Conrad Johnson Repair Issues


The Post I Never Dreamed I’d Write
About two weeks ago I sent my beloved Conrad Johnson Premier-17 back to
the Conrad Johnson factory for repair because it stopped making any sound whatsoever. It apparently blew some internal component.
I soon received an email acknowledging receipt of the unit and an estimated bill
of about $523.00 not including parts.
On 10/14/2016 I got a phone message telling me the preamp was fixed & total charges were $579.00.
I called a few days ago to give my credit card info to pay for the repairs. The CJ
employee told me that “we also need to tell you that the unit was damaged during
shipping & the damages are not repairable because it involves damage to the structure of the unit & those metal parts are no longer available." The damage was not mentioned until that point.
Photos showed the actual frame of the preamp was twisted & bent. It looked like it had been dropped off a two story building without the box.
The repair manager felt it would be pointless to file an insurance claim because
they would automatically deny any claim where the box was not damaged & refused to assist me with any insurance issues.
The CJ phone rep assured me that Mr. Johnson, the owner, would call me that afternoon but he never did.
I did get a call from the repair employee who said they just want to
get my payment information & send my preamp to me.
I shipped U.S. Post Office & insured for $2000.00.
I’m shocked to have this happen with this company. I've had several pieces of equipment repaired by them with great service.
I would appreciate any advice. I'm a little shaken & confused.
I’m really shocked that this would happen with a company of this stature.
I've stayed with this brand over the years because of their reliability & reputation for integrity.
It really doesn’t look like shipping damage to me.Shouldn’t they at least be willing to
assist with insurance issues?
This is one of the more unpleasant customer service experiences I've had in a while.

128x128pereza
The problem is most likely, as previously noted by others, that they can't help you file any insurance claim because they damaged the unit. Claims that are denied because the box is intact are denied because the clerk checked "Shock" as cause of damage. That applies to fragile items like ceramics and glass. In the case of a preamp, there's no chance of that. If the unit was bent as you describe and the box was intact it can only be because the unit was damaged after being removed from the shipping box. That needs to be pressed home. I'm a Postmaster and I've repaired Conrad Johnson amps and preamps. That's likely a unique perspective here. They may not be able or willing to fabricate a chassis for an older unit. Nonetheless, they are responsible for taking care of you. They can't charge you to "Repair" a unit that is bent all out of shape. That's not reasonable.
The poster that mentioned talking to your credit card people is right. That's a good start but will only get you back what you've been charged. I'm sure a chat with Bill Johnson would cure things. You're being stonewalled by a lower level lackey. Get a boss. A big boss.
Wow good thing I read this, I was about to make a trip to a dealer to purchase a C-J amp.

They're not going to re-fabricate a chassis for you. The amount of work that goes into fabrication is going to be far more costly than just giving you a new unit.

I'd say they owe you a new preamp, period.

Unless this is coming from the very top of the company (which I doubt), I have a feeling someone at a low level messed up and is trying to cover his or her tracks. I also have a feeling someone is getting fired.

Sounds sleazy on CJ's part.  They should have told you about the shipping damage when you called to pay for the repairs. Also, if they received the pre-amp and the exterior was seriously damaged, why did they not call you before doing the repair??  Did they expect you to place back on your audio rack the repaired pre-amp in its twisted condition. 

 I can only conclude that after they received it, and IF IT  was not showing damage, that this damaged occurred after they received it.  Could be something fell on the pre-amp while it awaited repair,or while on the service bench. 

You need to recoup the repairs charges and the USPS transit insurance money. Just make sure you have all documentation and photos of the damaged pre-amp before making the claim.  USPS is a foundering bureaucracy

"I can only conclude that after they received it, and IF IT  was not showing damage, that this damaged occurred after they received it. You need to recoup the repairs charges and the USPS transit insurance money." Why would the USPS be responsible if the damage happened at CJ?