Hi everyone,
i just want to explain my recent experience with Aimpoint, I will admit it it s a bit long but I think it's justified as I would want this type of information when spending 800$ on a sighting system... ( spoiler )
they are rock solid but they do break.
I know that most of us here love Aimpoint sights, yeah they are expensive and they do have a lot of competetion. Most recently I purchased a Trijicon MRO and said to myself wow..great sight, it doesn't bleed like my T-1, it's as crisps a dot as a have ever seen... Plus it's a few hundred bucks cheaper than a T-2... I love my ACOGs so why not start adding more MRO's to my guns instead of Aimpoint right?
Then this happens....
I pull out my AR to go plinking at the range, start checking her out to make sure all is ok, and turn on my T-1 just in case the battery finally decided to die. It's a 2010 with the original battery. Low and behold it doesn't turn on... I turn the dial full circle and hit the highest value and it starts up but the dot is just stupid bright and bleeds so much... proceed to swap the battery, same result.. Guys the closest this sight has seen anyform of abuse is while I was cleaning it and a war movie was playing at the same time... its doesn't have a ding on it... never dropped, like NOTHING... I was blown away. But I have to give them it still worked so in theory It could still have been used if I had been in trouble... in a far away land filled of sand and stuff but it wasn't at its normal 100%.
Anyways, I looked up the options to get it serviced and Aimpoint offer 2 choices; return to local reseller for services or send it back directly to Sweden... being that I don't like the whole ITAR situation with our brothers down south, knowing it might have to be sent to the US to get serviced, I choose to pay to get it to Sweden. On their reply email they provided instructions, questions and a return address. Got it to them via Canada post. Now here is where I toke a deep breath and fortified myself for a possibly long wait time before I might hear back and even see it back on my favorite gun. I could also just imagine the cost to get it fixed.
Side note; in the Aimpoint return FAQ they advise to swap the battery before sending it back. They go in details how-to swap it and make a point that if the returned unit does work upon battery swap at their service depot, a default charge of 70$ plus will be charges plus shipping and handling to get the sight back. As stated earlier my T1 is of the 2010 vintage, clearly out of warrantee so I know it's going to cost to get it back and the shipping alone isn't cheap. (45$) no tracking... no signatures...
for my favorite tiny sight.
Without any time expectation, It left Canadian soil November 3rd.. yesterday, the 8th of November I received a email telling me they received my Aimpoint. Well at least I know they have it and not lost or something... but then this morning, the 9th of November I received another email from them... 24 hours after receipts of of my sight. Now guys I was concerned I.e. Thinking the worst; your Aimpoint is toast bla bla your the main board needs to be replaced ( brace myself for a 2-3-400$ bill plus shipping cost ) etc .. but no. Nothing like that at my surprise.
Their words;
" Hello again.
Your sight is up and running again, and are on its way back to you
Regards "
Deep pause here, I write back asking what the issue was and what are the associated cost thinking that I had to be coming right?!?
This is what they replied;
"Hello
We made it a goodwill case.
One of the resistors on the electronic board was broken.
Board, etc. is replaced.
No charge for service or return freight.
Thank you for your appreciation.
Regards"
Now talk about being surprised!! New board, no cost and turn around time or 24 hours!
I won't go in a full Aimpoint Sales speech here but I've never had this type of service from any manufacturer before... yeah they are expensive but I guess the old motto of you get what you pay for really applies to Aimpoint. I wouldn't think that everyone has had the please of my experience but for me this experience, without any expectation since the product did do its intended job for all the years I used it was enough for what I paid for in 2010 but now it's like a 2 for 1 in my case and I taught folks here should know the flip side as we often hear of bad experience with vendors. For me Aimpoint is 1st class all the way.
I will let you know when It makes it way back on my gun and see if it still hold zero
Aum out.
i just want to explain my recent experience with Aimpoint, I will admit it it s a bit long but I think it's justified as I would want this type of information when spending 800$ on a sighting system... ( spoiler )
they are rock solid but they do break.
I know that most of us here love Aimpoint sights, yeah they are expensive and they do have a lot of competetion. Most recently I purchased a Trijicon MRO and said to myself wow..great sight, it doesn't bleed like my T-1, it's as crisps a dot as a have ever seen... Plus it's a few hundred bucks cheaper than a T-2... I love my ACOGs so why not start adding more MRO's to my guns instead of Aimpoint right?
Then this happens....
I pull out my AR to go plinking at the range, start checking her out to make sure all is ok, and turn on my T-1 just in case the battery finally decided to die. It's a 2010 with the original battery. Low and behold it doesn't turn on... I turn the dial full circle and hit the highest value and it starts up but the dot is just stupid bright and bleeds so much... proceed to swap the battery, same result.. Guys the closest this sight has seen anyform of abuse is while I was cleaning it and a war movie was playing at the same time... its doesn't have a ding on it... never dropped, like NOTHING... I was blown away. But I have to give them it still worked so in theory It could still have been used if I had been in trouble... in a far away land filled of sand and stuff but it wasn't at its normal 100%.
Anyways, I looked up the options to get it serviced and Aimpoint offer 2 choices; return to local reseller for services or send it back directly to Sweden... being that I don't like the whole ITAR situation with our brothers down south, knowing it might have to be sent to the US to get serviced, I choose to pay to get it to Sweden. On their reply email they provided instructions, questions and a return address. Got it to them via Canada post. Now here is where I toke a deep breath and fortified myself for a possibly long wait time before I might hear back and even see it back on my favorite gun. I could also just imagine the cost to get it fixed.
Side note; in the Aimpoint return FAQ they advise to swap the battery before sending it back. They go in details how-to swap it and make a point that if the returned unit does work upon battery swap at their service depot, a default charge of 70$ plus will be charges plus shipping and handling to get the sight back. As stated earlier my T1 is of the 2010 vintage, clearly out of warrantee so I know it's going to cost to get it back and the shipping alone isn't cheap. (45$) no tracking... no signatures...
for my favorite tiny sight.Without any time expectation, It left Canadian soil November 3rd.. yesterday, the 8th of November I received a email telling me they received my Aimpoint. Well at least I know they have it and not lost or something... but then this morning, the 9th of November I received another email from them... 24 hours after receipts of of my sight. Now guys I was concerned I.e. Thinking the worst; your Aimpoint is toast bla bla your the main board needs to be replaced ( brace myself for a 2-3-400$ bill plus shipping cost ) etc .. but no. Nothing like that at my surprise.
Their words;
" Hello again.
Your sight is up and running again, and are on its way back to you
Regards "
Deep pause here, I write back asking what the issue was and what are the associated cost thinking that I had to be coming right?!?
This is what they replied;
"Hello
We made it a goodwill case.
One of the resistors on the electronic board was broken.
Board, etc. is replaced.
No charge for service or return freight.
Thank you for your appreciation.
Regards"
Now talk about being surprised!! New board, no cost and turn around time or 24 hours!
I won't go in a full Aimpoint Sales speech here but I've never had this type of service from any manufacturer before... yeah they are expensive but I guess the old motto of you get what you pay for really applies to Aimpoint. I wouldn't think that everyone has had the please of my experience but for me this experience, without any expectation since the product did do its intended job for all the years I used it was enough for what I paid for in 2010 but now it's like a 2 for 1 in my case and I taught folks here should know the flip side as we often hear of bad experience with vendors. For me Aimpoint is 1st class all the way.
I will let you know when It makes it way back on my gun and see if it still hold zero
Aum out.
