Horrible Trijicon SRO Experience, BlackBox Customs is the Best!

D

Dutchguy00

New member
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well this has been an ordeal, hopefully this will get read so people can avoid the same mess I just went though. I have been a long time reader but this is the first time I've used this account to to share this experience.

Bought a brand new Optic ready CZ Shadow 2 from RDSC. Gun arrived, took it to the range and absolutely loved it! I wanted a new RDS for it and did a ton of research, finally arriving on the Trijicon SRO. The SRO is extremely expensive but it's backed by a company that has a pretty stellar reputation as a reliable manufacturer.

Ordered the SRO from black box customs out of Calgary on May 10th along with the plate for the shadow.

Took the SRO out of the box, turned it on, everything works and it looks beautiful! Had to go to work the next day so I didn't actually mount the sight that day. I did however attempt to register the sight with Trijicon only to find their warranty registration form doesn't support Canadian customers. I phone and leave 2 messages, both go unreturned. I email and get a response a day later informing me to email them a digital copy of the registration card inside the box. Only... there is no registration card, only a link to the same US form that doesn't work for Canadian customers. I email again asking them to send me a pdf of the card, no response. A second email, nothing. Perturbed I figure it's just them having a bad week.

5 days later I get around to mounting the sight, get it on the gun, locktite the screws AND... .

Nothing happens.

It won't turn on.

Goddamn it I think, I must have left it on (ignoring the fact that it's supposed to last for 20k hours ) . So I replace the battery, but not before I put a meter on the old one. Sure enough 3.2V on the old and new. Now I start to worry...

An hour later, and having received no help from Trijicon customer support I call black box and they ask me to send it back. Frustrated I package it up, but not before I spend hours tightening the battery compartment, trying to shim it with tin foil, and trying every button adjustment in the manual.

Today I get an email from Blackbox telling me it's arrived and it is indeed defective. But it's going to take FOUR MONTHS to get repaired.

Furious I pick up the phone and call black box in Calgary.

I speak to Devon. He's a great guy. He calms me down and explains that ever since December of 2020 30% of all Trijicon sights are coming back DOA or with bad emmiters. Apparently Trijicon won't credit their retailers and will only offer repairs that take FOREVER. Devon explains how he can't even refund me for the sight because Trijicon had a factory date after which the retailer basically owns the product. Devon tells me to give him a day to contact both tht distributor and the supplier and that I might get a refund, or best case scenario store credit.

To summarize.

1) Can't register product with Trijicon because they don't support Canadian customers
2) Can't get a response in any form from Trijicon
3) Trijicon product is DOA before a single round is fired down range.
4) Trijicon won't refund the retailer and offers an incredibly slow repair process.
5) Can't get a refund, might get store credit for a BRAND NEW product.
6) Even if it does get repaired I apparently can't get warranty coverage because I can't register it!

If anyone has had a similar experience or any advice let me know. This thing costs nearly $900 and to say I'm frustrated is a massive understatement. I am praying black box will do the right thing and not leave me in the wind. They carry SIG and Holosun so if anyone has replacement advice if appreciate it.

-Update-

Devon got back to me today and both left a message and sent me and email.

Blackbox was either going to give me a brand new SRO, store credit, or a full refund!

I went with the full refund option and asked his advice on a reliable optic with a good sight picture that had local support. He recommended the holosun 508T and the leupold Delta Point Pro. Apparently the leupolds are also repaired out of Okotoks south of Calgary, and since I'm in Edmonton that's a pretty huge draw for me.

Really can't say enough good things about Black Box Customs, these guys are rockstars and have probably the best customer service I've ever experienced. Definitely will be making all future purchases through them, customer for life after this.

Thank you to everyone who responded to this thread and offered their perspective and insight, it was tremendously helpful đź‘Ť
 
Last edited:
I own two of these units. Do I have to try and go through the dealers I purchased them from in order to get warranty work on them if I need warranty work? Isn't there a "shop" that deals with Trijicon warranty in Canada?

I'm just hoping that I don't have any issues with my optics (knock on wood) if this is the case...
 
Sounds like the store you got it from is at least trying to work with you on the problem, some just ghost. But I Guess I'm adding Trijicon to the list of optics companies I completely ignore.
 
From what I was lead to understand on the phone you basically deal with trijicon directly. Black box was going to send it out on my behalf to I think Georgia? Were you able to even register your optics? Here is the only response I got from Trijicon in repeated attempts.

"Good Afternoon Chris,

Thank you for your inquiry. Yes, you can either register by filling out the warranty card and mailing it in, or sending a digital copy to Customerservice@trijicon.com for filing.

Thank You,

Steve

Trijicon® Technical Support





From: Trijicon® <no-reply@trijicon.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2021 3:03 PM
To: Info <info@trijicon.com>
Subject: New Contact Form Submission

The problem with that is there is no warranty card that I could see in the box. I went though everything and all I could find was a page in the manual with the same link to the US warranty registration. Repeated attempts to get them to send me such a warranty card were met with silence.
 
Also want to clarify that Black Box has been GREAT so far for customer service. I understand Trijicon is screwing them but I really hope they will take this one for the team because after all its their choice to keep selling this stuff. And I mean if 30% of your customers are experiencing problems then I sorta feel like that's a clear indicator to do something about it.
 
