With the end of my burrowing rodent shooting season I wanted to get some things fixed.

Weaver Grand Slam II 5-20. While in the field the screw on the elevation turrent came off and I lost parts.

SigSauer 10x42 Binos. (These are great range finding binos with adequate optics). Had these for three seasons and they have seen lots and lots of field use. Decals and a rubber operating button were missing. Cosmetically it looked very used.

Dealing with Weaver 'Customer Service' is a complete joke. I spent 1 hour, 34 minutes on hold one time. Eventually got a warm body on the phone and was told I have to call Bushnell. Tried several calls to the Bushnell 'Customer Service' and got a recording saying they had received all the calls they were going to take for the day and then a good-bye and call was disconnected.

Called Sig Sauer customer service and told them I wanted to get my binos refurbished. The told me the rubber mode button was covered by warranty and they promptly sent me the form to return the binos.

Less than two weeks later they sent me brand new binoculars

WOW! Morale of the story is Weaver/Bushnell sucks and Sig Sauer is outstanding.

I see that Weaver/Meade customer service hasn't changed.

This is my experience with them in 2006-2007

Meade Instruments now owns the Weaver, Redfield and Simmons riflescope lines. This is my experience with dealing with their customer service group.

When I got home from a hunting trip in October of 2006 I noticed that the rubber eye ring on my Weaver V24 Classic riflescope was missing. I looked up “Weaver riflescopes†on the internet and they have a 1-800 number listed for Meade Instruments Customer Service. I called the number and got an answering machine where it asks you to leave a message with your contact information and they would return the call.

I waited a month but received no call-back so in the first week of November I called the Meade Instruments Customer Service 1-800 number and got the same answering machine. So, I left a message that I needed to buy a replacement rubber eye ring for the Weaver V24 scope and left my cell phone number again.

Christmas came and went and in the first week of January I called the Meade Instruments Customer Service number again, going through the same routine, explaining to the answering machine what I needed, left my contact information again and waited for a call back.

Then on February 1st, I skipped the Customer Service answering machine and got a hold of their receptionist. I explained to her how long I had been calling and asked her if she could help me. She said "sure" and connected me to the Customer Service answering machine where I left another message.

On February 8th, I still had not received a call-back so I called the Meade Instruments receptionist again and told her what had happened and asked if she could help me. She took my name and number and said that she would take it directly back to Customer Service and get them to call me right back.

On February 15th, I called the Meade Instruments receptionist again and I explained that I would probably start calling her everyday because she was the only person in the company that I could get on the phone. She said that she would put me on 'hold', walk back to Customer Service and get them to pick up the line. I waited about 30 seconds and the phone was picked up by their answering machine again. I left them a very long and detailed message with the scopes model numbers, etc. and my contact information again.

On February 16th I called the receptionist again and told her why I was calling. I told her that Customer Service would not answer the phone or return my calls and that I still needed to order a part for my scope. She told me to hold on and went off the line. When the line went live, I finally had a Customer Service representative on the line. I told him what part that I needed and he told me he could sell it to me and the cost would be $5 plus $6.50 S&H, so I gave him my credit card information and waited for delivery.

I waited one month and my credit card was never charged nor was the part delivered.

On March 19th, I called the receptionist at Meade Instruments again, explained to her what had happened and she took my name and said that they would call me back. At 3:22 PM that afternoon I was called back by a Customer Service representative and she asked what year my scope was made, if it was made in the US or Japan and what part I needed. I answered the questions and she asked for the model number of the scope which I gave her and then she told me:

"We are not sending out any replacement parts because we're trying to build our inventory up"

I was stunned at this and then asked her: "Is there anyplace else that I can buy this part?" She said "No, there are no parts available" and then asked me if there was anything else she could help me with. I told her “No†and she hung up the phone.

I immediately called the Meade Instruments receptionist again and asked to speak to a Customer Service supervisor and was passed to an answering machine for Ext. 6223. I have left another message telling the whole story of what I have done for the last few months.

