Question about warranty and out of warranty service.

Durro

New Member
Ok, so I understand the macro is warrantied for a length of time. But for the money, I hope for it to last MUCh longer, obviously. But stuff happens. I read a thread on the lecagy forum, that they could send in their controllers for $75 I think, and depending on how bad it was, get it serviced, once their warranty is up. Wouldn't you just buy a new one at $99?) Anyways, Is that the same price for the macro controller? If I had a $250 controller, and it broke, $75 to fix sucks, but it is realistic, and more importantly, worth it, to get back a working controller. Example, if my xbox broke, I would spend $75 to have it fixed, before going out to buy another one, or something else. And since you no longer make the macro controller. Is there any chance of it NOT being supported anymore, or it NOT being able to be fixed? (Obviously, if someone F's up their controller, but if it is taken good care of, but something just shorts out, or a tac switch stops working, ect...)
 

NYjetsNY1

Active Member
Ok, so I understand the macro is warrantied for a length of time. But for the money, I hope for it to last MUCh longer, obviously. But stuff happens.

Yes, indeed stuff happens. The macro controller is under warranty for 3 months. After that, we can still fix it.

I read a thread on the lecagy forum, that they could send in their controllers for $75 I think, and depending on how bad it was, get it serviced, once their warranty is up. Wouldn't you just buy a new one at $99?

That controller was an odin's raven I believe. Those used to sell for $200-$300, and are now discontinued. $75 for a fix is a fair price - for the fix. Certain fixes cost more.

Anyways, Is that the same price for the macro controller?

It depends! Certain things cost more or less.

If I had a $250 controller, and it broke, $75 to fix sucks, but it is realistic, and more importantly, worth it, to get back a working controller. Example, if my xbox broke, I would spend $75 to have it fixed, before going out to buy another one, or something else. And since you no longer make the macro controller. Is there any chance of it NOT being supported anymore, or it NOT being able to be fixed? (Obviously, if someone F's up their controller, but if it is taken good care of, but something just shorts out, or a tac switch stops working, ect...

It really depends. We can fix certain things for cheaper than others. As long as you take care of your controller, it should always work. Certain issues may not cost much at all to fix. $75 is an expensive fix. Sometimes fixes can be $15-$25! Sometimes more, sometimes less. It depends. As long as you take care of your controller, you should not have an expensive fix in the future. I've had my macro controller for over a year. I had to send it back only once - for the tiniest fix. This was also within the 3 months. No problems since. Most users will never have to send back their controllers either. Sometimes things just happen, like you said.
 

Durro

New Member
Ok, thx. I take good care of my controllers. Have original Xbox Elite when it first came out, and still same original controllers. Just hope support for the macro does not go away since it isn't being made anymore. I am trying to convince myself I only need the ragnorok, but the darn macro is drawing me in, LOL.
 

odingalt

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I still have my original two controllers as well, I have no idea how people can trash controllers in a year or two...

We've seen all kinds. The most famous return/repair was of course when Fredrow opened a controller that had maggots inside. We once had a controller come back that was stained black and yellow (this was back when we were still selling plain white controllers) and had dirt inside. This was after one week of use. We've seen a variety of stuff dumped/sprayed in the controllers. The reason we give customers the third-degree before we issue approval to have a controller sent back for warranty repairs is we want to make it very clear that the warranty does not cover abuse or normal wear n' tear.

We've seen people with big hands snap thumbsticks clean off at the peg, we've also see folks bash their controller against something hard breaking the buttons behind the bumpers. We've seen it all.

One time in a fury over a match of Fifa 2009 (or was it 2010) I took a Thor's Hammer out on my concrete patio of my rental and repeatedly bashed it/threw it/stomped it against the concrete. I also threw it against the wooden fence in the backyard. When I went to retrieve the controller, nothing was broken. The shell was scratched and looked afwul but not bent or cracked, and I ended up playing a few more games of Fifa before taking it back into the back yard and finishing the job I started. The worst I was able to do was break the left thumbstick and get the shell to bend apart enough that I'd have to unscrew it to pop it back into place.

So as far as I am concerned, Microsoft has built a virtually indestructible device. Except those joysticks. Those joysticks are going to wear out over time, both the x/y axis movement also the center press button. But anything else that breaks on a Microsoft controller must either from dirt/debris/contamination gumming up the works, or major abuse.

