HELP Electrocompaniet stole Christmas

Mike @ FS, despite your emotional response, you seem to be an upstanding dealer. One that I would recommend people patronize. I wish your business prosperity in the new year. Our hobby needs more dealers like you.

My relationship with Alan WAS in the face to face. My opinion of Alan Warshaw is what it is. Like it or not.

Opinions of people developed IN THE REAL WORLD as opposed to how we interact over the internet hold a lot more water to me. Things don't get more real. As a person providing him service, I felt he treated me as if I was beneath him. I do not forget that.

Perhaps all of this is not important, but I view ALL people as being worthy of a high level of respect and dignity. When I interact with a person helping me, I treat them the way I would appreciate being treated if the roles were reversed. Everyone is entitled to conduct themselves as they see fit.

No, in speaking with him, I did not tell him that I found his demeanor not to be to my liking. As someone providing him service, my goal was to help him and do my best to make him a satisfied customer, not antogonize. If I behaved otherwise, my boss would have had good reason to hold my behavior offensive. I would be in the wrong.

Now, that I am no longer someone waiting on him, I would have no qualms letting him know my feelings if he came off in the same manner.

Your relationship with him is that you are his customer. Maybe he will interact with you differently than someone where the relationship is reversed. Do you find him to be a down to earth, likable person? I truly hope you feel that way. Far be it for me to complain over how you view him, you have as much right to your opinion as I do mine. As I stated, I hold out hope he is a good person and that my impression of him is a minority viewpoint.

I admire him for taking on Hales in their most desperate moments, in fact I laud him for it. I admire and laud him for representing a brand such as Electrocompaniet. I told him so. In this situation, it appears as if he is not supporting a customer who purchased a product through an authorized dealer. Is he worthy of my praise now?

My hope is that this story has a happy ending.

Well, until now, I have stayed out of this thread...

Alan Warshaw lives about 5 minutes from my home, in Wyndmoor, PA. Like me, he is just outside the Philadelphia city limits. Alan took over Hales in its final, fleeting moments. Unfortunately, Hales is no longer in business, but that is completely unrelated to Alan. I have no doubt that things were too far gone at that point. He is the US distributor for Electrocompaniet, and I believe myriad other products.

I have had the occasion to be on the other end of things with him, where he was the customer. I was only in that relationship a short time. I don't remember him ever being satisfied the first time, and I don't recall the words "please" or "thank you" being an integral part of his vocabulary. But, I do hold out the hope that there is good in all man, and I hold out hope that Alan will show it in this situation.

Like many in the high end, he was an eccentric fellow. While everyone has their good side, he left people with the impression of him being an snobbish, elitist person. Alan is definitely upper crust. He may not have the most refined "listening skills". I mean that as a person, not as an audiophile. The stubborness he is holding to in this case is not unexpected. I was not particularly fond of him, but again, my dealings with him were over the short term.

I hold the Electrocompaniet marque in the highest esteem. The product exhibits exceptional quality, both in sound and in build. In brief, it doesn't get any better than Electrocompaniet.

Technically, I am not sure who is doing the upgrade of the player, but I would have a difficult time imagining it would be him. He is not a hands on person, but seems more like a "sales/marketing" type. He is not the type to hook up a tv in his home, it takes him 3 or 4 tries to buy the right splitter for a cable. I cannot see him modifying a CD player. It is a crime to underestimate people, however, so I apologize.

Ernie, who we have all come to know and hold in the highest regard, is in a difficult situation. However, being that he has had Father & Son go to Alan on his behalf, I believe that Alan should cede this situation. This is become not a matter of business, but one of ego. At this point, with the current discussion going on here, Alan is doing nothing to earn himself potential business. Rather, he is damaging the future prospects of Electrocompaniet in the US. The market for high end audio is difficult enough right now. Factor in the mess of a distributor who does not make Electrocompaniet ownership a pleasure, and the company just may one day find itself in the same situation which developed for Jadis in North America. A superlative audio company who all but falls of the face of the map for reasons unrelated to the product.

Ernie, may I suggest that both you and Father & Son contact Electrocompaniet in regards to your situation? If I were Electrocompaniet, I would make sure that not only that the matter is put right, but that we did WHATEVER is took to erase the bad taste in your mouth. Maybe it's just me, but I would feel the need to bend over backwards to make a public display that Electrocompaniet customers and potential customers have nothing to worry about in terms of customer support.

Being local, if there is anything I can do for you Ernie, please do not hesitate to let me know. Be it legwork/pickup/dropoff/courier or whatever, it's no problem. I may have a weak mind, but I do have a strong back. If I can do anything to save you the long drive, it would be a pleasure.

GOOD LUCK!

Mike, no need to apologize. We are both entitled to our opinion, and I thank Audiogon for providing a forum in which a wide range of viewpoints may be expressed.

I have probably said more than my share in this thread, so I will attempt to again move back to the sidelines. My original reason for staying away was my personal feelings, both for Ernie and Alan. I have the utmost respect for Ernie, he is a truly good guy. I am hoping for Alan to also make me hold him in the same regard.

Sean, I thank you profoundly for your support.

The only other thing I should make clear is as I said, and I stand by, you are a model for what we all wish for in an audio dealer.