has anyone bought a mutoh valuejet from spandex?

[Peter Normington]

Karen, I dont have a Mutoh, but when you say problems, what exactly do you mean?
What programs are using to produce and rip?
What sort of help advice have spandex given you with your problems?

Peter

[Karen Gianfrancesco]

well the first thing i printed was a canvas and it splattered ink at the last piece of media its had 3 dampers replaced a reservoir 4 engineers, top engineer for a day taking machine apart and its now printing wavey lines and you know i have only printed about 50 metres on it since i had it ???

[Robert Lambie]

i know little about them but what i have heard is that they are a good machine. i recon you have a bad machine and it should be returned/swapped. surely its still under warranty? what are spandex saying about it?

[Alex Wilson]

Hi Karen

Was it new when you bought it or is it a second hand. I do not know that machine but my Versacamm drops ink dots when the wipers are dirty as these wipe the side of the head as it starts its travel across media. Does it have a clear encoder strip across where the head runs along as this can cause problems when dirty.

Hope this may help
Kind regards

Alex

[David Rowland]

sorry im confused… a printer splattering?

[Karen Gianfrancesco]

quote Alex:

Hi Karen

Was it new when you bought it or is it a second hand. I do not know that machine but my Versacamm drops ink dots when the wipers are dirty as these wipe the side of the head as it starts its travel across media. Does it have a clear encoder strip across where the head runs along as this can cause problems when dirty.

Hope this may help
Kind regards

Alex

no i bought package brand new £17k and have hardly printed a thing perfect really fed up now i think what rob says is true i think a rogue machine too but am having prblems convincing spandex of the same wish i had bought a roland just 20 min down road from me hat will teach me !

[Karen Gianfrancesco]

quote Dave Rowland:

sorry im confused… a printer splattering?

yes its like its sneezing black ink on the media annoyingly just at the end of the print

[Lynn Normington]

Karen is it doing it on all media?? or just canvas?? have you got your profiles right ?? if it’s yes to all sounds like a bad machine 🙄

Lynn

[Robert Lambie]

if the machine is faulty then they are legaly obligated to take the machine back, refund or replace. i personally wouldnt have given them this long…
at this point the machine has only made them money!

[Karen Gianfrancesco]

quote Lynn:

Karen is it doing it on all media?? or just canvas?? have you got your profiles right ?? if it’s yes to all sounds like a bad machine 🙄

Lynn

yes its doing it on all media except text graphic which isnt much use as i dont use that alot photo, vinyl ,banner poster you name it machine out of action 3 weeks now they want to replace head etc but the machine is really new for the work it has done what you think and yes profiles 100% accurate to the media in printer confusing ?

[Karen Gianfrancesco]

quote Robert Lambie:

if the machine is faulty then they are legaly obligated to take the machine back, refund or replace. i personally wouldnt have given them this long…
at this point the machine has only made them money!

yes well that is the point i am finally a now wasted £100’s of media and ink with no joy i have asked for a replacement or money back by mid next week but waiting for big boss to ok but he’s been away for 2 weeks and won’t speak to me 🙄

[Lynn Normington]

Karen I imagine you do your cleans etc. you appear to know what you are talking about, and engineers I think did you say 3 times ?? I don’t know the machine but for a new one with so many problems it seems excessive. maybe a not fit for purpose letter to Spandex?

Lynn

[Karen Gianfrancesco]

quote Lynn:

Karen I imagine you do your cleans etc. you appear to know what you are talking about, and engineers I think did you say 3 times ?? I don’t know the machine but for a new one with so many problems it seems excessive. maybe a not fit for purpose letter to Spandex?

Lynn

i agree this machine has hardly had any use purely due to the fact that it doesn’t print perfectly the only run i have done problem free is 3 metres of photo paper and then from there on its seems to have died on me i am trying to run a business like us all but i am turning customers away as i cannot guarantee quality of print

[Peter Normington]

Karen, what do spandex say is wrong?

I am not taking sides, but they must have given you a reason for the problems?

but assuming you have done everything to the book,

I would put it in writing to them, explaining all the problems you have had,
and despite their engineers efforts, they have not resolved your problem,
ask them to resolve your problems within 7 days, or refund your payment under the fit for purpose legislation. And claim for all the wasted media you used.