99% of our repair/returns are modchip/modchip wiring related, thumbstick related, or every once in awhile we have to replace one of the tac switches that are behind the bumpers. The most common out-of-warranty is thumbstick replacement. Unfortunately thumbstick replacement on a controller that already has a modchip installed literally takes more work to fix than just assembling a brand new mod. Thumbstick replacements take so much work, I made videos on youtube to demonstrate just how much work it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVf5qXOmsso
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NHzbAw845Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyb9XbOuS0M

The footage in these videos adds up to 23 minutes just to replace a single thumbstick. And that's with the videos not even showing all the work such as dissemblance the controller, or removing and re-installing the modchip and tac switch wires. All-in-all it can take two hours for one of our techs to replace a couple of thumbsticks and then another hour to troubleshoot all the things that can go wrong when you completely disassemble and re-assemble a controller. I've seen techs waste half a day on a return: deep cleaning, troubleshooting, remove the mod, replace parts, re-install the mod, retest and certify for shipment. This is compared to the 45-90 minutes it takes a tech to do a full install on a new controller from scratch. You can see that we would quickly go out of business if we offered free out of warranty repairs for life every time a customer wears out a thumbstick.

I guess what I'm trying to do is take a roundabout way of explaining our high basic service fee for out-of-warranty physical repairs.
 

Sgt Jax Mehoff

Useful Poster
That's all good, but the worst that happens to my controllers is that I get a little bit of grime in the cracks of the controller where it goes together. Even then I clean it out.
 

nowWAReven

New Member
i've destroyed a couple of pelican cheapo's with the opposing hand twist action in a rage once or twice...but everytime i've gotten fired up with the ragna in my hands all i can think about is how much i paid for it and bein without it until the next one gets in! lol! its a superb controller and very fluid, viking has done a great job with it.
 

lalent

New Member
So how much would replacing thumbsticks usually cost when out of warranty? I have the silver macro controller and have had it for about 2 years or so and dont want to spend another $300 on a new plain black one when all I need is the thumbsticks to be replaced. I understand that it takes a large amount of time to do but thats literally the only issue I am having.
 
Do you sell extended warrenties? Already lost one controller which was entirely my fault at the end. The controller bumper switch went out as odin stated. I sent it in at this time new halo and black ops where out so I really missed my controller. When I got it back it was good for only a few days then started to stick again so I didn't want to play a whole week without it so I bought some cleaning spray that a guy at Radio Shack recommended and had said was made for xbox controllers. I sprayed some on bumper and for awhile it worked, but the cleaner had something that ate the glue inside my controller basically making the controller a lost cause. I want to get another controller with warrenty or get my old one mailed back to me, support hasn't replied though its been awhile too.
 

odingalt

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Conflicting warranty times, the website says 6 months and NY Jets and the viking box says 3 months.

NYJets post was back in December 2011, in 2012 we up'ed our standard warranty to six months. Though normal wear n' tear like this isn't covered.

So how much would replacing thumbsticks usually cost when out of warranty? I have the silver macro controller and have had it for about 2 years or so and dont want to spend another $300 on a new plain black one when all I need is the thumbsticks to be replaced. I understand that it takes a large amount of time to do but thats literally the only issue I am having.

If you open a support ticket at the main website, the staff will get you set up to ship the conroller back for diagnosis and a detailed repair quote.

If you are talking about a double joystick replacement, they will more than likely just recommend replacing the Microsoft circuit board rather than taking the time to remove and re-install two joysticks (in either case the modchip has to be uninstalled and re-installed).
 

chrisdeaton

New Member
I want to get my controller but I can't login to the website to create a ticket, My controller has been out of order for a few months now just been waiting for the right time to get it fixed but can no longer login so I don't know what to do? Any Suggestions?
 

xPUNskis

New Member
What would it cost to just get a new shell and maybe one button replacement? The shell on mine is cracked near the battery pack forcing me to tape it and my RB sticks. The shell could just be any normal white or black one too.
 
Put in a ticket at viking360.com they will give you a repair quote.

if you cannot login create a new name, or do the "I forgot my password" or send ModdedMatt a message on here, he does controller repairs also.
 

odingalt

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Log in to viking360.com, if you log into there using your account then we can look up your order right away.

If you bought more than a year ago, you won't be in the system, you'll have to open a new account.

Then from your user control panel, click on help desk.
 
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