Sometimes I wonder if the shippers employees are deliberately damaging packages.
Rja True story: I was talking to the UPS guy who services the company where I work and I asked him how packages are treated. He said some workers are more conscientious than others. He advised me no to label packages as "FRAGILE" as some of those people see that as a challenge. It's what he said. |
Sometimes I wonder if the shippers employees are deliberately damaging packages. Just think of the money they could save if they could make their employees take some responsibility for damage. They'd have a lot fewer pissed off customers as well. |
Audioconnection, That Wadia 16 was repaired by Steve Huntley and resold to a gentleman in Rome, Italy. DHL paid for the repair and Steve did it promptly. I refunded the original buyer 100%. Not sure what the point was that you were trying to make?
Since 1975 when I started doing this with Audiomart magazine, I have had the Wadia 16 damage and an Audio Aero Capitole CDP which had the drive damaged by UPS. They paid that claim and Rich at Sig Sound in NY did that repair. I took care of it all and got the repaired unit back the buyer in Canada in a prompt manner.
That is all the damage issues I have had in all this time until the CJ ACT2 and MG3.7 at this same time two months ago. I have undone the CJ ACT2 deal and the seller has refunded my money in full. Still no estimate on that repair but it is no longer my problem. The preamp has been sitting at CJ for weeks and this is week 6.
So, all that being said I think the high end bottom feeders like me and many others support the top end of the high end market by allowing others to move up the audio food chain buy taking new equipment and flipping it after they go off to the next new thing. Obviously, not a perfect scenario every time but it should work to the collective good most of the time.
Unless one has a ton of discretionary funds where you can pay list and sell at a huge loss months later, buying used is the way to go. I have found that the vast majority of audiophiles take care of equipment so as to maximize the value if they want to make a change and sell or trade in the equipment for something different later. |
Tom, sorry to hear this is still dragging on, yet I believe you have been patient. If there is anything I can do to help please give me a call (free from my website)...it would be great to catch up with you anyway.
Brian |
((Bigjoe is exactly right. My wife suggested the same thing The practice of buying used allows upward mobility for people wanting to upgrade. So, it should work well for everyone.}}
Or does it?
Buying used.....Is it for everyone?
Look at this post and your old one below and you be the judge.
((Yesterday. I took digital pics of the Wadia and all the pieces and parts that were going with it before I packed it. It makes me mad as hell because this was a really nice piece. When I detailed it before I packed it I was surprised at how nice it was. Not a scratch on the faceplate, top, or sides. They just trashed it completely. It won't power on and I suspect the circuit boards are broken also. I really feel this was intentional after the confrontation I had with the first driver when he almost ran over my brand new heat pump units.))) |
Etmerritt33, I also criticized a bit in my previous post, mainly about the $1K spent to ship them to Magnapan. Seems like you just dug yourself deeper into this loss.
But: the Magnapan customer service issues do sound awful. Almost Like they're *trying* to screw you perhaps. Maybe, b/c you didn't buy them new, from an auth. dealer? Or they don't want to open the giant wood crates? (I assume you haven't said stuff to anyone there to antagonize).
Even if they finally repair them.....& you pay, even more hundreds of $$ to have them shipped back.....I'd hope the repair is really done right?
Only thing I could say that *might* be helpful, is that I've had to "eat it", at least a couple of times, on a really bad house, or car purchase. It happens, but it ain't fun.
Finally, try to "keep it in perspective", if you can--(easier said than done!), but Good luck....... |
Still no estimate from Magnepan. I will call them again today. Today marks the beginning of week 6.
Almost sorry I started this thread but I could care less if any and all from Magnepan read the thread and all the various comments. It should never have gotten to this point. I had talked to Shelia in the repair department at least 4 times BEFORE the speakers arrived. She had all the info and issued me an RA number. Then, when I called her after no one at Magnepan could find my speakers after Estes confired someone at Magnepan signed for them on June 25th. (only ones in the shop in a wood crate I strongly suspect) and she acted like she had never heard of me before when I asked her to check for me that week???