You can't possibly expect black box to eat the cost of the optic? firearms and accessories warranties are spotty across the board this is nothing new it sounds like they've at least been trying to go to bat for you.
 
While you can't expect the retailer to eat the cost of the item now that its sold, if they were truly seeing a 30% failure rate they should have put that brand on hold or been demanding refunds for their unsold items from the distributor or manufacturer.

Also if the salespeople were aware of the 30% failure rate and continued to sell them to unsuspecting customers, that makes them scumbags

skoal said:
You can't possibly expect black box to eat the cost of the optic? firearms and accessories warranties are spotty across the board this is nothing new it sounds like they've at least been trying to go to bat for you.
Click to expand...
 
skoal said:
You can't possibly expect black box to eat the cost of the optic? firearms and accessories warranties are spotty across the board this is nothing new it sounds like they've at least been trying to go to bat for you.
Click to expand...

So it's common to buy an optic from a reputable manufacturer, take it home, have it be totally dead and be unable to return it? Then have zero support from that same manufacturer, no ability to register warranty, and an insane return time?

If that's the case I really messed up with my research. I mean I know Cabela's has a you buy it you own it policy, but this is a sight in mint condition that's never even be taken to the range. I'm fine with store credit I guess, but I feel like they should eat the cost and stop selling the things if they are that unreliable.
 
Last edited:
Dutchguy00 said:
So it's common to buy an optic from a reputable manufacturer, take it home, have it be totally dead and be unable to return it? Then have zero support from that same manufacturer, no ability to register warranty, and an insane return time?

If that's the case I really messed up with my research. I mean I know Cabela's has a you buy it you own it policy, but this is a sight in mint condition that's never even be taken to the range. I'm fine with store credit I guess, but I feel like they should eat the cost and stop selling the damn things if they are that unreliable.
Click to expand...

You have support, not just "next day" send the optic back and get them to fix it? or give you a new one? you have to let the manufacture inspect and fix there product? if that's not fast enough, then buy something else? and make sure you ask about there return policy.
 
hutchster said:
While you can't expect the retailer to eat the cost of the item now that its sold, if they were truly seeing a 30% failure rate they should have put that brand on hold or been demanding refunds for their unsold items from the distributor or manufacturer.

Also if the salespeople were aware of the 30% failure rate and continued to sell them to unsuspecting customers, that makes them scumbags
Click to expand...


A 30% failure from trijicon do you have any idea how many optics that is world wide? How many of these defective optics has black box had? Its not that it's 30% of their inventory is defective.
If you buy a $80k truck and theres a recall on 30% of them and yours one of them and it takes 3 months to get parts is the dealership a scumbag? Pull your head out of your ass.

Dutchguy00 said:
So it's common to buy an optic from a reputable manufacturer, take it home, have it be totally dead and be unable to return it? Then have zero support from that same manufacturer, no ability to register warranty, and an insane return time?

If that's the case I really messed up with my research. I mean I know Cabela's has a you buy it you own it policy, but this is a sight in mint condition that's never even be taken to the range. I'm fine with store credit I guess, but I feel like they should eat the cost and stop selling the things if they are that unreliable.
Click to expand...

Where is the zero support? Sounds like there options just not the options you want, like I said before firearm/accessory warranties in Canada are allways a long grueling process this is nothing new .
And yeah sometime you get a lemon, I know someone that's had to return a $10,000 nighthawk 1911 thats life.
 
skoal said:
A 30% failure from trijicon do you have any idea how many optics that is world wide? How many of these defective optics has black box had? Its not that it's 30% of their inventory is defective.
If you buy a $80k truck and theres a recall on 30% of them and yours one of them and it takes 3 months to get parts is the dealership a scumbag? Pull your head out of your ass.



Where is the zero support? Sounds like there options just not the options you want, like I said before firearm/accessory warranties in Canada are allways a long grueling process this is nothing new .
And yeah sometime you get a lemon, I know someone that's had to return a $10,000 nighthawk 1911 thats life.
Click to expand...

The 30% stat was given to me by Black Box over the phone. He said since December of last year 1 in 3 SRO and RDR sights have come back defective. I didn't make that up.

I say zero support because I have contacted Trijicon 5 times, got one cookie cutter reply, and STILL can't even register my product for warranty. My head is firmly out of my ass, thanks for the pleasant advice though. Also to your truck analogy, if your truck died while driving it off the lot would you calmly high five the dealer and say no sweat?, that's just the biz? Definitely will make sure I look into the manufacturer return process going forward, but to say the retailer has no culpability whatsoever doesn't exactly sit right with me.

My fear is the sight will come back, be defective, and I won't have any warranty going forward. I'm okay with a lemon , I'm not okay with essentially burning $900.
 
Not the first time I have heard of Trijicon warranty issues in Canada. I'd also expect better from such a reputable company. Many other manufacturers would just replace it and figure out the issue later to keep the customer happy, and that seems to be the best policy. It's not like Trijicon is a small or new company.
Everyone rags on Vortex, but at least they look after you. However, there are several other "reputable" companies that you shouldn't need the warranty, but when you do, it's hard to come by or doesn't exist.
 
Id suggest patience and waiting for Trijicon to repair it. Get a concrete schedule as to when it will be completed and follow through with that. If Trijicon fails to meet their deadline/performance standard, contact the distributor and explain your circumstance. If they wish to retain their credibility, they will "go to bat" for Trijicon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom