Thinking of returning it

DocWhitley

New member
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1
Grill(s) owned
  1. RT-B380X Bullseye Deluxe
I am 1 week in and herr are the issues I am having.
1- Lid came scratched- They offered to replace it.
2- Wifi wont connect- Was going to call and have them help BUT
3- Ash Dump FAILS!- the handle is hard to turn to dump the ashes and harder to close INCLUDING having to force it to actually CLICK close. The "Easy open and snap back" does not exist. I know this will lead to that plastic handle eventually stripping.

Before I hit the 30 day mark or even the 14 day... I want to know if others have this problem? Approximately 40 hours of run time at this point.
 
If 40 hours in you’re on the fence, return it. You shouldn’t be up in the air at this point. It isn’t cheap, return it if it doesn’t meet your standards.
 
If 40 hours in you’re on the fence, return it. You shouldn’t be up in the air at this point. It isn’t cheap, return it if it doesn’t meet your standards.
Yes, this ☝️
Don't worry about the possible shipping and return expense
 
Just know that unless you are willing to spend at least 3X the price of a RT, you’ll likely have the same kinds of issues. Call RT and talk to them; forget e-mail, get a real person on the line. Lay out your issues and find out what they are willing to do. If they can’t satisfy you, then send it back and find something else.
 
Sounds like you got a defective unit. Unless you're a witts end, I would exchange it for a new one. But easy for me to say, if you have another grill(company) in mind, i would return it.
 
This topic brings up an interesting point, for me anyway.......

That is, who is doing the QC on the finished product(s) and where is it being done ? I suspect that shipments from China are completely prepackaged/pre-QC'd, done with 40' containers and those containers are delivered to RT facilities here stateside.

I further suspect that once RT takes delivery of the containers, the product(s) are simply offloaded, put into their warehouse(s), no boxes are opened and no QC is done. Orders are fulfilled and those same prepackaged/pre-QC'd (in China) simply get a shipping label slapped on them and out the door to the purchaser/customer they go.

I don't know where each model of grill is manufactured, but I lean in the direction of them all being built in China. Chinese manufactured products have gotten a lot better in the last 5 to 10 years, but in my opinion, they are generally speaking, anything but robust.

I have not had the problems that some of the posters here have had, but I do recognize that RT's QC program needs to improve. And, there needs to be some design improvement as well. Case(s) in point; Wheels on the 700 and the WiFi.

We've talked in the past about the "ability" to return the product and the costs involved. I had a smoker from a different manufacturer that I had problems with and was just about ready to return it. Once I looked at the time and expense to repackage it, plus the freight costs, it would have cost somewhere between one third and one half of the original purchase price. Just not worth it.

So, I do a lot more research on these kinds of products before I buy them. And, if there is a local dealer with a showroom, I will give him a good, hard look.

I'm not accusing RT of anything, but I think that all of these factors are looked at by RT management/ownership and they are pretty confident that very few people will actually return the product. If I had had the kinds of problems that I have seen some of the posters here have had, I probably would have filed a claim with my credit card company and told RT to come pick up their grille. Yeah, I didn't do that with my smoker, but I managed to fix their problem and now the thing works properly. Unfortunately, RT also appears to be of the belief that customers having to fix RT's problems in the field is somehow acceptable. That, as opposed to fixing the root cause of the problem, which is inadequate QC at the source.

My expectation is that when I take a manufacturer's product out of the box, that it's going to work. If it doesn't, how the hell did it leave the factory in the first place ?
 
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…who is doing the QC on the finished product(s) and where is it being done?
The thing about “QC” is that it is a sampling process; not every item gets checked. I think the bigger problem is lack of production oversight where the contracting company has an on-site presence and keeps a close eye on the manufacturing process. That is an additional cost and a lot of companies don’t do it. I suspect RT does not.
 
The thing about “QC” is that it is a sampling process; not every item gets checked. I think the bigger problem is lack of production oversight where the contracting company has an on-site presence and keeps a close eye on the manufacturing process. That is an additional cost and a lot of companies don’t do it. I suspect RT does not.
Agreed.

But, just like the WiFi issue, over a long enough time frame, enough data is (should be anyway) accumulated such that you know you have a quality problem and it's pretty obvious where it is.

Along the lines of what you are saying is also the fact that some companies will just let a Contract Manufacturer throw enough "free parts" at the company to cover anticipated warranty expenses. This, as opposed to spending that same money on improving the design and QC procedures. I get the feeling that that is what RT is doing, which I think is what you are saying too...... ;)

I might sound like I am bashing RT, but that isn't my intent. My 700 has worked as advertised, so I don't have any major complaints. However, if I were in the market for a new grille, I'd shop around a lot more than I did when I bought the 700. And, I'd probably end up spending more and end up with something else.
 
Agreed.

But, just like the WiFi issue, over a long enough time frame, enough data is (should be anyway) accumulated such that you know you have a quality problem and it's pretty obvious where it is.