Did you pay for the machine, lease or take out finance?
I dont need an answer, but depending on the terms of the finance, you may be able to get the finance house involved. as they could well be jointly responsible for a bad machine

Peter

[Alex Wilson]

Hi Karen

I agree with Rob give them a very short timescale to replace either your money or machine put it in writing to them as the machine seems unfit for use. I know you do not want to hear this but the Versacamm is brilliant machine and I would highly recommend one.

Give them hell…lol

Alex

[Karen Gianfrancesco]

quote Peter Normington:

Karen, what do spandex say is wrong?

I am not taking sides, but they must have given you a reason for the problems?

but assuming you have done everything to the book,

I would put it in writing to them, explaining all the problems you have had,
and despite their engineers efforts, they have not resolved your problem,
ask them to resolve your problems within 7 days, or refund your payment under the fit for purpose legislation. And claim for all the wasted media you used.

Did you pay for the machine, lease or take out finance?
I dont need an answer, but depending on the terms of the finance, you may be able to get the finance house involved. as they could well be jointly responsible for a bad machine

Peter

no i paid in full out of my own pocket that is the upswetting thing a year later that £17k has made me no money really

[Alex Wilson]

Hi Karen

Rather than turning work away would you not be better finding someone on here close enough who could help you out with some trade priced work?

At least you would keep your customers happy!

Alex

[Karen Gianfrancesco]

quote Alex:

Hi Karen

I agree with Rob give them a very short timescale to replace either your money or machine put it in writing to them as the machine seems unfit for use. I know you do not want to hear this but the Versacamm is brilliant machine and I would highly recommend one.

Give them hell…lol

Alex

yes big big regret i really wish i had waited to go to the sign show and gone with the versacamm just down the road from me maybe that will be the new road i will have to go down but it will be a battle to get my money refunded after my dealings with the said supplier over the last year they really don’t play ball unless you go to america of course which maybe the route i have to go down

[Karen Gianfrancesco]

quote Alex:

Hi Karen

Rather than turning work away would you not be better finding someone on here close enough who could help you out with some trade priced work?

At least you would keep your customers happy!

Alex

lovely thought but all print customers in my area do not integrate with eachother all they do is compete unfortunately seems quite alien in the print industry when i talk to other people in other areas 🙁

[Alex Wilson]

Hi Karen

Someone on here surely can help and get some trade work for themselves. seems strange I have a great working relationship with almost all the sign companies in my local area of south east London.

Kind regards

Alex

[Karen Gianfrancesco]

quote Alex:

Hi Karen

Someone on here surely can help and get some trade work for themselves. seems strange I have a great working relationship with almost all the sign companies in my local area of south east London.

Kind regards

Alex

rselves anything to keep the customer happy as we all kno

yes been on vehicle wrapping course for 2 days and got fantastic feedback of people helping eachother maybe i should spread out of weston-super-mare and find amicable people in outer areas auch as you

[Alex Wilson]

hi Karen

That really is strange to me I do work for quite a few sign companies and also have them doing work for us. We rarely tread on each others toes as we seem to all have our own customer base. Most of my work is TV based for the BBC and our repeat customers so we rarely come into contact with our local so called rivals..lol

I know an excellent photographic print company who have a JV3 for full solvent and 2 Canon’s for higher quality prints.

Kind regards

Alex

[Karl Williams]

I had problems with the Rocky 38 which is also a Mutoh. Oh no not again I hear you all say! The problem I’ve found is some firms don’t fully understand the machines they are selling. Changes happen quick nowadays so quick I think even the engineers have difficulty keeping up.
I know from past experience when your machine goes down your business stops dead. You get on the phone and explain the problem and you’re assured it will be sorted. Then comes the waiting game. Engineer turns up and sorts the problem. Engineer goes problem comes back. When this happens over and over again and your bank balance is getting lower and lower, customers giving you grief it’s not a good situation to be in. Then you get p!ssed off and lose your rag. All you get then is "I’ll put the phone down if you raise your voice!" Damn right you’ll raise your voice. It’s your bl00dy money. Your business that’s going down the pan and a reputation that’s as bad as Ratners. It’s about time most of these suppliers got of their backsides and instead of just shoving boxes out the door at 17 grand a time started to realise that when they let us down the damage sometimes is irreversible.