I have made my decision and I am not trying to influence anyone on what they do. I am selling both pairs of Magnepans (1.7's and 3.7's) and I am done with Magnepan period. My 37 year affection for Magnepan is over with after this treatment. I will not even unpack the 3.7's and set them up if I ever see them again. This is just a ridiculous situation and I do not need the aggravation.
On the whole issue of buying used I have done that for many years. In the beginning with Audio Art in Richmond being a large Magnepan/ARC dealer it made it easy to buy used and then begin trading up to the larger models which for me was the Tympani's. In this case I paid close to a new price just due to the backlog of MG3.7 orders and nothing else. Also, there is no Magnepan dealer in Richmond any longer as Audio Art is under new ownership and is primarily an Avalon Acoustics dealer now. The practice of buying used allows upward mobility for people wanting to upgrade. So, it should work well for everyone. |
It would be interesting to hear from more people who have bought Magnepan products new (not used) and have had issues , to see in what manner Magnepan responded to them. I can't comment on Magnepan, having never bought anything of theirs, but for me, if I hear from word of mouth or see in print that a company's customer service is indifferent, then it doesn't matter if they're product is the best thing since sliced bread...... I wont buy. And yes, I hold off judgement on that until I see that it's not just one person who has a bug up their butt towards any company (not saying thats what the op's case is). |
Obviously the OP has a right to express his experiences and opinions. At the same time participants is this forum have the right to an opinion about the OP's problem(s) Exactly why public forums were introduced. |
Obviously the OP has a right to express his experiences and opinions. At the same time participants is this forum have the right to an opinion about the OP's problem(s) and the reasonableness of his actions. I read this thread as an attempt to drive business away from Magnepan. Based upon what the OP has stated I don't think such a post is warranted.
Criticism is not the same thing as unleashing the "modern forum based wrath machine" (to use Wolfgarcia's phrase). Being that the audiophile universe is small to begin with, I seriously question why someone would want to drive business away from one of the bedrock firms in this small universe.
Next time you are pulled over by a state trooper be sure to shout at him how your taxes pay his salary and how he really works for you. Tell the same thing to the judge when you're disputing the ticket. |
There was an interesting article several years ago in HiFi+ about how a single poster could poison an audio product in the marketplace. It raised the spectre that a poster could be an anonymous shill for a competitor. I'm certainly not suggesting that is the case here, but it is a problem. (The converse is also true, like fake 'likes' on Facebook- pumped up 'raves' over a product that are contrived by a vendor as guerrilla marketing).
I say we cut the guy a break, he received some constructive suggestions here, and we see what happens.
I do think complaints about service, or poor quality, deserve to be aired and benefit others. You have no idea how I feel about this comment! Very well said indeed. If the complaints are credible then they need to be voiced. I took my comments too far and a thread was closed. Yes I was the poison but justified to no end. The poster has a right to complain if he sees fit and it sounds like he is being ignored. I am very familiar with this. |
OnHwy61- my sense is that OP is venting his frustration and perhaps using this as a way to put pressure on the company but frankly that only works if: (a) the company knows about the posting; and (b) is usually given the opportunity to make it right before that threat materializes. Of course, the company could take steps to rectify a problem with a customer after he goes 'public,' just to reduce the fall-out, but alot of the comments here seem to recognize the limitations of smaller manufacturers and the pace of repairs, regardless of manufacturer size.
There was an interesting article several years ago in HiFi+ about how a single poster could poison an audio product in the marketplace. It raised the spectre that a poster could be an anonymous shill for a competitor. I'm certainly not suggesting that is the case here, but it is a problem. (The converse is also true, like fake 'likes' on Facebook- pumped up 'raves' over a product that are contrived by a vendor as guerrilla marketing).
I say we cut the guy a break, he received some constructive suggestions here, and we see what happens.
I do think complaints about service, or poor quality, deserve to be aired and benefit others.
Best,
bill hart |
I was at a building department one day and someone came in hoot-en and hollering that their permit wasn't ready yet. Made a seen and left. I watched the personnel person put their folder at the bottom of the stack.
