Ricoh printer profile problems..........

[JSR]

Whats actualy included in this help martin??? Only asking as any service/support after warranty is paid normaly. So i wonder how is with sawgrass support.

This is what always puts me off both using Ricoh myself and recommending them. There's no guarantee of support, nor is Sawgrass themselves forthcoming with what it is they support. If you can't be sure you're covered, then it's as good as not being covered as far as I'm concerned.

At least with a warranty type situation you know exactly what's covered because the person doing the covering puts it down in black and white.

It's such a shame that Sawgrass appear to be too embarrassed about their alleged "support" that they neither want to tell anyone about it nor use it as a sales tool. After all, if they came out and said precisely what it is they cover and provided a guarantee that this is what would be covered, then more people would buy Ricoh from an authorised Sawgrass reseller as a result.

Seems bizarre to allegedly offer support but then not tell anyone about it.

[bms]

This is what always puts me off both using Ricoh myself and recommending them. There's no guarantee of support, nor is Sawgrass themselves forthcoming with what it is they support. If you can't be sure you're covered, then it's as good as not being covered as far as I'm concerned.

At least with a warranty type situation you know exactly what's covered because the person doing the covering puts it down in black and white.

It's such a shame that Sawgrass appear to be too embarrassed about their alleged "support" that they neither want to tell anyone about it nor use it as a sales tool. After all, if they came out and said precisely what it is they cover and provided a guarantee that this is what would be covered, then more people would buy Ricoh from an authorised Sawgrass reseller as a result.

Seems bizarre to allegedly offer support but then not tell anyone about it.

I was waiting for your reply JSR - regular as clockwork

[gorgall2]

Thanks to Martin's help, Sawgrass were very good when my Ricoh died.

[JSR]

I was waiting for your reply JSR - regular as clockwork

Just like yours before it... :biggrin:

Are you really telling me that I'm the only one who doesn't buy things on "blind faith" that there may or may not be some support?

If I could be totally sure of Sawgrass support, I'd probably look at authorised solutions again. As it stands, I don't have faith in them providing the support that their resellers claim - so I go with the cheap option, which allows me to chuck a printer in the bin with little financial consequence if it goes wrong (something that wouldn't be the case if using an expensive printer and trusting to luck if it goes wrong).

Maybe I'm the only one with common sense?

[BigAl]

Interesting first post! Welcome to the forum.

If a Ricoh printer should fail after 12 months then support is available from the authorised distributor network to get you up and running via Sawgrass as several members, and customers, should be able to testify to.

Check out T-Shirt Forums if you want further proof. I bought an A3 Ricoh 770 I still have it if anyone wants to see it, after 18 months I put in the 2nd set of Sawgrass inks, within days the printer was toast and the carts leaking all over the place and the main board screwed. I phoned Magic Touch who supplied the inks and was asked what did I expect from a desk top printer they dont last forever, well excuse me my friend for a £500 printer I expect it to last more than its first set of inks!!! I then phoned Sawgrass Europe and was told IF I bought a new Ricoh printer they would replace the inks but wanted to see a reciept for the printer FFS who do they think they are!!!!! I got nowhere with either of them admittedly I never bought the printer from either but I bought the inks from Magic Touch. A lot of guys on TShirt forums are in a similar predicament and the later machine is also failing all over the States and they are talking about a group class action against the companies. I have no axe to grind here but am bitterly disappointed in these companies attitudes and was going to give dye sublimation a miss but I have found a solution and you will have to forgive me if I do not disclose it here but since Sawgrass won that ridiculous court action in the US forbidding over companies to sell ink for desk top machines (HOW??) I do not want to drop my supplier in it till the granted pattern expires in 2014 by which time I predict Sawgrass will go under and good riddance.

If there is a Sawgrass rep who goes on this site I challenge you to state online and here if any of the above is untrue.

[bms]

Check out T-Shirt Forums if you want further proof. I bought an A3 Ricoh 770 I still have it if anyone wants to see it, after 18 months I put in the 2nd set of Sawgrass inks, within days the printer was toast and the carts leaking all over the place and the main board screwed. I phoned Magic Touch who supplied the inks and was asked what did I expect from a desk top printer they dont last forever, well excuse me my friend for a £500 printer I expect it to last more than its first set of inks!!! I then phoned Sawgrass Europe and was told IF I bought a new Ricoh printer they would replace the inks but wanted to see a reciept for the printer FFS who do they think they are!!!!! I got nowhere with either of them admittedly I never bought the printer from either but I bought the inks from Magic Touch. A lot of guys on TShirt forums are in a similar predicament and the later machine is also failing all over the States and they are talking about a group class action against the companies. I have no axe to grind here but am bitterly disappointed in these companies attitudes and was going to give dye sublimation a miss but I have found a solution and you will have to forgive me if I do not disclose it here but since Sawgrass won that ridiculous court action in the US forbidding over companies to sell ink for desk top machines (HOW??) I do not want to drop my supplier in it till the granted pattern expires in 2014 by which time I predict Sawgrass will go under and good riddance.

