Kimber Rifles - Stay away!

[soundwaves]

So if you buy a used car that is out of warranty, do you expect a free new car if something goes wrong?

exactly what l was thinking

 

[Buckskinner]

So if you buy a used car that is out of warranty, do you expect a free new car if something goes wrong?

If it was built out of spec, yes. Generally you would find that prior to warranty expiration on a vehicle. And if another company did honor that type of issue, guess where next car would be coming from...

 

[Pdvdh]

If the used car lot across the street replaces the faulty car with a new one, that's where I purchase.
I don't settle for the lowest common denominator on customer service.
I've also returned a pistol to ruger and they serviced it at no cost. Your Kimber needs service and you might as well part it out.

 

[lancetkenyon]

If it was built out of spec, yes. Generally you would find that prior to warranty expiration on a vehicle. And if another company did honor that type of issue, guess where next car would be coming from...

OK, so you buy a used 2012 Mustang 6cyl. They have a known issue with a tranny, but you don't check it when you buy it. Original owner says it is good to go. Car is 5 years old with 70k on it. 5 year/60k original warranty. You expect Ford to give you a new 2017 Mustang GT and you NOT pay for the upgraded vehicle, even though you are not the original owner, did not pay full price, and did not do your due diligence??

I think the major portion of the blame here is the seller. And a minor portion on the buyer for not verifying rifle condition. The original owner should have figured out his issue and taken care of it. Not passed the problem on to an unsuspecting buyer. That was a lousy move.

 

[Pdvdh]

Don't buy a Blimber.

 

[Buckskinner]

True, first owner screwed him. But if Chevy honors that type of issue, fat chance I'm buying a Ford again.

 

[700Sendero]

Ive always wondered where all the money comes from for the FULL back page ad on about every gun magazine printed...Maybe they should use that money to hire some better customer service reps, or better QC on their guns.

 

[Bigeclipse]

So if you buy a used car that is out of warranty, do you expect a free new car if something goes wrong?

I get what you are saying but these aren't cars. Most gun manufacturer give lifetime warranty. I have purchased about 30 different firearms and have had 4 warranty related issues. I will always purchase from a company who has a good warranty and great customer service. Hell...ruger has no accuracy guarantee but after I told them how disappointed I was with my ranch rifle they said send it in. They then shipped it back with a nice trigger job and lapping of the barrel and it is now a 1moa rifle with most factory ammo at no cost to me. Just saying, why pay number prices when there are certainly better firearms especially with a warranty

 

[lancetkenyon]

I understand about other rifle companies and customer service.

I am.just saying you shouldn't blame a manufacturer for sticking to their warranty if the have a stated expiration. Blame the guy who sold it to him with the issue.

There are a lot of companies I don't buy from for that very reason. Buying used comes with it's own set of risks too. Not everyone is honest and just looking to pass a problem along so it is not theirs any longer.

Like I said, I have Kimber pistols. But never have had a Kimber rifle. There are others I like a lot better.

It sucks all the way around. But lay blame where blame is due.

 

[Stk]

Ive always wondered where all the money comes from for the FULL back page ad on about every gun magazine printed...Maybe they should use that money to hire some better customer service reps, or better QC on their guns.

I'm not certain they actually do any sort of QC. As long as it looks like a gun, it meets their standards.

 

[bulzeye11]

I understand about other rifle companies and customer service.

I am.just saying you shouldn't blame a manufacturer for sticking to their warranty if the have a stated expiration. Blame the guy who sold it to him with the issue.

There are a lot of companies I don't buy from for that very reason. Buying used comes with it's own set of risks too. Not everyone is honest and just looking to pass a problem along so it is not theirs any longer.

Like I said, I have Kimber pistols. But never have had a Kimber rifle. There are others I like a lot better.

It sucks all the way around. But lay blame where blame is due.

totally understandable for Kimber to stick by their warranty, except for the fact that they told the customer it was built out of spec. meaning that it shouldn't have left their facility. kimber should make it right and just fix the part that is out of spec

 

[WildRose]

I agree with Ruger service. I have actually had to send in one pistol and one rifle. which does not say a lot about quality (both were purchased new and had a severe malfunction and the other had severe accuracy issues)...that being said, Ruger paid to have them shipped to their factory at no charge to me, replaced the one which had a major malfunction and had it back in my hands in a week and the other one they sent to their gunsmiths who worked on it and made it a 1MOA rifle I do not know what they did but it shoots wonderfully now. All I can say about Ruger is they might not sell the best quality but their customer service and warranty are GREAT in my book.

I did not know that about Kimber and after reading this will not be purchasing ANY Kimbers. I would assume this applies to their 1911s as well which is a shame as I was just eyeballing one at the shop. Thanks for bringing this to my attention and I hope you end up making out!

Ruger's quality has improved dramatically over the last decade or so.

They don't go for a whole lot of pizzaz, shiney stuff, or super cool, in their rifles but they are rugged, reliable, and can be extremely accurate. One of my favorite all time rifles was a 77/22 Hornet that was a fantastic varmint, predator, even deer rifle. Sadly it got trashed when my home burned.

Their new Ruger Precision line and Hawkeye FTW series definitely get the job done as well. I couldn't be happier with the Hawkeye Alaskan .375 Ruger I bought a few years back for my South African trip or the .260 Hawkeye FTW I picked up this year. Both will shoot MOA or better and they are just rock solidly reliable and weather proof.

 

[WildRose]

A real company:

I bought a Ruger LH Alaskan rifle NIB even though they were out of production. I shot it for a full season before noticing rust/stain developing on the inside of the SS receiver. My gunsmith swore that the receiver was not SS, as specified by Ruger.

I called Ruger's customer service who asked me to ship the rifle back. They received the rifle and acknowledged that whatever the problem was that it was irreparable. They offered me a NIB comparable rifle. I only wanted another LH SS rifle (375 Ruger) which they didn't offer. However, the customer rep told me that they would be producing the (then) new Guide Gun in left hand in a few months if I was willing to wait. There was additional cost associated with the Guide Gun.

Sure enough, a few months later, Ruger called me and asked for an FFL to ship the new rifle to. I asked how much additional money I owed them. They told me that in recognition of the inconvenience caused by the problem that there would be NO additional cost. In addition to that, they shipped me the original stock because it had a custom recoil pad installed on it !!

Now that's exceptional customer service.

(Sorry if I hijacked the thread)

Yep, that's the kind of customer service that adds up to a lot of lifetime customers.

We had a similar situation come up with our first Toyota, a 69 FJ Landcruiser. Even though it was technically 12 miles past the 12/12 warranty they replaced the engine for free. My dad owned at least 1 Toyota at a time until he died 3 years ago and our family has probably purchased at least 30 in total since.

Sadly, far too few companies will do anything like that today. Just think of the millions they could save on advertising costs major corporations could save if they'd just go the extra mile now and again to earn that kind of customer loyalty and and the free word of mouth advertising that comes with it.

 

[WildRose]

So if you buy a used car that is out of warranty, do you expect a free new car if something goes wrong?

If it's a manufacturing defect I'd expect it to be repaired under a recall irrespective of the warranty.

A few years ago there was a recall on the braking system of the first year Nissan Titans and Armada's and ours was on the recall list even though it was a 10yo truck and I'm the second owner. It was about a 1,000.00 or 1,500.00 repair too so it wasn't a minor issue.