Viking customer service

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Viking customer service

by Mary
(Michigan)

Viking customer service is terrible. I took my machine in to have a defective lower shaft replaced in early March. It is now late May.

This part should be replaced free of charge, I should only have to pay for labor, which could be the issue. Viking customer service does not even answer their phone. No one replies to emails, except the automatic notification that the company received them.

I always write civil emails, so it was not because I was impolite. Yes, the machine, to this point, was dependable, but I think part of dependability is that one can DEPEND on the company to repair a defective machine.

I would strongly encourage anyone thinking of buying a Viking to look elsewhere.

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Viking customer service

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May 29, 2009
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viking repair
by: Anonymous

I purchased a Viking 1+ about 14 years ago and used it very tenderly. It cost $3,700 and I researched thoroughly as my old machine was over 35 years old. I was in the middle of a quilt for a competition when it seized up and would not sew anymore. I called the Viking dealer who sold it to me and the lady said to use WD 40 on the parts that it would reach and it sewed but not well. Then it stopped all together and I took it in for repairs and they kept it for 2 mmonths and when I called they told me that the part came by boat and that's why it took do long.. Then when I went in a week or so later they said that Viking didn't make the main shaft anymore but they could put my computer part from my machine in another one that had a functioning shaft for $500, no warrenty. I said forget it and sold it for parts on eBay. When I wrote the company they never even acknowledged my letter. So I bought a Bernina and a Pfaff, used older machines with a better track record. So many of the good old machines companies have been bought out by a conglomerate and they obviously don't care about customer service.

Jun 07, 2009
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Viking Service
by: Shirley

I am a manager for Viking Sewing, Inc. in Michigan and our company is very customer oriented and very, very good about working with the company from my level on up. They are always more than willing to give to the customer than any other company I know even if it means losing money. They try very hard to give the customer what they need at all times. I really think some are buying these machines (which come with FREE lessons for as long as the person owns the machine) without taking the classes or possibly some independant dealers are not offering them. You really need to take these classes to understand all the ways you can use these machines to their potential. By that I mean how to set the machine for what you would like to sew.
They are a dream machine. I have owned a Viking since 1997 which was a Viking 1+ which I just this past Christmas gave to my granddaughter who loves it. Then I bought a Viking Designer I which I traded in to a Viking Designer SE which I still have along with the new Viking Designer Diamond. If you set these machines as you are instructed to embroidery or regular sewing and use the directions that also come with the machine they do a lovely job and they are very hard working machines. They will sew thru 9 layers of denim as well as 1 layer of silk. I have sewed thru 12 layers of denim and they went thru without a snag. As with any type of machinery, you must go by directions and set the machine as instructed by the manufacturer for best results. These are not "our grandmothers" sewing machines any more where you just sew straight stitches, they are very well made machines that just purr if you understand the best way to set them. A class every once in awhile brings back forgotten lessons which none of us can remember all that we are taught and a good Viking dealer is a must not someone just trying to make a buck! Along with researching what kind of sewing machine to buy, finding a well-respected dealer to buy from is a must! We will work with you no matter if you don't understand you machine or if the machine has mechanical problems (after all they are machines and can only respond to what we tell them). Thanks for letting me voice my opinion!

Jul 29, 2009
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Viking Service?
by: Anonymous

Regarding Viking service in the US...it doesn't exist. If the service manager in an earlier post really feels strongly about the excellent Viking service, he should get his boss - and their bosses to talk to and visit a few customers with problems and not just listen to the ones who got good machines off the line. We bought a Viking 15 years ago and it is a decent enough machine, but when the electronics failed one week, ONE WEEK! out of warranty, not only wasn't there a "We're sorry" - there wasn't even a response from Viking. In fact, we've never gotten a response from Viking - EVER. So if you buy a Viking/Pfaff - be sure you have a dealer who likes you and who made a bundle of money on you so that will try to help fix your machine.
It must be nice to live in a tower and think everything is fine. It isn't just in America that corporate "head in the sand" is alive and well...Viking/Pfaff still practice it.

Nov 12, 2009
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Viking Service?
by: A Viking Machine Owner

To the poster who said they bought a machine and within one week it went dead and was out of warranty already. I say, "Hogwash!" ~IF~ you went to a Viking-owned dealer (not a private dealer) they have a 10-day return policy written right on their receipts! This means you can take back any machine for ANY reason and get your money back if you so choose. Meanwhile, the Viking-owned dealer WILL honor warranties. I did some checking and the standard sewing machine warranty on the upper model Viking's are 20 years; the lower models are about 10 years. Even a used (traded in) model has a one year warranty. Sounds to me like you went to a bad independent dealer. Did you bother to send in your warranty card? If so, Viking Tennessee (corp. hq.) might have helped if you had a 'registered ownership' of the mach. There are more details here that we are not hearing about.

