Basis Audio - Exhorbitant servicing evaluation cost
I have lusted after a Basis Debut turntable for years, and recently was close to purchasing one used. That is until I explored Basis Audio's service policy. Service is not even a link on their website... I had to find the turntable policy, which explains they are a "victim of their own success" since they have such great sales success and excellent service, they can only provide very limited information about their older products. Then they say to know more you must send a table in for evaluation. The fees for evaluation are alarming to me (see below). $3400 just to evaluate a Debut vacuum table? I planned on spending just a little more than that to buy the table in the first place. I emailed Basis weeks ago to ask if I was understanding the policy correctly and whether the fee was applied to eventual repairs. No answer.
Since this evaluation cost, and the general vibe I get from reading their website is "We don't want to service our tables so we will price ourselves out of most of the trouble," is preventing me from wanting to buy a Basis table, I thought I would ask experienced Basis owners here what they think. I've heard nothing but great things about their products over the years, but if I can't have it serviced if I need to, it just scares me away.
From the Basis website:
4. Basis turntables are extremely precise and technical tests and measurements are labor intensive. Pricing for the evaluation, based on model, is as follows:
1400: $500
2001, 2200: $1,200
2500: $1,600
2800: $1,800
Debut: $3,200
Debut Vac: $3,400
Inspiration: $3,500
Inspiration with Vacuum: $3,700
Vector Tonearm: $1,200
SuperArm: $1,600
A Working At 666 will allow a wide range of TT's to be a Vacuum Interface with the Vinyl LP. The At 666 also has an At 665 sibling if different material is wanted as the interface. Both AT's offer the addition option of selecting a material to be used beteem them and the Platter. What's not to like, a prudent search can acquire both AT's for apprx' $350 |
There is a possibility it is the equivalent to a charge allocated for the assembly of a New Table. If a Tech' is reallocated to work on a returned TT, the New TT is on hold, hence pass on the cost of the potential lost revenue. In my industry certain Services only supply their human resource at a Day Rate Charge, that matches their maximum turnover of revenue on a Pre-priced for work. The reasoning being the Team can make this revenue when not supplying their service to another. Leaving another to cover the cost of what a Company projects as lost revenue.
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@dekay I have no dog in the race, I don't use Belts to rotate a Platter. Additionally I gave up on TT's of any design that showed improvement with an Off-Board Speed Controller many many years ago. On a TT that has extreme speed accuracy built in. I do like a Vacuum hold on a Vinyl LP from a Vacuum design that can comfortably maintain a Vacuum for 20 minutes + for the use of a 33 RPM Vinyl. I am not an advocate of every LP being Vacuum Clamped - With Spindle Weight - Without Spidle Weight when being replayed. I have a Selection of Platter Mats to be used in conjunction with Spindle Weights , and am happy to use alternative assemblies on top of the Platter. I have had to turn down Companies requested to supply a service because of the costs submitted for a short attendance. When probing why the costs were so increased over some other costs submitted. The description given has been almost identical, to how I worded it. Hence, maybe this methodology spills into other industries and I suggested it could be part of the Basis Business Model ??? Maybe Not!!! All already seen as for the reasoning for the cost being referred to, is seemingly nothing more than Conjecture. |
