ago). He had a lot of pals, he was a very personable guy and loved company. Somewhow or other he had an “in” with a place called “San Antonio Drug Company”. The were distributors for all kinds of stuff - pharmaceuticals I guess, but also all kinds of consumer goods, including guns (it was Texas, after all). The point of this wandering tale is that they also had a showroom where invited “members” could buy a lot of this stuff well below retail price. That’s how everything started to change. Fast forward more than 60 years and you have Costco, Sams, not to mention Amazon.

In the meantime specialist dealers of consumer products started to disappear.....Not so many mom and pop operations - even in our little metal detector world.

In spite of all that, the US metal detector makers continued to use distributors. Now that’s changing. Whites dumped Jimmy Sierra and I have heard rumors that First Texas has changed their distribution - I have no details. Dealers apparently can perhaps even get on factory direct ship - to them or to the customer.

One thing though. Foreign makers need official agency agreements. The nature of their distribution model tends to mean that in a given country, they have an exclusive agreement with ONE agency. This can be a good thing - Just ask the Saudi Arabian exclusive agent for Mercedes!

Anyway, it looks like NOKTA/Makro has chosen a new one and based on my previous dealings with the agent in question - I think that they have chosen well. Sadly, it looks like the dealer got caught in the middle and everybody ended up sad.

P.S. - If you think this is a fairy tale, look up Ed Price. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out he was part of the group of distributors who invented the “membership store” model in little old sleepy San Antonio. By the early ‘70’s he had set up “FedMart” a membership warehouse store for Federal Employees - with 5 military bases, including the giant Kelly Field - SA was thick with Federal employees. Ed later sold FedMart to (I think) some Germans. He went on to found Price Club, which merged with or was taken over by Costco.

I was kind of there at the birth!

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/05/2019 12:41AM by lytle78.

Mike Hillis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you hadn't posted, your name would have never c
> ame up as you were not the issue. As a middle man
> you never touch the product so being mad at you is
> unreasonable and counter productive. But you bro
> ught yourself into the discourse.
>
> I'm really easy to make happy. Just need the mis
> sing headphone charging cable and confirmation I h
> ave a new detector with full warranty. Or confirm
> ation I have a refurb with full warranty. Then I
> 'll move on.
>
> Have had the detector a full week now (Thursday to
> Thursday) and I'm still playing hide and seek ove
> r my problem.
>
> I'll delete my response to your initial post and a
> ll these little followups once I get my problem ta
> king care of.
>
> Regards,
> Mike

Fair enough Mike, I was thinking that my distributor as any distributor get there shipments by the hundreds from all different brands and models in a brand new unopened box and see no reason for them opening up a package. But I could be wrong, I will be the first to say that I have been wrong before. I can only image what it would feel like having a detector delivered and not being able to use it right out of the box. I know that I didn't have to tell it was me that you purchased the detector from but I didn't want to not try to step up. If there is anything that I can do to work things I am here. Doing business with or not you doesn't bother me but I do not want any hard feelings and do not hold any towards you or anyone else.

SkiWhiz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mike Hillis Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > If you hadn't posted, your name would have never
> c
> > ame up as you were not the issue. As a middle m
> an
> > you never touch the product so being mad at you
> is
> > unreasonable and counter productive. But you b
> ro
> > ught yourself into the discourse.
> >
> > I'm really easy to make happy. Just need the m
> is
> > sing headphone charging cable and confirmation I
> h
> > ave a new detector with full warranty. Or confi
> rm
> > ation I have a refurb with full warranty. Then
> I
> > 'll move on.
> >
> > Have had the detector a full week now (Thursday
> to
> > Thursday) and I'm still playing hide and seek o
> ve
> > r my problem.
> >
> > I'll delete my response to your initial post and
> a
> > ll these little followups once I get my problem
> ta
> > king care of.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Mike
>
> Fair enough Mike, I was thinking that my distribut
> or as any distributor get there shipments by the h
> undreds from all different brands and models in a
> brand new unopened box and see no reason for them
> opening up a package. But I could be wrong, I will
> be the first to say that I have been wrong before.
> I can only image what it would feel like having a
> detector delivered and not being able to use it ri
> ght out of the box. I know that I didn't have to t
> ell it was me that you purchased the detector from
> but I didn't want to not try to step up. If there
> is anything that I can do to work things I am here
> . Doing business with or not you doesn't bother me
> but I do not want any hard feelings and do not hol
> d any towards you or anyone else.


Spoken like a true gentleman Steve.------You & Mike both are members of "the good guy group".

New detector? Guess a return was out of the question? It does appear as if someone returned it at some point.
SW, you are backing your distributor and not your customer? Not good.
Customer dissatisfied, bad for business.

geo

Van at the Repair Center is taking care of my cord issue and will try to help answer my new vs refurb question.

Mike