Bought Used G-Dec Now Fender Won't Replace It

[Retro Hound]

I bought a G-Dec off ebay for $125 on 10/19/09, and unfortunately the receipt says "pawn shop" on it. The wheel jumps all over the place and Fender won't cover the warranty on it without the "original" receipt. Is there anything I can do? I've taken it to two stores and neither will deal with it. How can this be repaired? Fender doesn't even repair them, they have the store send them back and then Fender sends a replacement. Am I just out my money? Any advice other than buyer beware?

[sumitomo]

That's a bummer,but I think that is becomming a policy of most companies.Well if you can't fix it you can always break out the 5 lbs. precision adjuster and go to town on her,That should make ya feel better anyway.Sumi

[Retro Hound]

The kids loved that when I let them do that with old toasters and VCRs.

[Zip]

Before you Pete Townshend-it into oblivion, Google amp repair services in your area. Make a phone call for an estimate, it may only be like 50 bucks. If it's more like $150, hand the kids that mallet.

[wingsdad]

The warranty is only valid to the original owner w/ original proof of purchase receipt from an authorized Fender (or any other mfr, AFAIK) dealer.

You bought a used amp in as-is condition. Like a car or anything else, you've accepted responsibilty for its condition & for any repair needed.

Zip has given you the best advice. Hopefully, it's just a minor issue and when all is said & done, the cost of the amp plus repair will still net you a good deal, and you'll have survived a (sle)e(ze)-bay pitfall.

[jim p]

I guess by the wheel it is the shinny knob on the front? Looking at the amp on web I would guess it is a digital encoder with luck it could just be a bad solder joint or if it is plugged into the main PC board a loose contact. So you could open it up and have a look around for something like that. An encoder is like a push button so if there is a bad solder joint or loose contact every time the contact breaks and makes it is like turning the knob which sounds like your problem.

[Retro Hound]

I guess I don't have to worry about opening it up and voiding the warranty. I'll check the soldering, and be A LOT more cautious when buying electronics online. I'll also check for local amp repair. The Fender message boards indicate that this is probably some "computer" issue. Thanks guys.

[deeaa*]

That's a surprise; I have been accustomed to U.S. companies usually being super friendly about warranty etc. issues. Like I bought this old RCBS reload press and have needed new parts for it twice, even bigger parts, and a simple email to them and they've sent me new parts no questions asked. And I don't even know how old the thing is let alone have any proof of purchase or anything.

But generally, we have pretty good customer protection over here; in a case like this they can't ask for any receipts and it doesn't matter if you're the hundredth owner; if it's still under warranty according to serial number there's no fiddling out of it; the manufacturer is obliged to fix it or at least the importer to replace the unit.

Even if there is no warranty - say a refridgerator has a one year warranty and it blows up in three years - it's considered that a fridge is to be expected to have a lifespan of more than 3 years and in most cases, the manufacturer (or usually the importer) will just have to supply a new one.

I just bought a cheap tiny fridge half a year back and it quit working just a few days back; I never had a receipt for it but I just took it to the shop and they gave me my money back just like that.

Same with stuff like harddrives - no need for receipts, the importer will have the serials anyway, and any store that sells that brand is obliged to give me a new harddrive if it dies before the warranty expires. I've taken several 2nd hand harddrives in for warranty exchange no problem, no receipts requested or anything.

When I worked in the music store in '92-'94 we had several Fender necks on U.S. made Strats and Jazz Basses that were replaced up to 3 years after use...I don't know or remember whether it was the importer who gave the new ones or Fender but the owners got new necks anyhow.

BTW At that time the mexi-strats which just first came out (at least here) during the time I was there actually had much better woods than U.S. ones, at least those we received. The U.S. ones were terribly badly put together too with neck pockets routed so big they took a creditcard between the neck& body etc...totally different from what I've seen in recent U.S. Fenders lately, they seem to be very well made instruments again. I wonder if 94 or so was a bad year for Fender in general or just the ones shipped all the way north?

[sumitomo]

HAMMER!HAMMER!HAMMER! Sumi

[Radioboy950]

I feel for ya.
If that seller represented the amp as being in working condition, tested, and free of defects, then I'd be having a talk with the seller.
Ask lots of questions...live & learn.

[ZMAN]

I would definitely try to get the money back from the seller, or at least put a very negative feeback on his Ebay listings. I checked and the G-Dec Junior is only 149 at MF. So 125 is a pretty high number to pay. There might be something very small wrong with it but I wouldn't put a lot of money out for a repair. If it came through a pawn shop, they almost never check the things out totally. My friend owns one and he has a lot of issues with broken electronics. He has to had to hire a person to check these things out, because he got burned so many times.

[jim p]

On the Fender web site they have a download that maybe a firmware update for the G_Dec 30 maybe your problem is the firmware? So if you can hook it up and load the update it might solve the problem.
http://www.fender.com/support/gdec30_downloads.php

[just strum]

I'm an advocate of "beat the manufacturer into submission". I become relentless with email and phone calls. I tell them of my disappointment in their product, I go on various websites and locate the "review" section (you don't have to buy it there to review it there). I found that the manufacturers read those reviews and the good ones address the problem.

This past summer I received a free grill (an upgrade of the one I purchased) and few gift certificates. Make sure your facts are straight, don't embellish.

The saying is - The squeaky wheel gets the grease. You don't make noise, you don't get results.

Now go kick some butt.

[oldguy]

"squeaky wheel" is the term here in hillbillyville.........

[just strum]

"squeaky wheel" is the term here in hillbillyville.........

Yes, squeaky - a slip on the grease.

[Retro Hound]

Someone at the Fender forum gave me a name to contact at Fender customer relations. He said the warranty is transferable. They can tell from the serial number if it's less than five years old. I just have to send it in and they will check it out and replace it! I'm very happy. But I will still be more cautious from now on. (I suppose I will have to pay shipping, but that's OK)

[just strum]

So, what was the outcome with this? Did you get a new amp? What model did the give you?

Someone at the Fender forum gave me a name to contact at Fender customer relations. He said the warranty is transferable. They can tell from the serial number if it's less than five years old. I just have to send it in and they will check it out and replace it! I'm very happy. But I will still be more cautious from now on. (I suppose I will have to pay shipping, but that's OK)

[Retro Hound]

I sent the amp into them care of the guy I talked to, and about 3 weeks later I had a brand new one in the mail. I did have to pay $20 shipping.

I haven't opened it yet, I figured I would try to sell it. I have 3 amps and I just started playing last summer, so it's not like I'm good enough to need all this stuff. But it looks like they are releasing an updated version of the G-DEC and the bottom has dropped out of the market for this old version. So I may just let my brother-in-law use it.

I'm very pleased with Fender and will certainly look at them for my next amp, but it will probably be either brand new, or something non-digital.

Thanks for asking.