Epic Stealth Cam is NOT worth it & has horrible service!

F

FrontSight

New member
Just thought I'd let everyone know to steer clear of this product especially if you intend to mount it to your gun...

The idea is great, but the reality is not:

- Stealth Cam has the WORST customer service in the world, and won't stand behind their defective waterproof housing design! Read on...

- I attached it to my shotgun with the waterproof housing, and the front of the housing shattered with my first three rounds of 3 1/2" shells when duck hunting, so the camera popped out the front & was lost in high grass marsh and I could not find it (camouflage didn't help of course).

When I called them to tell them of how THEIR camera popped out of THEIR DESIGNED HOUSING that I paid extra for, costing me a camera, a housing, an 8 gigabyte card that I bought separately on my own, a ruined hunt looking for it, and ruined memories, they said "We will do NOTHING for you".

Nothing!! No replacement, no rebate, no discount on a new one...NOTHING!! I even spoke to a supervisor & nothing!

I even pointed out to them how this was a design flaw of THEIRS, and how I was bringing it to THEIR attention, and nothing!

The customer service rep (falsely) claimed that it was not designed to be mounted to a gun and that it (falsely) said so in the manual; that you should NOT mount it to a gun. So I opened the manual up online right then while on the phone with him and pointed out that he was 100% incorrect; NO WHERE in the manual does it state that. I even pointed out how it says in the manual to be creative & come up with your own mounting ideas, which I did (using pipe clamps b/c that was the only thing that would keep it secure), and nowhere in the manual does it even warn to be careful of recoil, and still nothing!

Apart from their horrible and callous customer service, there are design problems too:

- No easy, secure way to mount it to your gun, even with the extra $$ spent on the optional mounting pieces (I finally had to resort to ingenuity and used pipe clamps, AS THEIR MANUAL suggests to be creative).

- Works horribly in low light, which is when you need it most for hunting.

- No quick way to turn it on & keep it recording.

- Battery life is terrible.

Given their horrible service and design flaws, plus the fact that I am out over $200 between the camera, optional mountings and 8 gig chip, I would NOT recommend this product to anyone!

:mad::mad:
 
Exactly! They have it shown on a dirtbike jumping in the air! You know that catches lots of "recoil" type forces when landing!

Man, they are just horrible to deal with!
 
hmmm im pretty sure the landing on a dirtbike is a helluva a lot worse then recoil forma shotgun, as a matter of fact i know it is, wrecked plenty of em to know that!
 
The recoil forces from a dirt bike landing will be in a different direction, more up and down which the housing should support better. The recoil of your shotgun will be more backwards where the housing is probably its weakest at the ends. You would have to prove that the camera failed through a defect instead of the recoil of your shotgun which would be tough. They wrote a catch 22 in the warranty that your situation pretty much falls under.


Warranty
The EPIC is covered by a 90 day limited warranty on parts and labor from the
date of original purchase and purchases must be made through an authorized
dealer. The warranty covers defects in workmanship and materials. The
warranty does not apply to units which have been damaged or abused
intentionally or unintentionally. A purchase from individuals or unauthorized
internet sales voids the warranty.

Tampering with or altering unit will also void the warranty. Any unauthorized
service will void the warranty. Original sales receipt must be produced for any
warranty service, and a Return Authorization (RA) number must be obtained
from customer service at 877-269-8490 prior to returning product.
Click to expand...

I'm not on either side here but have worked in the customer service business before and have been on both sides of these conversations before.
 
I seen nothing on the web site or in the manual that said you can mount it to a firearm.

They do not provide a mount for a firearm then that tells me that you should not mount it to a firearm.

This I do not see as their fault, The operator could have called the company and asked the question "Can I mount this to a firearm?" how hard would that have been to do. Not very hard if you ask me.

I am not saying the op or the company is right or wrong. All I am saying is if they don't show one mounted to a firearm then that tells me DON'T DO IT.

I don't know how the op treated the camera and I don't know how the CS people treated the OP. But it sounds to me like I didn't ask the question and I broke the camera so it is your fault.

You tried to do something with a product that it was not designed to do and it broke you violated the warranty and now your mad and you want them to replace something you broke.

