Complaints

This profile includes complaints for PreppComm Amateur Radio's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  PreppComm Amateur Radio

  Kootenai, ID 83840-0271

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  PreppComm Amateur Radio

  PO Box 413 Kootenai, ID 83840-0413

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/11/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased this item in September 2023 and have had problems since. First, I could not get the unit to function properly. With the help of *************************, owner of Preppcomm, I was able to get it to function somewhat and then the power button failed. Instead of asking me to return the item for proper repair, they sent a new power button for me to install, which I did according to the instructions sent to me.After installation of the power button, it also failed to work. At this time, they requested that I return the item for repair.After examing the unit their claim is that I caused the problems and they would be returning the item to **** have attached marketing information along with my email correspondence with *************************. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/28/2023

  Dear *****************:
  
  Our policy is clear for returns on our website. The record is also clear: we bent over backwards to support *******
  
  The product of complaint was shipped to *** on 8/1/23:
  
  We first got a complaint from *** on 8/10/23 that he could not decode CW. We emailed back and forth on the 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th and finally got him connecting and using the product correctly. At that point, he complained that the power switch was malfunctioning, we offered, and he requested a replacement:
  
  Email, sent 8/13/23 by ***: "Please send the replacement power switch with instructions on how to replace it.  You have been great to work with me like this.  An outstanding review will certainly be given."
  
  Now understand, this is Amateur Radio, not the consumer market. *** is assumed to have some technical and electronic skills, because of the study required to get a license. Since he requested the replacement switch, we assumed he had the skill to replace it. We should have considered the problems getting him squared away with it being connected and with him using it correctly, but it did not occur to us at the time that perhaps a better solution would be to have him return it for warranty repair.
  
  At the time, the employee who was in charge of handling this was laid off, and things fell through the cracks. *** was of course annoyed, and wanted it fixed, expressed in an email on 9/7/23.
  
  We apologized for the lapse of response. *** received the replacement switch around 9/11/23. We received an email on 9/18/23 stating that he had installed it, and there was no power. This of course indicated an incorrect connection. What can go wrong connecting two wires to a power LED (and the rest of the circuitry)?
  
  *** went "off line" for 2 weeks, we could not contact him. Finally, we connected by email, and then talked by telephone, and it was clear to me that *** was not able to connect up the switch correctly. So we issued him a free return label so we could do the installation for him.
  
  We received not only the product but all of the accessories shipped in a bag, and parts were missing (the protective lid for the product in particular). Amazingly enough, nothing was broken, including the *** screen.
  
  The first thing to note was the switch wires were incorrectly placed. In addition, one of the two wires was broken, and was only held in place by the insulation. We replaced the switch faulty wire, and plugged it in correctly, and the unit performed 100% correctly. I have to add that the attitude of the customer toward the product is displayed by the method shipped, so it was clear that there was little or no respect for the product. We have never seen such a poor method of shipping from a customer, ever.
  
  The switch wire that was pinched off - that is to say, was only connected by the insulation - indicates a lot of physical trauma applied. We do not know what *** was trying to do, but between breaking the wire and plugging it into the wrong connection, he was doomed to failure. Really, there were only 2 pins to plug into - one that would do nothing, and one that would work. We emailed him 9/26/23 with this statement:
  
  "When we ask a user to do something like replace a switch, we assume that if the customer agrees, they are able to do so. It was clear from what we found that it was a mistake to have you inside the box.
  
  Besides the damage to the new power switch wires and incorrect wiring, the unit was quite dirty, and the processing units were no longer functional, and needed to be reloaded. This indicates static or other handling damage.
  
  We will not be able to do the repair work under warranty because of the various issues we found. We will return your ZERO to as close to new condition as we can, including cleaning off all of the whatever on the panels, and return it to you. You will receive an invoice for $53 plus shipping, that is labor and parts, plus shipping."
  
  His reply on 10/7/23 instructs us that he has concluded that our product quality is poor, and he is going to submit a complaint to the BBB. And, he refused to pay the invoice.
  
  We of course did not want his unit sitting around our shop, so we cancelled the invoice, and sent his unit and all of the other parts of the bundle back to him, no charge. 
  
  Note that at no point did he demand a refund. So now he wants a refund? Because he feels it necessary to hurt our company reputation? Well, in spite of the stated policy, we will take his unit back, and he will have his refund. He simply needs to ship it back to us again. We strongly recommend he use a box, not a bag.
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/04/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. I do not accept his assertions that the equipment was damaged in anyway.  It was carefully packed in a box, not a bag.  All I did to it was what I was told to do, followed provided instructions and did not touch anything other than the power button and connected properly and it still failed to power on.

  I have not opened the box that the business sent back to me.  I did fail to include the protective cover for the unit and it will be carefully packed into a separate box and shipped with what he returned to me.  I will be expecting a full refund upon business receiving package.

  Please let me know if you need additional information.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************