Along the lines of what you are saying is also the fact that some companies will just let a Contract Manufacturer throw enough "free parts" at the company to cover anticipated warranty expenses. This, as opposed to spending that same money on improving the design and QC procedures. I get the feeling that that is what RT is doing, which I think is what you are saying too...... ;)

I might sound like I am bashing RT, but that isn't my intent. My 700 has worked as advertised, so I don't have any major complaints. However, if I were in the market for a new grille, I'd shop around a lot more than I did when I bought the 700. And, I'd probably end up spending more and end up with something else.
Also agreed! I think we are on the same page here. And, the problem with the “free parts” scenario you so aptly described is that customer satisfaction takes a hit during the resolution, even if a problem eventually gets fixed. Getting it right the first time is a much better option. 👊
 
Getting it right the first time is a much better option. 👊
That is what drives me absolutely Batty about the wheels on the 700.........:eek::ROFLMAO:

"I mean, you guys (RT) can't be serious, right ?"

confused-look.gif
 
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I think you all are right. I bet they are pre-packaged from China.

My dad and I got our SS bullseyes around the same time. Mine had a dent in the hopper lid which doesn't affect performance but I still called and got some free grill grates out of it. I also had an issue with the lid not closing all the way which eventually I fixed myself but not over tightening the screws and using washers. Before that though, I got a new hinge, new lid. They worked with me a lot.

I hate calling ANY customer service but I will say RecTeq is the best customer service I've gotten from any product I've ever bought. One of those times I called, for all my trouble(which sounds like nothing compared to some stories), they gave me a free griddle.

My dad also had a dent in his Bullseye and got a free griddle out of it. So yeah, I've been super happy. In a perfect world, there would be a local dealer you could just return to. That's why people love Costco for big items b/c they will take just about anything back. I used to work at Menards when I was younger and I remember Menards taking back a huge canopy that was over 2 years old and beat up big big time. It seemed like a joke but they took it back.
 
It's Moneyball, anyone seen the movie?
80% of the time everything is OK.
13% of the time we can bribe our way out of it. (griddle, grill grates, accessories, spices/rubs)
5% of the time we have to send a full replacement grill.
2% of the time is a return/refund (maybe).

This scenario is way cheaper than paying the mfr for 100% pass rate. You can get high quality out of China, that's where the iPhone comes from too - and it's expensive. So that's the game they're playing and I think recteq may have dipped below the acceptable casualties line in favor of profit.
 
It's Moneyball, anyone seen the movie?
80% of the time everything is OK.
13% of the time we can bribe our way out of it. (griddle, grill grates, accessories, spices/rubs)
5% of the time we have to send a full replacement grill.
2% of the time is a return/refund (maybe).

This scenario is way cheaper than paying the mfr for 100% pass rate. You can get high quality out of China, that's where the iPhone comes from too - and it's expensive. So that's the game they're playing and I think recteq may have dipped below the acceptable casualties line in favor of profit.
Seems accurate to me. RecTeq has expanded quite a bit with outside investors I believe.

This may be off topic but I thought I heard a few RecTeqs(I think the Bull and Bullseye) will be sold at Ace Hardware. I think I saw the press release but I haven't found anything online about it.
 
…I thought I heard a few RecTeqs(I think the Bull and Bullseye) will be sold at Ace Hardware.
I dunno; Ace is pretty heavily invested in Traeger grills. That would seem to be an unlikely scenario to add Recteq to the mix. Now, if they are dropping Traeger (or Traeger is dropping them), then it would make sense.
 
As a semi (un) related note, my local NAPA auto parts store is losing the Stihl line. Apparently, the line is going to Ace hardware. I am under the impression that NAPA Corporate didn't do a good enough job kissing Stihl's ring and Stihl is giving the line to Ace.

It's too bad because the NAPA stores are franchises and losing Stihl will cause the loss of a Marquis line for each of the independent franchisees. The Stihl line pulled in a lot of business for the NAPA stores. If I had been NAPA, I'd have kissed Stihl's ass to whatever extent was necessary. Definitely a NAPA Sales/Marketing FUBAR......
 
As a semi (un) related note, my local NAPA auto parts store is losing the Stihl line. Apparently, the line is going to Ace hardware. I am under the impression that NAPA Corporate didn't do a good enough job kissing Stihl's ring and Stihl is giving the line to Ace.

It's too bad because the NAPA stores are franchises and losing Stihl will cause the loss of a Marquis line for each of the independent franchisees. The Stihl line pulled in a lot of business for the NAPA stores. If I had been NAPA, I'd have kissed Stihl's ass to whatever extent was necessary. Definitely a NAPA Sales/Marketing FUBAR......
This must not be a national thing since my local Ace Hardware has been a Stihl dealer for at least the past several years. I believe Stihl has a multi-level marketing approach, with consumer products at retailers like Ace and commercial/professional product sold at farm supply outlets and similar. In our area, the John Deere dealer is also a dealer for Stihl commercial/professional products.
 
This must not be a national thing since my local Ace Hardware has been a Stihl dealer for at least the past several years. I believe Stihl has a multi-level marketing approach, with consumer products at retailers like Ace and commercial/professional product sold at farm supply outlets and similar. In our area, the John Deere dealer is also a dealer for Stihl commercial/professional products.
Ummm, since Ace has had the line for a while, does it look to you like further (Stihl) moves are in the Ace direction at least regionally, if not nationwide ?

Could be that it's more regional, down here in Woodinville/Duvall........:)

I don't know, I'm just asking questions and reporting observations. And, as I said, Stihl is kind of a secondary subject to RT, at least on this forum.
 
I see that Recteq is now selling on Amazon (their store) and BBQGuys.com. Maybe they're changing their sales model a bit.

As far as Stihl, the ONLY place I can find their products locally is Ace. I haven't "needed" a chainsaw in a bit, but I did rent a Stihl from the local Ace when the neighbor's tree fell on top of my truck a few years back.
 

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