If you placed 10 tons of cargo in the back of a 1/2 ton pickup would you expect the maker to pay for the damages?
 
your probably right, but that doesnt mean their customer service department has to be rude about it. they could have explained this to him a little better and be nice about it. maybe the OP wooudl be singing a different tune. also this world is one that has to be "idiot" proof. by them not saying anythign abotu mounting it to a gun and saying be creative, they arent saying not do it, they are somewhat encouraging it. im sure theres 1000s upon 1000s of products that are used for things other then what there intended for and work just fine.
 
your probably right, but that doesnt mean their customer service department has to be rude about it. they could have explained this to him a little better and be nice about it. maybe the OP wooudl be singing a different tune.
Click to expand...

It may have started out innocent enough in the beginning, but I’ll bet the phone call ended with the same tone that the OP posted his thread with. Unfortunately the OP didn't get the answer he watned to hear, and the CS person was within company policy to refuse to replace his camera. I know from experience that it is hard to be polite when a customer is being very rude/offensive towards me.
 
by them not saying anythign abotu mounting it to a gun and saying be creative, they arent saying not do it, they are somewhat encouraging it
Click to expand...
.

I can find nowhere on their site that encourages mounting the camera on a gun. Because they encourage people to be creative with it, doesn't mean they should be responsible for how people use/abuse the product.

Being creative could mean mounting it in a grenade launcher, but they make no claims for that application and are therefore neither encouraging or discouraging that practice.
 
They have a HUNTER version they sell for Christ's sake, which is the one I got (in camo), and there's tons of videos on YouTube of people shooting it on their guns (just not in the waterproof housing, I am guessing).

And for those who cant read, the camera did not break (I think); the housing did because it was so thin, which caused the camera to pop out and go God knows where...
 
The warranty does not apply to units which have been damaged or abused
intentionally or unintentionally.
Click to expand...

Can you prove that it was manufacture defect vs. unintentional abuse? Without the all the pieces to the camera I doubt you can.

They have a HUNTER version they sell for Christ's sake,
Click to expand...

Sure they do but all they ever show it mounted on is the stabilizer of a compound bow in their brochure. There is a big difference in recoil when compared to a 3-1/2 inch shell out of a shotgun.

I would hate to loose that kind of money as well, but I don’t see where you have much of a case against their product. I wouldn't expect a $200 camera with accessories to hold up to the kind of punishment a shotgun puts out. It is like most things in life you get what you pay for, and I've bought enough cheap products to know they are rarely worth the money.
 
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3.5" Shotgun shells recoil about like a 458 Win Mag. Finding a scope that can handle that kind of recoil is usually Leopold, and, VERY expensive.

Why did you think a camera designed for taking pictures of unsuspecting animals, so that you can plan times to hunt, would mount on a shotgun? Rifle mounts that hold a scope in place are not cheap, either, and, for a gun that recoils like a 458 win mag, again, not an easy thing.

I'm sorry you lost your rather cool camera. I'd love to setup one outside, and see if I could get pics of the critters around here.

Still, logic, physics, etc. really dictate that you are using the camera setup WAY outside it's intended use.

http://www.epicstealthcam.com/hunters_home_pg.html

hunters_home_pg_10.jpg


On the otherhand, this does look like a picture of a epic cam, mounted on a shotgun...but, it looks mile the barrel is a 22lr...
 
On the otherhand, this does look like a picture of a epic cam, mounted on a shotgun...but, it looks mile the barrel is a 22lr...
Click to expand...

The epic cam is mounted on the guys hat, so you probably wouldn't ge a picture of what you were shooting at anyway. That is a red dot scope mounted on the shotgun.
 
I just don't see where it is the companies fault in the first place.

You bought it and abused it cut and dry. Nowhere does it state it is ok to mount the camera to a shotgun rifle or pistol.

So by your thinking if someone bought this and shoved it up there azz the company should be liable for the cost of the surgery to remove from said persons colon. All because it doesn't say DO NOT PLACE CAMERA IN ONES OR SOME ONES RECTUM.
 
G'day.
Thanks for the warning.

