Fanatec Wheel Broke First Use because of fall From Playseat Challenge

[ANDRITSOULAS]

No offense. I own Fanatec pedals. And i have complimented Fanatec more then criticized them. I was even invited to their event a few weeks ago. Please do your research before posting nonsense like this. For example you can view my posts in the Fanatec podium thread. I just get annoyed a little by fanboyism and double standards. I am very neutral in these kind of discussions. But i respect your opinion nonetheless.



Like I already posted I did not see the original title. So my opinion is based on what I am reading in the posts. OP had a stupid accident and wanted to vent his frustration. I also dropped my wheel and cracked the casing. I paid about 60€ Incl shipping for a replacement casing. So of course OP is in the wrong, but the way Thomas reacted to it isn’t really professional in my own opinion. That doesn’t mean I am bashing Fanatec.



The “rep” is actually the CEO of Fanatec.

I am with you in the "antifanboysm" thing. But i am aware of all your posts that have to do with fanatec gear. I also remember a conversation that you had with a Fanatec's employee in a thread. I really think there is no need to write about your accusations for my nonsense. Peace man

 

[RA1784]

If you drop a glass accidentally in my restaurant I am not gonna ask you to buy another glass and pay for the damage of the broken glass.

It would be the same when someone drops a glas in your restaurant, takes pictures, gives you a negative rating and suggest you to use plastic cups instead because of low glas quality. Keep it real. Its getting ridiculous.

 

[F Inferno]

There’s been a lot of stupid anti-Fanatec threads made recently over on the RD forums and I suspect the curt response is in part because of the constant stupidity and it’s hardly Ian Bell levels of anger.

Somebody being a customer doesn’t excempt them from being called out in public if they make a public defamatory post.

 

[Zipperface]

I have also my little problems with some equitment from fanatec. Im not happy with the feel of the wheels, they are always feel syntetic compared to other brands. I also had a problem with their sq v 1.5 shifter, out of the box it wasnt working, but i opened the shifter and fixed the problem by myself( a loose sensor) and dont send it back or claimed how **** ect. On my v2 pedals the spring was broken too, i just fixed it by my own, no problem, they last so many years, without get break Its obviously that the thread opener is a scatterbrained person with flippant attitudes. If my seat fall once, ok. If my seat fall two times, i will do something to prevent it. But he sayd, this was third time it happens..... then you know.........

 

[PocketZeven]

I am with you in the "antifanboysm" thing. But i am aware of all your posts that have to do with fanatec gear. I also remember a conversation that you had with a Fanatec's employee in a thread. I really think there is no need to write about your accusations for my nonsense. Peace man

That discussion was with the same person (CEO Thomas) and was 1 incident about the lack of compatibility for GTsport and I didnt even criticize the quality of Fanatec gear, I only pointed out that TM (as the official GT sport wheel) was a better choice for me at the time. I was then publically accused of "bashing Fanatec. Sound familiar?
And even accused of being an employee of TM (which I am not). But if you did read al my fanatec related posts you will notice about at least 80% is positive. I just dont care for public bashing of (potential) customers by a CEO of any company. That gives the wrong message.

"We will only help you if you promise not to post anything negative online attitude" or "You are only a good customer if you only be nice to us and say nice things online" Do you actually think there is nothing wrong with that attitude? That is the only thing i am criticizing and reread my posts, nothing about the quality of the product itself (I dont own a CSL-E wheel, but would like one). Essentially OP is doing nothing wrong, perhaps started out wrong with a misleading title (which he corrected) and I would still recommend him to let Fanatec look at his situation. It is most likely a stupid accident, but there is a small chance it wasnt his fault at all and there was actually a faulty QR.

It would be the same when someone drops a glas in your restaurant, takes pictures, gives you a negative rating and suggest you to use plastic cups instead because of low glas quality. Keep it real. Its getting ridiculous.

