Okay, this reallly is the last thing I will say on this topic - Paperw8, I am quite familiar with the Wadia warranty service policy and no where does it state that I can't put you in touch with someone at Wadia so that your needs can be served or that by doing so it would void your warranty. |
Hi - this is burt at Seattle Hi-Fi. Sumiko acquired/merged with Wadia several months back and you are most likely calling an old number. please call me at 253-737-7407 and I will give you the new contact numbers and emails.
We will get you handled and their service is excellent.
Respectfully,
Burt Goodman
Seattle Hi-Fi |
Rja,
Having faced something similar many years back, I can see why you are quick to throw Wadia under the bus; however, this isolated incident was neither intentional nor an oversight. This issue had more to do with the phone system than negligence.
I've been working with Wadia for 12 of the past 22+ years and I, professionally speaking, have never experienced a breakdown in communication or service.
I was a witness to this event as are others who read this thread. As a witness, to something clearly unintentional or accidental, there are usually two ways to handle it. Some people just want to lay on the horn and make matters worse for the poor guy that just broke down in front of them. Others offer to push the car to the shoulder and then allow use of their cell phone.
Respectfully,
Burt
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There's no doubt among us, based on this thread, that if we were all to own and operate a large national corporation with multiple sub-companies, spread across several states, that everything would be perfect all of the time - including mergers and acquisitions of new entities and their personnel and assets. :) |
And Wadia is still getting organized in the framework of the larger entity so a few things are likely to require additional time to sort out - such as getting or assigning personnel in place to answer the phones or updating the website with new contact names and numbers.
I understand your frustration in having a unit that requires service but rather than make repeated attempts with a number that gives you an automated greeting and menu list - just call me and let me get you to a higher-up that will treat you as you deserve to be treated and will handle the repair in a timely fashion.
I've serviced several units with Wadia over the years and recently and service was always handled professionally and quickly.
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Yes, Wadia is now a division of a larger company - similar to Harman. Larger corporations require some navigation and patience but if you could contact me I could give you information with regard to specific personnel and contact info AND I guarantee a positive result. Wadia values it's customers and dealers - we just need to get you the info which for whatever reason isn't easy to locate on the web.
By the way, why is your local dealer not assisting you? We handle all issues for the brands that we represent regardless of whether the unit was purchased through us. People move, product may be out of warranty, items could have been purchased used - but when a dealer handles a line he agrees to represent that line (meaning handling the needs of not only prospective future owners). |
Roxy54,
I'm surprised that Paperw8 turned to an audiogon forum vs. his dealer who should be there for him as part of the after sale support. Even if he didn't purchase directly from a dealer he should contact his local Wadia dealer and they should be assisting him. Regardless, I'm happy to help in any way that I can.
We are available to our clients 24/7 - 365
Burt - Seattle Hi-Fi |
If you want results you have to use the systems that are already in place. Dealers are not the middlemen - they are the front lines. And repairs are not marked up in any way by a dealer so there should be absolutely no hesitation to contact a wadia dealer in your time zone and put them to work for you. Wadia dealers exist to serve the needs of existing and prospective wadia customers.
Even the largest and most profitable manufacturers, say for example the B&W group, don't allow direct contact between consumers and the corporate office. If a consumer chooses to handle their own service they can download a form from the company website (which requires a bit of navigating), complete the info, and email or fax back. At a later time, the consumer will receive an email or fax response with instructions.
No live support outside of the dealer network. This type of structure is quite commonplace and efficient for all parties involved. Many times dealers can troubleshoot or offer solutions / quick fixes which would save the customer time and tmoney. |
Sorry, I do not understand the logic in thinking that wadia is at fault because they have an established dealer base but then should also be set-up to handle consumer direct issues when they do not sell consumer direct. I think some people would just prefer to complain than solve the problem. When I contact Wadia I can contact my account manager, regional manager, or corporate officers.
However, even with the offer to supply those contact numbers paperw8 has yet to contact me.
No one is at fault here and I am simply offering assistance. I haven't seen anyone else jump in to help as of yet - am I wrong? |
However, I do represent the Mark Levinson line which fairly recently released the 500 "H" series products which were designed to be field serviceable (yes, that means repairs) by authorized dealers. ;) |
Roxy54 & Paperw8-
Until you have read a manufacturer to dealer agreement you cannot claim that my position is unsupportable. It is quite supportable in fact.
Furthermore, most high end manufacturers prefer that the dealers serve as a buffer between themselves and the consumer. Most will even turn the consumer back over to their local dealer. Sure, this is not the case with repairs as most dealers can't take the time to test & repair on site nor do they stock the parts to each piece of gear that they represent and sell.
