Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters beretta customer service sucks

UK Dave--What you perceive as arrogance is just good old fashioned independent-minded pissed-offness. At least in this case. And perhaps, your "center of the universe" comment was intended in some other way.

I'm glad you've not had issues with your Beretta's. I would agree with most posters that the vast majority of Beretta products never need service. But some do. Anyone you know needed service in the UK?

I am aware that some business models rely on making a product with a particular failure rate, never or barely providing service and living with the consequences. Its normally done with cheaper products.

Everyone sell their Sukos! Cheap, to get rid of that garbage!!

Please forward me your listing from the classifieds..

Where the hell is oldman 43 or whatever to defend benelli now......

When the average Joe spends upwards of 3grand for an entry to mid-level O/U and product defect is due to a company who prides itself in being the oldest privately held company in the world, then they should take care of any issues quickly, fairly and error on the side of customer satisfaction.

My one example of Beretta incompetence was with a 682 that the barrels shot 6-8 inches apart in elevation at 16 yards. Beretta said that was within specs and there was no reason to send it back for inspection. I have probably owned 3 or 4 Berattas since then and currently have a DT-10 with no issues in 25,000 or so rounds.

Not trying to be the center of any universe. However, when it comes to the guns Americans can be a little particular.

Then again you Brits are known to avoid eye contact and drink to excess.

I feel compelled to comment here. I am a Brit who lives in the USA and also has Beretta products. UKDave, contrary to what you think Americans are not arrogant, and contrary to what has been said, the USA did not win WW2 for us Brits either. The Royal Air Force won the battle of Britain which stopped us getting invaded and idiot chops Hitler invaded Russia which thwarted his plans completely. We did need a little assistance to rid Europe of the Germans.
Back to Beretta, they do indeed suck!!! I had a couple of service issues with a Tikka T3 and they are really slow and pathetic in their customer service.

Juliang,

Thanks for the comments. Reality is often harsh and some can't see past their own little world let alone the universe.

I think Churchill had it precisely correct about the debt owed by the world to the RAF. Not only them but the unsung heros at Malvern in the Royal Signal Corp for the development of radar.

If one wants to base their shotgun purchase on customer service there are two companies that set the standard:

Perazzi: In particular Giacomo Sporting USA who represents
Perazzi here in the States.

Krieghoff International in Ottsville, Pa.

Call and you will talk to a real person who will handle your concerns fairly and efficiently.

Beretta prides itself on being their equal on the high-end market and perhaps they are for that particular product, but for the average guy who makes up the majority of their sales they have a long way to go.

I guess I'm an arrogant SOB fat American because I expect a product that I paid money for to work and when it doesn't to be fixed in a timley manner and with a smile and a "we're sorry".

This is about the dumbest derail of a thread and that says a lot on here lately.

I'm a huge Sako fan but I've quit buying new ones and just started picking up used ones. Dealing with Beretta USA just isn't worth it.

I guess when I sent my defective shotgun that broke on the first shot I should have expected it to be fixed with a mix of epoxy that didn't match the stock and the other side of the wood to be crushed in the vice because I'm really arrogant that way.

The Finns are alright.

Yep. I agree. They make a good product, its just their corporate front that sucks. Years ago, I had a problem with a set of rings. I called Stoeger and in less than a week I had a replacement set. You can't do that today.

Back when I was tangling with them, the president of Beretta U.S.A. was a guy named Steve Merritt [spelling?]. I talked to him on the phone at least once and his secretary a couple of times. I even sent a letter outlining all the Berettas I had owned through the years, the problems I'd had with them -- which, as I recall, was at least a third of the total -- as well as the various screw ups by the parts department, Customer Service, and Service that I'd encountered. This was about six years ago. At that time I was told B.U.S.A had hired the Customer Service Manager from Brownell's, and that things were going to change. Well, I gave them another year or two, but nothing got any better in my experience.

As an aside, being an avid shotgunner I needed SOMETHING to shoot with after dumping my Berettas, and I ended up buying a Ceasar Guerini. I found their products and Customer Service to be so exceptionally good that I've since bought three or four more Guerini's. Now THAT is a shotgun and a company that I can recommend to anyone!!!!

Know more than a few shooting Guerini's to the tune of considerable use. Which is when any problems usually surface. If service has been needed they have been quick to respond and have made every effort to be of assistance to the shooter.

One of the guys put in an aftermarket release trigger that never did well. Guerini took it back and did a complete trigger rebuild. No charge.

