DesertTech MDRX - warranty repair - no response via their email/phone

[davidlawrie]

Has anyone else had issues with getting hold of DesertTech for a warranty repair? I have a 308 MDRX 16" barrel Forward Eject

The rifle has had issues since day one, failure to feed, failure to eject, trigger becoming stuck on reset and faulty bolt release. At first I though the rifle just needed breaking in but 250 rounds later after several range visits it remains as reliable as soviet built car from the 70s. Maybe it was built by someone 4.30pm on a Friday without any QA but for a $3000 rifle, sorry I expect better - which comes to my complaint of customer service.

I've been attempting since Jan 10th to get a warranty repair started. The phone extension for repairs is a joke and looks to be a voicemail box that nobody monitors.

January 10th – sent email to [email protected] > no response
January 18th – called – left voicemail to warranty extension – no response
January 22nd – called – left voicemail to warranty extension – no response
January 24th – Whilst at SHOT show in Vegas I cornered a sales rep named Zach and reviewed the sorry story above - he asked me to reach out directly to him – emailed same day – still waiting for a response.

 

[TonyTheTiger]

Sounds like standard operating procedure for DT.

 

[wade2big]

Everybody that has ever tried to contact DT has had issues. I’m saying this as someone who has and really likes their bolt guns. Good luck as you are gonna need it.

 

[Chickentoast]

Wow, thought the wlvrn looked good enough to consider, but no thanks if that's the sop.

 

[Ernest 5.56]

Sounds like standard operating procedure for DT.

I thought mormons would be better at customer service?

Desert Tech Better Business Bureau

 

[TonyTheTiger]

I thought mormons would be better at customer service?

Well, you'd be wrong..

 

[alfmoonspace]

Sounds like they are janky Mormons, ones that have no connection to the real Church. A buddy went by the office there in Utah the other day and he said it’s like a ghost town. Over grown grass and no one there during business hours.

 

[Cascade Hemi]

I thought mormons would be better at customer service?

Are you a member of their ward?

 

[alfmoonspace]

lol

 

[Ernest 5.56]

Are you a member of their ward?

No but I do make the clip on ties they wear during a home visit

 

[davidlawrie]

They eventually got back to me. Lashings of apologies but by the sounds of it there is one maybe two guys at most working in service and support, which for the sales volume they have seems woefully insufficient. I filled in an online form so I guess I will wait again again now for this to be picked up. In checking youtube reviews for the MDR this seems par for the course for DT.

 

[secondofangle2]

I love them, but they have major problems:

• warranty service/repairs
• answering the phone
• website accuracy (in stock frequently wrong, lots of issues)
• TRASOL support basically nonexistent/product abandoned
• guys working in technical sections of the company who don't know crap about guns, e.g., a gamer non-gun guy employee who tried to sell me used 375 brass from test firing and not knowing it was worthless which should have been obvious because the bag of brass he sold me had 20% of the primers had fallen out from way way overpressure test loads...yet he did the test firing and had no clue. To name just one example. Why was this ignorant gamer kid (by his own admission!) test firing a 375 Cheytac? (this was ~8 years ago)

It's really a shame

 

[warrantchief]

I love them, but they have major problems:

• warranty service/repairs
• answering the phone
• website accuracy (in stock frequently wrong, lots of issues)
• TRASOL support basically nonexistent/product abandoned
• guys working in technical sections of the company who don't know crap about guns, e.g., a gamer non-gun guy employee who tried to sell me used 375 brass from test firing and not knowing it was worthless which should have been obvious because the bag of brass he sold me had 20% of the primers had fallen out from way way overpressure test loads...yet he did the test firing and had no clue. To name just one example. Why was this ignorant gamer kid (by his own admission!) test firing a 375 Cheytac? (this was ~8 years ago)

It's really a shame

No mention of the incest and child brides??

 

[secondofangle2]

Well, we don't know anything about that, and I think it's best to stay out of others' religions. It's not Warren Jeffs we're talking about.

OTOH, there is the possibility that nepotism (hiring of incompetent relatives) may be part of the problem

 

[W54/XM-388]

I thought mormons would be better at customer service?


View attachment 8337199


Desert Tech Better Business Bureau

To quote Star Wars:
"These are not the 'Mormons' you are looking for".

There are some offshoot sects that broke away from the mainstream, often because their "founders" were people that wanted more power, more fame, more wealth and more personal adherence.

Without getting into details, many "wrong things" that people hear about or talk about etc, are done by these break away sects that very often tend to have a strong focus on making certain parties much better off at the expense of others.

A quick give away is the name.

The True Church's correct name is: "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints"

So when you see some other similar but different name currently being used, then it's usually a sure sign it's a breakaway sect and as such probably best viewed with a bit of caution.

