Terrible service from Coralgraph!

[Andrew]

You learn what to use different suppliers for over time. CG blanks are good and price always decent. Presses are cheap and with items like this you do get what you pay for. Bought a press from CG before and wouldn't get another as I prefer to get the best quality. Blanks I will regularly spend a few k without problem.

I think people should do a bit more research if they are trying to go cheap on equipment as it is to easy to end up with an inferior product. It's easier to try cheap blanks as the loss is not so bad to take.

[GoonerGary]

it does
iam after new press and i dont want to buy same as you lol

Me too, considering one of their presses also, now I don't know whether to splash out x5 the price on a press for a new product?

[NikGrey]

I always think of the resale value - if you ever needed to sell your gear (it happens) and you had a cheap Chinese press which hopefully works then you would get nothing for it. if it were a branded press that would hold its value somewhat.

A contact of a friend has a Roland product I am going to try to buy, i know he will be commanding a decent price due to it being a Roland - if it were a lesser name I would be counting my pennies out. the point is, people expect to pay more for quality.

It's a Versa (something) - wide format (waiting for details) which has blocked heads.. something hopefully I will be able to fix/repair.

[RogerC]

I always think of the resale value - if you ever needed to sell your gear (it happens) and you had a cheap Chinese press which hopefully works then you would get nothing for it. if it were a branded press that would hold its value somewhat.

A contact of a friend has a Roland product I am going to try to buy, i know he will be commanding a decent price due to it being a Roland - if it were a lesser name I would be counting my pennies out. the point is, people expect to pay more for quality.

It's a Versa (something) - wide format (waiting for details) which has blocked heads.. something hopefully I will be able to fix/repair.

If it is a Versacamm with blocked heads be prepared for a 'BIG' expenditure of pennies. The cheapest print head I found to 'self fit' is £450 for a 300V model which has two heads printing two colours each. If the machine is a newer one be prepared for even greater outlay. If it has had 'non Roland' inks through it Roland won't touch it. Replacing the heads might seem relatively easy but the set up/calibration is not, nor is the determining if ancilliary items are required. Calling out an engineer to fit/service the machine is going to cost in the region of £1000, though as I said before Roland won't be interested.

If I were you, if it needs print heads I would walk away unless you've got lots of patience and deep pockets. Also I would be looking for Versaworks to come with it. Versaworks is the management programme and is worth a few hundred £'s.

Good luck.

[Renniwano]

I have a CG press and *touching wood* have had it for over 2 years now and it's working great.. at the time over £200 was a lot to splash out as I was just starting..

Yes, I would love a new press.. and yes the one I would like is the Fusion.. but sometimes we don't all have those kinds of funds available to start.. and CG were recommended to her by me to start out as I had never had an issue with them and Henry was always quick to deal with any issues..

Whether buying cheap or not.. it's the fact that the presses she has received haven't worked, or worked incorrectly.. that doesn't mean all their presses are like that though..

[James990]

I have three presses from CG, mug, plate and swing away, and they are all great, not had an ounce of bother with any of them. Always had great service from CG, and Henry couldn't be more of a gentleman if he tried.

[squashynose]

Sorry, I didn't get emails about any replies on here...

The press in question was this:
http://www.coralgraph.com/heat-press/fl ... dad68ce506

The first was crappy, the replacement didn't work at all.

I am now being completely ignored. In his last email (already mentioned above, dated 11th), Henry told me "Please check the press and if the unit are still not work let us know and we will resolve the issue ,as a goodwill gesture we can arrange a collection as well subject the press are still have the original packaging and the protective Styrofoam", and for the first time, I actually got an apology for this whole kerfuffle...

But since my reply, asking for either the offered collection or confirmation that if I send it back, they will reimburse me... Nothing. But they have taken the time to block me on their Facebook page. I expected as much, after I posted on there this morning, "what do Coralgraph customer support and Coralgraph heat presses have in common? They're both cold and unresponsive." lol

Unfortunately my bank have said no to the chargeback, I can't find the letter, but it says they can't do it because it's been too long since the transaction. The rules actually state 120 days of realising there is a problem, not from the date of transaction, but hey are notorious for trying to avoid chargebacks, most staff don't even know what they are lol. So I'm going to argue it, and failing that, go through Money Claim Online. A letter before action might actually make them do something! I wish I lived closer, I'd go throw the thing at them!

