Remington Warranty and poor importers = problems

[Brithunter]

Just wondered how you guys would feel after shelling out $2128.38 USD on a Remington 700 XCR only to have the bolt handle fly off when firing the rifle. Here is the post from the now very unhappy owner:-


 [size=78%]Hi all,[/size][/color]I pulled the trigger (zeroing, not at quarry) on Sunday and had a shocker; the bolt handle on my rifle pinged off under recoil and flew past my head!The weld totally failed! Luckily, the sharp edges didn't connect.After my legs stopped wobbling I was really annoyed by this poor fabrication quality, especially as this rifle cost £1,320 new less than 10 months ago and it's had less than 100 factory rounds through it.£1,320 is a lot for a Remington 700 I hear you exclaim! The eXtreme Conditions compact Rifle (XCR) comes as standard with a stainless action (coated black with 'diamond hard TriNyite'), 40-X trigger, fluted 20" barrel, full length bedding block and Bell & Carlson stock in OD green with black webbing. The bolt is also black mirror finished with a chequer pattern. Hence the extra ££!I assumed I was getting a high quality rifle! I'm failing to see what extreme conditions this rifle would have stood up to?Please forgive me going off on a non-stalking tangent for a moment. Remington state they are the choice of the police and military. Picture this; you're in a contact, you take a shot, the bolt handle pings off and then all you have is a fetching green and black club in your hands with an empty case trapped in the chamber! Better hope the bad guys have failures too! Doesn't inspire confidence does it? Yep, failures happen, but I would have hoped Remington quality control would have picked up on this obviously dry joint prior to it leaving the factory?Any thoughts? I've heard of bolt handles coming off when trying to force an over pressured round from a 700 but not one flying off under recoil!
[/size][size=78%]J[/size][size=78%] [/size][/font]

The importers here in the UK were/are very unhelpful:-

[size=78%] [/size][size=78%]Cheers Wayne! Glad you agree it was a tad hairy - the importer suggested I was being 'harsh' when I reported the issue and said how unhappy I was![/size][size=78%]ATB
[/size][size=78%]J[/size][size=78%] [/size][/color]

So the chap contacted Remington who replied thus:-

[size=78%]Response just in from Remington:[/size][size=78%]"Edgar Brothers is our authorized agent in the UK. They will arrange for any repair that you need. This is rare to hear for a Model 700 of any type. It should not be a problem for any others you use."
[/size][size=78%]I'm not getting the feeling they are too bothered!![/size] [/color]

[size=78%]  [/size]This has now got other "new" Remington owners worried here as one guy posted:-[/color]

[size=78%]was this one of the new remington XCRII rifles or the old XCR rifles?[/size]I bought one of the XCRII rifles about 4 months ago & havent know anybody to own one... maybe something i have to look out for?[/size]

One cannot blame him after reading this.

[size=78%]It's an XCR as far as I'm aware. I bought it last July. I hope yours is better fabricated than mine. Perhaps get in touch with Edgar Bros if you're worried? Remington's response was 'interesting' don't you think?[/size] Then this is what the importers offered in compensation for his troubles:-[size=78%]
I've been offered 100 rounds of .308 as reparation (£155 retail inc VAT) - what's that, about £70 to the importer?? Plus I have to take down my setup, re-zero and take it to a dealer myself at my own expense/time for carrier collection prior to a warranty repair.Don't know how to feel!?
[/size][size=78%]JB[/size][/color]

I know how I felt when dealing with these importers over that 12 year old .280 Remington ammo they sold me and charged a premium price for even though Remington stopped producing that particular ammunition about 8 years back [size=78%] [/size].It now looks like the owner will have to resort to using consumer legislation to ge this sorted and after being treated so shoddily by both the Importer and Manufacturer:-[/color]

[size=78%]Cheers all for the input. It seems the Remi 700 will always polarize views. The yanks are masters of branding over substance after all.[/size][size=78%]I'm going to talk to Trading Standards later this morning. If I accept a repair I'm going to feel like I've just helped the problem 'go away' and this won't help any other customers in future. Let's hope nobody is hurt from a similar instance - let's not forget, the bolt handle flew off under recoil.I'm moving toward asking for my money back and replacing it with a European rifle of quality for the same or less cash. Other issues I've had with it are the poor quality of the internal mag aluminium base plate and the swivel bolts in the stock coming loose (they don't grip into the composite effectively).
[/size]It's a shame as it shoots well enough. My preference would be for a Sauer I think. Let's hope my FLO helps me out swiftly on the ticket side of things...[/size] [/font]