Something I would never do- send back a dinner at a restaurant more than one time. |
I had damaged goods come in recently and couldn't just send the packages back to the owner of a certain speaker company. They wanted me to file the claim and once the inspection was done through UPS then they would proceed. The product we are talking about had very expensive crossovers in them that were now exposed and hanging by speaker wire. In this case, these should have gone back to the speaker builder in a much safer and better packaged box.
A very long thread was closed due to me throwing flames in the end. So I completely understand the frustration Etmerritt is going through when dealing with customer service issues. Send me a pm if you want to know more pbjg@att.net
Thanks,
Paul |
Magnapan and any other company that services products aren't so special as to be somehow immune to criticism. |
Etmerritt33, the more you post, the more a complete picture of the type of person you are emerges. To some extent it doesn't matter, but suppose an employee at Magnepan was reading this thread. The way you've, maybe not directly, but causally encourage others to not buy Magnepan products, which in effect threatens that employee's ability to put food on the table for his family or shelter above their heads. Do you think reading this thread will motivate that employee to get to taking care of your problem faster? Or will your speakers get passed over time and time again to handle the problems of people who aren't whining, pouting, stomping their feet or holding their breath?
Human nature is what it is. |
The way I read this is that the shipping co. accepts liability, and that you are just waiting for Magnepan to open the package and provide a damage report and a cost to repair the speaker. I think it's discraceful if these are the facts as I see them, whether the product was bought used or not. |
I know 5 weeks is a long time to wait but in fairness to Magnepan they were on Vacation for 2 weeks
sorry this still happened to you...
By making the wood crates weigh more you also made the shipping (weight and costs ) off the charts as well as cost of building them causing yourself further pain and expense.
Ultimately you will be well taken care of by Magnepan as they are a highly professional company
Have a little faith and hang in there.
JohnnyR
|
Really? I'm travelling there, with two weeks notice, to possibly spend $14000 and he can't gurrantee that they'll be available. What does it take for the place that makes them to plug them in? I had the same experience when I tried to audition at the Eggleston factory in Memphis. Nowhere to listen to the speakers where they are made? Whacky. John |
My take:
1. Magnepan should have communicated with you promptly once they received the damaged speakers and should not have waited five weeks to give you an estimate. I assume you now have the estimate and the insurance claim is in process, right?
2. Shipping crates- cost more money than cardboard and styrofoam to fabricate, and add to shipping weight. If they have experienced alot of damage by cheaping out on packing, it would be self-defeating, and more costly to them in the long run. But, is it clear that your seller used the original shipping cartons and packed them properly?
3. Turnaround time- you should have probably been told what to expect when you first contacted Magnepan. I don't fault small companies for this- it sort of comes with the territory. When my Lamm L2 started acting up, I called Vlad and was told they were leaving for the Munich show and wouldn't be back for a month. He's a one man band. Had to wait until he returned and then drove the units to his house/factory because I'm in NY. He repaired it quickly after that, and the initial wait was frustrating, but I adjusted my expectations, and bought something to use temporarily in the interim (which I thereafter resold once the Lamm was repaired).
4. This is one of the downsides of buying stuff used or from private sellers. I'm not advocating buying new from a dealer (I have taken advantage of used equipment here and through dealers), but the premium you pay a dealer should cover delivery and set-up, loaners when there are issues and generally make your life easier. They may also have more clout than you, as an end-user. The dealer I rely on locally makes house calls, delivers stuff, provides loaners, takes trade-ins and is responsive to emails and phone calls when i have questions or needs. That's why I go to him. I don't think about the premium there because at the end of the day, it's worth it. |
Mrschret, it's clear neither they nor the dealer care enough about you to make sure that it happens. That ought to be enough to know it's time to move on. |
Mrschret, I'm pretty certain you are on target. This is really a very weird situation because I've been a Magnepan fan since 1975 but this is the first time I have ever needed anything from Magnepan relative to service.
