My experience with Saitek X 52

[:FI:Ghost]

Greetings my dear Fighting irishmen!

How are things going on? How's life in general? I've been busy with school, but that's life I guess.

I wanted to share my whole experience with my joystick Saitek X 52 and the Saitek company. It's been two months now since I have been without it and I must say that I am totally disappointed with them. I sent a letter to the Saitek company but they never replied to me. I know there's nothing I can do so I just wanted to share my experience with as much people as possible. I've posted the letter sent to Saitek company on several other forums and now I want to post it here, I hope you don't mind.

Dear Saitek!

I am writing you in order to introduce you to my problem. I live in Serbia and I bought a X52 joystick in July, 2008. Just 5 minutes after I had plugged it in, it ceased to work. I,then, sent it back to the shop in Belgrade and their response was, I quote: „ Just a minor error, we have fixed it now and it will work normally“. When I received it back it worked for 3-4 months, and then it broke down again. I had to send it back to the shop, and they replied with the same „just a minor error, it will work fine now“. When I got it back the second time, it continued to work until spring 2009, but during that period I often had to unplug it and plug it in again, since X axis often „floated“. Then, in spring 2009 it broke down again, for the third time. This time I wrote a letter to your representative in England, and they told me that I had a right for a replacement the first time it broke down. I sent my joystick back to the shop in Belgrade, passed the message I got from the Saitek England and after more then a week of negotiations they „concluded that I do have a right for replacement“. I had to wait for a whole month before the people from Saitek in Germany sent a new X 52 to the shop in Belgrade, and then a couple of days until the shop in Belgrade sent it to me. I was so happy with the new joystick, and relieved that I had the first, faulty one, replaced, that I didn’t even want to report that one button on the new X 52 did not work at all, and 2 more would sometime cease to work. I was just happy that the axes worked fine, and that the problems were over; but, how wrong was I! In November 2009 the new X 52 ceased to work completely. To add to my surprise, during the period of several months before that, I rarely even used it since I was very busy with my daily obligations. I packed the new, and now completely out of order, X 52 and sent it back to the shop in Belgrade. They were, of course, „very surprised“ about how that could have happened to me, again. They told me that I will get a new one when Saitek Germany sends them one in their scheduled delivery in December. Of course, throughout most of December I never got a word from the shop so I decided to call them. The manager there told me that they had received their scheduled delivery from Germany, but my joystick was NOT in it, for unknown reasons. They also said that their next delivery is due to come this January. I called them today to ask about things and they said that the delivery could probably come at the end of January, or even later.

So, to sum things up. Even tough I paid 130 Euros for a brand new X 52 in July, 2008, I had it broken down 3 times, then replaced with a new one, that also broke down several months later. Now, it has been more than a month and a half that I am without a joystick and, as things look right now, it could very well be more than 2 months.

To be honest with you, I have gotten sick of this joystick, and I would like to get my money back. Is there anyway that you could help me? I hope that the Saitek company will find resources and time to help me.

Sincerely Yours:
my name

[:FI:Airway]

Sorry that your Saitek X-52 experience went so bad.

I am happy now with my X52 in its 5th year and had no problems so far. Allthough it's begoinning to show signs of wear.

Saitek Support has never been good, as I remember other users saying. Good when you don't need it.
But it seems you just made that experience. Sadly.
Don't know how to help in your case.
I wish you best of luck that they give you a refund, but I guess a new X52 will be the max outcome.

[:FI:Wolfhound]

Feck i just got my Saitek rudders and my x52 pro is due in 2 weeks

[:FI:Macca]

Damn, that kinda sukcs, you must have gotten some faulty piece of it. I've been using X52 for three or more years, and rudder pedals for a year. Work like a charm, no problems at all, been working since day one and still does...

[:FI:Scott]

I am sorry to hear what a bad experience you have had Ghost.

I have used Saitek stuff since I started simming and to be honest I have never had a days touble with it. I had an ST90 which so far as I know is still going strong after I gave it away 3 years ago. I replaced my X45 with an X52 Pro not because there was anything particularly wrong with it but because I wanted to- i havent had any issues with it and it is a ver y nice stick to use. The only departure I had from Saitek was when I got some CH pedals but I found them uncomfortable (pedals too close together) and they conked out after 13 months. I got some Saitek pedals and imo they are far superior.

I think the original X52 did have issues but these were addressed in the Pro. No consolation to you but if you want to pay the postage I can ship you out my old X45 with pleasure- it would at least get you sorted out. PM me if you are interested.

[:FI:Ghost]

Today, almost 4 months since I sent it back to the shop, I got my Saitek X52 back with a new flight stick. Throughout these four month of being without a joystick I took a lot of thinking and decided that I will sell this joystick. I don't want it anymore. I'll buy a cheaper one if I decide to return to flying.

[:FI:Airway]

Finally.

Hey, don't let your bad experience mess up your liking in flightsimulation.

It went as worse as it could get, true, but can happen more likely to any other stick or manufacturer.

Compare it to Toyota, have a laugh and come back to fly in the virtual skies

See you,

Airway

[Deathsledge]

I have this stick also. My trigger button stopped working properly. I think when I get around to flying again I will more than likely get a new stick system or go back to the X45.