They are one of the new kids on the block and are trying hard to build their rep. Hope it stays that way.

I would never purchase another Beretta product for just this reason. A few years ago my SCI chapter visited the Accokeek, Md. plant where the military 9MM & other handguns are produced. I have been in electrical manufacturing plants all over the US & knowing a bit about manufacturing would give them an excellent rating for quality. Their sales people offered us wholesale pricing on any handgun in their line. A couple of months later when we attempted to place an order everyone we dealt with was gone. The new sales manager referred us to their dealer network which he said would treat us right. I needed a part for a Tikka that had been on order for 6 months & was told to bring it to the plant. After waiting about 2 hours I finally was told the part was on back order & might never be available. I won a 7MMUM at the SCI convention & proceeded to bed the rifle. After about 6 shots the stock split & almost hit me in the eye. When I returned to Beretta they refused to warranty because I had bedded the stock. After a fight & threatening to involve SCI they finally replaced the stock. Stock number 2 split in the same place & again almost hit me in the eye. Despite not being bedded again no replacement was offered since warranty had expired. With a little bit of legal experience(I'm an engineer)I sent photos to the lead attorney at Beretta with a letter requesting a synthetic stock or I would file in the county court for damages within 30 days. I received the stock via air with no statement from anyone in Beretta. I have left out the many times I was put on hold, calls not returned, & emails not returned. Its obvious Beretta has a revolving door with employees in sales & probably in management. My experience is that when you have poor service its usually either the owner(s) don't want to spend the money or simply don't care. With Beretta its probably both. Beretta manufacturers nice products, but I want products that provide service I have confidence in.

And it is a darn good thing they do otherwise they are not making it another 500 years I used to own Sakos 75's, 1 Tikka,Benelli shotguns. I can honestly say their customer service has turned me off to their firearms. I have one Beretta 390 shotgun that I will keep but no more for me of anything they sell.

What are all the brands in the Beretta family of companies now?

Off the top of my head (and mentioned in this thread) are
Sako
Tikka
Beretta
Benelli

Wikipedia has the following list:
quote:-------------------
The parent company; Beretta Holding, also owns Beretta USA, Benelli, Franchi, SAKO, Stoeger, Tikka, Uberti, the Burris Optics company and a twenty per cent interest of the Browning arms company.
-------------------------

Is this list correct?

I haven't heard of problems with Burris - is that because the optics side is run by different people than the firearms side?

Beretta is worse than I thought. I have two Tikka rifles and four Beretta shotguns (and one Franchi) so the news is very bad for me. At one time customer service was located here in my town of Wayne, NJ. I could drive down and talk to the guys at the counter. I guess I should have gotten the idea when I called last year to order a couple of "washer nuts" - the little nuts pressed into the forend wood so the forend iron can be attached to the wood. They told me that they weren't available anymore for my BL-3. I compared the nuts to those on my 1991 vintage 682 Sporting, and they were the same. So - the guys answering the phones in Maryland don't know squat. I spent a bunch of money restocking my 36 year old BL-3 and having her reblued. I sure hope she don't break.....

When I was having my problems I talked to the service manager & requested the opportunity to talk to the sales manager. I was told the sales manager was not allowed to be involved & was not allowed to even leave a message. I worked in management with GE & Westinghouse & even a consumers letter to the CEO resulted in individual managers responding in writing to every problem with a copy to the presidents office. I wrote letters to the sales manager & even to the president with no replies. I was even told to not call use the structured email format on their website. I attempted to discuss with a Beretta rep at a major outdoor show & was basically told they had no involvement with service or warranty. I own two Sakos & A Tikka, but they can kiss my a$$ on new sales. I would predict down the road they just fade away in the US market. US hunters & shooters will not support a manufacturer that lacks a service organization. It will be good riddance in my opinion.

Sorry to hear all the bad stuff about Beretta. My experience with their customer service runs against most here. I had great experience with a Beretta Mato rifle (I had them fit a spare magazine and adjust trigger while they were at it), and had them work over my M9. Both done very quickly, though I called ahead and presented the guns in person. The M9 was done while I waited, and is absolutely superb.

I can't comment on shotgun work, as I've never had any done. I do shoot Berettas alot, had three O/Us now, all flawless. I'd sooner shoot them than any others out there. Maybe they will blow up the next time I pull the trigger, but so far so good.

GF1..

How long ago was the work you mentioned done???