Epilog and the after sales service

[Frank Corker]

Recently I saw a post about some bad after sales service from Epilog which was a little troubling to hear. This post is much more positive although I hasten to add that I am ONLY a customer and this is an account of the good service I received which I think is worth mentioning.

I have to give a big thank you to the guys from CSI Ltd, Ballymount, Dublin who are the licenced Epilog dealer for UK. I was unfortunate enough to have suffered a motherboard failure, believe me I was gutted (still gutted living with the costs involved). I was working away quite happily, engraved a piece, sent another job to the laser and the front panel was out. All of the fans were still running so I knew that the powerpack wasn't at fault. I switched it off at the mains, waited a while and tried again. No beep or attempt to find the home position and no front panel. I knew it was bad.

Anyway I ended up contacting Mr Matthew Kirwin the MD for CSI Ltd who was based in Ireland. He told me he would have a tech guy ring me as soon as possible. Within 10 minutes I was talking with Anthony Carrick who immediately diagnosed the problem. The only solution was to replace the motherboard, I sent him my contact details and sat back waiting for an update as to the delivery. Next morning, motherboard delivered with a follow up email from Anthony Carrick with all the fitting instructions. With the Epilog machines all the parts are relatively easy to replace and within a couple of hours my machine was up and running again.

So it's hats off to CSI Ltd and Epilog for great service yet again, positively outstanding. Now all we have to do is work on the cost of those parts! More reasonable would be a big help.

[Larry Bratton]

Frank, it is appropriate that I add my recent experience with Epilog. I think you and I are about in the same boat, having machines that are vastly beyond the warranty period. I have recently replaced the tube and not 1 but TWO mother boards. I too had an identical experience with the first board. We had cut a file and was making preparations to cut the next one. When we started to do so, we noticed we didn't have anything in the menu window. Took off the left side of the EXT and sure enough, fans were running but only had one light showing on the board. Called Epilog, and of course had to buy a $1000.00 board. They did waive the core charge with me taking out the board and getting them a UPS tracking number. I had the board the next day.

While we were down, we decided to move the machine to a new spot in the room. When we did so, I knew we would need to do a complete leveling job and alignment. We got the new board in and started this process. As it turns out, I had always depended on other people to do my maintenance and when I got into it myself, the machine was a mess. I don't think the #1 mirror, which is on the back of this machine and hard to get to, had EVER been cleaned in 5 years. Dirty was not the word to describe it. I found that mirror #2 was actually bad and had a big scratch in the middle of it. It's a wonder the machine would cut at all. I fixed and cleaned all the optics. In the middle of doing the alignment and the fine tuning the new board we had just put in went. I think it is possible that we may have shorted it out while adjusting the diode for the pointer. Anyhow, I called Epilog, they sent me a new board as a warranty replacement and threw in a new mirror for the one I had that was bad. Again, it was here the next day.
I set out in earnest to get the alignment perfect and correct anything else I found. I did so. Brian J, Brian D and Ian led me by the hand and I got it about as perfect as it can be. I even changed over to an ethernet connection because the USB connection just refused to co-operate with Windows 7. They spent time with me setting that up. By the way, I did the majority of this using their online chat on the tech support page.

Since I did this, my machine cuts better than it ever has, even when it was new. I can walk through 1/8 acrylic at 15 speed and 1/4 at 8. I am 67 years old now and have been in some kind of business all my life. I have never seen a company like Epilog when it came to customer service and support. Most companies, if you went to them with an out of warranty machine or one like mine that is 5 years old, would most likely tell you to go take a hike. So, the Chinese machines won't be in my future if I ever buy another one it will be an Epilog.

[Roger Leiva]

Frank, I want to present my experience with Epiloglaser (based in Golden Colorado). I am eternally grateful to them. I started my business with a machine Mini 18, 40 watts. In three years of having it, the Epilog warranty applied by technical problems and replaced the damaged components. Because the Mini 18 still had problems (such as electric charge or power supply, according to technical Epiloglaser) offered me the extended warranty for two years or replace my machine. (Because for them, how important are your customers). Finally, with great emotion and love with Epilog laser machines, gave the Mini and added budget to buy a propeller 24, 60 watts. Today I am very happy with the performance of my Helix and great happiness to be next when operating to use their skills in the quality of the products for my business. He who has an Epilog laser, be happy, like me.

Roger Leiva (Costa Rica) Helix 24, 60 watt.

[Alick Ford]

I bought my Zing from Mat Kirwin at CSI a couple of years ago and must say he is a great person to deal with! thankfully haven't had any problems so far, but I think this is down to the build quality of the little zings, they are so compact and simple to operate!