Machine Dealer Rant - long

Bought a Brother Serger on Ebay from a dealer who had closed up shop.
One of these fancy, schmancy, do everything jobbies. I usually have no
problems using sewing machines and have owned sergers before. BUT, the
directions were just awful on this one and I could not, for the life
of me, figure out how to thread the lower looper.

So I called my local Brother dealer and said, I just bought a new, but
second-hand Brother 2100 serger. Could I come in and pay for lessons
in how to thread it.

Sure, they said - $100. A little steep, since I just needed someone to
show me how to do the threading, but figured, OK, maybe I'll learn
something else while I'm there.

Bring the serger in, which is STILL the TOL Brother serger on their
website, and they had never seen it before and didn't know how to use
it. Now, I did mention the model number when I called.

I'm sitting with a store employee and explaining to her where I
couldn't follow the directions in the book, when the owner comes in
and looks at it and proclaims it a piece of junk. Says that's why she
doesn't carry it. Now, she is a Brother dealer, and this is their TOL
serger.

Still, they are the only Brother dealer around and the employee
offered that if I left the machine, she would figure it out and call
me, so I did (my DH says I shouldn't have).

On the way out, I stopped to look at the Innovis 4000D, which is the
TOL, do-everything embroidery machine. I am working this summer, which
initially I wasn't going to, and will make just about enough to afford
the machine. I then asked about trade-ins. I have a Brother 8200 with
an 8500 update. The owner came out and started telling me that the
machine had no value and then started berating me because I didn't buy
it from her. She actually said, "I can't believe you expect to trade
in a machine you bought from the internet." I never did tell her where
I got it from.

Now, I love my Brother machine, and although the Disney designs doen't
do anything for me, I like the stitch designer in the Brother, but at
this point, I will be much more likely to get the machine, if I do get
it, from a Babylock dealer.

But, at least today, they did figure out how to thread the serger and
a 20 minute session ended up costing $100.

Then, I find out from the store mechanic, that Viking sells the same
made by Brother serger, so I could have checked out a Viking dealer
instead.

Oh Well,

Linda

I got into the same stupid mess with my Elna 945 serger. Bought it on ebay,
needed help, the closest dealer is a jerk. I told them I would be happy to
pay for lessons. She said I could by appointment at her convenience. I
said I'd call when I had my calendar in hand. Before I left, I inspected
her work on the display models. Hummmpf. Not as good as mine.
There's an Elna serger group on Yahoo that's very nice and I learn from
them, but don't imagine that they would know much about yours - but (!) our
Kate Dicey is a serging expert (if you don't count that she goes so fast
that she had her serger land in her lap one time). I'll bet she would be
glad to help you with your questions.
Meanwhile, back to the Elna jerk - she could have made good money from
me but her arrogance cost her dearly. Polly

"witchystitcher" wrote Bought a Brother Serger on Ebay from a dealer who
had closed up shop.
One of these fancy, schmancy, do everything jobbies. I usually have no
problems using sewing machines and have owned sergers before. BUT, the
directions were just awful on this one and I could not, for the life
of me, figure out how to thread the lower looper.

So I called my local Brother dealer and said, I just bought a new, but
second-hand Brother 2100 serger. Could I come in and pay for lessons
in how to thread it.

Sure, they said - $100. A little steep, since I just needed someone to
show me how to do the threading, but figured, OK, maybe I'll learn
something else while I'm there.

Bring the serger in, which is STILL the TOL Brother serger on their
website, and they had never seen it before and didn't know how to use
it. Now, I did mention the model number when I called.

I'm sitting with a store employee and explaining to her where I
couldn't follow the directions in the book, when the owner comes in
and looks at it and proclaims it a piece of junk. Says that's why she
doesn't carry it. Now, she is a Brother dealer, and this is their TOL
serger.

Still, they are the only Brother dealer around and the employee
offered that if I left the machine, she would figure it out and call
me, so I did (my DH says I shouldn't have).

