Uniden Repair Delay

[VA3ADP]

I had mine in and it took FOREVER! Sent it in on 1/29/21 and it took 8-10 weeks. do not expect your radio to show up on the repair status page, mine did not the entire time. Call Uniden customer service once you see that your tracking number shows they received the scanner, try and talk with Christie, she seems to be the only one that is actually customer service oriented over there. She will find your service order and keep tabs on it, I called every two weeks until she could give me a ship date. Just keep on em!

Thanks for the advice! Mine are all still currently still in repair. I've called every couple weeks and I was told they'd follow up by email but so far I haven't received any further communication. Apparently they switched to a new tracking system from what I was told. I'll give them a call this week and see what I can find out. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[johnstorz8788]

Just an update to my prior post. On 3/18 I spoke with customer support. They told me that Corporate had advised they they had indeed sorted out and processed my payment. They also said that the repair group had responded to customer service that my scanner was part of a hand full that got mixed up due to an upgrade of their systems. They said that mine was on the top of the list and should be sent back to me soon. Two week later and still nothing. I called again on 4/1 and was told yet again that they would send an email to the repair group and that they would follow up with me, as they promise to do every time I call but never actually do. As of yet, I still have no update. It's been two and a half months since they received my scanner.

 

[MStep]

Just an update to my prior post. On 3/18 I spoke with customer support. They told me that Corporate had advised they they had indeed sorted out and processed my payment. They also said that the repair group had responded to customer service that my scanner was part of a hand full that got mixed up due to an upgrade of their systems. They said that mine was on the top of the list and should be sent back to me soon. Two week later and still nothing. I called again on 4/1 and was told yet again that they would send an email to the repair group and that they would follow up with me, as they promise to do every time I call but never actually do. As of yet, I still have no update. It's been two and a half months since they received my scanner.

Sadly, if you read many of the posts here, your experience seems the rule rather than the exception. Covid, ice storms, parts delays, new computer system for the repair department that doesn't function; many excuses but few answers. Hang in there--- you're in good company here--- many "patiently" waiting.

 

[ofd8001]

By way of an update. . .

I received an email this morning from "Uniden Holdings" saying my repair order has been fulfilled. Uniden received the scanner on 2/23.

So, one fine day it might get back, working hopefully.

 

[VA3ADP]

I'm going to give them a call tomorrow and see if I can get an update. The last time I called them was a couple weeks back and I was advised that they are pretty much "playing catchup". Yet I was told my scanners are in the shipping stage and I haven't seen any repair charges billed to me whatsoever. He also said he would email corporate and that he would get back to me via email. I haven't heard anything yet. I don't think it would hurt to call and follow up. Maybe we should all get complimentary SDS's for our many patient months of waiting 😆

 

[johnstorz8788]

Sadly, if you read many of the posts here, your experience seems the rule rather than the exception. Covid, ice storms, parts delays, new computer system for the repair department that doesn't function; many excuses but few answers. Hang in there--- you're in good company here--- many "patiently" waiting.

Is there anyone on here who has sent a scanner in since the beginning of the year and actually gotten it back? Just looking for any sign of hope...

 

[ofd8001]

"Just sayin", but this might be a good thing for Joe Bearcat's comments.

 

[ofd8001]

Ok - final report. Sent my SDS 100 in for repair on 2/17. Received on 2/23. Entered in their computer system on 3/1. Shipped back to me on 3/31. Received today (4/10) via Fedex. Overall a week shy of two months. Issue was the infamous cold solder joint.

I'm a little disgruntled with the shipping side. No head's up of when to look for it. FedEx just left it on my doorstep (in the rain), no doorbell ring or knock.

 

[MStep]

I'm a little disgruntled with the shipping side. No head's up of when to look for it. FedEx just left it on my doorstep (in the rain), no doorbell ring or knock.

Mentioned on the forums several times. Uniden is apparently a very trusting organization that does not believe in front-door or porch thieves, or dishonest folks who might claim they've ever received it back. Apparently, ditto Fed-Ex. God bless 'em both.

