Minelab and the military, bad experience

[FschJg]

So I was in the market for a GPX 5000 and a CTX 3030 since they offer a 15% discount for service members. I am stationed with the US Air Force on a base in Germany. I contacted a dealer in the US to order the machines. The dealer wrote me back that he could not sell to me since I am not in the US. He actually said he contacted ML and they told him so. I explained to him that I am on orders and even submitted a copy of my mil. ID card. Still no chance to get the machines. So I went ahead and bought both machines in Europe for a pretty penny PLUS 19% tax.

A little later I contacted the US dealer again to buy some accessories for both machines, only to find out that he was also not able to sell me any accessories for the same reason. I got so mad and contacted ML USA direct to complain. I wrote them not only don't I get the 15% discount, I actually have to pay a much higher price since they won't allow me to buy stateside.

Two days later ML answered that they do allow sales to military members overseas! They asked for the dealers name to inform him about this too. Great for future sales but bad for me. I just send a s*** load of money on a GPX 5000, a CTX 3030, the CTX17, ProSwing45 and some more ML accessories. Lesson learned for the future

 

[amberjack]

surely they will reimburse you as it was their mistake not informing their dealer.

AJ

 

[Hoser John]

AMAZING instead of thanks for your service your penalized, sad day as I hope it all works out in the end. Respect to all in uniform-John

 

[still looking 52]

Those dealers should be ashamed of themselves. I personally want to thank you for your service to our country.

 

[Dave J.]

Not very often I defend Minelab, but here goes......

It's customary in distribution to assign territories, especially in international distribution. There are lots of reasons for this, it's not peculiar to Minelab or to metal detectors.

Usually the issue of sales to citizens of one country temporarily in another country doesn't arise as a problem needing a solution, so there are no "special cases" even for people in the military. To someone who wants to import goods from another country it may seem unfair, but as Jack Gifford was wont to say, "it ain't a perfect world" (sorry about that, amberjack).

I have no "inside dope" what happened between Minelab, their dealer, and this particular customer. Heck, maybe there was no written policy, and when the customer complained they made up a policy on the spot. But, whatever happened, since Minelab intervened, I would think that it's now Minelab's job to keep both the customer and the dealer happy about what transpired.

 

[FschJg]

I explained to the dealer that we are considered stationed on "US soil" and that we do not pay the taxes of the country we are deployed to. I also explained that all our mail gets here by USPS at domestic rates and that we get all goods tax free. The dealer was kind enough to ask ML again and according to him, he was told again "no".
I understand the thing about territories and sales, sure, BUT again we are considered on US territory. Oh well, I guess I just lost about a thousand bucks in this deal. So when I looked into coils for the GPX, I went ahead and ordered Detech coils instead of ML coils. Now I hope I make some great finds to at least pay off what I lost in this deal.


FschJg

 

[FschJg]

surely they will reimburse you as it was their mistake not informing their dealer.

AJ

I wish they would. I think if ML was a US company they would. Well I guess in the future I try to buy strictly US. In this case it was kinda difficult since there was no real alternative.

 

[amberjack]

My Fav pet dislike Dave is the way detectors are distributed but there's more than one way to skin a cat so until equality I guess I will just have to juggle cats hey and no I am not as good at it as our young friend is there

i can smile now as unless someone invents a detector that can tell me its gold i recon i am right for awhile... but as of now it really is the total lack of spare parts that really gets my claws out

AJ

Not very often I defend Minelab, but here goes......

It's customary in distribution to assign territories, especially in international distribution. There are lots of reasons for this, it's not peculiar to Minelab or to metal detectors.

Usually the issue of sales to citizens of one country temporarily in another country doesn't arise as a problem needing a solution, so there are no "special cases" even for people in the military. To someone who wants to import goods from another country it may seem unfair, but as Jack Gifford was wont to say, "it ain't a perfect world" (sorry about that, amberjack).

I have no "inside dope" what happened between Minelab, their dealer, and this particular customer. Heck, maybe there was no written policy, and when the customer complained they made up a policy on the spot. But, whatever happened, since Minelab intervened, I would think that it's now Minelab's job to keep both the customer and the dealer happy about what transpired.

 

[amberjack]

surely they will reimburse you as it was their mistake not informing their dealer.

AJ

I wish they would. I think if ML was a US company they would. Well I guess in the future I try to buy strictly US. In this case it was kinda difficult since there was no real alternative.

stranger things have happened FschJg my fingers are crossed for you.

AJ

 

[USMC Reaper]

Brother,

If you need anything let me know, I have military ID, I'll get it ordered and shipped to you.

Semper Fi

 

[FschJg]

Thank you brother!

 

[FschJg]

Those dealers should be ashamed of themselves. I personally want to thank you for your service to our country.

Thank you! Actually I just got a second GPX 5000 for my wife from River Team Six Metal Detectors. I traded a bunch of machines for the second 5000 and it was one of the smoothest transactions I have ever done. So there are also good dealers out there, you just have to find them. Thank you David from River Team Six for this awesome deal!

 

[USMC Reaper]

A deployed, or not deployed, American Warrior should be able to get what they want when they want it. I know that you would do it for me.

Slay Bodies,
EJD