The good news is I'm going to pick up a press from a local place on Monday, taking my temp gun and test sheets with me! No way am I paying for something again before I've seen it working!

[purpledragon]

When your heads in the tigers mouth dont kick it in the nuts
Why on earth antagonise them by posting on their facebook page especially after an offer to sort the problem out . Ok they may be taking their time in doing so but if i had a disgruntled customer posting such things on my face book page id be less than helpful too. I think you may have shot yourself in the foot here

[Andrew]

I'll remember that tiger saying for future use. Thanks Brett.

OP- just remember when buying this new press...... you do generally get what you pay for. Also, if you let people know what make abd model you are looking at then you might get some good advice before buying.

[squashynose]

When your heads in the tigers mouth dont kick it in the nuts
Why on earth antagonise them by posting on their facebook page especially after an offer to sort the problem out . Ok they may be taking their time in doing so but if i had a disgruntled customer posting such things on my face book page id be less than helpful too. I think you may have shot yourself in the foot here

I know, but it made me feel better lol

I finally got a reply, from Gabor Csepeli (Director of Sales), apparently because I'd quoted sections from the sale of goods act, it had to be passed to his department (from sales, to sales it seems)...

It starts

It is notable that you pick and choose which parts of communications you respond to, limiting your replies only to those parts you think you can argue with.

The wouldbeamusingifitwasn'tsoridiculous thing is that every single reply I have received has failed to respond to me quoting their own policies! Lol

They are under the delusion that as I purchased the press with both my name and my home-business's name, that I am no longer covered by consumer laws, and that we (them and me) have a business contract, which removes all of my statutory rights This WOULD be the case, if they had a contract with an exclusion clause in it, stating that, as a business, I was no longer covered by a, b and c... Apart from the small fact that they have NO terms of sale that I can find ANYWHERE on the site. I even went through their checkout again today to check it wasn't hidden in a "click here to confirm you've read and agree to our terms & conditions" link, but they don't even have that, so I would LOVE to know what terms I have agreed to, if it isn't their general terms of use (of the website) and returns and shipping policies.

He told me that a consumer (which I am not in his eyes) would not be entitled to any "consequential losses", as it is only money a business would chase for, due to loss of sales etc. Apparently consumers can't have consequential losses, like if it burnt their house down etc., they'd just be screwed. And as such, if I tried to take them to court, my argument would not stand up (by the way, I didn't threaten court, but they told me I did lol). And if I were to take this to a court, they would put considerable costs against me!

Apparently they tested this new press twice, so KNOW it works. It's funny how they sent a replacement because they didn't have time to test the returned one, but had time to test the replacement TWICE before they sent it to me :rolleyes: But now they have tested the old one, and it is working fine (so I can only presume their 'test' is to flick the switch, and see if the pretty numbers light up), so if I return the new one, I can only have my old press back. And it also seems they have taken back the offer (x2) to send a courier to collect it, because now I am being accused of failing to return this!

They can't seem to grasp the fact that I didn't send it back for not working, it wasn't a black and white "this doesn't work"... I sent them the image of its transfer results, and was told it couldn't have cold spots, and they couldn't tell what was wrong from a picture, and I would need to send it back. And now that I have, and it turns on and heats up, it's my own fault for following their instructions. They have admitted to another forum user that their presses are "inferior", yet he accuses me of causing trouble, just because I want my money back, when I'm not entitled. As it stands, I have spent £217 buying a press and returning it to them, I have a machine that lights up and sits at room temperature for 30 minutes until I give up and switch it off. And they don't think they have a responsibility to provide a business with working, fit for purpose equipment. I'm a business, so it's okay to send me rubbish? He has told me I obviously don't know how to use heat presses...

Aaaaanyway, the GOOD, no, GREAT news is I went to my local place today, test samples in hand, and a lovely sales lady was very patient, let us test it out, and then come back later to collect it when it had cooled :biggrin: I now have a fully working heat press, hallelujah!! To be honest, I wasn't expecting to walk away with one, they are cheap (cheaper than Coralgraph's!), but I was pleasantly surprised at the quality, sturdy machines (CG's top platen wobbled left to right like it wasn't attached), and the results were great. I took the old test in, to compare it to the new... Top is CG's press, bottom is the new one, if the link works...

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/ ... ebc5170053