[size=78%]

[/size]I have left out the other posters reported problems with the Remington 700's as I am more interested in you views on both Remington's and the Importers handling of the problem.[size=78%][/b]

[/size]Firstly one must understand that here in the UK the owner cannot just exchange the rifle he has to get his licence varied to allow the swap and depending upon where, which county, in the UK he lives this might be done fairly quickly. If lucky perhaps within the week or two but in some counties this might easily take 6 Months or more.[size=78%][/b]

[/size]So one can understand his frustration and even anger.[size=78%]
[/font][/color]

[Brithunter]

Hmmm Interesting ...................... not even one comment.




I have been wondering if there is a two tier warranty poilcy first tier fort eh US market and second for elsewhere.

[mannyrock]

Brit,
   I guess I am confused.  His rifle broke, he has a warranty, and as I understand it, the manufacturer has an arrangement with somebody in the UK for them to fix the rifle for him at no repair cost.
  Brit, that is what a warranty is.  That is all it is.  It is a promise to fix something if it is broken.
  What is this guy crying about?   He was offered some free ammunition, and he says it not enough "compensation" to him because he has to take his rig apart and ship it?   Oh, boo-hoo! What a cry baby.  Did he think he bought an insurance policy, that will pay him for all incidental damages, including loss of time, pain and suffering, and mental anguish?
   He bought a machine, no different than buying a lawnmower.  It broke, and the warranty as I understand it is being honored.  If this is the case, then he needs to look elsewhere for sympathy.  Pathetic and embarrassing really.
Mannyrock
 
 
   
 
 

[jhm]

     I am also a little confused with his wants, does fixing it what he is requesting and fixing it what Remington is willing to do?  There is always going to be a little time lost in any repair work to be performed, I dont like it nor does any one else but that is what is to be expected, I have never had any problem with a manufacturer and had vary little problems with most firearms, I hope this works out for the chap to his satisfaction.   Jim

[Brithunter]

Ahhhh well it would seem that this bolt handle flying off is the final straw. In the 10 months he has owned the rifle it has had numerous faults and niggles that should not be present on a rifle costing over $2000 USD.


I get the feeling that if the Importers and Remington had not just brushed him off a repair would have been acceptable but he has basically been given the run around so now it's reached legal proceedings stage. Under the consumer law here he can reject the rifle as "Unfit for purpose" after all bits like this falling off make it unusable and so unfit for purpose.


As he has now taken it up with his local "Trading Standards" I assume it will be going that route and will take a little while to get sorted now.


The same importers and the unhelpfulness in dealing with new rifle problems is why the gunshop I use that is 35 miles from here no longer stocks Remington's. The shop had to take a loss on the sale of Tikka T3 to appease a very upset customer after having three new 700's with problems. Funnily enough they were some high priced stainless/synthetic varmint rifles too but in .223 Rem.


I get the feeling that if you fellows had paid over two grand for a rifle and bits fell off in normal use, bits which rendered the rifle inoperable, you might be rather miffed too. Then getting the brush off/ run around ..............................................  well I have seen some posts about poor customer care on GBO.


Oh yes due to the stupidity of the laws here in the UK one cannot just pop a rifle in the post for repair .................................................. Oh No!  One has to use a secure carrier and to do that one needs an account with said carrier and no one is going to set you up one to ship one rifle. So it's take it back to the dealer time for them to ship it. As finding a dealer that stocks Remington rifles is not so easy here, thanks again to the attitude of said importer many refuse to stock them, the chances are he brought the rifle from a dealer a long ways away and had it transferred to a "local" shop and paid transfer fees. So to return the rifle to the dealer he will probably have to pay more transfer fees. Notice the Importers are not willing to help here by arranging return shipping of an obviously faulty item.


   With fuel costs now reaching over $2.50 per litre of unleaded petrol one has to consider trips much more now. No longer is an spur of the moment trip to the gunshop something which can be done with out due consideration to cost. For me a trip to the gunshop I mentioned now costs $35 USD in fuel and for many now such things have to be weighed up.


Perhaps Remington should be looking to giving their Importer a boot up the back side or possibly finding another importer.

