Won't Sell To Commercial Clients????

[radiomankc]

I was very shocked after spending 3 weeks trying to contact Harris to purchase a Unity XG-100 that I get the below email. It's odd that a legitimate professional trying to buy a $7k radio cannot get Harris reps to return phone calls, is asked if I was a spy for MOT and is sent a rude email. I guess they must have something to hide. Anyone have thoughts? Should I just keep buying APX-7000s?

William,

At this time we are only going to provide quotes to public safety agencies. Thank you for your interest.

Best regards,
Dan Sullivan

Dan Sullivan
National Sales Manager, Unity
Public Safety & Professional Communications
RF Communications Division - Harris Corporation
585.354.7681
Daniel.Sullivan@harris.com
Harris Corporation - Assured Communications Products, Systems and Services for Government and Commercial Customers Worldwide

 

[Squad10]

Please post the email you received from Harris and consider rude. I would like to read it.

 

[radiomankc]

Thanks. When I finally got someone to call me back after 3 weeks, the first thing they asked was if I was really MOT trying to get my hands on a Unity. Then, after countless calls and email attempts, the below email is what I received:

William,

At this time we are only going to provide quotes to public safety agencies. Thank you for your interest.

Best regards,
Dan Sullivan

Dan Sullivan
National Sales Manager, Unity
Public Safety & Professional Communications
RF Communications Division - Harris Corporation
585.354.7681
Daniel.Sullivan@harris.com
Harris Corporation - Assured Communications Products, Systems and Services for Government and Commercial Customers Worldwide

 

[GTR8000]

The email is certainly terse, but I wouldn't characterize it as rude necessarily.

All the press releases, literature and brochures I've seen thus far for the XG-100 series seem to make the point that the series is a "Full-Spectrum Radio for Federal, State and Local Agencies", which to me indicates it's currently available to public safety only, not commercial or amateur use.

 

[mancow]

This seems to be a trend with many Companies lately. For whatever reason the individual citizen is considered a non entity and is suspect. Only agencies and Corporations exist and have the "right" to purchase their products. Call up Thales and inquire about the clear MBITR. You will get the same story there too, but at least in a much more pleasant manner.

I could see if they were truly something unique but these multiband whiz band new units aren't too much more capable than a modified VX-7R and an XTS2500 strapped together which I would venture to guess a good portion of the people on this board have at their disposal already.

Who would have ever thought the day would come when an individual with money to spend is turned away from a business? I guess it goes to show how sweet the Government contract tit actually is.

 

[Squad10]

Offer the Harris person that replied to you credit card payment or certified funds (wire transfer). You may be surprised at the result. A single $7K "legitimate professional" commercial purchase is not a big deal to Harris, the commisioned Harris employee may think that you may continue to purchase.

If Harris onlly sells to Federal, State and Local Agencies as Chauf points out, stay with Mo.

 

[greenthumb]

asked if I was a spy for MOT

:lol: That's hilarious.

If you are selling a product, eventually it will end up in the hands of the competition. It's silly for them to waste their time worrying about that issue.

 

[FFPM571]

I can think of alot better ways to blow $7k. If they want to sell to public agencies so be it.Its marketed as a public safety radio. Not a ham or hobby radio. They really don't care if they loose one sale of a radio to an individual.

 

[kb0nly]

Interesting looking radio, but for $7k you could buy a dozen radios, if not more, that do the same bands, albeit one at a time.

And what do you do if you ever have problems with it?? If they are being anal about selling you a $7k radio how will they treat you if they do and it needs repairs?

I say screw em...

