Got my first silvia, and it was damaged (back was dented) and the box looked like it had been dropped, but no damage in the dented area. Since this was local returned it and waited what turned out to be 2 weeks for the new pod model. Oh boy! Opened the box at the shop and appeared to have no damage to the packaging or unit. Brought it home and in the setup found the tray the cup sits on rocked. I thought OK, maybe it is warped and I can straighten it. It was warped but I couldn't bend it enough easily to get it to line up. So I looked at the base it sat on. The C bracket at the edge and base is warped (the base is out >1/8"). I might be able to twist this straight, but am afraid of cracking the paint, since my 11 year old proteo barista has a area of rusted material around one very small paint chip out under the base.

See picts enclosed, and notice on the top the side black piece that was not mounted correctly - that one is easy to fix - remove the top and back cover, bend the back cover top to open the slot the side is supposed to go in and reassemble.

Am I being too anal about this? Is this the typical Italian Rancilio quality?

I am concerned that if this is what the outside looks like, what about the inside? I have not brewed yet, but tested and it steam great! and appears to work.

Any suggestions from those experienced members as to how to approach this?

Thanks

floydo wrote:Am I being too anal about this? Is this the typical Italian Rancilio quality?

No. Silvia is a tough little unit, but given the premium price tag, I'd return it without hesitation to the vendor. If you're dealing with a reputable vendor, you could offer to accept a partial refund of say 10-15%. Given the upcoming holiday season rush, they may agree it's the most expeditious resolution.

That's not the typical quality of Silvia's from my experience and from what I've heard. And that was your second?

Sounds like you go directly to the vendor. Could you have them open up the box to make sure there's no damage before accepting it? The vendor might need to check their inventory to see if they've got a damaged shipment.

Yes mrgnomer that was the second one, although the second one was the new POD acceptable model, and the first was definitely box damaged, whereas the second was double boxed with no inner damage. The pics are of a condition that could only have occurred at the factory prior to shipment. That is why I asked the question about quality.

I am headed to my local store to sort this out - they appear knowledgable, and we had actually unboxed the machine to look for outer damage, but these defects are 1) A bit subtle and 2) the bent C bracket is covered by the grille for the cups.

Thanks - HB for the comments!

As an epilogue, the shop replaced the machine, I PIDed it thx to the incredibly detailed instruction and completeness of MLG, and the machine is fabulous! The results after temp and time surfing for two months are definitely improved with the PID, primarily in the espresso shots, also steaming just before the thermostat goes off results in way more steam and pressure than before (as discussed in many other references).....also the time to brew a couple of caps is improved with the PID showing exactly when to brew and when to steam....I'm a happy camper!

floydo-

Thanks for taking the time to update your old thread.... Glad to hear all was worked out and of your upgrade success.