Help with Podium Racing Wheel F1..

Mohammed ZourobMohammed Zourob Member
edited February 2021 in Wheel Bases (and Racing Wheels)

Hi,


I purchased the Podium Racing Wheel F1 along with the Club Sport Pedals V3 on Jan 6, 2021. Got everything on Jan 13, 2021. started using everything on Jan 15, 2021. On Jan 17, 2021, the wheel base no longer recognises the motor and is unusable. With the amount I paid + this experience two days in + what I read online about the DD1 and its issues, I contact costumer support to request an RMA as I don't want those products any longer and I want a refund for my purchase (still within the 14-days period). On Jan 18, 2021, the wheel works for about two hours and then stops working again on Jan 19, 2021. At this point, I just got more certain that I don't want continue with Fanatec and I receive a shipping label. However, as I was still in denial of the experience, I try the wheel one more time before shipping everything back (Jan 20, 2021), and it works! Thought it might have been a static electricity issue (removed the mat from under the seat) and used it on Jan 20, 2021 and Jan 21, 2021. Morning of Jan 22, 2021, Went back to the same old behaviour; it is not working.


Now when they sent me a shipping label in response to my refund request for the whole equipment, they asked me only to ship back the defective unit (Podium Racing Wheel F1), and that they will ship me a new one once they receive the defective one. They received the defective one on Jan 29, 2021. Now I kept checking with them from Feb 1 till Feb 4 to know when they will ship the replacement back (because I was pushing a trip for medical reasons forward to make sure I receive the package and it does not get tossed between Fanatec and UPS in a ping pong game).


Now till Feb 4, 2021, I used to receive regular communications from both support team and the webshop in response to my problem. On Feb 4, 2021, they send me an email letting me know that the unit will be shipped either on Feb 4, 2021 or Feb 5, 2021 and suggesting I provide them with an alternative shipping address in case I was not in the country when they ship the replacement, which I did provide them with. By the end of Feb 4, 2021, I sent them an email explaining that I don't want the defective unit back even if it got fixed as I don't trust it and reading the forum online, everyone who had the same issue as mine, had their unit replaced with a new one. In addition, I think that I did not pay for a defective unit that gets fixed after two days of usage and gets sent back for repairs. I did pay for a new product.


Now here we are, Feb 9, 2021 and the communications from Fanatec stopped all together. Nothing was shipped on Feb 4, 2021 nor Feb 5, 2021 as indicated by them as I did not get any shipping notifications. No confirmations to whether it is a new product or the same defective unit supposedly "fixed", which I confirmed to them that I don't want any more and according to their webshop email that contained the shipping label: “A new product will be shipped out after receipt of the defect one.” Moreover, in several of my communications with the webshop, different representatives mentioned that a new replacement will be shipped out in a day or two after receiving my RMA. And nothing... As I lost trust in Fanatec, I sent them one last email on Feb 6, 2021 stating the I will appreciate either they ship me a new replacement to my friend's address or they can keep the unit and refund me my money so that I can make a totally new order of the same equipment. Still no response.


I fully understand that they have lots of inquiries and RMAs and that they are overloaded and I appreciate their efforts. However, when they give me a timeframe to look for, and then nothing happens, it is literally frustrating. Now it has been more than a month since I paid, and nothing but inconvenience and frustration! Got a defective product a week later, spent a week giving Fanatec the benefit of the doubt before accepting the reality that my product is defective. Shipped it back with their DHL label, which took a week to get to them and now it has been more than a week since they had the unit. At one point, the support representative said that the RMA turnaround time would be 10 business days from the time I shipped the unit. I shipped it back on Jan 22, 2021 and you can do the math. We are on the 12th business day and no progress.


I am posting this on the forum looking for some answers from someone at Fanatec to help me with this (EU RMA/16856 D CRM:000015800001583).


BR,

Zourob

Comments

  • Mohammed ZourobMohammed Zourob Member

    Update:


    Fanatec Support came back and they are sorting out the issue now. I guess it was eventually a matter of time.

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