 easiest seams and constantly nests, nests, nests! Honestly, I bought it before I researched it, and afterwards I saw that this model had many complaints of thread tensioning being off. It’s automatic too, so you can’t even try to fix it yourself. The worst thing is the salesmen constantly try to give me the hard sell when I come in for service, to ‘upgrade’ to a bigger, more expensive machine. Ugh, I just want them to fix this, I do not want to give them any more money. Is there any way that the warranty is transferable if you sell it privately? Otherwise I am stuck with a 1600.00 paper weight. I’m done with Viking and their parent company ‘Singer’, I’m buying a Bernina 230PE. I’ve heard nothing but good things about them, and their stitch quality is impressive.
Argh! I definitely feel your pain. I bought my Platinum 950e through a dealer, they are actually honoring my warranty, and yet my machine has been gone over 5 weeks now (on the SECOND repair issue–none of which it had when it went in for the first problem) with no sign of it coming back. On the first round, my circuit board was out and was fixed and back to me in about 2 weeks. Now the button pad on the front is fried, and they are telling me it’s on back-order, though the company is replacing it under warranty. Thankfully, my machine died after the 4-year mark and not the 5-year one, since electronics have a 5-year warranty.
If you could pass this along to everyone who has commented about the problems they are having with Viking, hopefully we can create enough of a stir at the company that they will start addressing the problems.
Barbara, I’m so sorry you are having so many problems with your Sapphire. I have read about those online also, and I’ve seen other people’s frustrations with them. They don’t let you transfer your warranty, but since you do have a warranty, I hope you will be able to get them to fix your machine free of charge. From what I’ve read online, in regard to other people’s issues with this machine, there was a problem with the take-up lever, causing tension problems, and Viking supposedly has a kit to fix it or an attachment. People were angry that Viking didn’t say this was a design flaw, and some people were paying for this fix. One person I read about got her dealer to give her a newer model of the Sapphire, and she saw they had redesigned the take-up lever and the thread guide section.
There is a Yahoo group I would encourage you to join. It is just for the Viking Sapphires: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VikingSapphire/ People help each other out with their problems there. There was another issue with the bobbin thread cutter, and someone there had a fix for pushing it back a little, with photos on how to do it. I’ve never tried this machine, and all I know is from what I’ve read online. Anyway, there is hopefully a fix for you, or if they can’t get your model fixed, ask them for a newer one. Maybe that is better, but I certainly wouldn’t pay extra either. I believe Viking has come out with a Sapphire 775 Quilt now. Be persistent. You shouldn’t be asked to pay more to get a working machine. If necessary, perhaps you should threaten small claims court. It is very frustrating.
I’ve also heard good things about Bernina, although I’ve had no personal experience with them. I have a Kenmore I bought while waiting for my Viking Platinum to be fixed, and it was made by Janome. It’s a nice quality machine, and I haven’t had any problems with it so far.
Good luck to you. I certainly sympathize.
Toni, I’m sorry about your situation too! But I’m glad you have a warranty and that they are fixing your machine. I hope it doesn’t give you any more problems. I also hope they don’t make you wait an even longer time. Thanks for the sympathy, and thanks for the email address too. People should write to them. I wrote a couple of times. Unfortunately, I was met with very apathetic, unhelpful responses. Hopefully the Viking company will step up and do a better job with their customer service. I’ve heard from a lot of people who are very frustrated with the company and their dealers. A lot seems to depend on whom you buy your machine from in the first place, but the company seems to make people wait for a very long time for parts too. Good luck to you!
I’m just reading these posts now and wondering why none of you have gone to the AG’s office in your area and asked to file a class action suit against Viking and Viking dealerships.
The same issue here. I’ve got a new Platinum 775 from e-bay a couple of years ago for my wife. Now it seems the step motor that moves the needle sideways is gone bad. Reading customer reviews about other products made by Husqvarna (i.e. chainsaws) it seems that the quality across the board has gone down. The shady dealing with dealer mafia network is just ridiculous. A company can rest on its former achievements for only so long before customers figure out that it doesn’t stand behind its product anymore. I don’t think I will ever buy another product made by Husqvarna, whether it be a sewing machine, chainsaw or anything else.
Sorry you had the same problem, Art. I imagine a lot of people have. I reported the eBay seller to the Department of Consumer Affairs in Hayward, CA, (501)888-7062, if you happen to have gotten it from the same CA seller I did. If so, it might be good to send them your information too, so they have it on record, if a lawyer ever does pick it up as a class action suit, or if someone wants to take him to court. I filed online initially, under Electronic and Appliance Repair, http://www.dca.ca.gov/online_services/complaints/ As far as a class action suit against Viking, perhaps a lawyer will eventually get involved and collect information, in forums, or elsewhere. One might find quite a few people who have had problems.
Well girls, I have been looking at a Viking because my Brother Innovis NX450Q is in the shop for the 2nd time. This time it is going on 6 weeks. I thought Viking was a top-of-the-line machine until I started researching and saw all the problems with the Saphire and Platinum models. This is so frustrating on so many levels. I need a back-up machine but now I am so confused on what to purchase. I’m beginning to think the more bells and whistles the machine has the more possible problems. There is a person selling Vikings on EBay and it appears they are selling them for around 500 dollars less than an authorized dealer. I am wondering Elizabeth if this is the person you bought yours from. The machine ships out of Michigan City Indiana but thats is the only info I can find on this seller. Has anyone purchased from this person? I am so apprehensive to spend another $1000.00 on a machine I will only have problems with.
Sorry you are also having problems with your machine, Debbie. No, the seller I bought from was in California, and used to be an authorized dealer, who retired but didn’t have permission from the company to keep selling his inventory. Personally, I would not buy a machine online. The warranty is only good with the person you buy your machine from, not the company. My machine was destroyed trying to send it back and forth to California for repair. I agree that the more bells and whistles a machine has, the more things there are that can break. I have good luck with my old mechanical Viking, and I’ve had good luck with a machine made by Janome, that I bought through Sears. I’ve heard people are also happy with Bernina. Whichever you choose, choose the seller carefully, because, ultimately, that is the person you have to rely on for repair. I hear that other people wait a very long time for parts for Viking repair too. They were bought by another company, and from what I hear, I don’t think they have such a good reputation anymore, which is a shame.
I have a Sapphire 875 with tension problems. It is less than a year old and in the shop waiting for a part.
My experience dealing with Viking dealers within Joann stores has been disappointing over the 15 plus years that I have had Husqvarna machines. They are all smiles and gung-ho when getting you to buy their product. Unfortunately, the customer service afterwards is lacking. I have two other brands which were purchased from mom and pop stores. No problems so far. I know we live in a material throw-away world but our machines are huge investments.If you’re looking for otter box for nexus 5x but don’t know which one is the best, we recommend the first out of 10 otter box for nexus 5x in this article. Check out how we decide after hours of researching and comparing dozens of items on the market.
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