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Faulty new browning??


a303
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Can I ask for your knowledgeable opinions on the following matter?

 

Purchased a brand spanking new b725 black from a well known dealer.

First evening shooting it and the jeweling / engine turning on the left hand side of the barrel was well scuffed in 30 shots.

 

Fast forward to 500 shots and the jewelling has worn through to the bare metal below, including the blued part of the barrel that slides it the uppermost portion of the receiver. While the right hand side is unmarked / new.

 

Returned it to the dealer ,asked what they thought to which they openly agreed that something was wrong and that it would be sorted under warranty along with the sticking top lever.

 

Received a call from the dealer 2 weeks later saying that the top lever was fixed and that the jewelling is wear and tear and it will not get sorted. Even though the wear is only to the left hand side and is deep enough to make it hard to read where invector ds is stamped on. It almost looks like the barrels have been mounted to the left of centre. The barrel is contacting the right hand top of the receiver removing the surface finish almost like the barrels are canted in the action.

 

So I asked if they could help me out by speaking to browning on my behalf as it was disappointing that the decorative surface had worn off after so few rounds along with my concerns about the positioning of the barrel.

 

Typically the dealer didn't bother ringing me back after trying to fob me off.

So I was forced to send a letter raising my disappointment on the matter and insisting that it shouldn't be like that on a brand new gun and that if they were unprepared to make it right that I would use my rights under the sale of goods act.

 

The letter I received back fell typically short of what could be considered a example of customer service and basically said get stuffed. And accused me of poorly maintaining the gun, returning it rusty which is a down right lie. Knowing that it would be away a lengthly time I took great care oiling all metal surfaces before sending it away.

 

Am I expecting too much from a £2395 brand new gun??

 

Am I expecting too much when a dealer assures you that both problems will be fixed under warranty and then only fixes one?

 

Should the wear on only the left hand side be covered under warranty or am I in the wrong? Is it normal?

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You're being fobbed off. The jewelling should not contact the action body at all regardless of how many rounds fired, therefore something is out of alignment. Do you know an independent gunsmith who would examine the gun and state an opinion?

 

At this point your best option is to keep the pressure on the dealer because it's his responsibility to ensure goods are of merchantable quality.

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Without seeing it - its not a question that can easily be answered.

 

The fact is, engine turning is only a surface finish and does wear - though yours seems to have worn both unevenly and on one side very quickly. This suggests the barrel fit isn't quite 'perfect'. Having said that, it may be 'adequate' for a 'mid priced' gun.

 

I have older guns - and wear is never 100% even - but yours does sound particularly uneven. Unfortunately, I rather doubt that it would qualify as 'unfit' from a consumer rights aspect.

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Sounds like you're being fobbed off - ok, wear and tear is normal, but not to that extent and not on such a new gun.

 

Stick with it, remain polite but firm and remember your contract is with the supplying dealer and not the manufacturer.

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The gun is in the dealer possession at the moment as I have refused it under the sale of goods act.

 

I strongly felt that I was been fobbed off. And the letter I received back was simply ' not under warranty, gun not looked after, poorly maintained, bog off'

 

The customer service I have received since complaining is dire, I work in the motor industry as a customer facing member of staff so I have an idea of what customer service is and this member of staff who is also the director of the company is sadly lacking in the skill.

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The customer service I have received since complaining is dire, I work in the motor industry as a customer facing member of staff so I have an idea of what customer service is and this member of staff who is also the director of the company is sadly lacking in the skill

 

Regrettably, seniority and Customer Service often don't go together!

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Unfortunately your are correct about seniority and customer service.

 

I'm just very disappointed that I've worked bloody hard to save for that gun and £2395 isn't a small amount to pay for one. That in under a months ownership and under 500 shots there is such excessive wear to a decorative coating along with fears that something is misaligned.

 

When it was examined by the dealer he openly agreed that there was a problem and said that it would be measured, carefully filed and re jewelled. Which at the time I would have been happy with.

 

But to go full circle and now say that there isn't a problem at all and it's normal is just mind boggling.

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I had a busy shooting timetable and thought it was just that it was brand spanking new and tight.

