Just have to vent - Valentine Research customer service is absurdly awful.
Long story short, I returned my V1 to them in November for service (I bought mine in 2006). Because of a return my mother made in 2009, they are holding my detector hostage - will not return it to me even if I pay return shipping - until she pays them in full for the detector they've kept on a shelf since 2009. Bear in mind the only relationship I have to any existing situation was that I had the same billing address as my mother in 2006. I've never been treated with such hostility as a consumer, and neither my mother nor I would have known anything was wrong if I hadn't sent my detector back for service. I've gone as far up the chain as they'll transfer me to - the statement I can quote was "we will be holding your unit until the charges on the account are resolved." I received similar statements from two individuals at Valentine Research - I have good notes.
BBB, OH Attorney General, Cincinnati PD, and FTC (interstate commerce) are aware. I'm not expecting much from them though, we'll see. I'm also toying with the idea of hiring a consumer protection attorney.
Long story short, I returned my V1 to them in November for service (I bought mine in 2006). Because of a return my mother made in 2009, they are holding my detector hostage - will not return it to me even if I pay return shipping - until she pays them in full for the detector they've kept on a shelf since 2009. Bear in mind the only relationship I have to any existing situation was that I had the same billing address as my mother in 2006. I've never been treated with such hostility as a consumer, and neither my mother nor I would have known anything was wrong if I hadn't sent my detector back for service. I've gone as far up the chain as they'll transfer me to - the statement I can quote was "we will be holding your unit until the charges on the account are resolved." I received similar statements from two individuals at Valentine Research - I have good notes.
BBB, OH Attorney General, Cincinnati PD, and FTC (interstate commerce) are aware. I'm not expecting much from them though, we'll see. I'm also toying with the idea of hiring a consumer protection attorney.