But you will never find me bashing this person for it. I would kindly inform him'her that we use glasses from Italian manufacturer Bormioli and are rated at being very good quality. I regret that this person had this accident, but hope the incident will not keep him/her from visiting again. Anyone reading his/her review and my reaction can draw their own conclusions.

edit: added response

 

[F Inferno]

That discussion was with the same person (CEO Thomas) and was 1 incident about the lack of compatibility for GTsport and I didnt even criticize the quality of Fanatec gear, I only pointed out that TM (as the official GT sport wheel) was a better choice for me at the time. I was then publically accused of "bashing Fanatec. Sound familiar?
And even accused of being an employee of TM (which I am not). But if you did read al my fanatec related posts you will notice about at least 80% is positive. I just dont care for public bashing of (potential) customers by a CEO of any company. That gives the wrong message.

"We will only help you if you promise not to post anything negative online attitude" or "You are only a good customer if you only be nice to us and say nice things online" Do you actually think there is nothing wrong with that attitude? That is the only thing i am criticizing and reread my posts, nothing about the quality of the product itself (I dont own a CSL-E wheel, but would like one). Essentially OP is doing nothing wrong, perhaps started out wrong with a misleading title (which he corrected) and I would still recommend him to let Fanatec look at his situation. It is most likely a stupid accident, but there is a small chance it wasnt his fault at all and there was actually a faulty QR.



But you will never find me bashing this person for it. I would kindly inform him'her that we use glasses from Italian manufacturer Bormioli and are rated at being very good quality. I regret that this person had this accident, but hope the incident will not keep him/her from visiting again. Anyone reading his/her review and my reaction can draw their own conclusions.

edit: added response

The fact this is even an argument is ridiculous to me. How is it reasonable to drop something which isn’t meant to be dropped and then complain the build quality is poor because it broke.

If I was to drop the 10kg motor of the Accuforce wheel onto the rim I’d be surprised if the thick plastic button box didn’t get damaged along with my floor, that’s not a product fault though is it.

A reasonable person contacts support and then comments after receiving a resolution or if that is not forthcoming in a timely manner then complaining on the forum that they aren’t being treated fairly or whatever.

Honestly some people expect to be replied to on the same day and handed whatever they like and I’m not surprised Thomas feels like people are trying to hold him to ransom with bad reviews to get what they want when that’s how they act.

I’ll give you a real example of bad customer service, I bought a sim product 2nd hand and had a simple question for the company. The reply I got back was essentially our products work fine, who the hell are you, I’m not going to answer any questions until you give me all your order details and who you are. Needless to say I will never buy anything from that company new or otherwise with that attitude.

 

[Dopplegagger]

Essentially OP is doing nothing wrong, perhaps started out wrong with a misleading title (which he corrected) and I would still recommend him to let Fanatec look at his situation. It is most likely a stupid accident, but there is a small chance it wasnt his fault at all and there was actually a QR.

The OP did everything wrong. Had he created the thread saying something like "I did something stupid, and now I'm without a wheel". I guarantee this thread would have went an entirely different direction, and I am certain Thomas would have pointed the OP to Fanatec's service department, or probably gave the OP some sort of help... possibly a discount or a 1 for 1... who knows? But that is neither here or there because; he created his thread essentially saying "Fanatec your gear is crap because I let it fall it and it broke". Um yeah... that seems perfectly like a legitimate reason to bash a company.

Also, Thomas's replies weren't inflammatory. So I dont see where he's being attacked, or where he's being disrespected by Fanatec.

 

[PocketZeven]

The OP did everything wrong. Had he created the thread saying something like "I did something stupid, and now I'm without a wheel". I guarantee this thread would have went an entirely different direction, and I am certain Thomas would have pointed the OP to Fanatec's service department, or probably gave the OP some sort of help... possibly a discount or a 1 for 1... who knows? But that is neither here or there because; he created his thread essentially saying "Fanatec your gear is crap because I let it fall it and it broke". Um yeah... that seems perfectly like a legitimate reason to bash a company.

