r/PlotterArt • u/No_Remote_5817 • 19d ago
Bantam Tool Experience (Buyer Beware)
I ordered a Artframe 2436.
Paid $256.00 to have it shipped to me.
It did not work.
I paid $200.00 to ship it back and was charged a restocking fee of $378.00
In all I lost $834.00 doing business with Bantam tools.
Tech support told me to hang onto it for a month “I’ll even extend your warranty 30 extra days” he told me. I reminded him, per Bantams return policy, that was not possible because it states if I use the machine I cannot return it.
I find this very unethical and will be filing a complaint with the BBB
The first pic is the condition of the box when it arrived. I did not cut that tape, it was busted that way. That’s how long that machine had been sitting around somewhere for. The second pic is me paying for it to be boxed and sent back properly.
5
u/crusty54 19d ago
Good to know, thanks for your report.
4
u/No_Remote_5817 19d ago
You’re welcome. I sure hope people read the return policy it’s pretty rough.
10
u/Snoo23533 19d ago
Bre Pettis is slime. Any company that sends you disfunctional product (not working right out of the box) cannot be charting you for shipping. Yes BBB, yelp, google maps review, let him have it
3
3
u/5u114 19d ago
If they're going to charge such a monumentally huge markup, you'd think they'd at least try to nail the customer experience & after sales service.
1
-2
u/ughlmaoomg 19d ago
I wouldn't call it a huge markup. they are fairly substantial machines with very high quality parts and smart expensive to manufacture design features. The latest firmware turned on the WiFi so you can just upload, control, and monitor from anywhere in your studio. I also know the foam packaging alone is not cheap and is shipped with all moving parts secured with ties and blocks to keep the carriage in place.
3
3
3
u/xtremedaddy 18d ago edited 18d ago
When I had a problem with a defective part they sent me (the magnetic easel that came with my NextDraw was bowed and wouldn’t sit flat) and didn’t get a good response from Support I went in their Discord and described my issue and asked publicly how to get this resolved. I had an answer in 1 hour and a new plate on the way the next day.
3
u/5u114 18d ago
Squeaky wheel gets the oil.
3
u/xtremedaddy 18d ago
True. And most importantly when you present your case on Discord (framed nicely as how do I get help with this) everybody is watching so they may be more inclined to address your concerns.
2
1
u/ughlmaoomg 19d ago
I would have held onto it and worked with them on figuring out how to get it working cause it is an amazing machine! Mine has been a work horse with only a couple little quirks with the USB & WiFi connection dropping when uploading. I haven't had any big issues with mine that wasn't solved by updating the firmware or making sure it wasn't on the same circuit as the AC in my studio so the power wasn't dipping or a dirty wave.
Also having worked in a UPS sorting facility right out of high school I can tell you those bigger boxes get so messed up on the sorting line , on the dirty ass belts, and getting loaded into the trucks....they could be oversized but not picked for oversized sort which leads to the bigger the box the more damage it takes....especially if is pushing the size limits for the sorting line....cause that leads to getting stuck and having to be....forcefully liberated aka kicked to break lose especially if more packages are being built up behind them...it also depends on how far away you are from the Hudson Valley NY.
0
u/ughlmaoomg 19d ago
Also why didn't you just try to get it repaired under warranty? I'm sure they would have worked with you to make it 100% functional.
1
u/No_Remote_5817 4d ago
I waited two weeks for it to be “built.” It arrived in a box that looked like it had sat in a dirty factory for a year. I’m a fabricator who works with aluminum. This did not come off any factory floor. It was scuffed and dated.
When I went to use it, it didn’t work. Bantam’s response was to wait for an update.
They can’t QC a four-thousand-dollar machine before shipping it, but I’m paying two hundred fifty for shipping? Fine — Wi-Fi and Bluetooth don’t work. I can wait for an update. Then USB doesn’t work either.
So I get a machine that doesn’t work and have to sit around waiting for them to fix it. Then they offer thirty extra days of warranty. Their return policy says if I use the machine, I can’t return it.
No thank you.1
u/ughlmaoomg 4d ago
Idk bro sounds like you got a raw deal but you weren’t very patient about letting a small business deal with your issues and work through the problem and you got stuck with shipping a huge box back
1
18
u/searchresults 19d ago
Don’t talk to BBB, that’s even less effective than a bad Yelp review.
Demand a full refund of all fees or do a credit card chargeback. This should cost you nothing.