If there is a Sawgrass rep who goes on this site I challenge you to state online and here if any of the above is untrue.

I can't say if what you say is true or not as I'm neither of the two companies you mention. What I do know is that members on here have have printers and inks replaced (the threads and pics will support this), others have had printers replaced. I think it depends on the supplier and their willingness to support the platform in consultation with Sawgrass. In all instances where a Ricoh has failed within or outside the 12 month warranty period I believe we have come to an amicable and fair solution with our customers.

[JSR]

I can't say if what you say is true or not as I'm neither of the two companies you mention. What I do know is that members on here have have printers and inks replaced (the threads and pics will support this), others have had printers replaced. I think it depends on the supplier and their willingness to support the platform in consultation with Sawgrass. In all instances where a Ricoh has failed within or outside the 12 month warranty period I believe we have come to an amicable and fair solution with our customers.

This is why it's unfortunate that Sawgrass don't seize the opportunity to do this properly. If Sawgrass is supporting the product, then it shouldn't matter how fickle the "middle man" (no offence intended) is. Until Sawgrass step up to the plate, any claimed support is really nothing more than a "well, you might get it". I certainly wouldn't want to risk my livelihood on the basis of nothing more than anecdotal evidence of support.

I guess I just don't understand Sawgrass's mentality here. Acknowledging support gets them more willing subscribers to their product. Not recognising it gets disgruntled customers like that forum mentioned in the earlier post. I fail to see how preferring the latter situation over the former is the better business plan.

But, then, this wouldn't be the first time that I failed to understand Sawgrass.

[BigAl]

I can't say if what you say is true or not as I'm neither of the two companies you mention. What I do know is that members on here have have printers and inks replaced (the threads and pics will support this), others have had printers replaced. I think it depends on the supplier and their willingness to support the platform in consultation with Sawgrass. In all instances where a Ricoh has failed within or outside the 12 month warranty period I believe we have come to an amicable and fair solution with our customers.

so is the implication I never asked nicely enough? Come and have a look at the machine if you don't believe my sorry tale and while you are here I will show you its predecessor an Epson R1800 that suffered clog after clog on sawgrass inks until finally giving up the ghost. My latest machine and inks apart from giving superb result has not even required a single head clean in the 6 months I have owned it. Everytime I used the R1800 it require a head clean usually using a least fivers worth of ink. I am speaking from bitter experience here whether you care to believe me is up to you.

[BigAl]

BTW I would like to add, I only bought the Ricoh as I was told all my clogging problems with the Epson would be over and in fact to a certain extent this was true and it was always told it was the Epsons machines faults not the inks which is strange as my new system uses an Epson machine. I had to do so many cleans with the R1800 that I had to by an external waste ink kit as the internal sponge was full. But to get back to the Ricoh it was sold on the fact that it didnt clog and could be left for a period of time unused and still be ok but when it failed I was also told it was because it had been under used FFS!!! I still have the machie if Sawgrass want to compensate me for that and £250's worth of ink and I will gladly write a glowing report here of their action but I wont be holding my breath. BTW I was forced to use the Sawgrass product after the silly American court ruling and before that used another product without problems. Its a shame British suppliers didnt have the balls to stick two fingers up to the American courts and carry on selling alternate products instead of running around like headless chickens and getting into bed with the company, their bad IMHO and we aint seen the end of this yet I guarantee.

[JMugs]

So if I understand this correctly it is quite simple
1/ Buy Ricoh, plug and play for sublimation due to the support for colour correction, ink cartrdges that fit etc. If it it goes wrong I may get support, no guarentee, however a good relationship with your supplier will help (in essence you support them they suport you).
2/ Buy Another printer which isn't plug and play, cheaper but no support if it goes wrong.

BigAl says
"Its a shame British suppliers didnt have the balls to stick two fingers up to the American courts and carry on selling alternate products instead of running around like headless chickens and getting into bed with the company"

If somebody is so sure that there is a market there for other inks, why don't they become the UK agent and supply the inks?

I tend to be a bit short with people due to my attitutude of "don't whinge..... just do", but I mean no harm or offence.

New to this whole thing so likely to get my bottom kicked from pillar to post, but I take no offence, as oppinions make they world go round.

Janners