Jan 04, 2010
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Customer service and the Husqvarna/Viking Emerald 183
by: GPF-N

It could be the poster who talked about "one week" out of warranty meant the warranty ran out and 1 week later it quit?
RE Service: My wife had problems with her Emerald 183 about a month after she bought it this May.It has been at the dealers waiting for the necessary parts since sometime in June or July of '09. The dealer has tried her best but when it takes so long to get parts the dealer is caught between a rock and a hard place. Husqvarna as a company has to step up and take responsibility for their products. What if Husqvarna's chainsaws or motorcycles performed as hit or miss as some of these sewing machines? A few maimed limbs might get some attention. Injuries sustained by airborne sewing machines might too. :)

Putting the onus of machine performance on the "ability" of the customer is not an excuse for poor service either. Yes, newbies or those new too a machine need to take the time to learn the basics of that machine. However, my wife has been sewing(very well, I might add) since she was a teenager. She is also a good quilter. She waited a while in great anticipation for the machine to come after ordering and was taking time to learn it when it quit working properly. Perhaps in these days of out-sourcing quality control is very spotty. Yes, some people swear by their "Huskies" or "Vikings", yet others are obviously having problems. My wife's 20+ year old "Hobby 380" (a Dorina, 'quality controlled by Pfaff' ;)has had only regular servicing and few minor repairs and is still working well, if not noisily. She's been using this for the past 6 months waiting for the "superior" Husqvarna.

So, there you go. Another tale of lack of quality,IMO, and servicing woe. Again not the dealer but the company behind it.

Thanks for reading. Hope you experience is a better one.

Have a Blessed New Year!

Greg F-N

Mar 20, 2010
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Looking into getting a sewing machine
by: Curious

Hi there, I'm looking into getting a sewing machine. I'm a complete novice, so it's probably too advanced for me at this point, but I really like the Sapphire (either the 830 or the 850), because I want a great machine that will last forever & one that I won't have to upgrade a couple of years down the road.

I'm a little concerned with all of the problems I've been hearing about with machines quitting, parts not being delivered & problems not being addressed properly by customer service.

Anyhow, I'm just wondering...are there any GOOD customer service reviews out there? I had to rate them, so I chose 3 stars since it's right in the middle...after all, I haven't had any direct experiences with Viking customer service...

** Just a little side note...all of the complaints I've seen are marked with 5 stars, which throws off the reader when the reviews are so negative**

Mar 30, 2010
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Buy the Viking
by: Anonymous

I have had a designer 1 for over 10 years and the only servicing I have had is the yearly cleaning and a recall where the part was ordered by my Viking dealer and I took the machine in to have it replaced. By the way they gave me a loaner while my machine was out of commission for the two weeks. My machine is still working beautifully and embroiders beautifully. I just did 10 shirts for my Mom and most of them were very intricate and dense designs, some taking several hours to sew out..50thousand stitches for most. Now I am thinking that I will buy the Diamond, because of the hoop size and the computer capabilities. I have upgrqded my computer since buying my sewing machine, but had to buy an external floppy disk drive to write the designs to. Try finding floopy disks at your local computer store...NOT. I have been sewing for 45 years,mostly clothing, but some home stuff and a few quilts, and I have had the best success and the best customer service from Vikimg and their store staff( mine is inside a JOANN's fabric store) I have owned a Singer, a Brother, a Janome and a Bernina..hands down I vote for a Viking anytime.

Apr 15, 2010
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Need help-cant get the bottom thread up
by: Shiny

I have just bought a used Viking sewing machine. I have great expectation on the machine. However, when I tried to get my bottom thread up, the top thread can't get it to the top. I tried to use different bobbins but still does not work. Is it my bobbin feeder problem? Anyone can help? I am so frustrated.

Aug 11, 2010
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Ask for service references from dealer BEFORE purchasing
by: Toni

I have a Platinum 950e which is 4 years old and still under warranty. It started having problems, so I took it in to my local dealer. The circuit board was covered by the 5-year warranty, so all I had to do was pay for the labor. All fine and good--except that my machine came back with more problems than it went in with. The repair guy (at the dealership) admitted he hadn't checked his work--which he should have after charging me $90 for labor, but we have no idea why another part went out. It is on order--and 5 WEEKS later I am still waiting for it. No idea when I might get my machine back. The repair guy swears up and down he will call me when my machine is ready, but since he failed to do so last time I don't really trust him.

The machines are great, but I don't think there are any sort of quality standards maintained at the dealership level, which is sad as these are REALLY expensive machines and in the 2 months that my machine has been in the shop, I have received numerous emails from Husqvarna trying to sell me new software, new machines, new hoops, etc. They can't expect to sell ANYTHING to previous customers when they are treated this way.

