How Long Is Too Long?

I'm the only one who thinks a few hundred dollar piece of electronics is not an item to be repaired? Buy something better from a REAL company.  If it's not brand new call it a bad buy and maybe he will send it back fixed someday.

@bubba12 

To me $800 and change is not a "few" hundred bucks. 

@bubba12  I couldn’t count on one hand how many ways I disagree with you

@nicktheknife to me, $800 is more than I ever paid for a component

there is a vintage stereo repair shop in my city where I used to bring my gear. He always had it for at least 3 months, he said he was busy with all the work. The last time after he had it for 3 months, he texted me that I should pick up my amp. When I arrived he told me he hadn't touched and he would not, he is not interested in fixing it. 

I think it's just called horrible service.

I am also sick of terrible customer service.   The next time I get bad service I am outting the company on this and multiple other forums.  Tired of poor service after the sale .  Fortunately I have been lucky and needed minimal service over the years, some stuff I have repaired myself.  

If anything , an existing customer should get priority over a potential customer or new customer order.   That is ridiculous.   That guy just does not get it.   You should post his company here ,  that's a lot of nerve making you wait so long.  

That's what she said.

Thanks to all for the suggestions and advice.  

The company is:  Lounge Audio

My two pieces are/were:

LCR MkIII Silver & Copla

@nicktheknife the flipside of this is: you should say "don't fix it, give me my money back!" If he has so many orders he has the money to pay you. He can then fix your preamp and sell it, on his own schedule. He can't have it both ways. 

It is wrong to sell equipment with warranty and then ignoring his warranty commitment for being busy selling new equipment...

I would hesitate to buy direct from a manufacturer. A dealer wouldn't work with a company that has terrible customer service (at least I hope). A good one can help you resolve problems. Exception is cable companies. I wouldn't expect them to break.

I'm not saying you can't have a good outcome buying direct. It's just riskier for all of the reasons stated above..

@grislybutter, 

I can't seem to get him to respond or answer the phone.  I guess I'll just have to wait it out.  

In the meantime, I'm thinking about a Parasound JC3 Jr. 

When I get the Lounge pieces back, I'll make sure they work and then try to sell them.  

I'll have to put it down as a learning experience.  

By the way, I'm running a Technics SL1200GR and since the LCR MkIII and Copla have been MIA, I'm using a MoFi Studio phono pre.  

Cartridges are a Benz Micro Glider, Ortofon MC Rondo and Audio-Technica VM540ML. 

@sokogear 

Agree.  As I said, I'll just have to put it down as a learning experience and think twice about buying direct from a small business/operation.

To think, I was proud of myself for supporting the little guy. SMH.

Management skills, and time management skill, customer service, business savvy, are all quite different from design and technical abilities.  Your guy has only the latter.  It rarely makes for a successful business.  he doesn’t have enough help or financing.  
 

on the other hand, at least he’s in US, you can talk to him, and it’s not automatically a doorstop when it fails. 
 

in my experience, good tube repairmen are becoming scarce.

If you decide to get another phono preamp this Sutherland at $900.00 would be a nice fit with the cartridges you have. It’s made in USA and Ron has been making phono preamps for over 40 years. BTW, a good friend of mine owns a Sutheland and it sounds real nice!

Sutherland, Parasound, Simaudio - I would trust them, and you couldn't go wrong with them (and return would be easy)

Can you dispute it via your credit card company?

@yogiboy,

Thanks for the recommendation on the Sutherland.   Didn't they make a battery powered PSU?

@grislybutter 

“there is a vintage stereo repair shop in my city where I used to bring my gear. He always had it for at least 3 months, he said he was busy with all the work. The last time after he had it for 3 months, he texted me that I should pick up my amp. When I arrived he told me he hadn't touched and he would not, he is not interested in fixing it. 

I think it's just called horrible service.”

That’s some REALLY aggravating stuff man. Did you hit the roof!? Damn I would be livid. 

@grislybutter, 

I bought the units about five years ago.  I sent the LCR MkIII in for an upgrade to the Silver version a couple of years ago.  Funny thing,  I had a Mono switch added but he left a wire off so it didn't work.  Back then, he wasn't so busy so turnaround was pretty quick.  Ever since that Stereophile review his business picked up.  As I said before, good for him, not so good for me.

So, I don't think I could get my money back.

Sutherland did not make a PSU. His first phono preamps were battery powered. It was called the PHD!

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/sutherland-ph3d-phonostage/

BTW, my friend has this Sutherland! There is a listing here for a used one!

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisb4c6f-sutherland-insight-mm-mc-phono-preamplifier-silver-49889-tube

Sutherland did not make a PSU. His first phono preamps were battery powered. It was called the PHD!

i had the phd, lovely unit, beautifully built -- utterly quiet black background, sweet sound... lacked a little drive/prat compared to the best i have had though

@mofojo 

I was first annoyed and then relieved. It became more and more painful to deal with this shop and I had to let it go. The guy became so arrogant (despite my continued patronage for over a decade, putting up with his weirdness and terms) that there was no point in arguing.