Really, who better than Wadia to work on Wadia? I never said I planned on repairing his unit or taking delivery of it - all I offered was to put him in touch with the powers that be. This is a service that any authorized dealer would do - it takes 2 minutes at most and everyone moves forward. My sole agenda was to assist as I had the information that he required. Finally, these are not public contacts and therefore I would not post them in the thread.
Paperw8 brought up krell and bryston as examples. So, if you needed, say, a replacement remote control or the optional bryston remote and you call Krell or Bryston directly - where will they direct you? Why?
I don't think that you have a strong foundation to argue against the fact that dealers exist to serve consumers and that manufacturers, who choose to operate with a dealer base, are set-up to serve their dealers and distributors.
It's mildly disturbing that I offered to put Paperw8 in touch with one of the higher-ups at Wadia so that he can get his unit repaired and voice his concerns about the breakdown in the consumer repair process but instead he has made me out to be some sort of villian and now Roxy54 thinks that dealers are not the front line between the product (consumer end) and the manufacturer. Um....okay guys....sure. You are both absolutely correct and I happily wave the white flag.
I do not wish either of you ill-will but I really have nothing more that I could say that I haven't already said.
I will forward the link to this thread to the powers that be at Wadia as I would still like to see a resolution and because I believe Wadia, being the company that they are, would also wish to see Paperw8's issues handled professionally and expediently. |
It seems we're going round and round and I don't think you understand what I am saying - though I have tried to explain myself numerous times.
The entity that exists today is NOT the entity that wrote the warranty cards nor is it the same entity that you were able to reach via phone 2 years ago. The website content is also likely from the older entity. On this we can all agree?
The new entity is part of a much larger entity and perhaps some of the small independent charm has been lost in that, for the time being, you cannot simply make a call and be connected to a human that will handle your service request.
I understand this and you understand this. So, are we again in agreement?
Now add to it that it is the peak of summer, you called on a Friday, and there is a national hifi show on in CA and you perhaps gain a bit more understanding regardng your expectations of this recently formed larger entity.
Knowing this, and not being able to change it anytime soon, and because you require service, I offered to put you in touch with a human at Wadia - As dealers we are armed with numerous contact information that a consumer is not likely to find or obtain. I maintain that consumers should go through authorized dealers if the manufacturer has chosen a dealer base to distribute it's products.
I would postulate that any dealer in Wadia's extensive dealer base would assist you with this but I happened to see your post and was quick to offer my assistance without any knowledge of the who/from where/when as I don't really need to know any of that.
I have no agenda other than to get you in touch with a person that can help you. Period. I don't own stock in Wadia nor do I need to defend the situation - it is what it is and I can be a part of the solution if you so desire. The ball has been in your court from my initial posting.
Feel free to contact me if you would like my assistance. If not, I wish you the best of luck. |
...and yet nothing was inherently or intrinsically wrong with the product's design or the company behind it.
I think that anyone reading this thread should understand that:
1. Those most familiar with Wadia emphatically support both the product and the company; and
2. Wadia absolutely cares about it's customers and acknowledged the problem which existed temporarily due to the move (post acquisition restructuring). They have since implemented several changes to prevent similar breakdowns from occurring.
Paperw8 and I did actually speak and I APOLOGIZED TO HIM for assuming that he hadn't e-mailed Wadia's service dept. and for assuming that there wasn't a temporary breakdown in the service process when, in fact, there was. But that problem has since been rectified.
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Facten,
I never said that there was anything wrong with the warranty cards or website info but that both were likely written by the previous entity. I never said that they should throw them out or that new ones needed to be issued.
Had I been in Paperw8's shoes, I would have called the wadia service # and if that did not achieve results my second call would have been to sumiko (assuming that you knew of the acquisition) or to an authorized wadia dealer to request a # that would get me through to someone. Why a dealer? Because they represent the product, have all of the contact info, and have signed agreements in place to assist current and future owners with the product.
Instead, he turned to the forum and the first response on the matter, from me (an authorized dealer), would have solved his problem. We (referring to authorized reputable dealers) exist to help...which I why I responded in the first place.
Sadly, we've been exchanging comments for several days and had Paperw8 contacted me, at the onset, he would certainly already have his RMA# and the unit could have been en route to Wadia. That would have been the end of it.
I had already fired off an e-mail to the head honcho at Wadia to investigate and identify if in fact a problem exists with the consumer warranty service process and, if so, to please correct.