I then looked at Meade Instrument's website and used their online Customer Service email link to leave a message about the trouble I had been having purchasing the part that I needed. The next day I received an email from Meade Instruments Customer Service acknowledging receipt of the message that was signed by Mr. Scott W. Roberts, Vice-President-Consumer Solutions. I then copied my original message into a reply to that message and addressed it to Mr. Roberts along with my cell phone number.

Less than 10 minutes later I received a call from Eddy at Meade Tech Support telling me that they had received my email and wanted to straighten this out. I explained that all I needed was to buy the small rubber eye ring for my riflescope (and gave him the model name and number). My phone beeped at me that there was someone on the other line, which I ignored. Eddy started typing on his computer and asked if he could put me on hold while he looked and I said sure, he came back on after about a minute and said that he was having a hard time locating the part and asked if it would OK if he called me back in an hour and I said sure.

When I got home, I checked my phone messages and I had a call from Wayne at Meade Customer Service saying that they had got the phone message that I had left for the Customer Service Supervisor and that they couldn't sell me the part but they would give me a return authorization number and if I mailed the scope in with a $10 check for return shipping they would repair it in their shop, bill me for it and mail it back, and then he left me his extension number.

While I'm listening to that phone message, someone else beeps in on the other line and I let them leave a message also. After I’m done with the first message I go back and get my new message and it's Eddy from the Meade Tech Service saying that he is leaving for the day but he can sell me the part that I need for $15 which includes S&H. He left me his extension number with the message that if I call in the morning he will get it shipped to me.

I called Eddy’s extension anyway but it went to a phone message saying that they were closed for the day. Then I call Wayne at the Customer Service 1 800 number and got his answering machine. I left him the information about how I was going to purchase the part from Eddy at Meade Tech Support the next morning so I didn't think that I would need his return authorization number.

On March 21st at 9:00 AM I called Eddy at Meade Tech Service and left a message on his answering machine that yes, I wanted to order the part and left my phone number for him to call me back. At 4:00 PM I received a call from him and he took my personal and credit card information and said that he would send me the part that I needed. Half an hour later I received another call from Customer Service telling me that they had received some of the parts that I had ordered last year and were ready to ship my order if I still wanted it.

On March 26th my credit card was charged $15.00 by Meade Instruments.

On 3 April 2007, the part was delivered.

I also figured out the direct email address of the Vice President of Consumer Solutions for Meade Instruments and sent him a copy of this write up.

quote:

Meade Instruments now owns the Weaver, Redfield and Simmons riflescope lines. This is my experience with dealing with their customer service group.

Once I saw Meade Instruments I knew how this post would go. I owned one of their telescopes for about 3 nights and sent it back to the retailer I bought it from. I've never owned, nor will I own one of their rifle scopes.

You have many times the patience I ever did.

Maybe 10 years ago I bought a Simmons scope. Let another guy mount it just before he moved to Wis. Sure thing, he had crushed the tube. I had never been fired even one shot.

I sent it back. They replaced it with .44Mag scope with a lifetime warranty the paper said.

I bought6 6.4-20x from Midway a couple years after that. Had one brand new in a drawer.

A month ago a buddy put a new stock on my .300Win. .44 Mag Scope on it was bad. I got the 6.5-20 out. it was locked up. Brand new, never out of the box.

I sent both in for Lifetime swap. I got a letter back: "neither of these have a Lifetime warranty", HUH??

"But as a courtesy for along time customer we will send you a new scope at no charge to show we value your business"

A week later I rec'd a new 6-24x and put it in a drawer.

As I had since bought a replacement Leupold of much higher price and reputation. He had no problem zeroing the rifle. FOUR bad scopes, and ONE replaced! All when new had papers of Lifetime Warranty. I have 5 of their 6.5-20x on various rifles from .243 to .17 Cal varmenter's.

Never noticed Meades name on anything.

George