My next machine will probably be a Bernina just because of how I'm being treated by my dealer.

Sep 11, 2010
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Dealers can do what they want BEWARE
by: Anonymous

Not great machines and worst customer service, they will actually treat you very poorly and aggresive. BEWARE BEWARE from PA

ASK CAREFULLY HOW RETURNS FROM UPGRADES WORK, ask to try other brands too, don't believe all you hear and don't give money if not sure you won't get it back if unsatisfied.

Oct 15, 2010
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Agreed-Viking Consumer Affairs is Horrendous!!
by: Anonymous

Like a similar person who posted, I did a lot of research before buying a serger. It was toss-up between a Husqvarna and Bernina. Regretfully, I chose the Husqvarna. Today my machine STILL, after 4 MONTHS, sits in the repair shop waiting for a part that I was originally told would only take 3 weeks!!!! I'm so glad I spent so much money for a serger that I can't even use! The repair shop owner told me that the part is on back order. I finally called Husqvarna consumer affairs who confirmed the part is on back order. One person I spoke to told me that the part is made in another country that "shuts down" for months during the summer, which is a complete lie. My husband does planning for manufacturing of metal cutting supplies for an international company and he says there are countries that shut down for a week or two maximum - not for months. I suggested they take a part off another new machine that they have in stock and replace it after they get a new supply from the back order, but they told me that then the machine won't be new anymore. I don't understand that...if you take a brand new part and put it on a brand new machine, wouldn't that make the machine still brand new???? Then the supervisor told me she was going to call the repair shop to see if she could work something out with them and promised to call me back, but never did. A week later, I've left another message and still haven't heard back. The fact that they don't even return calls shows a complete disrespect for their customers. I've been very patient, calm and mature during this whole mess, but I'm starting to lose it. I go to fashion design school and need to use the machine to complete my projects.
Never again will I buy a Husqvarna because companies like that one shouldn't be supported and shouldn't even be in business. What a disgrace and disappointment!

Nov 11, 2010
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Viking Service & Machines
by: Shannon

i have one of the early Designer I. I got it from a sewing machine company that went under down in San Diego. I am now in Michigan and no one will associate with me because they are independent and they don't have to acknolwedge me. My "service" warranty is in San Diego in some unknown, nonexistent store - so my warranty goes out with the store. yes, it is true. So, bright eyed Manager of Viking - I apologize that you are so unaware of the cavalier attitude that Viking and Husqvarna have about the folks who bothered to pay enormous sums of money to have a cool machine, only to obsolete it with a newer model and not offer anyone who doesn't have their own "home store, any kind of up-grade benefit. I would never ever buy a Diamond or any more Vikings. I am done with the high end machines. I may buy a Bernina. I don't know much about Janone, but they are set up much like the VIkings and so they are also suspect.

Jan 10, 2011
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D Cards - Can I buy them somewhere?
by: Anonymous

I am a very unhappy owner of a Platinum 950E. I've had this machine for several years and now have recently started using the D Cards that came with the machine (two D cards). The problem is that I just found out that the D Cards are no longer available. Per Viking they are obsolete. I'm thinking about the Viking dealer who told me they would always be available. Huh!!! I guess if I would have known Viking was going to discontinue them, I would have purchase the D Cards I wanted.
I'm in San Diego and the Viking dealer is now gone! Stay away from Viking sewing machines.....

Jan 19, 2011
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Poor Customer Service for Viking in Florida
by: Sewingnut

I purchased a Designer I Viking in 2001, service in PA was excellent. Now live in Fl and Service is almost non-exsistant, they only want to upgrade the machine and NOT service it OR they DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING. I have had the machine in for service 3 times in the past year, can't depend on this expensive machine. It currently is in the shop now, wish me luck. I have written Viking directly twice and NO response. I have owned Singer Machines and just purchased a Babylock, no problems, my husband serviced my old Singers. I would NEVER recommend a Viking to anyone, service is NON-Existant here in Florida.

May 17, 2011
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DO NOT BUY VIKING PRODUCTS
by: Anonymous

I purchased a Sapphire 830 in July 2010. The machine sat in the box for 6 months before I took
it out and made two items (a skirt and a gown). The machine sewed beautifully, upon starting the
third project the bobbin thread just would not lock.

I spent hours upon hours re-threading the bobbin and the sewing machine, still the machine would not sew.

The warranty is over and I have to pay to have it service. This is a shame. I spent over a
thousand dollars on this machine.

I would tell anyone to look at the Babylock or
Bernina sewing machine, run from any Viking products. This machine is a heart breaker!

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