Didn't imagine that the wear would continue through the jeweling to the bare polished metal below.

Rang the dealer after 300 shots as I wasn't sure if it was normal or not and was assured that it would be taken care of under warranty.

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Think if. Noticed that after the first round of clays it would be back in the slip and straight back to dealer.

 

Sounds like one of the barrel hooks has been machined out of alignment slightly. Easy to check with a sliver of tin foil behind one hook and try and see if aligns right

 

 

Figgy

Edited by figgy
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Me to Figgy,

 

Imagine you buy a new car and the gearbox is 'graunchey' and sounds awful. You would take it straight back to the garage, demand a courtesy car and let them sort it. I rather feel that you might be on a sticky wicket if you try to get your money back saying it's not of merchantable quality when you knew there was a problem but continued to use it and may have ultimately made it worse.

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It's the first new o/u I've ever had. Only ever shot semi autos before of which only one of those was new.

 

You hear so much about how new o/u are tight from new and I really didn't know what to expect.

I simply thought that it was tight because it was new and that it was simply breaking in.

 

Once i realised that was getting worse with no sign of stopping I did what I could in returning it to the dealer as soon as i could. Not especially easy when it's a 240mile round trip requiring a day taken off work. Alone with the fuel cost when money is tight.

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If I could reverse time I would do, as I do regularly use my local dealer both for cartridges and have purchased and number of shotguns from him along with spending a small fortune on clays.

But I wanted a 32'' and I shopped around for the one with the best quality wood I could find.

If my local had a 32'' right hand with stunning wood I would have given him my business.

 

Please note this wasn't price driven shopping this was to find the nicest wood. And I did pay over the odds for it.

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I have two guns. A B725 bought new a year ago and a Cynergy 20g bought almost new. Both now have minor surface wear on the left side (looking down gun) that has removed the machine finish similar to that described but not the right side. I put this down to being right handed and unconsciously opening the gun always on a slight tilt to the right. Both guns were extremely tight when new and still lock up very tight after several 1000 shots so it is not really a concern. It would be interesting to know though if left handers have wear on the right hand face as this would show whether the one-sided wear is due to engineering or handling.

That said , the customer service from dealer and manufacturer sounds very poor even if the wear were to be no more than one would ordinarily expect. If as reported it illustrates an arrogance that is only concerned with making an immediate sale rather than securing repeat custom. Good luck a303 in resolving this satisfactorily but I fear you may have problem proving your gun is not fit for purpose (because it does what it is supposed to) and you might be best to get it back and have it independently assessed to either set your mind at rest and allow you to get on and enjoy it or to bolster your assertion depending on the outcome.

And incidentally I think the B725 and the Cynergy are fabulous guns, I bought the 725 to replace the Cynergy and then couldn't chose between them.

Edited by spot.ontheroad
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Thank you for the kind wishes. I know this will be a uphill battle but I'm prepared to dig my heals in to get a satisfactory result.

It's a shame as the gun is nice to shoot and I've had some of my best scores with it.

If it ain't right take it back to where purchased, as has been said you purchased it from said rfd, and have parted with your hard earned,

 

An exchange for another/same gun isn't unreasonable( all though a ball ache) just be strong but firm with the supplier

 

Atb

 

Flynny

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I have recently experienced the ' customer service' (so called) from Browning uk.

Returned a brand new gun, which had fallen thru the QC net. It happens.

I was told by the dealer, who could was extremely helpful, 10 days.

Three months later, after eventually getting the gun to Belgium, sorted and returned. A 30 minute gunsmith job. Browning insisted on it going to Belgium.

No apology, not even an acknowledgement of the farcical behaviour. Not a peep,

Got prolific apologies from the dealer, wasn't his fault.

The attitude is...

If you want a new browning, get it fom us or get ****ed as were the only uk importer. Oh, if it has issues, we can't really be bothered, we got your money, so when we're good and ready.

Last new browning I buy.

I had a couple of Hatsans with finish issues, and those guys bent over backwards to sort my guns out, within a week! You don't always get what you pay for.

Bunch of bumbling morons, without the slightest idea of customer service.

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