Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/08/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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 a timing reader from Innovative nearly 2 years ago, using it only about 7 times due to recurring issues. Each time, we reached out to Innovative Timing for troubleshooting and even had 1-on-1 calls with their engineers before races. Additionally, we've not charged for any races due to these issues. On 12/21/24, at a race we timed for free, the reader again stopped working. After sending the database to Innovative Timing, a seasoned timer, not an engineer, discovered an internal issue. Shortly after purchase, ****** informed us that our model was being phased out (which they knew at the time) and advised against sending it for diagnosis as they couldnt guarantee functionality after June. Had this been disclosed, we would have waited for the newer model. It feels unethical that ****** sold us a product being phased out. Theyve offered a $2,499 discount on a new model, but were not interested in continuing with them. Weve instead asked them to buy back the equipment for 50% of the purchase price, as they offered another timer under an NDA. Were now stuck with a non-functional reader and questioning whether it ever worked properly. Our question is: Will Innovative Timing cover the cost of diagnosing and fixing the reader or providing upgraded equipment? Can anything be done on the loan side to mitigate the impact? We prefer Innovative Timing buy back the equipment and we will return it. Attached is the email thread with Jaguar for reference.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/05/2025

  In response to this customers complaint:
  1).  She stated that shortly after purchase, she was informed that their system was being phased out.  In fact, we received her order on April 4, 2023.  The newer model was not announced until January 14, 2024 and not released until March 12, 2024, over 11 months after her purchase.  Her comment that that was unethical is unfounded. 

  2).  She was offered a very generous trade-in offer to upgrade to the new system, but she thought we should give it to her for free.  She wouldnt get a free laptop or a free television when those manufacturers release a new model, but she thinks that she should receive a new timing system for free.  That is unrealistic.

  3).  She stated that the system had recurring issues every time they used it.  Many of these were due to user errors.  Yet, our technical support team provided her with extra hours of support beyond the support ticket plan she purchased.  Moreover, she refused to attend training conferences even though we have highly recommended that she attend for 2 years. 

  4). On Christmas Eve around 1:00pm, she contacted support with an issue from a race.  ********** was closing for the Christmas holiday and she was told that we would help her after Christmas and she was fine with that.  However, one of our Regional Leaders agreed to help her, analyzed her database, and spent hours adjusting her data on Christmas Day.  His findings agreed with what our engineers had determined that one of the electronic components on her timing system might be failing.  In addition, he also noted that there were many user errors recorded in their log file and made the following comment to her in an email:  I saw a lot of issues and mistakes in your Log File. There are also a lot of best practices that you and your team are not following. It is REALLY important that you (and/or whomever times your races) come to the ***************** next month. You cant be successful the way you are running your timing operation now. You really need this training.

  5).  We reached out to the customer after Christmas and communicated to her that she could send the system back to determine if there was a hardware issue for an evaluation fee of $275.00.  The system was more than a year out of warranty.  If a repair was necessary, we would use refurbished parts to save her money.  We also gave her the option again of trading in the system for a new model and provided a very generous discount if she chose to do that.  She was not happy with either option.  Her comment that we offered to buy back the same system from another customer for 50% of the purchase price is ABSOLUTELY UNTRUE, and we have communicated that to her by email multiple times.  So it is unethical for her to put that in her complaint when she knows its not true.  She was offered the best trade-in price that we offered to any customer.

  6).  Our position is that she can either trade in the system for the offer we have presented, she can request an RMA and pay the evaluation fee and any necessary repair costs, or she can keep the system as-is.