[mannyrock]

Wow Brit,
    Kinda reminds me of those tens of thousands of British Jaguars that were imported into the U.S. that would refuse to start any time it rained.  I seem to recall that they never came up with a fix for those.  :-)
Best, Mannyrock
 
 
 

[jhm]

     Brit:  I certainly hope that this one rifle doesnt turn him completely off on Remingtons I have owned so many I cant even begin to count them in my mind, I was also a dealer in my own shop and a investor in another shop, plkus a Pawn shop and to my knowledge never saw a bolt break off, I have heard abt. it but never saw it myself I hope all works out for him.  Jim

[Lloyd Smale]

not to sarcastic but where did he buy it for 2k?? I see them all the time from 800-1200 bucks. About the same price range as a sendero.

[Brithunter]

not to sarcastic but where did he buy it for 2k?? I see them all the time from 800-1200 bucks. About the same price range as a sendero.

Well Lloyd please remember that I am in the UK and so is the owner of that rifle. The prices here would make your eyes water how about  a 1lb tub of Hodgdons H4831 costing $67.75USD? or a box of 20 Remington Core Lockt in 280 Remington for $45 USD and that was back in 2010 from the same importer and who to add insult to injury sent out a box that was over 12 years old and that had been out of production for at least 5 years for instance. They don't call it rip off Britian for no reason.


 The current conversion rate is 1.613163 USD per 1 GBP. 
[/size][/color]
[/size]Here you go take a look at these prices for a larger gunshop that does stock Remington. By the way it's about 300+ miles from me:-[/color]
[/size][/color]
http://www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk/category/Guns/Remington_1/Rifle_1/


The XCR is priced at $2,484 USD.


Feel free to browse their site and compare the prices but please be seated as I don't want you hurting your self when you swoon at the prices.


  As for Remington losing a customer ................................................................. somehow I feel that's a lost cause for them. The importers and then the companies brush off on this final problem was the straw that broke the camels back. Having to take it to Trading Standards and then probably the court will have soured it for good in his case.

[yooper77]

Do you have a picture of this broken rifle? The high cost of this rifle doesn't make it immune to problems or failures. Mechanical items brake, fail, and/or wear out, so don't be surprised when it happens, because I am not in the least bit.
 
I am an FAA certified Aviation Maintenance Technician, and I have seen $10,000 to $100,000 USD items fail immediately upon installing on aircraft.
 
If the owner of this rifle has the kind of coin to throw $2128.38 USD on a Remington 700 XCR, then I am sure there is enough change lying around for the repair.

I have visited London myself with my wife and young daughter back in 2007, so I understand the prices of some items. I didn't go looking for any sport shops, but 3 scoops of chocolate ice cream and 2 pints of beer cost me over $30.00 USD. I was happy that my visit was short, since the exchange rate is appalling.

yooper77

[Brithunter]

yooper77,


     Sorry to hear that I should also sorry sorry about those rip off merchants. I took my Nephew to London years back when he was about 13 years old. And some con artist tried to over charge us for some cans on pop by the Thames near Tower Bridge. Although I do not come from London I sort of have a London accent as most of those I went to school with did come from London. My best mate (Buddy) at school was born just off the Tooting High road. Their families moved out to work at London Gatwick Airport which is 25 miles outside London. We lived in the town of Horley which is about 2 miles north of Gatwick.


    I told the con merchant what I thought of his prices and how he should be ashamed at ripping off visitors rather loudly which of course attracted the attention of the visitors and tourists and some of them started complaining about being ripped off once they realised it had happened. I was not very popular with the vendor  .


  Back to the rifle. Sadly those are the prices charged here and no I do not have a photos but can ask for one if you like?


  Now you might notice that I have not slammed Remington for poor quality. That is not the issue here it's the poor customer support from both the importer and Remington which is the issue. I understand mechanical things can and do fail. If you have much to do with Boeings like the 737 then you might well know the name of Risbridger as they make maintenance stuff for servicing them. I worked in the machine shop at Risbridger for about 8 years. For 737's serving in certain parts of the world they carry a Red chest with the stuff to change starters on board which Risbridger make and supply.


The exchange rate is still poor.

[Lloyd Smale]

I should have looked at the post closer. i didnt know you were not in the US. Your right they sure dont give them away over there!! or about anything for a gun. At 67 bucks a lb for powder id have to give serious consideration to finding another hobby   I feel for you!

[Brithunter]

   Now you know why I am constantly broke.


WHAT you mean there IS another Hobby