I had been looking for a multi-needle embroidery machine for quite a while and attended an open house at one of Texmac's dealers. I thought that I had done my homework and made a good decision purchasing the Happy Voyager 1201-30.in addition, I had previous contact with the sales person and felt very comfortable.
The open house that day on June 7, was very hectic and many people were there coming in and out of the rooms. The dealer was offering a "discount" for the day of $500. Come to realize, (too late) it was not really a discount. This "package deal" price had been offered previously with out a discount.
Anyway, I was all excited that I had finally decided on a machine along with the wide cap kit and signed the sales contract on 6/7/08 for $9,579.40. On the top portion of the sales contract and other sales advertisements from the dealer, the Warranty read "Happy 5 Year Voyager Warranty" (NOT LIMITED WARRANTY). I did not see in little tiny print at the bottom of the sales contract page (that needed a magnifiying glass to read), it said, I accept the sales agreement and limited warranty. What it said at the top was different than what it said at the bottom.
Then, while there, still many people running in and out, I was given another document to sign, that said the dealer's Happy Voyager Sales Agreement and Limited Warranty. I understood the document to mean that Texmac was actually providing the Happy 5 year warranty since that was on the other sales contract I signed. So on the 6/10/08 I faxed over my credit card information and I was to return for my one day of training at the dealer after the machine arrived from Texmac. Training day turned out to be 6/17/08.
I had my one day of training, which was not on the actual machine that I had purchased, but one like it; and, in addition, the person training did not use the hoops I had purchased, but used fast frames. The dealer did not check out my machine the entire time they had it to make sure it was working properly prior to loading it my car. Then, just as they were about to load the machine in my car at the end of the day on 6/17/08, the sales person hands me another copy of the first sales contract that I had signed on 6/7/08; only this was a copy that I had not seen before nor signed, and it was a break down of the supposed "package deal". I didn't realize it at the time, but they had charged me $200 for their software that I didn't need.
In retrospect, I was definitely not thinking. I never should have allowed them to put the machine in my car, but again, it was at the very end of the day and everyone wanted to rush out of work and go home.
I got the machine home and had one of my neighbors help me get it in my apartment. The boxed machine weighs 118 pounds. So much for the machine being light and easily moved as advertised. Maybe for a weight lifter.
After I set up the machine and loaded the Happy Link software in my computer, I was having trouble with error messages and and false thread break readings in the embroidry machine's LCD control panel; and also, I thought one of the hoops may have been broken. Trying to get a hold of tech support at the dealer, if I could at all, was very difficult, due to the fact that this dealer also sells another higher end commercial embroidery machine from their shop and that product takes priority. So I tried to call Texmac in North Carolina. Much to my suprise, I was informed that even though the warranty is through Texmac, I would be charged $45 for them to assist me since I did not purchase the machine directly from them in North Carolina. They waved the fee that day since I was unaware of this policy. There are many things I was not made aware of.
Then, after having the machine only a couple of months the plastic front take-up lever/sensor control cover breaks off up at the top. The plastic take-up lever/sensor cover not only serves as a safety precaution from the levers, but also serves to hold the sensor in place that in turn controls the computer panel on the embroidery machine. Come to find out, this has been a known design defect in the machine.
By this time, I had just had it with this machine and wanted to return it and get my money back; but, I was told that was not an option that I had the machine for too long. After I told the sales person that I wanted to return the machine is when I was informed that Happy Voyager owners can have a full year of training. That wasn't on my contract.
They mailed me a redesigned replacement cover with illegible instructions saying that I was suppose to cut out a portion of the bottom front panel to accommodate this new cover. I informed the dealer I was not cutting anything on this machine, so they mailed me a pre-cut front bottom panel. The new bottom front panel didn't fit any better than the original one. As one of the dealer techs was on the phone with my neighbor and myself telling us how to install this new cover, one of the flimsy spacer screws broke. And of course, you can only get that particular part to fit from Texmac - that never arrived.
Again, I said I wanted to return the machine and again was told no. The option was that I could rebox and reload this heavy machine into my car, drive for an hour and bring it back to the dealer store where they would look at the control panel. (This was something they should have done in the first place at Texmac or the dealer prior to delivering it to me). I also asked if I could find out the manufacture date of the machine. That is when they really turned to ice. I could never get a straight answer out of anyone, not even Texmac (through saved e-mails). I asked about the firmware versions in my machine and the manufacture date because they did not coincide with what was posted on Texmac's website nor their Happy Embroidery Machine Yahoo Group.
In addition, one of the e-mails from Texmac stated that there had never been a recall on HCS Happy Voyager 1201-30 machines ever. Come to find out, (and I have a copy of the recall letter dated January 19) that there was a voluntary recall where machines with certain serial numbers were being replaced up until April 30. The company had just intoduced the machines in 2003.
Having been deceived, I never will take the machine back to the dealer for repair. They have proven to me to be unreliable. All this aggravation has been going on for months. I haven't known who or where else I could take the machine because the sales person at the dealer where I purchased it, is also affiliated with another large, but separate commercial embroidery machine company in the area. There is quite a woven web going on here.
I finally tried again February 10th to take it to another Happy Voyger dealer further south of me to have the firmware in the control panel repaired along with the up-take lever/sensor control cover fixed and a sew-out done. They had the machine for a month and a half. The only thing that was done during that time was the tension adjusted and a sew out done. A Q-tip was used to hold the sensor tightly in place to make the machine run. This other dealer said that he could not get the parts needed from Texmac because they were on back order and did not know when they would arrive, but he did confirm my suspicions that there is a language problem in the control panel. So I brought the machine home again.
I have the machine boxed and was going to ship it to the Sales Manager at Texmac to try and get this off my credit cards, but she said no. My only option is to ship it back at my expense and they will charge me $85.00 per hour to do warranty repairs - THAT ACTUALLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE PRIOR TO THE MACHINE EVER LEAVING THEIR FACILITY. So as it stands, it will cost me between $350 and $400 dollars to get supposed warranty repair work done. Texmac is fully aware that I have been battling with this situation since at least the end July.
Texmac does advertise on their website a 5 year limited warranty, but not specifically what it is. The original dealer that I bought the machine from did not advertise a "limited" warranty. And, it was not until March 26th of that Texmac e-mailed me what their warranty covers (at least for me anyway). What they e-mailed was quite vague leaving much open to their own discretion.
I am aware of the many changes they have made in their websites over the past year. But, I am still stuck with a machine that does not work properly, and can't very well be sold in this condition. So I am stuck with it on my credit cards. The embroidery machine industry, from what I have researched, is not well regulated and Happy Voyagers are imported and exported all over the world.
This is customer service after spending $9,574.40 on a Happy Voyager HCS 1201-30 Embroidery machine. I am sad because I was so excited about the machine, but it has been nothing but a nightmare; and these conglomerations get away business ethics that steal people's time, dreams/plans and money.
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