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  • Sewing Machine Shenanigans

    I haven't posted in AGES. I've been subsisting on the misery of others by lurking, but sadly my streak is over. Settle in, it's going to be a long one. TLR at the bottom.

    I got a new-to-me embroidery machine for my birthday/Christmas, but it didn't come with the software to link it to my computer a it was second hand and the disc had been lost. It was a Janome Memory Craft 12000.

    Last Dec 15, I went to the nearest Janome retailer to ask about getting the software disc as well as to purchase some of the accessories that were missing. As it was a Sunday, the owner took my information and promised to call me after they spoke with their supplier during the week.

    Two or three weeks pass and I have to take my serger in to the same retailer for servicing (turns out it just needed a new light bulb, heh). While I'm there I ask about the software disc. The girl who was working took my information and promised that I would be called with information.

    Two more weeks pass and I call the store as I haven't heard anything from them at all. They take my information and promise to call me.

    Come to today (6 weeks after my initial visit) and since I'm already going to be in Franklin (30 minutes south of Nashville where I live), I thought I would drop in and ask for an update. I am greeted by an older lady who later identifies herself as the previous owner/current owner's Mom. I ask about ordering the software disc and she says "Oh, with other machines if you lost the dongle you can't just get a new dongle, but have to get all the software."

    Great, but my machine doesn't have a dongle, just a CD-Rom. Can we call the supplier and ask what it will cost? "Oh, where did you get the machine? It should be their responsibility to replace the disc since they were the ones who didn't supply it."
    Well, I tried that when I first noticed it was missing and the seller told me that as they were not a Janome dealer, they weren't able to order parts, so here I am, at a Janome retailer's counter asking to order a part.

    "Well, with other machines you have to order the dongle and it gets expensive." Right, but my machine doesn't have a dongle. I'm happy to pay for the disc, but I need to know how much and how long it will take.

    At this point a younger gentleman comes out to see what's going on as the older lady was getting louder and I was getting frustrated. So he took over. He was wonderful. Polite, willing to listen, and eager to help me out. He dug out the disc from the demo machine to get the part number and at this point another guy, a service man I think, came out and the young guy helping me asked the other guy "Can we just make a copy since she's been waiting 6 weeks already?"

    Here is where I get PO'd. Older lady leaves the customer she is helping to pop into the conversation to say "We're not sticking our neck out for her. She has to order the dongle and it's going to be expensive." I somehow tapped into a previously unknown reserve of patience and just looked at the young guy and said "I'm happy to pay for the disc once you speak with Janome." At this point I give him my name and number (again) and leave to run other errands.

    Once I was done pleasantly patronizing other retail establishments as well as making a new business connection with a cute gown store in Franklin, I look up Janome retailers in Denver (near my mother) and call one. I ask the lady on the phone what it would cost to order a software CD for a Janome MC 12000. She asks for my name and number and offers to call me right back.

    Guess what happened next? 10 minutes pass and she CALLED ME RIGHT BACK. Oh the humanity! It is going to cost $9.99 to order the CD and once it's in she would be happy to ship it to me, or have my Mom pick it up. Lets do it!

    At this point I was near the sewing machine store again and so I thought I'd stop in to tell the nice guy who helped me that he didn't need to call Janome anymore. Sadly, he was out to lunch, but the older lady was there and scowled at me and refused to acknowledge my presence beyond that. Instead the aforementioned service man poked his head out. The service man had that attitude about him that men who are severely henpecked have. You know, meek and really withdrawn, so I made sure to keep my tone in check. I gave him the message that I had found a different retailer to order from, that 6 weeks to make a phone call was just too long and to thank him for trying to help me.

    Now intersperse my time with the younger gentleman with the older lady jumping in and out of the conversation saying that I should use cut away stabilizer for my embroidery project, not tear away. Then she said I needed to be using black bobbin thread, then I needed to use clear, wash away stabilizer. *sigh* I needed black tear away to embroider black lettering onto white towels that sometimes the white pile of the towels would poke through the black thread and it looked sloppy. I wanted tear away because letters like A, D, and P (all of which are on these towels) have little pieces in them that I have to fish out.

    tl:dr A local store was more eager to make me wait 6 weeks to even call about a cheap part for my machine and then gave me attitude about it VS a store 1600 miles away that in less than 15 minutes placed the order for me.

  • #2
    I'd recommend writing Janome about this store; since it has their name (or seems to) on it.
    Seshat's self-help guide:
    1. Would you rather be right, or get the result you want?
    2. If you're consistently getting results you don't want, change what you do.
    3. Deal with the situation you have now, however it occurred.
    4. Accept the consequences of your decisions.

    "All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools." - Anders, Dragon Age.

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    • #3
      Usually, there's a place on the manufacturer's website to order things like that. I said, usually, because from the looks of it, it doesn't seem that you can through Janome. Guess calling in is the only way to do it!

      But seriously, six weeks to make that phone call?! Uh-uh. I'd have called elsewhere after the first week, because as the other store proved, it doesn't take long to make the call, unless the line is busy, but it shouldn't take a week to do that!

      Dongle bat? There's helpful and then there's being so helpful that you've moved right into "NOT HELPFUL." When told that the machine didn't need the piece or that you didn't need the piece, she should have dropped it and looked into ordering the CD herself. It only takes once or twice to remind the customer and after that, the customer is on their own if they don't have everything they need, which you did.
      If I make no sense, I apologize. I'm constantly interrupted by an actual toddler.

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      • #4
        The "dongle" doesn't attach to the sewing machine - it attaches to the computer, and is used for copy protection (i.e. even if you copy the software, it won't work on other machines because you only have one dongle).

        Of course, this is probably the *STUPIDEST* type of application to copy-protect. After all, the software is useless unless you have a (drumroll) fancy sewing machine to feed the data into.
        Any fool can piss on the floor. It takes a talented SC to shit on the ceiling.

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        • #5
          I called Janome yesterday and registered my complaint. The Janome rep was polite, apologetic and concerned about how the store handled things. She also said that while they would log my complaint, the store was a private business and not much more could be done. At least it's a first nail in the coffin though.

          I'm calling the owner today to see what she has to say.

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          • #6
            Blarghle, I forgot to update.
            The owner wasn't in when I called. I was told she'd be in on Monday.
            Sunday, the nice man who had helped me called and said that they were unable to order the CD for me but was glad to hear that the store I bought my machine from was owning up and replacing it.

            Huh. That's not what happened at all. So I reminded him that the place I bought my machine wasn't an authorized Janome dealer and wasn't able to get the software CD for me, and since they weren't helpful either, I found a store in Denver who had the problem solved in 10 minutes. This confused him, but what can you do? He also, upon my inquiry as to WTH was up with Granny , suggested I call to see who was working if I needed to come in again.

            Ummm... How about Granny drops the chip on her shoulder and behaves?

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            • #7
              Quoth FenigDurak View Post
              He also, upon my inquiry as to WTH was up with Granny , suggested I call to see who was working if I needed to come in again.
              Aka. she's a known problem and they can't (or won't) do anything about it.
              I speak English, L33t, Sarcasm and basic Idiot.

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              • #8
                That's what I got out of it too, Houdini. She's the previous owner and current owner's Mom, so the "won't do anything" seems to apply. S'too bad too since I'm looking to get TruEmbroidery software ($1200), a few extra hoops for the machine ($100 each) as well as the Accufil Upgrade ($?).
                Guess I'll do the software and hoops online.

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