One mans experience does not translate to a breadown of the system. So, rather than ASSUMING that Wadia has a problem, I asked them to look into it and in the meantime requested that Paperw8 call me so that I could assist him.
Within a few days I suspect Wadia will add their own comments to this thread - perhaps an apology to Paperw8 and a thank you to Seattle Hi-Fi. And, they will update us all on the consumer warranty service process. |
Roxy54,
Thank you - I appreciate it - I'm just trying to be of assistance. Nowadays, people are quick to criticize or lay blame but I always try to think about logical means to reach a positive result prior to posting on a public forum "that something strange is going on (like, maybe wadia is about to go under)."
Knee-jerk reactions seldom accomplish much. Plus, with the Internet - any posting is usally there forever and such remarks could damage a company...even one such as Wadia which has an excellent track record spanning many decades.
The postings to this thread are slow to publish but I don't think Paperw8 even e-mailed Wadia's service department directly (the email is provided on Wadia's service page of the Wadia website) which to me seems more logical. Especially when the phone route failed to meet his expectations.
So, I'm here to throw things out there for all to consider such as e-mailing wadia's service department, or contacting a dealer for an internal number, or not phoning on a Friday, or considering the new larger entity which may require an extra step or some extra time for a response. I don't think that my suggestions are insulting or outlandish in any way.
I'm not vigorously defending Wadia but the experiences of one person, whom has explored few options, does NOT indicate to me that Wadia has a widespread problem.
Sure, in a perfect world the service person could have answered the phone or, in my case, when I call Accuphase in Japan I would be greeted in English but sometimes things require an additional step. |
Paperw8, I have taken your suggestion to heart which is why I have e-mailed and faxed Wadia Customer Service, as a consumer would, based on the information provided at wadia dot com / service /
I will report back on the response time. It's now 10:20 PST on a Sunday (which is why I didn't call). My expectation, based on my experience with Wadia, is that I will hear back by end of day on Monday. Stay tuned...
Paperw8, as you obviously have access to a computer, did you ever attempt to e-mail wadia service directly?
service at wadia dot com
I didn't read anywhere that you had. When phoning didn't work did you explore this avenue as provided by Wadia?
Regardless, I will report back my own experience, as a dealer playing the part of a consumer, on actual response time from Wadia's service department. |
I have had but one position that I have repeatedly suggested - if your attempts to contact Wadia, for whatever reason, fail to meet your needs, then yes, you should CONSIDER calling a current Wadia dealer for assistance in getting you in contact with Wadia. However, when presented with a willing person to help you, without ever asking why/where/when regarding the unit, you were suddenly no longer interested in picking up the phone or e-mailing.
If you had an understanding as to the acquisition and affiliated companies then perhaps you might have contacted ARC or Sumiko instead of a dealer.
Yes, I agree that you should not have to do any of this but given the information, as you explained it to me, you kept calling Wadia over an over so why not try another number instead? Why not call me 2 days ago, before all of this back and forth?
You asked for assistance and I was the first on the scene with the tools you needed to solve the problem quickly and easily. And, I have informed Wadia of your experience as well. So, even without calling or e-mailing me, I was still able to assist you - WHICH is all I have been trying to do now for the past several days. |
I apologize that I keep referencing Sumiko instead of the parent company - Fine Sounds Group. Yes, I am aware of the timeline and players but what you don't know is that after the addition of Sumiko, and restructure, Wadia dealer's needs were fulfilledby the Sumiko division. |
Geez...you can lead a horse to water but...
Anyone reading this can see where I was coming from even though you keep taking my comments out of context. For example, did I say that Wadia's repair personnel attended this week's Hifi show? You ask why I would suggest involving a dealer and I explained why - in terms anyone would understand - we are here to help in anyway that we can and we could have provided you with the information to get your needs met.
I'm sorry that you really don't wish to be helped.
I will report back on how long it took wadia service to respond to my email. Stay tuned... |
Paperw8:
At 8:52am, this morning, Monday, I received a phone call from the General Manager at Wadia. He's provided me with his direct line that also rings through to his cell should he be outside the office when you call. HIS request of me, because he has no way to contact you privately, was that I send you a message via this thread and ask you to PLEASE call me or e-mail me and I will provide you with his name and number.
My email is info at seattlehifi dot com and my number is 253-737-7407
He would very much like to speak with you and is expecting your phone call today.
Respectfully,
Burt
Seattle Hi-Fi |
Facten,
Well said - customers shouldn't be left to guess or figure out who to call next. If the process has changed in any manner they should update thier information as quickly as possible. To my knowledge, the warranty repair process did not change from one entity to the next but I could be mistaken. |