I care not what the product or service is if I really get a strong sense of no reasonable consideration for the customer I'm gone. And Rayooo, yes, I'm nuts and a hot head at times but 5 weeks and no damage estimate just doesn't work for me. |
Not every company has a customer first model...some value employees, stockholders, etc more...and whether one likes it or not...Magnepan has a right to conduct their company as they see fit...they have a loyal following and have been in business since the 70s...so they are doing something right... |
>>I know it would be crazy to do but I am seriously considering flipping these when they do get back and not dealing with Magnepan again despite all the other positives they bring to the table. This is ridiculous from my perspective as a customer. At this point in my life I just don't have the patience for it. <<
YEA, that'll show 'em who's boss! |
I don't think Magnepan is too concerned. In our current economic situation and in a business that has been on a downturn for quite awhile, this company writes on their website that their doing just fine and really don't need anyone to hurry to give them continued support. WTF? That kinda tells me that these people have made their money and this really isn't a business, it's a hobby. They do this just to keep busy. If it ever goes south, no biggie. They are backed up with work and they have no intention of changing the way they do things there. I recently traded my 3.6's for 3.7's. It was Sept 6th of last year. The 3.7's were delivered on Dec, 23rd. Merry Xmas. If I called to make a stink about it what would've happened? My local dealer has four stores. They had one set of 3.7 demos that they rotated. To this day they still don't have a 20.7 demo. So now I'm following the instructions on their website and travelling to the factory. They tell you to come there and they will arrange for you to hear the speakers in their lab. So I talked to Wendell and he tells me first that I'm supposed to make arrangements thru my local dealer and 2nd he can't gurrantee that the 20.7's will be available for demo. Really? I'm travelling there, with two weeks notice, to possibly spend $14000 and he can't gurrantee that they'll be available. What does it take for the place that makes them to plug them in? If I was smart I'd just keep the 3.7's and forget about it but I'm not smart. All indications are that the 20.7's are just short of heaven and if you want them you just gotta go with the flow. I still want to see the factory and I promised my wife a stop at the Mall Of America. If the 20.7's are NOT available I'm gonna tell'm just what I think about it and they'll just say sorry, next. |
The way I see it it does not matter one way or the other if I bought these used or not. I am the customer in this situation and I have a problem. Top notch companies take care of customer's issues. Over a Magnepan speaker's life it is going to be owned by multiple people but only be sold new once. So, Magnepan needs to provide decent support to owners of these speakers new or used. Both the 1.7's and 3.7's were hot and the 3.7's had a waiting list. So, if someone decides for reasons entirely their own to sell a pair of 3.7's they can do so. This pair had the aluminum trim rails, better fuses, Cardas jumpers, and Mye stands at a good price so I jumped on them. I am now Magnepan's customer so I expect it to not take 5 weeks to get an estimate to repair shipping damage. Still ridiculous IMHO. |
Markpao, Regardless if they are used or not I am now their customer and I have a problem. In most great businesses they do what is necessary to get it fixed for the customer. I am now a full 5 weeks in and have yet to even get the cost estimate. What do you think the chances are now that I would ever buy a new product from Magnepan??
I have to wait 5 weeks for an hour's worth of inspection? The company is just not staffed properly and has an archaic view of customer service. |
Winoguy, I'm right with ya, none of these threads would exist if things were handled carefully or properly.
You'd think they'd be sick of claims by now, it's only money.
Of course, that would be living in a dream world right? |
"I don't think one should be penalized for buying used. Magnepan made ther money once..... "
Why do you look at it like the they are being penalized? There has to be an order to which a company puts there priorities. Do you want them to drop everything they're doing to accommodate this situation. They are obviously busy at this time- vacationing employees, new orders, warrantee work, and what not.
I'm sorry, these are the risks you take when you buy used. It's an unfortunate situation but it happens. |
Rx8man, I agree 100%. we all know accidents happen,but the track records of these companies are deplorable. How the hell do you drive a forklift tine right thru the goods?? Are these guys blind? There is so much room for improvement with these companies,and I think alot of it must start with employee attitudes. Its to the point that no matter how well something is packed, these clowns can find a way to destroy it.I hate them all. |
The cost to ship back to Magnepan was about a grand. $ 400 of it was for the custom wood crate and the rest for ground shipping via Estes trucking with appropriate insurance. I did not want to risk additional damage on the trip to Minn that would further complicate my damage claim with FedEx.
