Hey, i had to sign up for shoryuken.com just to share with you all what happened with me.
Well, i preordered the SE SF4 madcatz controller and within hours, the controller started acting strange. Sometimes the controller would completely stop registering buttons until i unplug/plugged it back it. Then about a week later, buttons would start getting sticky and sometimes they would work, but not 100% of the time. Then about 2 weeks after owning it, the microphone jack stopped working, and buttons would completely stop working more often then not.
So, i did what everyone else with broken/sticky buttons would do, i switched everything out with sanwa parts. I bought a JLF joystick/8 sanwa push-in/even a wireless headset(59.99+plus DAMN!) buttons and thought my problem was fine, wrong. The controller still completely loses button/joystick functionality until unplguged/plugged whenever it feels like it.
At this point, i didnt know what to do. I couldnt find any info as to why the controller periodically loses button/joystick functionality, so i gave in and called Madcatz '800 number. I talked to Vincent Jackiewicz and explained to him what my controller has been doing, and that i know my warrenty is voided because i replaced all the internals with sanwa buttons. He told me that “he would have to talk to his boss to okay it, hold… yes we can RMA it, but since you already modded it, i might be able to help you fix it without sending it in” He then pointed me to a possible ground problem on the board directly above the buttons layout that connect to the board adjacent to it. He told me it might possibly need to be soldered to fix, or a new ribbon may need to replace the old one. He said if i wasnt comfortable with doing this, he will RMA it and they will fix it. I told him, i dont have the tools to perform the task at hand, and he send me RMA info to return it.
So, im not sure if a lot of people are calling in with modded controllers that still have problems, or madcatz is trying to be reputable by rectifying their mistakes-im just happy they will fix it hassle free!
Now the question is, what are the odds of you sending in your Sanwa-modded SE, them throwing it in the pile of RMA’d ones, and sending you a nice refurb one with the awful stock parts?
thats awesome!
Don’t be dumb, put the original parts back in there and send it back. Do not send that bitch in with your Sanwa parts.
lol, man, thats hella funny that you guys think they’d jack me like that. I didnt think for a second to switch everything back to stock! They told me to send them everything- modded parts and old ones, we’ll see if they steal my parts!
Don’t send the modded parts to them, trust me. They’re only responsible for their stock parts, if they’re accepting your RMA, then that’s all they should ever need.
Besides, do you really want to take the risk of wasting $40+ worth of parts?
lol. Guess there will be one more TE stick on the market.
After all the quality control issues with both the SE and TE, the shoddy worksmanship on the SE and general failures, are you really going to even risk sending in your Sanwa parts? The people in the factories probably have no idea who or what Sanwa even is.
It reminds me of this story where some dude sent in his RROD 360 which had loads of awesome artwork and signatures from people at Bungie, and when he got it back it was all scrubbed off.
You’re an idiot if you send them your Sanwa stuff.
The person who talked to you will have nothing to do with anything in your RMA. They won’t bother sending you the modded stuff back.
Welp, i shipped the controller back today. I took out all of the sanwa buttons, but left the JLF connected. The reason i left the joystick in there is because i cut the wiring harness to attach the joystick (lizard lick didnt have the madcatz harness out yet). I wrote a note in the package explaining the problems with the controller, the conversation i had with vincent, and stating not to discard the joystick. I will probably have the controller back in a week or two- im located in ca, so is madcatz so shipping should be really fast. Ill update when i get word from madcatz.
So you took out the buttons which you can still pretty much buy anywhere but left the one item that is sold out world wide?
I bet you’ll get back a box without a stick or any buttons and a note that says “lol”
I really don’t think this needed a new thread.