On the way out, I stopped to look at the Innovis 4000D, which is the
TOL, do-everything embroidery machine. I am working this summer, which
initially I wasn't going to, and will make just about enough to afford
the machine. I then asked about trade-ins. I have a Brother 8200 with
an 8500 update. The owner came out and started telling me that the
machine had no value and then started berating me because I didn't buy
it from her. She actually said, "I can't believe you expect to trade
in a machine you bought from the internet." I never did tell her where
I got it from.

Now, I love my Brother machine, and although the Disney designs doen't
do anything for me, I like the stitch designer in the Brother, but at
this point, I will be much more likely to get the machine, if I do get
it, from a Babylock dealer.

But, at least today, they did figure out how to thread the serger and
a 20 minute session ended up costing $100.

Then, I find out from the store mechanic, that Viking sells the same
made by Brother serger, so I could have checked out a Viking dealer
instead.

Oh Well,

Linda

After I left here, I flipped back to check my email. The serger group is
talking about an 8-thread Babylock. Nope. No-sireee. Not me. Please tell
me they're just kidding. Polly

It's so troubling to read how incredibly rude some retailers can be. So
sorry for your crummy experience - sheesh!!

Patti in Seattle

Patti S wrote:

It's so troubling to read how incredibly rude some retailers can be. So
sorry for your crummy experience - sheesh!!

Patti in Seattle



It';s doubly hard when the manufacturer doesn't honour their warranty.
I'm sitting here with a large box ready to be shipped for the 5th time
but am waiting for the President of the company to respond before I
start legal proceedings. The manufacturer is the sewing machine company
we love to hate... starts with an S. They have refused the warranty
work because I asked Where the F%#$K do I send this machine to get it
fixed right? They even went so far as to tell me that if I ever puchase
another one of their products that that machine's warranty will not be
honoured by them ? While I shouldn't have swore, they shouldn't have
forced me into a position of extreme frustration. In 5 months it went
back for repairs 4 times. I thought the 5th time was the straw that
broke the camels back and I was being real patient up to that point. I'm
not sure I like sewing machine dealers or manufacturers. This all
started when I purchase my machine from an online store who would not
honour the warranty because I didn't purchase extended warranty ...even
though it was still under the manufacturer's warranty.Sheesh
Donn inNWOntario

witchystitcher wrote:

....
Bring the serger in, which is STILL the TOL Brother serger on their
website, ....

what is TOL

Top of the Line

--
Bonnie
NJ
"klh" wrote in message
news:8Esqg.1670$543.1662@trnddc04...


witchystitcher wrote:

....
Bring the serger in, which is STILL the TOL Brother serger on their
website, ....

what is TOL

Polly Esther wrote:

After I left here, I flipped back to check my email. The serger group is
talking about an 8-thread Babylock. Nope. No-sireee. Not me. Please tell
me they're just kidding. Polly


Babylock Evolve. It's been around a while. Babylock do some good
sergers, but I have yet to find one that suits my budget and needs,
rather than mere wishes!

--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

witchystitcher wrote:

Bought a Brother Serger on Ebay from a dealer who had closed up shop.
One of these fancy, schmancy, do everything jobbies. I usually have no
problems using sewing machines and have owned sergers before. BUT, the
directions were just awful on this one and I could not, for the life
of me, figure out how to thread the lower looper.

So I called my local Brother dealer and said, I just bought a new, but
second-hand Brother 2100 serger. Could I come in and pay for lessons
in how to thread it.

Sure, they said - $100. A little steep, since I just needed someone to
show me how to do the threading, but figured, OK, maybe I'll learn
something else while I'm there.

Bring the serger in, which is STILL the TOL Brother serger on their
website, and they had never seen it before and didn't know how to use
it. Now, I did mention the model number when I called.

I'm sitting with a store employee and explaining to her where I
couldn't follow the directions in the book, when the owner comes in
and looks at it and proclaims it a piece of junk. Says that's why she
doesn't carry it. Now, she is a Brother dealer, and this is their TOL
serger.

Still, they are the only Brother dealer around and the employee
offered that if I left the machine, she would figure it out and call
me, so I did (my DH says I shouldn't have).

