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  • Do retailers test grinder before shipment?

    Hi guys, I am new to the forum.
    I pre-ordered a Mignon single dose from a retailer in French Forest NSW.
    It came yesterday, I open the box, it is a huge disappointment.
    The grinder has coffee ground in the chute and in the burr set.
    It looks like it has been used or as a display item.
    I contacted them, they stated they tested the grinder before shipment.
    May I please ask is it a common practice for retailers to test the grinder before shipment?
    Is it acceptable for you?


    Photos:
    https://flic.kr/ps/3YBfdF
    https://flic.kr/p/2nc15Sf
    https://flic.kr/p/2nc15Pz


  • #2
    It's fairly common, should be universal, but some are too lazy. I know all Compak grinders are tested in the factory and all come with ground coffee in them even from a sealed box. Imagine if you bought a new car and it had been assembled but never turned on. They do it because they have had issues in the past that have cost them in warranty shipping etc and in customers being upset at having a grinder that doesn't work out of the box. Far simpler to just run some coffee through and check it's all good. Whether they pull a shot with it or not I don't know. A lot of boutique manufacturers like Kafatek pull shots with them in the factory.

    Comment


    • #3
      Yep. Trap for new players. They're checked in production.

      Comment


      • #4
        I understood the factory will of course test them before shipping to customer. However, a friend of mine ordered from another vendor have no issues. The vendor stated they test the grinder, it sounds suspicious to me.

        I have never seen any retailer would test brand new item before.

        Comment


        • Caffeinator
          Caffeinator commented
          Editing a comment
          You'd know if that had happened as the original packaging would have shown evidence of it being opened. Many vendors will "dial in" as a complimentary service to new owners who may not always have much idea as to what might be required.
          Last edited by Caffeinator; 3 April 2022, 01:44 PM.

        • Barry O'Speedwagon
          Barry O'Speedwagon commented
          Editing a comment
          Sounds like they just dialled it in and gave it a run to me. If a retailer was really trying to hide the sale of a 'used' grinder, they'd vaccum it out. If your objective is to have an easier path to great coffee you should not find this a huge disappointment. Is there a problem with the grinds being produced?

      • #5
        Some will even test a brand new model to market to ensure there are no issues before sending them to their customers

        charlie

        Comment


        • #6
          Hi hin1018,
          As an owner of 2 Eureka grinders, I can confirm that if bought from a reputable retailer (as I did), they will most certainly be tested before delivery.
          Is this acceptable? absolutely. I would gain a lot of confidence dealing with someone who cared enough about what they sell to ensure there are no problems straight out of the box.
          Given the location you provided, I'll assume that it was JBE, and if correct, I would be happy to back that business
          Congratulations on the choice of grinder, Eureka make great products.
          Cheers
          Mal

          Comment


          • #7
            I bought 8 new grinders last year. None of them had any grinds in them so this is all news to me. I just assumed everything would be checked in the factory. I know that caring resellers such as site sponsor Casa Espresso will check espresso machines arriving from Italy before shipping to clients so maybe Antony can comment.

            I would have thought that if a reseller was going to grind some beans then they would need to put a sticker on the box to explain. Otherwise I would assume that they have either mistakenly or deliberately shipped me a demo unit. Personally I like the idea but as mentioned, expectations need to be managed and that could be done with a simple, standardised note popped in with every machine.

            Comment


            • #8
              Originally posted by tompoland View Post
              I bought 8 new grinders last year. None of them had any grinds in them so this is all news to me. I just assumed everything would be checked in the factory. I know that caring resellers such as site sponsor Casa Espresso will check espresso machines arriving from Italy before shipping to clients so maybe Antony can comment.

              I would have thought that if a reseller was going to grind some beans then they would need to put a sticker on the box to explain. Otherwise I would assume that they have either mistakenly or deliberately shipped me a demo unit. Personally I like the idea but as mentioned, expectations need to be managed and that could be done with a simple, standardised note popped in with every machine.
              This is what I exactly mean

              Comment


              • Caffeinator
                Caffeinator commented
                Editing a comment
                Buddy- they're so thin on the ground, I'd doubt too many retailers would have been able to allocate a unit to demo or display. In addition, the overwhelming majority of those actually in Australia arrived a couple of weeks ago after a wait of over 12 months. Many retailers received a tiny percentage of what they ordered.

                Move on, nothing to see here. i.e get over it!

            • #9
              What do you mean exactly? Why not entertain the possibility that we tested the grinder before shipping it to you as we claimed even after CoffeeSnobs have reported that this is done, and what's more, usually by businesses that care enough to do it?

              charlie

              Comment


              • JetBlack_Espresso
                >JetBlack_Espresso commented
                Editing a comment
                I'm happy to discuss the pros and cons of testing equipment before dispatch, but most importantly, are you satisfied we sent you a tested, brand new grinder rather than a second hand one?

                charlie

              • tompoland
                tompoland commented
                Editing a comment
                But it ain't a phone. Added to that though, yes they should have included a note to explain. Me? I'd take them at their word especially if it was from Jet Black Espresso ... their after sales service has been flawless in my experience. For example I just ordered two Flair temperature strips from them. Only one arrived and after I sent an email to customer support, they immediately shipped a second one without any questions asked. In other words, they believed me without hesitation. On that basis, I recommend with confidence that you believe them.