[Peter Normington]

Ok
Just a polite word off warning Karen,
We are a friendly lot on the boards, we do help each other out, and do "trade" print for for others, but any deal you do on the boards,should be treated like phoning an advertiser from a trade magazine, you are not guaranteed the best quality or service, just because you used a board member, and I dont mean that in any bad way,

We bought our printer simply to have control of the output,
as a lot do,

Peter

[Alex Wilson]

Hi Karl

I would have to say that the level of service on our warranty has been second to none from Roland. We have needed their services only once for a mechanical problem and we have had a service via the warranty but on the two vists their service engineers have been excellent.

Alex

[Karen Gianfrancesco]

quote Karl Williams:

I had problems with the Rocky 38 which is also a Mutoh. Oh no not again I hear you all say! The problem I’ve found is some firms don’t fully understand the machines they are selling. Changes happen quick nowadays so quick I think even the engineers have difficulty keeping up.
I know from past experience when your machine goes down your business stops dead. You get on the phone and explain the problem and you’re assured it will be sorted. Then comes the waiting game. Engineer turns up and sorts the problem. Engineer goes problem comes back. When this happens over and over again and your bank balance is getting lower and lower, customers giving you grief it’s not a good situation to be in. Then you get p!ssed off and lose your rag. All you get then is “I’ll put the phone down if you raise your voice!” Damn right you’ll raise your voice. It’s your bl00dy money. Your business that’s going down the pan and a reputation that’s as bad as Ratners. It’s about time most of these suppliers got of their backsides and instead of just shoving boxes out the door at 17 grand a time started to realise that when they let us down the damage sometimes is irreversible.

thank god for that its just how i fell i am pulling my hair out no graphics no business engineers puzzled you have made my night i am not going mad thankyou

[Karl Williams]

quote Alex:

Hi Karl

I would have to say that the level of service on our warranty has been second to none from Roland. We have needed their services only once for a mechanical problem and we have had a service via the warranty but on the two vists their service engineers have been excellent.

Alex

Alex,
I won’t tarnish ALL suppliers with the same brush as that would be wrong. I’ve just had major problems with my JV3 and have to say Hybrid sorted it as they said they would. I’m very happy with the machine and happy with the service from Hybrid.
Karen me dear I know how you’re feeling and do sympathise with you.
No one as far as I’m aware on here try to alienate you. Most are here to help so if you’re in the poo just ask! Together we’ll keep each other going. 😉

[Alex Wilson]

Hi Peter

Could not agree more but I pride my company on the level of service I provide to all of my customers including my local rivals..lol. At the end of the day whats the point of me providing a crap service all i would end up with is a poor image on here and locally. I know you are not having a go at me personally but all i was trying to do was help out a fellow sign maker who is being let down by a crappy distributor.

I have today supplied a smaller local sign company 6.5metres of various coloured vinyl and etched vinyl because he is struggling at the moment. Does this make me an idiot for helping out a rival and if i was in the same position would i get the same response from him???

At the end of the day what goes around comes around and hopefully when I need it I will find someone to help me

best wishes

Alex

[Karl Williams]

Just for the record my old machine is now a very reliable…………………………………………………………….coat hanger! 😀 😉

[Karen Gianfrancesco]

quote Karl Williams:

quote Alex:

Hi Karl

I would have to say that the level of service on our warranty has been second to none from Roland. We have needed their services only once for a mechanical problem and we have had a service via the warranty but on the two vists their service engineers have been excellent.

Alex

Alex,
I won’t tarnish ALL suppliers with the same brush as that would be wrong. I’ve just had major problems with my JV3 and have to say Hybrid sorted it as they said they would. I’m very happy with the machine and happy with the service from Hybrid.
Karen me dear I know how you’re feeling and do sympathise with you.
No one as far as I’m aware on here try to alienate you. Most are here to help so if you’re in the poo just ask! Together we’ll keep each other going. 😉

thankyou karl

[John Childs]

Karen,

You are obliged to give the supplier a reasonable chance to put right any problems under warranty. It sounds like you have more than fulfilled that obligation, so now it must go back and your money be returned. I would also be sueing them for loss of profits.

I’m with Rob. I wouldn’t have waited this long. One week of downtime, maybe two, then I would have been knocking on their door. At this stage maybe you should be involving a solicitor.

