I tend to buy my boat electronics from the US as prices are way cheaper than in Australia. Purchased a Furuno 585 in 2007 for a new boat I was having built. Installed it & was very happy with the performance but noticed some minor fogging after a few trips. It would clear up after a few hours so I decided I could live with it. This is a known problem with some earlier 585 units.
The last three trips out the fogging became worse so I decided to contact Furuno USA who were responsible for warranty. As I am coming to the US in September I asked if I could bring the unit with me & have the repair done whilst I was in the US. The warranty expires in August.
Got a prompt reply offering me three options:
1. Bring the unit in when you come to the US & have it repaired under warranty. The warranty cover would still be good as I had notified Furuno of the problem during the warranty period.
2. I could post the unit to Furuno now or at any future date & they would repair it under warranty.
3. Furuno USA would authorize the local agents (who import Furuno but are not a Furuno entity) to do the job.
Naturally I selected option 3.
Next day I get an email from Furuno USA advising that they have to send the necessary parts (bezel kit) to Australia & this may cause a delay.
Yesterday morning I get a call from the local Furuno people advising me that parts have arrived & to bring my 585 head over. Upon arrival, there are no spare parts. However, there is a brand new 585 in a box fresh from the US ready for me to collect. Straight swap. No repairs, no delay. No FedEx charges either way. Sign & go. Two minutes total.
That is what I call OUTSTANDING customer service, given that I am not exactly around the corner. And how long did this all take? About ten days from my initial email.
Guess who will be supplying my next electronics package???
Furuno Customer Service
Linear Mode