              • FilthySudo
                FilthySudo commented
                Editing a comment
                Im on the jet black bandwagon here! I would much prefer my machine or grinder to be tested before being send to me, seeing as it’s being sent within Australia anyways. The cost for them to have the grinder sent back to them on arrival because of the weight, will suffer on their part, and you also to be without a coffee grinder for over a week depending on if they just send you a direct replacement once it arrives in their hands. My machine was tested prior to being sent by a reputable dealer from this page, I’d rather know it works than have my machine arrive faulty and be annoyed I have to wait for a result on if they replace or fix etc. yes, they could have cleaned the grinds out, but it isn’t that hard to do a quick inspection and clean yourself or just do a nice big purge with some beans when you’re dialing it in. Also, if after all these conversations you’ve had with them about not being happy, just send it back and not deal with them again, but please don’t complain again if you buy elsewhere, get a faulty machine or you complain that you can’t set the grinder up as it’s not working as you think it should. Sorry for the rant, but in this case, testing is a green light from me, and It should happen more frequently if it’s possible(not always the case)

            • #10
              Almost all manufacturers test grinders before they leave the factory. Some will have noticeable grind remnants, some (eg Rancillo ) leave a note in the hopper to advise the customer that there is some coffee in the unit.

              Grinders perhaps are a little more reliable out of the box than say an espresso machine which absolutely needs to be tested before it goes out.

              We recently had a Eureka grinder that spun backwards (yes backwards!). It had been incorrectly wired at the factory. Talking to the importer this wasn't the first in a recent batch that had been wired this way. Every Eureka that goes out the door of our business gets powered up.

              Perhaps give your retailer the benefit of trying to do the right thing by their customer. You wont get that from a "drop shipper".

              Sometimes you are dammed if you do, dammed if dont.

              Cheers

              Antony
              www.casaespresso.com.au



              Comment


              • #11
                Good to know about the testing regime when buying new.
                When I buy my next grinder I will probably stipulate that I want one that hasn't been deflowered and ravaged.
                If it is going to be fed a diet of washed Colombian geisha coffee, I wouldn't want it to be fouled with a natural processed coffee, or heaven forbid, an Indonesian wet hulled!

                Comment


                • #12
                  I just bought a new machine and it arrived with some water in the boiler after testing. There was also a note saying it had been bench tested and by whom. They probably even pulled a shot. (Oh the horror! :P )

                  I'm happy it was done and would have been disappointed if I spent my money and it had come to me DOA.
                  If I'd bought it in store, I would have asked them to turn it on and check it before I left. It's just good business practice for such equipment.

                  I see it as good customer service and to me I'd pay more at a shop that tests their stuff than a shop that would not test.

                  You called and they said it was tested, and not second hand. I'd take them at their word. It's got new grinder warranty. Why worry? Just pull some shots and show us photos of the coffee it makes!

                  Comment


                  • tompoland
                    tompoland commented
                    Editing a comment
                    And that's a great example of both rigorous quality control by the supplier as well as managing customer expectation by leaving a note to explain that the machine was tested.

                    Personally, I would prefer a grinder to have been tested. In fact, if I had a magic wand, I'd have the reseller put 8kg of beans through it so I don't have the pain in the butt period of time where I keep having to adjust the grind size.

                • #13
                  Originally posted by Bosco_Lever View Post
                  Good to know about the testing regime when buying new.
                  When I buy my next grinder I will probably stipulate that I want one that hasn't been deflowered and ravaged.
                  If it is going to be fed a diet of washed Colombian geisha coffee, I wouldn't want it to be fouled with a natural processed coffee, or heaven forbid, an Indonesian wet hulled!
                  I love the satire dripping from this comment.

                  I am happy for distributors to test my coffee equipment before delivery.
                  On the other hand, many years ago I bought a Ducati.
                  It cost me the equivalent of a house deposit.
                  At this time not only wouldn't the dealer provide a test ride but would not even let you sit on the floor stock!
                  When I picked up my "new" bike, the tyres were scrubbed in, the exhaust headers were seriously blued(heat affected) and it had nearly 100kms on it.
                  Some mongrel had flogged the daylights out of my new baby.
                  Their excuse was that they had to test ride it before delivery to make sure that it was safe.
                  Then the salesman tried to steal the jacket that came with the bike.

                  Comment


                  • #14
                    Buy a Kafatec grinder.

                    They run a kilo of beans through, dial them in and supply the TDS reading in a report and a bag of beans.

                    Cheers

                    Comment


                    • Bosco_Lever
                      Bosco_Lever commented
                      Editing a comment
                      Only acceptable if is Panama Elida Geisha

                    • chokkidog
                      chokkidog commented
                      Editing a comment
                      The same beans that he used to do the final calibration. But both times I've had to make changes when I've used my own coffee, though at least you still have a reference point, including the beans used. You can also remove the referencing arrow on the grind adjustment and reposition it to suit your own reference point, if it's different by a fair bit.
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