 

[bradpradio7420]

MA/COM now HARRIS sucks anyway they are a second rate company that is why most public safety use MOTOROLA they have better equipment and it works unlike the EDACS PROVOICE crap i live in manatee county florida and the sheriffs office was going to go provoice with esk encryption they had it active for less than a week and then retreated to anolog because of nothing but problems ( not being able to hear deputies clearly, lots of voice distortion, ****y coverage, ect) they say that their going to keep working on it but that was about 2 months ago and they are still on anolg and un encrypted. but anyway what i was saying HARRIS is a half ass company thats pretty aparent by their many failed systems and apparently they have crappy customer service to, not selling someone who wants to buy a 7 grand radio what they want. wonder how long they going to stay in business???? MOTOROLA RULES AND HARRIS SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mikepdx]

Simple solution:

Vote with your wallet.
Support a company that will happily take your money,
and in return provide you with a good product and customer service.

 

[FFPM571]

Brad,

what are you 12?

 

[prcguy]

I wonder if the Unity is type accepted for amateur use or even business/commercial part 90?

And to bradpradio7420s comment above, Harris acquired the GE/Ericsson/Tyco stuff and did not design it. Harris is the world leader in high end military HF/VHF/UHFcommo gear and Motorola doesn't even come close in their commercial or military division that was sold to General Dynamics.
prcguy

 

[GTR8000]

I wonder if the Unity is type accepted for amateur use

There's no such thing as "type accepted for amateur use". Amateur gear does not require FCC certification. This is why you can use Part 90 certified equipment on the amateur bands, but can't use amateur gear on the Part 90 PLMR bands.

or even business/commercial part 90

There is no distinction made by the FCC between "public safety" and "business/industrial" when it comes to Part 90 Type Certification. If a radio is certified under Part 90, it can be used on any part of the PLMR spectrum...business, industrial, public safety, etc.

 

[bradpradio7420]

with regard to my earlier comment about MA/COM HARRIS i dont really no much about HARRIS in fact i never really heard much about them untill they bought out MA/COM. all that i was really trying to say is that MA/COM has had alot of problems and failed systems (open sky for example , and also where i live in florida , they wanted to go pro voice and tried it for a week or two and then went right back to anolg because it dint work for) i probably should not have lumped HARRIS and MA/COM in the same boat . hopefully HARRIS will actually turn PROVOICE and all that other MA/COM junk in to good systems but only time will tell.

 

[FFPM571]

Brad,
You are the ignorant one. You make statements without fact about radio systems that are in use from what you read here and you hear over your scanner. Yes Ma/comm has had issues everywhere provoice has been installed. But to make statements that Harris sucks. When is the last time you used either a Ma/comm or Harris radio . I have seen and used both Motorola and Ma/comm radios and installed radios on both companies systems. I have at times owned Motorola and Ma/comm radios. You reply This sucks and that sucks and this rules. That sounds like a 12 year old texting his 8th grade buddy.

 

[WayneH]

No more bickering please. Do not engage in debates or antagonizing remarks. Report the posts and move on.

 

[rfradioconsult]

Harris has always sold their various products to specific markets and has do so for many years. This particular product was designed specifically for critical communication applications, not a casual user.

It would be a lot like Harris selling a 50 Kilowatt AM broadcast transmitter to anyone that could afford it. This is a business decision, perhaps they have only produced a limitied number of these; if you don't agree with their decision, move on.

 

[vodka_martini]

Harris Unity

I joined this board to get some multi-band information last year. It was a new procurement for my agency and I was trying to get a feel for what was going on. It turns out I have spoken to Dan Sullivan and I think the guy was OK. Squared away, answered e-mails, returned calls. About all I want out of a company rep. He didn't seem like a sales guy either in that I wasn't given a pitch. So in my humble opinion Dan Sullivan is OK.

As far as the price, my agency ended up going through a dealer and paid far less than $7k a radio. Actually that was about what 2 of them cost.

At the end of the day it doesn't seem like he was rude at all. They're selling a very robust p/s radio and are being careful about it. Good for them, it shouldn't always be about money.

VM

 

[EnidPuceflange]

In this case I suspect Harris are incapable of taking a payment in a form a member of the public can pay in - they are not set up to take credit cards for example.

They do however have a dealer network, and if you were to try the local dealer you might have better luck.