I've talked to the owner and it's not a supply issue.  He simply hasn't had time to get to my gear as he is busy building new units for new orders.  

That tells you exactly where his priorities lie and where his integrity doesn't.

That is exactly what I thought as well. And if its because there are many  more to be repaired  units in the queue ahead of yours would also be a concern.

A balance of priorities between sales and service is crucial in business. If it can't be relied on for reasonable service turnaround  whenever needed, for many that's a no go. Some very good manufacturers have died on that altar of sales then lip service... after sales service and communication is essential, but so often overlooked until its needed .

@nicktheknife @grislybutter I'm not trying to minimize the problem but how old is the piece? If it's past warranty he's doing you a favor by fixing it. I would be annoyed but I have learned that the little boutique shop just will not be able to offer what the bigger companies do when it comes to service. I hope he gets it back you in good working order.

As I said earlier, it's great that he "stands by his product" and doesn't charge for repairs as long as you own them.

That said, if I knew I'd be waiting four months and counting, I would have preferred to pay for the repair and more than likely  get it back in a reasonable amount of time.  

He's supposed to fix the mono switch he installed but never hooked up in the phono pre in addition to the bad left channel in the Copla step up device. 

So much for supporting the little guy.  

"So much for supporting the little guy. "

Don’t allow this single experience to sour you on supporting ’the little guy’.

There are many small manufacturers and even one man shows that offer excellent products and service.

Some companies Like Tascam will charge extra if you want to move up the waiting repair list. Even for warranty repairs!

ozzy

@ozzy, 

Well, at least I now know to stay away from Tascam.  😁

Thanks.

The best we can do is to expose this type of behavior by Vender/Manufacture name. Perhaps if their new sales suffer, they will adjust their way of thinking...

ozzy

Worst place to hit someone is in the pocketbook.

@ozzy , 

Do you think I should start a thread here and other audio forums trashing  informing others of my experience?  

It may be good to inform the new customers what they may be in for.

All I can add is I make sure every chance I get to warn people about Tascam warranty/repair services. Their products are basically throw aways.

ozzy

"It's a small one man operation in California."

  "I guess I should have asked what his definition of "soon" is."

I would interpret this and the other details mentioned as-your gear won't get fixed anytime soon.

One person operation that claims his biz is going wel lmeans he's paying more attention to orders coming in, and shipping them out. Warranty repairs are last on his list of things to take care of. 

Don't hold your breath-good luck

If you don't get serviced by the 5 month mark, I would blast him big time online-no sympathy/patience.

You are allowing BAD customer service. NOT your problem it's a one man operation.

@tablejockey,

Thanks for the support. I will give it another month which to some is too much leeway and some others maybe not enough.

Then I’m going scorched earth! 🤣

Hey, I might just do that anyway.

In the meantime I’ll continue to search for a different phono pre.

Hey sorry to hear about your troubles OP, everybody else's to, I have played the waiting game before and it really sucks.

I believe the poster with user name morinix on Steve Hoffman Forum is who you are dealing with. I am not by all means trying to call out Lounge Audio for the bad service you are claiming to have received or redirect traffic off of Audiogon Forum I am just passing along information.

@jeffrey75 ,

Believe you're right.  His name is Robert Morin.

He seems like a nice enough guy but his business acumen needs work. 

Of Lounge Audio?

@thecarpathian, 

Yes.

Looks like he makes a dandy product.

It's his business ethics that need work.

I might just wait for him to post on the steve hoffman forum and respond to his post by saying, "Hey Robert, how ’bout less time on the internet and get to fixin’ my Lounge Audio gear!"

I can understand your concern in regard to having to wait so long for your audio equipment to be repaired.  Unfortunately,  Covid has only made the situation worse.

Especially when you are dealing with a small company (sometimes even a one person operation).   I ordered a DNA Starlett headphone amplifier in January of 2022, with an estimated delivery date of November of 2022.

I'm still waiting nearly 18 months later.  My Starlett is now scheduled to be delivered in July of this year.  Hopefully it will be.  The owner of DNA,  Donald North has explained to me that Covid has created numerous problems with supply chain issues. In addition to this,  there have been many quality control issues with parts not meeting specification, that had to be disregarded. 

This only slows the manufacturing process even further.

I know that DNA manufactures world class headphone amplifiers,  so I am willing to accept the long manufacture time.  It just goes with the territory. 

I already mentioned that it's not a supply issue.  Covid is not to blame in this instance.  I spoke to the owner about it.  He's simply "swamped" with new orders after a Stereophile magazine review on one of his products.  As a result, those of us with gear that needs repairing are on the backburner..

Not really a repair issue, I had a pair of Salk Veracity STs built with a build time estimate of two months that turned into, well over a year. Will never do that again..