RE: filmscanners: Artixscan 4000t (Win Me/2k Pro ICC Profiling) [ and Polaroid]

[JimD <rasterdogs@home.com>]

Regarding Polaroid tech support
---------------------------------
I own an SS4000. I would characterize and my experiences with
Polaroid's tech support as mixed. An important consideration for
me in deciding to buy from Polaroid was the fact that David Hemingway
participates on this forum and supports the users.  I've not seen
evidence that other scanner manufacturers do this.

When I have made inquiries to Polaroid's  front line tech support
I have found them to pleasant but not well informed.
In my experience they know less than what is covered in the product
documentation. When a question gets escalated to the
appropriate person it is answered in an informed, expansive
fashion.
David has been instrumental in getting answers to questions that
front line tech support can't resolve. He has been the saving grace
when it comes to support for the SS4000.

When my new SS4000 failed (after ~3 months) the people who I could
access were not particularly helpful in linking me to someone who
could provide status on the repair of my scanner (David H was travelling at
the time). This was particularly frustrating in that the inquires I was
making to the email addresses that had been provided to me by Polaroid went 
unanswered. I was later told that Polaroid was having a problem with their 
email,
and that nothing could be done. From my perspective this was not
an experience that bolstered customer satisfaction.

In my opinion Polaroid can pride themselves on the great support
David Hemingway provides. The front line tech support and the
repair logistics could use some work.
-JimD



At 12:04 PM 3/3/01 -0500, Hemingway, David J wrote:
>Roger,
>I am very sorry and disappointed to hear of your difficulties with your 
>scanner. Polaroid prides itself on providing the best possible support to 
>our customers. If you have been following this list for some time I think 
>the consensus is Polaroid does provide good support. I have forwarded your 
>note to the people who can act on it an correct the problem and I am SURE 
>you will be hearing from them within 24 - 48 hours.
>One of the reasons I participate on this list is to be an advocate for 
>customers who have problems with Polaroid such as your self. Fortunately 
>there are not many complaints.
>For you and others on this list please do not hesitate to call on me 
>should you have any issue.
>David Hemingway
>Polaroid Corporation
>-----Original Message-----
>From: RogerMillerPhoto@aol.com [mailto:RogerMillerPhoto@aol.com]
>Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2001 12:12 AM
>To: filmscanners@halftone.co.uk
>Subject: filmscanners: Artixscan 4000t (Win Me/2k Pro ICC Profiling) [and 
>Polaroid]
>
>Mario, sorry to hear you are having support problems.  All I can tell you is
>that support from Polaroid has got to be much much worse than anything you've
>experienced.  I bought my Polaroid SprintScan 4000 last October and it is
>back for repair for the third time.  The first two times, they kept it for
>over a month, didn't do anything to correct the problem, and returned it to
>me only after I called to ask why it was taking so long for them to fix it.
>One time they lost it and had to look for it in their repair shop.  The last
>time they returned it, they failed to return my original shipping containers
>with the result that it suffered damage in transit (broken connector and
>scuff marks on top of the scanner).  They don't seem to care if they fix it
>or not, and so far, they haven't even attempted.  They simply return it
>without trying to repair it.  For the record, the problem I'm having is that
>the scanner returns "black" scans, dark scans with vertical lines, etc.  When
>(if?) I get it back from them, I'm going to have my credit card company
>"charge-back" the cost to the company I bought it from.  I was then going to
>use the money to by a Kodak RFS 3600 to replace the Polaroid unit.  But I
>read in Shutterbug magazine that the software for the Kodak RFS 3600 
>stinks.
>(Can't stink as bad as the Polaroid Corporation, though.)  Now I'm thinking
>about buying the new Nikon 8000 ED scanner that will be available in April
>for US$3000.  It's a 4000 dpi scanner that will handle 120 size film as well
>as 35 mm.  Do you have any idea if Nikon's support is any good?
>
>Roger Miller
>Bremerton, Washington
>USA
>RogerMillerPhoto@aol.com