Business ProfileforHandi Quilter, Inc.

I bought a $30,000 longarm quilting machine from a dealer in Wisconsin. This machine was presented as a demo machine, and therefore the price was reduced from this price. This has been a great machine until yesterday when I noticed the screen was detaching from my tablet while plugging in my USB to retrieve a design (normal practice). I immediately contacted the dealer and heard back within 24 hours that the tablet is out of warranty and that I would have to call Handi Quilter directly to ask any further questions. On their website, HQ boasts ... "HQ production team is focused on building the highest quality machines in the quilting industry." Yet, they use the most subpar technology tablets on the market with unknown tablet makers. I called support to find out more about replacing the tablet and was told it would be $1,200. For a PC tablet. Not the software that I already paid $10,000 for. They give the software away for free he said to me. He also told me that the tablets, even though I found the exact same tablet online with the same processor - the CHUWI UBOOK 11.6 with the 4120 processor, for under $300, it wouldn't work because the manufacturer produces those tablets locked from using the software called ProStitcher, that I have already paid for at the low price of $10,000. Yes, that number is correct. He then proceeded to tell me that they have to offset the cost of giving the software for free by charging this price for the "upgrade" to the newer tablet. I was also told that it normally comes with other things that wouldn't, unfortunately, benefit me since I already own the machine. This is blatant price gouging to the consumer because they didn't, as I was informed, "want to deal with activation keys" for consumers. For a company that is in a 70,000 sq ft warehouse that boast about and the 900+ retailers promoting them, I find it very disheartening that they wouldn't honor the products they put forth when maintained as requested and recommended.