Knock on wood, I've had no problems with mine and I'm coming up on the 2 year mark soon.
Worse experience with Oceanic support (Geo 2.0)
- Thread starter martyton
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BugHunterNY
Contributor
I honestly have a problem with consumers these days expecting manufacturers to replace or fix products at no charge years and years after the fact. They warranty something from workmanship defects for a period of time. This doesn't include you leaving it outside in sunlight after a dive and not rinsing it for years on end (NOT saying that is OP situation).
The fact is, while I appreciate (and ultimately become very, very brand loyal) to companies that will go above and beyond to placate a customer after warranty - it's never expected and I think it's childish to complain about a manufacturer who both offers you a discount to trade in for a new model and/or is willing to work with you directly to fix the problem, albeit with a cost involved. Everything costs money in this world. These are businesses out to...wait for it... Make money. If they started replacing and fixing (and internationally shipping) every unit that broke after years of use then THEY WOULDN'T BE IN BUSINESS ANY LONGER.
I understand OP is frustrated he didn't get his way, but quite honestly I don't feel bad for him. He got years of use out of the product, and it didn't completely die. It still works as a dive computer, but doesn't have a backlight. Things break over time. It happens.
And since this is a thread about dive computers, I feel obligated to include this last bit: BUY A PETREL. It will probably last longer than you do, will save money in the long run, you'll most likely never have a problem - but if you do, I expect shearwater will step up and make it right.
There it is. Whew. Was worried for a sec there would be a thread about dive computers that didn't mention our little darling
.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
The fact is, while I appreciate (and ultimately become very, very brand loyal) to companies that will go above and beyond to placate a customer after warranty - it's never expected and I think it's childish to complain about a manufacturer who both offers you a discount to trade in for a new model and/or is willing to work with you directly to fix the problem, albeit with a cost involved. Everything costs money in this world. These are businesses out to...wait for it... Make money. If they started replacing and fixing (and internationally shipping) every unit that broke after years of use then THEY WOULDN'T BE IN BUSINESS ANY LONGER.
I understand OP is frustrated he didn't get his way, but quite honestly I don't feel bad for him. He got years of use out of the product, and it didn't completely die. It still works as a dive computer, but doesn't have a backlight. Things break over time. It happens.
And since this is a thread about dive computers, I feel obligated to include this last bit: BUY A PETREL. It will probably last longer than you do, will save money in the long run, you'll most likely never have a problem - but if you do, I expect shearwater will step up and make it right.
There it is. Whew. Was worried for a sec there would be a thread about dive computers that didn't mention our little darling
. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
CT Sean
Contributor
Maybe it's a UK thing, but i'm not aware of a lifetime warranty available on anything Oceanic (excluding the parts for life for regulators, which I don't really consider the same as a warranty). I'm sure I would have had some documentation for any of the several new Oceanic things I've bought in the past several years.
Regarding the Geo 2.0 itself, mine's being going fine for 4 years. If it failed tomorrow I'd probably replaced with another one.
lamarpaulski
Contributor
Sorry for your experience but I have to say Oceanic sent me a new computer when mine acted up. Im in USA so maybe that helped and my computer was fairly new. Had good luck with Underwater Kinetics on a light too. Reputation means a lot in diving and the internet can multiply that factor.
R
redacted
Guest
And since this is a thread about dive computers, I feel obligated to include this last bit: BUY A PETREL. It will probably last longer than you do, will save money in the long run, you'll most likely never have a problem - but if you do, I expect shearwater will step up and make it right.
There it is. Whew. Was worried for a sec there would be a thread about dive computers that didn't mention our little darling
After the 2 year limited warranty, why would you expect Shearwater will step up when other mfgrs are not expected to? Is it because the petrel is so expensive?
My 10+ Y/O Oceanic Data pluses that I picked up for under $100 per are still going strong. (Actually, I did kill one out of 5 due to my error causing case damage.) So how would that $850 Petrel save me money in the long run?
BugHunterNY
Contributor
That part of my post was mostly facetious expectation based on other customers experience with the company. It is a tongue-in-cheek plug for the Petrel, since it's just so amazing.
. I don't assume any company will go beyond the warranty... I just am taking a guess Shearwater would probably do more than most.Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
spoolin01
Contributor
Your frustration is understandable, especially if you think the product design or manufacture is mediocre - as would be evidenced if this is a common problem.
Oceanic/Aeris had other problems with this series of wrist computers during the models' early years - once the factory-installed battery ran down, the user-installed replacement often drained quickly as well. This was reported for the Geo, Manta, freedive watch, and possibly others. In the course of a couple of months' time I went through a half dozen batteries that lasted from a few hours to two weeks at the longest in a Manta. There was a hardware fix available but they never offered it as a recall or even a discounted service. They apparently even brought their freedive watch out with the same design flaw, at the time the earlier models were showing the problem.
The recalibration service payment covered the hardware fix which seems to have solved the problem, and to their small credit, they also spruced the watch up - new bezel and protective film - but I agree it is aggravating to think that after dropping an outrageous amount of money for a dive computer, that there is a high likelihood of having to pay another couple of hundred dollars again in just a couple of years, to keep it running.
Oceanic/Aeris had other problems with this series of wrist computers during the models' early years - once the factory-installed battery ran down, the user-installed replacement often drained quickly as well. This was reported for the Geo, Manta, freedive watch, and possibly others. In the course of a couple of months' time I went through a half dozen batteries that lasted from a few hours to two weeks at the longest in a Manta. There was a hardware fix available but they never offered it as a recall or even a discounted service. They apparently even brought their freedive watch out with the same design flaw, at the time the earlier models were showing the problem.
The recalibration service payment covered the hardware fix which seems to have solved the problem, and to their small credit, they also spruced the watch up - new bezel and protective film - but I agree it is aggravating to think that after dropping an outrageous amount of money for a dive computer, that there is a high likelihood of having to pay another couple of hundred dollars again in just a couple of years, to keep it running.
Hickdive
Contributor
Possibly. In the UK if you register an Oceanic computer and bring it back to the dealer annually they will supply a new battery and o ring kit free of charge. They may make a charge for the labour of installing it. The warranty covers consequential flooding so if the dealer changes the battery and doesn't seal the computer back up properly causing a flood then the computer will be replaced.
This is off topic a bit but I have an old Aeris that is having some issues that may be battery related and I change the battery each year. Do you know what years were involved and is this hardware fix something a good scuba service center can do or do I need to talk to Aeris?
spoolin01
Contributor
My best guess is that the hardware fix came into being sometime in early- or mid-2010 for servicing of existing units. I recall first reading in mid-2010 about the fix in reference to the just-released F10 freedive watch, from new owners who were excited with their long-awaited product, but were having battery issues among others. I had my 2 yr old Manta successfully repaired in early 2011.
That I can tell, the Manta, Geo, and F10 are all the same basic design. I'm not familiar enough with their product lines to know if there are others. I recall getting the impression somewhere that the Geo 2.0 which I believe was also released in 2010, did not have the battery issue. So it may be that it was around that time that the fix became available, but how quickly it was incorporated into each model, and how broadly it affected their product line, I don't know.
From what I could tell from speaking with Oceanic's repair service, the fix was a shield to solve some kind of static electricity issue. I would guess it has to be done at Oceanic/Aeris. Prior to implementation of the fix, I believe they were recommending that the battery contacts be shorted briefly, prior to installation of a battery, to try to eliminate any static build-up. That didn't solve the problem I was having with premature low-battery warnings, and they were so variable I couldn't determine if it even helped.
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