Consider: Sunspot vs. T-Rex Beach Scoops and warranties

DaviDs

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Here is an interesting post from a vendor that denied the warranty on his customer's T-rex scoop. Further, he told folks to share this post so here it is....

"We recently had this T-Rex sand scoop sent back for warranty repair or replacement. However, we have determined that this damage was caused by misuse of the product. It could have been bent by having a heavy object dropped on it, if it was used for something other than sand sifting, being run over or prying between two heavy objects such as concrete chunks often found embedded in the sand. The purpose of this scoop is to sift sand. Sand would never cause the stainless steel to bend in such a way. Customer claims all he did was step down on it, but the quality of stainless steel we use to manufacture the scoop takes 87,022 psi to tear this gauge of metal. It actually speaks volumes to the quality of the scoop that all of the welds held up under such conditions.This customer has threatened to post negative comments about this scoop and our policy on the forums, so we wanted to share the facts and specs of the product with all of our customers who may see those posts and to also have them be aware that any damage due to misuse is not covered under the terms of our warranty. Please feel free to share this post."


If this went to court, I wonder what the judge would say considering the ...
  • The vendor is not a Subject Matter Expert (SME)
  • The vendor is not a licensed PE / Engineer
  • The vendor is not a metalurgist
  • The vendor does not weld/cut/fabricate metal products
  • The vendor was not there at the time of the incident

In my engineering days, I performed Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), studied metal fatigue, QC and stress testing. As a hobbiest, I have seen scoops flex, fatigue and snap. I have seen stainess bend when it should have withstood the designed use.

Having said that, I feel the case is arguable, but in the time it takes to prepare, write and argue, it would have been far easier, faster and "responsible" to simply offer to bend the scoop back into position and return it with conditions/limitations, or at the very least, propose a mutually beneficial resolve.

In contrast, over the last five years, I have heard about a handful of sunspot scoops that were equally questionable, yet Chuck continued to work with the owners to find a happy resolve. And, maybe that is the benefit of when the distributor is also the manufacturer with a full blown metal fab shop. And while that has never happened to me, I have snapped a U-bolt which Chuck replaced (and included the shipping) at no cost to me. Customer service is everything and after this recent post, my feet are more firmly planted in my committment to Chuck at Sunspot/Stealth.

Anyhow, this is a great topic for debate. I encourage everyone to add their $0.02 but remember, there are forum rules and we need to use decorum in our replies.
 

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That scoops owner could send it to Chuck with $25 and get it fixed if it’s fixable.

I don’t own a Sunspot/Stealth but would if I was a frequent beach or water hunter for sure.
 
I have had a Sunspot scoop with a wood handle for over 30 years. NEVER bent the scoop or broke the handle. During the water hunting season, I will treat the wood handle with a waterproofing stain.
Thanks Sunspot.. KEN :D
 
I own a Stavr M-10 and I am not a little guy. I use my scoop in heavy rocks from the river to clay bottom lakes. I can jump on my scoop and no damage at all in 3 years of using it hard. It doesn't break so I do not need to worry about a warranty.
 
I tried 1 scoop from ebay. Thing weighs a ton. Huge market saturation for scoops now.
Stavr, sunspot, trex... can't go wrong with 1 of the 3
 
My Stealth 720i has been performing like a champ for the last 5 years. The plastic grab handle and my wood handle will be end of life within the next few months but I have an extra handle on standby in the closet :yes: and the scoop itself is still as good as ever :D
 
I own a Stavr M-10 and I am not a little guy. I use my scoop in heavy rocks from the river to clay bottom lakes. I can jump on my scoop and no damage at all in 3 years of using it hard. It doesn't break so I do not need to worry about a warranty.
+1 two Stavr scoops and never worried about a warranty. You know David, there are many more scoops than the one you are advertising. :cool:
 
+1 two Stavr scoops and never worried about a warranty. You know David, there are many more scoops than the one you are advertising. :cool:


True, and I like Stavr scoops too, but how many scoops offer a warranty? If buying on that premise, buyers should know who they are going to have to deal with "if" there is an issue.

I've never been picky about where something is made, but when I was an engineer, I literally worked two blocks from where the Sunspot facility is located. I enjoy rooting for the home town team and besides, Chuck's customer service is just unparalleled.
 
I started beach detecting with a dinky five inch scoop. found out that I needed a larger scoop for use in the water if I was going to be successful.

So I purchased a T-Rex. When I got it I was a little concerned because it was one of the early models and after a period of time the welds began to crack.

I knew that the warranty had expired so I called to see what the cost to repair the scoop was. I sent pictures of the broken welds and was told Send me the scoop and I will take care of it since it is one of the originals.

Scoop was repaired and returned to me at No Cost. It is still doing an excellent job of retrieving targets and no further problems. I definitely do not baby that scoop and it is like a Timex. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
 
Stealth scoop ftw. I never liked the T rex. It's heavy and the ergonomics absolutely suck.
 
Is it just me or is that scoop still perfectly functional?
 
Is it just me or is that scoop still perfectly functional?

Allegedly the handle holder, back and front lip were all bent. It is something that shouldn't happen under normal use but there are occasional anomaly's in material and fabrication that could (very low chance) permit this to happen.
 
Hello Friendly

I first would like to say hello to all my fellow dirt and beach diggers. The young man this thread is speaking of is a friend I introduced into this beloved hobby of ours. He has take to it like a wild fire during the dry season. Before I make a statement about his scoop and the detail about that day on Wrightsville beach NC. I am first going to try and talk to the owner of the T-Rex sand scoop company first. I think that is the right thing to do in this situation. I'm speaking on behalf of my friend because I introduced him to this hobby . I also suggested the T-Rex scoop to him and I was on the beach detecting with him that day. I come from a law enforcement (Correctional Sergeant) back ground and do not wish to do anything in this situation but tell the truth and nothing but. I have been metal detecting dirt and sand close to 25 years and I truly love doing it. I love this community of ours with all my heart. Sometime when we try to communicate with each other things can be misinterpreted or misconstrue. My goal is to clear any misunderstandings up leaving all parties content. I have been a lurker of this great forum for years but now I'm truly honored to be a member. Thank You Friendly MDF ,Thomas Lindsey
 
..The young man this thread is speaking of is a friend..
Welcome to the forum, Lindsey! Thanks for the comment and we'd all appreciate to hear feedback, which hopefully will be a proper resolve. At this point, I think many folks feel that a lifetime warranty is simply that regardless of an anomaly or forceful act.

If you aren't able to come to a resolve, please know that Sunspot (Stealth scoops) offers a repair service for any brand scoop. Contact Chuck, at http://www.stealthscoop.com/ for more information.
 
T-Rex sand scoop Company is grade A+

Today I had the pleasure to speak with the owner of the T-Rex Sand Scoop company (Mr. Ron DeGhetto) He took the time to listen to a complaint and corrected the issue by replacing it with a new one. It was nothing but a pleasure to talk with him over the phone. I was more than impressed with Mr. DeGhetto and his willingness to hear me out. Needless to say my friend is elated and can't wait to hit the beach again. I can truly say that my next sand scoop purchase in the near ,near future will be a T-Rex sand scoop and that's for sure. Happy Hunting to my Friendly Forum Family.
 
Am I the only 1 getting tired of the advertisement threads? Every few days a new 1 or 1 dredged up from years ago from a new member. Tiresome
 
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