ImagePress C1 Service Contract canceled

[Guest]

Hi All

I am looking for a service tech on the Sunshine Coast in Aust to help me with my C1.
I purchased it from BBC Digital Berwicks on a 5 year rental contract with Auscredits and 3 years into the contract they are refusing to honor the service agreement and want to charge me for call outs, labor & parts. The machine has only done 555978 clicks and has been down more than up since we have had it.
I have been in touch with Canon Aust but no luck in them helping me out.
So any advice on what I should do would be much appreciated.
I am a small print shop and can not afford to have a machine like this sitting idle for the next 2 years while paying out the rental agreement.

[iRC]

Hi,

Does your contract contain a condition, which says that for example when the machine has 500 000 clicks on it, the service contract expires? If it doesn't have that kind of condition, then this sounds like a contract penalty. Have they given any reason for the sudden charging?

-iRC

[mark921]

Pretty service intensive unit. Are you constantly using the machine outside of specs...ie, paper weight, volume, etc?

[iRC]

Pretty service intensive unit. Are you constantly using the machine outside of specs...ie, paper weight, volume, etc?

Yep, the C1 requires quite much servicing. But that can't be a reason to end the contract. Then it's different case if customer hasn't paid his bills or uses the machine in a way it shouldn't be used. Just like Mark said.

-iRC

[Berwicks Sux]

I do general jobbing work on the C1 a fair bit 150gsm gloss as that was what we where sold the machine for short run 4col work.
Please see below email from them:

Dear Adam

My apologies about the downtime

We have and are doing everything we can to support your machine

I unfortunately am the bearer of bad news

I am cancelling your service agreement , I continue to absorb huge losses ( $8k in last 6 months) and can no longer do so

You are effective immediately on a do and charge basis on a payment upfront basis ( Gary will return today at no charge and install the corona wire)

I do have alternative for you

We have a demo model Canon Advance pro 9056 in the showroom we can swap ( new 48 month lease- same monthly payment) and retain your same service costs

I understand if you wish to do some shopping around

This machine is available for demo in our showroom

My apologies I have had to make this decision.

Yours Truly
Bret Davis
General Manager
Berwicks


Also would you call a machine that has been installed into another printers then returned after 6months a demo machine or a second hand one?

[mark921]

Not a demo, clearly a used unit. May i ask the terms of your service contract?

[Berwicks Sux]

The contract was for the term of the rental contract 5 years at a click charge not including toner to cover parts and labor service costs.
The crunch is they sold us the C1 as a production machine and are now telling us that it is a proofing machine.
If this model doesn't perform as Canon stated in regard to the duty cycle why hasn't Canon done anything about it.
If the machine doesn't perform as stated why should the customer wear it?
All I hear is how much servicing these machines take as if it is OK. Well it's not and the customer should not put up with it. If it was a car it would be recalled!

[mark921]

What did they say the monthly duty cycle was?

[Berwicks Sux]

Monthly rated volume 25000 ipm
Maximum Monthly Volume 50000 ipm
That works out that my machine should of handled 900000 ipm's and I've only done 555978

[mark921]

The C1 is a proofing machine which produces a great copy when serviced properly. It was sometimes sold as a production machine, which puts a printer like you in an awkward position. I am also a printer, but we have ex techs here, so we self service. We buy our parts and supplies from 3 sources...not canon. We have 2 C1's, each running appr 50K per month. Our real service/costs are appr .04 per copy. Trying hard to understand how they are losing 1100 per month. My best guess is the techs are replacing parts needlessly...but thats just a guess. Have you had on going issues which have had the tech "guessing"?

[Berwicks Sux]

Mark921
Could you let me know where you get your parts from as I am having trouble here finding a source that will sell beyond there area.

[teckat]

Monthly rated volume 25000 ipm
Maximum Monthly Volume 50000 ipm
That works out that my machine should of handled 900000 ipm's and I've only done 555978

Take the Canon Advance Pro 9056 DEAL/ and dump the piece of crap called C1.

C1 / C1+ has been a Headache from the start/

all Canon Color Monthly volume and Image quality numbers are for a 6% to 8% coverage on Letter size 20/24lb Paper

this is what 6% coverage looks like>click on pdf>6%.pdf

[Berwicks Sux]

I am a bit hesitant to sign up for another 4yr deal with a company that is not prepared to honor the last contract.
Whats to say Berwicks Sunshine Coast will not pull the same stunt again.
I'm looking into what Xerox has to offer. If BBC Digital Berwicks or Canon will not stand behind their products they sell there not for me.
If I produce a job and my client is not happy I reprint it to keep them happy.

[teckat]

I am a bit hesitant to sign up for another 4yr deal with a company that is not prepared to honor the last contract.
Whats to say Berwicks Sunshine Coast will not pull the same stunt again.
I'm looking into what Xerox has to offer. If BBC Digital Berwicks or Canon will not stand behind their products they sell there not for me.
If I produce a job and my client is not happy I reprint it to keep them happy.

Either u obtain a Lawyer to review your contract/ or take up their offer.
U have not posted the terms/or a copy of your contract.

In the USA a contract is a binding agreement/ Courts decide on violations by either party.

If your Service company is a CANON Authorized Dealer> they could be in big trouble by doing this.
It all depends on how the contract is written up/ I hope u have obtained and keep on hand Service records and parts used by that company

[iRC]

I recommend, that you contact to your lawyer and let him/her see the contract. It's not your problem if dealer is losing money when servicing your C1. It's the salesman's problem since he has priced the pages too down. The iRA Pro would be a good choice, but I wouldn't buy anything from a company, which treats its customers that way.