 

[warrantchief]

Desert Tech - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Utah polygamist sect accused of indoctrination, rape and child marriage

Kingston Group hit with lawsuit from former members that alleges unpaid labor, sexual abuse and human trafficking

www.theguardian.com

 

[TravisLH]

I hate that… hope you get it sorted out, love my mdxr with 5.56 and 308 barrels

 

[WindstormSCR]

Desert Tech - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Utah polygamist sect accused of indoctrination, rape and child marriage

Kingston Group hit with lawsuit from former members that alleges unpaid labor, sexual abuse and human trafficking

www.theguardian.com

quoting wiki as a primary source really isn't good research when anyone can edit it to say whatever they like.

it's been brought up before, and every time someone deep dives it, no connection except people looking for a devil of their own making.

and before you toss accusations, I'm an agnostic living on the east coast, no connection either. I just loathe people making uninformed and poorly researched leaps

 

[RomanM1A]

Years ago they had top notch customer service. Unfortunately, the guy running it died in a motorcycle accident. The company seems to be in a bit of a freefall imo. The SRS is a work of art, but they've had difficulty taking it to the next level.

 

[John_in_WYO]

 

[warrantchief]

quoting wiki as a primary source really isn't good research when anyone can edit it to say whatever they like.

it's been brought up before, and every time someone deep dives it, no connection except people looking for a devil of their own making.

and before you toss accusations, I'm an agnostic living on the east coast, no connection either. I just loathe people making uninformed and poorly researched leaps

Which part of the wiki link do you think is incorrect? Who owns the company or that they are a ranked member of the Kingston Group?

The child brides, fraud convictions, and incest aren't coming from wiki.

 

[warrantchief]

Does this article count? https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2020/07/26/donald-trump-jr-shoots/

Mentions both the owner and the association with the kingston group from first party sources

 

[RomanM1A]

Does this article count? https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2020/07/26/donald-trump-jr-shoots/

Mentions both the owner and the association with the kingston group from first party sources

None of this has anything to do with Customer service...

 

[warrantchief]

None of this has anything to do with Customer service...

Thats fair. I was just kind of picking a fight.

It's only tangentially related in that the ownership is going to create the company culture that results in customer service.

 

[RomanM1A]

Thats fair. I was just kind of picking a fight.

It's only tangentially related in that the ownership is going to create the company culture that results in customer service.

Haha then explain Amazon.com!

 

[secondofangle2]

It is relevant only if polygamy promotes nepotism, and I worry that it does.

Nick got Kingston funding to start the enterprise, and I’m guessing there are a lot of family members he owes favors (employment?) to.

Seeing the HEAT video of him using company funds to reenact his boyhood fantasy reinforces my belief that he uses company funds to promote interests tangential or totally unrelated to the company’s interest. And I strongly suspect that goes for hiring (and firing) too

What other major (or minor) firearms company do you know of where their “promotional” videos have the owner dressed up in “tacticool” vests, outfits and costumes? It would be comical if it weren’t nauseating. Out in the desert wearing a suit, all costumed up like a CIA operator or a hit man. Gimme a break.

And all the “history of DT” videos? We have an egomaniac on our hands, boys.

 

[RomanM1A]

It is relevant only if polygamy promotes nepotism, and I worry that it does.

Nick got Kingston funding to start the enterprise, and I’m guessing there are a lot of family members he owes favors (employment?) to.

Seeing the HEAT video of him using company funds to reenact his boyhood fantasy reinforces my belief that he uses company funds to promote interests tangential or totally unrelated to the company’s interest. And I strongly suspect that goes for hiring (and firing) too

Oh c'mon. It's a sales and marketing expense. Shot show is a waste of MILLIONS of dollars for many companies. I couldn't care less about his religion because if you're saying it's detrimental to CX, the same case could be made to say it was beneficial to R&D! "It was divine inspiration" ...come to think of it, some of the best weapons designers in history shared a similar religion - Moses Browning among others. This thread has gone silly.

 

[WindstormSCR]

So far the only thing I've seen actual proof of is that there may be kingston money as an investor. I think if we decided on our purchases based on who invested money in a company, all of us would be living like Ted Kaczynski.

They make stuff I like, and are at least attempting to innovate in an industry generally hostile to innovation in practice. (mostly because cost is the primary industry driver)

Whatever Nick wants to throw his marketing budget at, he's earned the right by building a successful company. if those choices are ineffective and cause a problem later, that's between him and his investors/shareholders.

@ney1 I know you're not about to comment on the rumors and bullshit in thread, but any chance you can address the Customer Service questions and any improvements being made on that front?

 

[Ernest 5.56]

 

[owtlaw]

I did some work for them once. Machined parts. It took me over a year to get paid. As far as Mormons goes, they are owned by an apostate group of polygamist. They are nothing but crooks.

 

[secondofangle2]

^I am regretfully beginning to accept this as close to the truth. Reputation is in the sewer

 

[TheOE800]

This industry is filled with crooks.

 

[Cascade Hemi]

This industry is filled with crooks.

Always has been.

 

[TheOE800]

Always has been.

 

[kcsmith]

I was checking out their Quattro lower, which looks pretty cool btw, and their careers page would suggest that they are a bit short staffed.