Also, Thomas's replies weren't inflammatory. So I dont see where he's being attacked, or where he's being disrespected by Fanatec.

Again is creating a thread complaining about his situation illegal or against the rules of the forum? Please look in to the history of fanatec and customer service. They have improved a lot the past few years, but they have some baggage in the past. The problem is the insinuation that we only help if you post postive things and be nice to an already existing customer. Anyone here who ever owned a business or worked in customer service knows you should not accuse or insinuate the person of bashing for personal gain.

edit: corrected sentence

 

[Mr Sausage]

You're digging a hole mate and I don't know who gave you the right to speak for your company but they made a big mistake. You can kiss goodbye to my 900 bucks.

And thanks to this thread and sticking up for his product like a responsible business owner, he's definitely got my $2,400 for all the stuff I'm getting for two rigs in a couple of months. So he's up $1,500 at the moment

 

[zorrofox]

And thanks to this thread and sticking up for his product like a responsible business owner, he's definitely got my $2,400 for all the stuff I'm getting for two rigs in a couple of months. So he's up $1,500 at the moment

I'm happy for you.

 

[F Inferno]

Again is creating a thread complaining about his situation illegal or against the rules of the forum? Please look in to the history of fanatec and customer service. They have improved a lot the past few years, but they have some baggage in the past. The problem is the insinuation that we only help if you post postive things and be nice to an already existing customer. Anyone here who ever owned a business or worked in customer service knows you should not accuse or insinuate the person of bashing for personal gain.

edit: corrected sentence

Actually what he said was don’t expect us to help with a user error issue if all you’re going to do is complain on a forum that our gear sucks and that if he wanted help he should have gone via support and they would have seen what they could do.

What’s basically happened is the OP hasn’t even given Fanatec a chance to resolve anything. Imagine how different the situation would be if he actually went via support and they offered to fix it for free and just pay postage, it would be a thread praising their support but that opportunity was not even given.

It’s a shoot first, ask questions later mentality.

 

[PocketZeven]

Actually what he said was don’t expect us to help with a user error issue if all you’re going to do is complain on a forum that our gear sucks and that if he wanted help he should have gone via support and they would have seen what they could do.

What’s basically happened is the OP hasn’t even given Fanatec a chance to resolve anything. Imagine how different the situation would be if he actually went via support and they offered to fix it for free and just pay postage, it would be a thread praising their support but that opportunity was not even given.

It’s a shoot first, ask questions later mentality.

I agree with what you are saying. But he has the right to vent his anger and hopefully realised he should blame himself. I only started to voice my opinion, because of the "be nice to us and dont criticise our products on public forum" attitude.

 

[Fanatec...]

I agree with what you are saying. But he has the right to vent his anger and hopefully realised he should blame himself. I only started to voice my opinion, because of the "be nice to us and dont criticise our products on public forum" attitude.

You and anybody else is welcome to criticize our products, our service or me personally. This is GTplanet and not North Korea

I was just giving an advice how to get help if you broke something and it is your fault. If you want to get more than you are entitled to get then be nice. That is a good advice for life in general.


No need to agree with me on this but this is my last post in this thread. I feel sorry for the OP anybody who had problems with our products as they are intended to bring fun. Sometimes emotions take over the control but the OP has changed the thread title so all is fine from my side.
Let's get over it.

 

[PocketZeven]

You and anybody else is welcome to criticize our products, our service or me personally. This is GTplanet and not North Korea

I was just giving an advice how to get help if you broke something and it is your fault. If you want to get more than you are entitled to get then be nice. That is a good advice for life in general.


No need to agree with me on this but this is my last post in this thread. I feel sorry for the OP anybody who had problems with our products as they are intended to bring fun. Sometimes emotions take over the control but the OP has changed the thread title so all is fine from my side.
Let's get over it.

