Actually I was thinking the word was extortion, I am in a similar situation. Our P&P manufacturer was bought by a large Corp. I won't name names (starts with T rhymes with blow). Spares increased in price by a factor of 10, all part numbers have changed, and all the inside/field service people I knew have left the Co.. The advice to hook up with former service personnel is a good one. I did that and not only did they have much lower rates, they gave me a contact in the original design group. These guys were essentially abandoned when the Co. was acquired, so they went off on their own. Their parts pricing is more realistic, customer service is better, and I get too thumb my nose at the other guys. Plus they came through on the promises the acquiring co. reneged on.
Whew! felt good to get that off my chest!
Dan
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: David Douthit 
  To: [log in to unmask] 
  Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2003 4:18 PM
  Subject: Re: [TN] Machine registration fees...


  Steve, 
  I believe the word you're looking for is "Blackmail"!! 

  David A. Douthit 
  Manager 
  LoCan LLC 

  Steve Gregory wrote: 

    Hi All! 
    I guess this is one of the downsides of having a buyers market on used assembly equipment, and I do understand how depressed the new equipment market is, but I'm being asked to pay resistration fees in the thousands of dollars, on each machine that I bought on the open market...no matter if we've bought new equipment from the company that is now asking for fees before. Are any of you experiencing this as well? 

    Without the fees, you won't get any support at all. Was told we could still buy parts, but that the part numbers change all the time, so if I was to order a part out of the manual, they may have that number under a different part, and send that part to me. Once it was received it's ours, and it could not be sent back for credit. Even further, without being registered, they wouldn't tell us what the new part number should be. Feels like you have no choice but to pay the fees. 

    Again, I understand how bad the market is now, but it seems that I've only experienced "registration fee" stuff in printed circuit assembly equipment. If I go buy a used car, I don't charged a fee to have my car worked on by a factory trained technician, or have to pay a fee to be able to buy OEM replacement parts... 

    Kinda' stinks if you ask me... 

    -Steve Gregory- 
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