Temperature sensors. If you are going to be using it yourself and will look after it, you can buy a good one from a sign supplies shop. On the other hand, if employees will be using it, it will get abused, dropped on the floor and generally badly treated so buy a boxful of cheapies (about £8.00) from your local model car shop. (They use them for measuring tyre temperatures, believe it or not. ) 😀

[Karen Gianfrancesco]

quote John Childs:

Karen,

You are obliged to give the supplier a reasonable chance to put right any problems under warranty. It sounds like you have more than fulfilled that obligation, so now it must go back and your money be returned. I would also be sueing them for loss of profits.

I’m with Rob. I wouldn’t have waited this long. One week of downtime, maybe two, then I would have been knocking on their door. At this stage maybe you should be involving a solicitor.

Temperature sensors. If you are going to be using it yourself and will look after it, you can buy a good one from a sign supplies shop. On the other hand, if employees will be using it, it will get abused, dropped on the floor and generally badly treated so buy a cheapie (about £8.00) from your local model car shop. (They use them for measuring tyre temperatures, believe it or not. ) 😀

thankyou john thats just what i needed maybe to give me a kick up the backside to get this problem resolved by the way do me a favour what sign shop just spent the last hour looking at sign shop suppliers with no luck

[John Childs]

quote Karen Gianfrancesco:

what sign shop just spent the last hour looking at sign shop suppliers with no luck

You’ve got me there Karen. 😀

i would have thought that Jag Sign Supplies would have done them, but I can’t find them on their site. 🙁

Our first (expensive) one came from Robert Horne, but I don’t know if they are something they sell all the time, or whether they were a short term thing when they started selling wrap vinyl.

Subsequent purchases have all been made from our local toy shop. 😀

[Karen Gianfrancesco]

quote John Childs:

quote Karen Gianfrancesco:

what sign shop just spent the last hour looking at sign shop suppliers with no luck

You’ve got me there Karen. 😀

i would have thought that Jag Sign Supplies would have done them, but I can’t find them on their site. 🙁

Our first (expensive) one came from Robert Horne, but I don’t know if they are something they sell all the time, or whether they were a short term thing when they started selling wrap vinyl.

Subsequent purchases have all been made from our local toy shop. 😀

ok thanks jogn i will try

[David Rowland]

oh dear… although your fairly reasonably close.. i shall PM you a mo

[Colin Crow]

We also purchased our valuejet from spandex at around the same time and given the superb service we have received I find this thread difficult to understand. They could not have been more helpful and got our machine running beyond most peoples expectations.

I can’t help feeling that we are not hearing both sides of this story and would be happy to offer any advice we have gained over the last 8 months if it would help solve the problems.

Colin

[Mathew Gibson]

I don’t know if this will help but i was questioning a spandex engineer about the valuejet and he said if your going to get one don’t get the 1204 get the 1604 a lot of problems with the smaller machine!

[Karen Gianfrancesco]

quote MattG:

I don’t know if this will help but i was questioning a spandex engineer about the valuejet and he said if your going to get one don’t get the 1204 get the 1604 a lot of problems with the smaller machine!

Thankyou very much everyone for your help and advise I have pestered Spandex and they are taking the printer away next week, loaning me a printer in the meantime and on the advise of a few of you I am trading up to a 1604 all depending of course on price and that I get back what I paid for. Can’t really change to another machine stuck as have mistral rip etc and all media which I am a bit naive and don’t know whether I can use Spandex imageperfect on other machines but anyway hopefully all will be resolved in the next few weeks and I can just put this down to a bad experience thankyou all again signboard members really are a friendly bunch :lol1: :lol1:

[Chris Wool]

nothing wrong with imageperfect stuff in other machines works well with ecomax inks and good quality materials

dont let them flob you off keep at them until you are satisfied you have got what you paid for

chris

[Karl Williams]

Spandex also have a habit of telling you if you don’t use their materials then your warranty is void. They tried this with me in 2001 when I used the Gerber Edge. I was allowed to use their Mactac materials but not mactac from Amari. Full of sh!te. Like most machinery resellers they try to force you to buy from them all the time with intimidation tactics.

[David Rowland]

ok good to hear some progress…
i use imageperfect banner with jv3

[Andre Woodcock]

Karen, It is a good choice for you to upgrade to a wider Valuejet. The 1604 or 1618 will allow you to print up to 1.6m wide, you will soon find the advantage. But be careful when lifting those 25+kg media rolls. Good Luck.