P.S. This is actually a benefit for most consumers--- imagine if everything went out with a "Signature Required" ? A lot of folks who may not be home at the time of delivery could find themselves having to stay at home an extra day or two waiting for a re-delivery, or worse, having to travel many miles to the Fed-Ex or UPS or Laser-Ship offices to pick up their parcels.

Six of one, half a dozen of the other. Thanks goodness you got it back--- hopefully properly repaired and now ready to give you years of enjoyment.

 

[buddrousa]

You can sign up for
UPS shipping notices
FEDEX shipping notices
USPS Informed Delivery
I get notices from all 3 when a item is shipped to me with delivery dates.

 

[VA3ADP]

So I called Uniden today and its looks like they ran into some technical problems and advised to call back Tomorrow. From what I was able to gather was two of many units are ready to ship and two are waiting for parts. I'm going to give them a call tomorrow morning and I'll follow up on the updates I get.

 

[VA3ADP]

I spoke with Uniden today (04/16). I am now getting a completely different story that there is nothing wrong with my 436 or SDS100. Which is simply not the case. Back in January, I was monitoring a house fire on my 436 and getting full signal strength but no audio whatsoever and "DAT" was not being displayed at all. Any transmissions I did receive were either muffled, garbled or had an high error rate. I had this exact same problem with my 536 and 99P2. My SDS was better, but not out of the woods. I was getting pretty good reception but a very high error rate also. In both cases, I was using the Remtronix 800MHZ antenna.

The last thing I want is to have my radios sent back to me and have to send them back a few days later after experiencing the same problems while waiting months on end to hear anything. I understand COVID, and part shortages mainly played a part in the delays and are completely out of Uniden's control. If anyone has some suggestions I'd really appreciate it! Have a great weekend!

 

[buddrousa]

Please link to the system you were monitoring.

 

[VA3ADP]

Please link to the system you were monitoring.

My local system below;

Peel Region Trunking System, Peel Region, Ontario

Peel Region Trunking System Profile

www.radioreference.com

 

[kruser]

My local system below;

Peel Region Trunking System, Peel Region, Ontario

Peel Region Trunking System Profile

www.radioreference.com

It sounds like a simulcast issue if all your models were experiencing the same thing.
The SDS series handle simulcast much better than any other Uniden models but they are also not perfect.
Or possibly some kind of overload from some other source near you.
There's no way a 436, SDS100, 536 and 996P2 would all have the same internal problem causing your reception problems.
Something else is going on. The scanners are probably fine.

I don't know if the TAFL database shows if a system is simulcast or not but being listed as partially Phase II in the RRDB here, there's a good chance it is.

 

[VA3ADP]

It sounds like a simulcast issue if all your models were experiencing the same thing.
The SDS series handle simulcast much better than any other Uniden models but they are also not perfect.
Or possibly some kind of overload from some other source near you.
There's no way a 436, SDS100, 536 and 996P2 would all have the same internal problem causing your reception problems.
Something else is going on. The scanners are probably fine.

I don't know if the TAFL database shows if a system is simulcast or not but being listed as partially Phase II in the RRDB here, there's a good chance it is.

Thank you. That sounds like a possible cause. Not sure what it possibly could be

 

[buddrousa]

What happens when you take a scanner and go near the tower site?

 

[mikewazowski]

Peel is simulcast. When the old mixed analog/digital system was around, I believe they had 7 transmitter sites. Not sure if they kept that configuration when they switched to P25 trunking but I would suspect so.

 

[buddrousa]

Thanks Mike I could not find anything to list that. So Air11 still needs to go near a site and see how the scanner works.

 

[VA3ADP]

Once I recieve the scanner back. I will have to do some investigating. My main problem with the 435, 536 and 996p2 was that the scanners weren't able to properly decode a trunking system, lots of High error rates and not able to lock onto a control channel.