On the way out, I stopped to look at the Innovis 4000D, which is the
TOL, do-everything embroidery machine. I am working this summer, which
initially I wasn't going to, and will make just about enough to afford
the machine. I then asked about trade-ins. I have a Brother 8200 with
an 8500 update. The owner came out and started telling me that the
machine had no value and then started berating me because I didn't buy
it from her. She actually said, "I can't believe you expect to trade
in a machine you bought from the internet." I never did tell her where
I got it from.

Now, I love my Brother machine, and although the Disney designs doen't
do anything for me, I like the stitch designer in the Brother, but at
this point, I will be much more likely to get the machine, if I do get
it, from a Babylock dealer.

But, at least today, they did figure out how to thread the serger and
a 20 minute session ended up costing $100.

Then, I find out from the store mechanic, that Viking sells the same
made by Brother serger, so I could have checked out a Viking dealer
instead.

Oh Well,

Linda
Bad retailer! UGH!

Brother UK are giving EXCELLENT after sales service at the moment, but
Husqvarna Viking are not... So my next new serger with a free arm may
be the Brother rather than a new Huskylock!

Which model have you got? Oh, the Brother 2100. No - can't find a
threading diagram on-line for that... But I'll keep looking!

Generally, serger thread paths are colour coded: look at the UPPER
looper and see what colour code the thread path has: follow that thread
path with that thread, and do thread UPPER looper first, then lower,
then right and finally left needle.

--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

My Babylock is sooo easy to thread and then they give you a video to
demonstrate "how to". Mine is just a 4 thread but it serves me well.

--
Bonnie
NJ
"Kate Dicey" wrote in message
...
witchystitcher wrote:

Bought a Brother Serger on Ebay from a dealer who had closed up shop.
One of these fancy, schmancy, do everything jobbies. I usually have no
problems using sewing machines and have owned sergers before. BUT, the
directions were just awful on this one and I could not, for the life
of me, figure out how to thread the lower looper.

So I called my local Brother dealer and said, I just bought a new, but
second-hand Brother 2100 serger. Could I come in and pay for lessons
in how to thread it.

Sure, they said - $100. A little steep, since I just needed someone to
show me how to do the threading, but figured, OK, maybe I'll learn
something else while I'm there.

Bring the serger in, which is STILL the TOL Brother serger on their
website, and they had never seen it before and didn't know how to use
it. Now, I did mention the model number when I called.

I'm sitting with a store employee and explaining to her where I
couldn't follow the directions in the book, when the owner comes in
and looks at it and proclaims it a piece of junk. Says that's why she
doesn't carry it. Now, she is a Brother dealer, and this is their TOL
serger.

Still, they are the only Brother dealer around and the employee
offered that if I left the machine, she would figure it out and call
me, so I did (my DH says I shouldn't have). On the way out, I stopped to
look at the Innovis 4000D, which is the
TOL, do-everything embroidery machine. I am working this summer, which
initially I wasn't going to, and will make just about enough to afford
the machine. I then asked about trade-ins. I have a Brother 8200 with
an 8500 update. The owner came out and started telling me that the
machine had no value and then started berating me because I didn't buy
it from her. She actually said, "I can't believe you expect to trade
in a machine you bought from the internet." I never did tell her where
I got it from.

Now, I love my Brother machine, and although the Disney designs doen't
do anything for me, I like the stitch designer in the Brother, but at
this point, I will be much more likely to get the machine, if I do get
it, from a Babylock dealer.

But, at least today, they did figure out how to thread the serger and
a 20 minute session ended up costing $100.

Then, I find out from the store mechanic, that Viking sells the same
made by Brother serger, so I could have checked out a Viking dealer
instead.

Oh Well,

Linda
Bad retailer! UGH!

Brother UK are giving EXCELLENT after sales service at the moment, but
Husqvarna Viking are not... So my next new serger with a free arm may be
the Brother rather than a new Huskylock!

Which model have you got? Oh, the Brother 2100. No - can't find a
threading diagram on-line for that... But I'll keep looking!

Generally, serger thread paths are colour coded: look at the UPPER looper
and see what colour code the thread path has: follow that thread path with
that thread, and do thread UPPER looper first, then lower, then right and
finally left needle.

--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!