I recently read an article in an Australian shooting magazine about these cameras. In the article the camera was mounted to a rifle. I then did a little research, including posting a question on this web site. I was given to believe that the biggest problem I would have with fitting this camera to a firearm would be a suitable mounting method.
 
The recoil is no problem on the camera itself; you don't get a lot of recoil from an Extrema 2 with kickoff, even with 3.5 inch shells.

The problem was with the flimsy waterproof housing; the front cracked right off and the camera popped out and went only God knows where.

So my problem is that they made this housing, sold it to me for a profit, I bring to their attention that their is a problem with it, as well as give them a great idea for a new mounting method (with a beef up needed, obviously) to increase their sales & revenue, and they won't even discount me on a SECOND purchase.

And THAT, my friends, is why their customer service is HORRIBLE. :mad:
 
and the camera popped out and went only God knows where.
Click to expand...

I'm just curious. Did the camera fall and you didn't notice for a while? I just can't see dropping a camera within the radius of a shotgun barrel and not being able to find it, regardless of terrain.
 
This really isn't an "Epic Steath Cam Sucks" thread.

It is an "I learned a lesson the hard way" thread.

I'm sorry you lost money, and felt that the company owed you a replacement. However, I really don't think your application was ever an intended use for the device.

Why would you expect a discount on a second one? You've probably already troubled them enough. Why would they want to give you another chance to irritate their CS staff....


Bicycle seat.... bill of a hat.... compound bow stabilizer.... tree stand screw.... 3.5" magnum shotgun....
.......One of these things it not like the others........One of these things does not belong.......
 
I'm just curious. Did the camera fall and you didn't notice for a while? I just can't see dropping a camera within the radius of a shotgun barrel and not being able to find it, regardless of terrain.
Click to expand...

I was in a marsh about 30 yards from the shore (saltwater), fired three shots, "ran" into the water to the wounded geese, fired two more to finish them off, walked back, sat down, went to hit the stop record button & saw it was gone. Looked for two hours in that marsh, thigh high grass, boot sucking mud and puddles of water ankle deep & plus the actual water. Camera is only about 4 inches long and camo colored so almost impossible to find without a metal detector, which I do not have.



Why would you expect a discount on a second one? You've probably already troubled them enough. Why would they want to give you another chance to irritate their CS staff....
Click to expand...

Troubled them enough?? I called them once to politely explain what happened and ask them what they could do for me, including a break on the price of a second one, told them how they could improve their design, told them of a great way to mount it securely to a gun (per their manual "Let us know of your ideas for mounting and we'll give you free prizes in return if we like it!", which could give them a huge increase in their revenue, and they basically told me "tough s..t, we couldn't care less, we will do NOTHING for you, and the manual says not to put it on a gun." which was a lie (or at least incorrect, since the manual is online & you can view it yourself here: http://www.epicstealthcam.com/epic_manual/epic_manual_1.pdf).

I asked to speak to a Supervisor and the same thing, even after I pointed out that the prior rep was wrong. How is that troubling them enough?!

OH, AND LOOKY HERE, ON THE SPORTSMANS GUIDE WEBSITE:

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=450142
"This Kit includes hardware for mounting the camera on your gun, hat, bow, tree or wrist..."

I am on the phone with them right now and they just told me that the Sportsmans Guide is an authorized dealer! A manager at Epic (Donna) told me that NO WHERE did it say that you could mount it to a gun & to call her back if I could show here anywhere that it said otherwise, and yet here it is, from an authorized dealer!

I knew I had seen that somewhere; I had looked at the Sportsman's Guide before I ordered it instead directly from Epic. On hold right now, let's see if she ever picks up the phone...

SO, how many of you now STILL think I was wrong to mount it to a gun and should get nothing in compensation, when one of their very own authorized dealers says the kit lets you do that, right on their website in black & white???
 
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Ha, tells me she has no control over what one of her very own authorized dealers puts on their website for their own product.

But NOOOOOWWWWW they are offerng me a $30 discount (from $170 to $140). Amazing what some proof will get you, :rolleyes:

At least it's something, but it's still not quite fair, in my opinion, since it is their very own authorized dealer who states the kit is for mounting to a gun, in black & white print.
 
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