Andre

[Karen Gianfrancesco]

quote Andre Woodcock:

Karen, It is a good choice for you to upgrade to a wider Valuejet. The 1604 or 1618 will allow you to print up to 1.6m wide, you will soon find the advantage. But be careful when lifting those 25+kg media rolls. Good Luck.

Andre

thanks all yes the media rolls can be a bit on the heavy side especially as I am waiting on a shoulder op but ho hum i try and nab somebody to help when desperate, thanks for the info on the media i did wonder if they were pulling my leg surely media cannot be that different mind you I have blimming hundreds of metres of allsorts to use up now as I have hardly printed a thing to date but heres looking to next week and i can play catch up

[alan flynn]

hello karen

to be fair to spandex these are really good machines, we have sold a lot of them and only had problems with one, i don’t agree that the smaller machine has any problems as we have only had 1 machine play up and that was a 64 inch, this is were your dealer come into play and hoe they handle your problems, but to be fair to spandex and they sell against us,
they are normally very good
regards
alan flynn

[Karen Gianfrancesco]

quote alan flynn:

hello karen

to be fair to spandex these are really good machines, we have sold a lot of them and only had problems with one, i don’t agree that the smaller machine has any problems as we have only had 1 machine play up and that was a 64 inch, this is were your dealer come into play and hoe they handle your problems, but to be fair to spandex and they sell against us,
they are normally very good
regards
alan flynn

well i have news today i checked with them when they would be taking my machine away and they were lending me theres ntil i thought the sales guy would be phoning me with a view to upgrading at my expense and I find that the one they were lending me there old demo one is actually my replacement how kind are they i don’t think s, so i have asked now for a full refund and i am going to buy a versacamm they haven’t got back to me but i have threatened solicitors so they are not amicable with me at all

[Brian Hays]

quote alan flynn:

,
they are normally very good
regards
alan flynn

"Normally very good" is not much help when you are one of those that has been treated shabbily 😮

I would go for it Karen if it has never been working properly. It seems they have had ample opportunity to put it right. I wouldn’t be be keen on stumping up even more money just to get a different machine that does what yours should do anyway.

[Sean Cully]

We have Uniform Lancer which is just a re-branded Valuejet.
And it has never been a problem.
It works like a desk top printer.
Only problem if you are printing a big banner it can crease a bit and creat a head strike.

I would demand a new machine from Spandex.

Sean

[alan flynn]

hello all

sorry to hear they still have not come up with the right solution, just goes to prove there is still room in the market for smaller dealers like us, and at 5ft 5 they don’t come a lot smaller,
some time when you deal with a bigger company what you have to remember is to a lot of there staff its just a job,
but as Sean has said and we have loads of happy users, maybe you have got a Friday afternoon machine
and spandex if you read these boards it may pay you to cut back a bit on your advertising budget and show a bit of good will and just replace the machine
action speak louder than words
regards
Alan Flynn

[Ian Pople]

was this problem ever sorted out ?

[Karen Gianfrancesco]

so called replacement printer supplied 2 months printing ok but now spitting ink again, prints one sample perfect and then exactly the same duplicate after is awful, explain that one, so i am taking them to court in the process at the moment, they are the most awful unhelpful, unbusiness like firm i have ever dealt with and all after spending £20k with them as you can see i am slightly annoyed (hot)

[David Rowland]

I must admit, you couldn’t be any closer to Spandex Karen, you are on their doorstep.

[Karen Gianfrancesco]

yes I know, mind you when I had the £20k cheque ready for them for the purchase, within 20 minutes of putting the phone down the sales girl was in my workshop with her hand out, so they can be very efficient when they want to be, shame its only when they are selling to you though

[Sean Cully]

We bought a Valuejet 1604 (Uniform Lancer) From B&P.
Now luckily we have had no problems 16 months on.
It prints like a desktop printer.

But the back-up from B&P is rubbish, and has come to a point when the machine was coming up a year old.
Maintenance was a fortune and for that price I could personally replace every consumable part of the machine twice over.
Once they found we were not getting the service contract all the updates they said they were going to send never materialized.
As for them getting back to you with prices for stock/inks it never happens.
It took them nearly 3 weeks to repair the motherboard on our plotter!!!
They are too quickly to blame one of there colleagues for not sorting something.
Avoid B&P at all costs.
If you think Spandex are bad you ain’t seen nothing.