The perfect answer! As a business owner it is difficult to see your products/company criticized unjustly, but a company (and costumer) should indeed not let emotions get the upper hand and both OP and Fanatec have found middleground and that is how it should be Hopefully OP will get a replacement wheel (at own expense), be more carefull handling them in the future and enjoy our joint hobby!

 

[decks01]

thats it. perfect!!!

 

[weazelgt]

Wow I am glad I found this thread! I had actually decided on purchasing a Fanatec (almost bought used but wanted a warranty) and was wondering if the Playseat Challenge would be a good option for me. From reading this entire thread I realise the Challenge is not going to work and I should get the Evolution or something.

Now onto this thread... the OP is in the wrong and went about things wrong from the start. He should have just contacted support and told them what happened and he probably would have had a resolution, even if he had to pay for some parts. That being said, the Fanatec owner's attitude is off-putting. His attitude and flippant responses have changed my mind and I won't be buying one of his products. You would think the owner of a company that makes a niche product would want to find as many buyers and keep as many customers as possible but apparently not. I am positive the Thrustmaster and Logitech products are inferior but I just can't see myself handing this guy my money.

 

[PocketZeven]

Wow I am glad I found this thread! I had actually decided on purchasing a Fanatec (almost bought used but wanted a warranty) and was wondering if the Playseat Challenge would be a good option for me. From reading this entire thread I realise the Challenge is not going to work and I should get the Evolution or something.

Now onto this thread... the OP is in the wrong and went about things wrong from the start. He should have just contacted support and told them what happened and he probably would have had a resolution, even if he had to pay for some parts. That being said, the Fanatec owner's attitude is off-putting. His attitude and flippant responses have changed my mind and I won't be buying one of his products. You would think the owner of a company that makes a niche product would want to find as many buyers and keep as many customers as possible but apparently not. I am positive the Thrustmaster and Logitech products are inferior but I just can't see myself handing this guy my money.

To be fair. The owner is very proud of his products and perhaps was a little too emotional. I also criticised the reaction, but that doenst mean you should not buy his products. I own both a TM wheel and fanatec pedals and I am very happy with the quality. Fanatec has grown a lot in 2018/2018 and it is very clear the owner is also very comitted to the community, actually making products that the community wants and trying to keep products affordable. Because of the fast growth, Fanatec perhaps still has some small issues with customer service, but I believe they are working on it to improve it. In my opinion Fanatec products are adequately priced and the best money can buy at the moment.

 

[deadhorse]

And thanks to this thread and sticking up for his product like a responsible business owner, he's definitely got my $2,400 for all the stuff I'm getting for two rigs in a couple of months. So he's up $1,500 at the moment

Can add another few hundred to that ill be picking up some v3 inverted pedals. From what ive seen on various forums fanatec have a go to try to resolve problems and dont give robotic answers.

 

[andrewhake]

Again is creating a thread complaining about his situation illegal or against the rules of the forum?

No it's not illegal or against the rules of the forum, it's just annoying and a waste of everyone's time. Nobody here is going to be able to help the OP with this problem. I feel absolutely zero remorse for someone who is clearly at fault for breaking something, and their immediate reaction is to blame it on someone else. If this was a serious issue with the construction there would be many more people posting about this.

This is 100% what you should not do. SO many companies are absolutely willing to work with you if you just sort of **** up and end up breaking something on accident, especially if it is something you just bought. If your first step is to go on a public forum without even contacting them and blaming the broken product on their workmanship, you can be assured 100% that they won't be helping you out with a free replacement, or maybe just a discount on a replacement. Maybe people have just grown extremely entitled and demanding of instant satisfaction that they no longer no how to show any respect at all.

The PS4 P1 steering wheel is likely only around $80, as the CSL Elite base with the wheel is $480, or about $80 more than the base without a wheel. An $80 lesson to not drop electronics onto hard surfaces is actually a pretty inexpensive one.