Pacific Coast Avionics - bad experience

[dcastor]

I bought a used PMA 8000b from Pacific Coast last October... my avionics shop kept delaying install until about March.  The holidays and other airplanes kept getting priority.  I even contacted a second shop to try to get it installed.  When the audio panel was finally installed, it worked fine for about 90 mins, then all the lights went dark.  Turns out a ribbon cable inside the audio panel had shorted out, my avionics shop said it was improperly routed, chaffed on a heatsink inside the audio panel and shorted.

 

Pacific Coast Avionics has a 90 day warranty policy on yellow tag items, which expired while the audio panel sat in the box they shipped it in awaiting install. And, they seem unwilling to consider that they should take responsibility for shipping a defective part.  I had no way to know about the issue until it was installed, but perhaps that's one I'll have to suck up...

 

 What's been really frustrating is dealing with PCA since identifying the issue.  I spoke with their VP who said they needed to see the device and they would consider covering the cost of repairs.  The box was marked for his attention.  It went to PCA and sat for 3 days while the avionics tech "got around to it". They shipped it off to PS Engineering for repair, then PS engineering shipped it back to PCA (vs. to me direct).   Then today, the customer service dept tells me I owe them for the repairs, and it seems the VP was never consulted on the issue.  I never heard anything from PCA except for when I called them.  Oh and next week everybody, but the shipping department is going to be at Sun and Fun, and the VP is already on the road, so chances are this audio panel (and my plane) are going to be sitting for another week.

 

PCA: Hope you all enjoy Sun and Fun...you won't be getting any future business from me.

[Marauder]

I bought a used PMA 8000b from Pacific Coast last October... my avionics shop kept delaying install until about March. The holidays and other airplanes kept getting priority. I even contacted a second shop to try to get it installed. When the audio panel was finally installed, it worked fine for about 90 mins, then all the lights went dark. Turns out a ribbon cable inside the audio panel had shorted out, my avionics shop said it was improperly routed, chaffed on a heatsink inside the audio panel and shorted.

Pacific Coast Avionics has a 90 day warranty policy on yellow tag items, which expired while the audio panel sat in the box they shipped it in awaiting install. And, they seem unwilling to consider that they should take responsibility for shipping a defective part. I had no way to know about the issue until it was installed, but perhaps that's one I'll have to suck up...

What's been really frustrating is dealing with PCA since identifying the issue. I spoke with their VP who said they needed to see the device and they would consider covering the cost of repairs. The box was marked for his attention. It went to PCA and sat for 3 days while the avionics tech "got around to it". They shipped it off to PS Engineering for repair, then PS engineering shipped it back to PCA (vs. to me direct). Then today, the customer service dept tells me I owe them for the repairs, and it seems the VP was never consulted on the issue. I never heard anything from PCA except for when I called them. Oh and next week everybody, but the shipping department is going to be at Sun and Fun, and the VP is already on the road, so chances are this audio panel (and my plane) are going to be sitting for another week.

PCA: Hope you all enjoy Sun and Fun...you won't be getting any future business from me.

Sorry to hear this. The president of PS Engineering contributes to this forum. Hopefully he will see your post and use it as a datapoint if they do new product business with Pacific Coast.

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[FlyWalt]

Doesn't it seem like your avionics shop needs to be mentioned as well. One of my hot buttons is when a shop takes in your aircraft/car/boat whatever and then sets your schedule back while they place a higher priority on projects coming in AFTER you got there.

 

My aircraft serves a purpose in my life, my business etc. When the aircraft is sitting as a static display in his hangar while he cares for his bigger dollar clients, buddies aircraft etc then we start seeing the temperature rise in the relationship.