My complaint and issue with Magnepan has nothing to do with the product or the cost. MY ISSUE IS WITH THE SERVICE which is very poor IMHO. I also maintain based on Magnepan's own comments about the 3 and 20 series speakers suffering the most damage issues that they should ship them in a wood crate like Soundlabs and just add to the price accordingly. That would eliminate a lot of this but these people seem to be stuck in the 1950's for some reason.
Also, I still have not received the repair estimate from Magnepan which I was promised to have emailed to me Tuesday afternoon. This completes the end of week 5.
I know it would be crazy to do but I am seriously considering flipping these when they do get back and not dealing with Magnepan again despite all the other positives they bring to the table. This is ridiculous from my perspective as a customer. At this point in my life I just don't have the patience for it. |
Phasecorrect, You need to check you reasoning again. Doing me a favor? I am the damn customer period. It should not matter whether I bought them used or not. I am a Magnepan customer with a pair of damaged speakers. Doing me a favor? Are you kidding me? Tom |
Magnepan makes a great product. I've owned several of their speakers including 3.6s. Made in USA.
The shipping company is most at fault here I believe and should get there deserved share of the blame.
I don't think one should be penalized for buying used. Magnepan made ther money once. And who knows maybe the 3.7s were sold to purchase the 20.somethings. (sorry don't remember number). But in general I don't think manufacturers should look at used market neagatively. What do they expect when we upgrade throw the 3.6s out in the trash heap? Almost every upgrade people make to their systems hinges on being able to sell what they have to purchase new. And there are plenty of people who could never buy high end stuff new, but because others can and will buy new they get the opportunity to own good stuff too.
So I think the used market is something for manufacturers to show concern for.
Magnepan should improve their shipping crates. I used to work for a dealer back in the MG-1 Improved days. It is pretty common for the Magnepan speaker on the bottom of the pile to get scrapped and holed by the forklift. The speakers were never placed on shipping pallets that I remember and had to be frequently checked for damage as they were delivered to the dealer which was a big pain.
Magnepans are extremely well priced and a known bargain, but . . . .
Magnepan could provide a wooden crate or framework around the speaker that would increase the shipping cost and cost to the custy and not loose their edge or marketing share. After all there is additional costs involved in repairing banged up speakers with forklift holes. |
Besides better shipping coffins, crates or whatever, carriers need to start
handling things a lot more carefully, instead of dropping, throwing,
smashing or forklifting holes into ANY item.
I know time is $ but this stuff gets plain ridiculous, what are we paying for? |
....and I've been waiting for 2 months now for 20.7s, might get them in August. Maybe I should start complaining how horrible Magnepan are? ya know, squeaky wheel and all...
Now to find out they are worried about repairing used/damaged 3.7s while I sit here with no 20.7s! The nerve of Magnepan. I want the 20.7s now!
Only in America... shootings, wars, high unemployment...
heck with that, where the hell are my speakers? :) |
Magnepan makes extremely high value, high performance esoteric loudspeakers. They routinely receive outstanding reviews and frequently have waiting lists for new purchases. They are a small, privately held company that makes its products in the USA. Despite all of their decades long success people are now calling for them to change their business model because one person has complained. And that person purchased on the used market, not from a Magnepan dealer.
So if Magnepan becomes part of the Harman Group, outsources its manufacturing to China/Mexico, starts selling at Target/Walmart and releases a premium line of gold plated speakers starting at $70,000 will everybody be happy? |
Live and learn...
Customer service matters. Clear and concise communications always helps expedite things.
Its unfortunate but I'm not sure this case is all that unusual. Maybe other companies could do better, maybe not.if they can then bravo. I would like to know. |
Magnepan is old school in a sense they still use a tightly knit dealer network...unfortunately...since you purchased used...which comes with no warrantly...you are kind of relegated to "back of line" status...Magnepan...from what I gather...supports their dealer issues first...and since the OP speakers were purchased second hand...Magnepan technically doesnt owe him anything...they are simply doing him a favor.... |
Some questions.....FedEx Ground? They are notoriously bad. Also, maybe I missed this, but did you not use paypal? Shouldn't the seller have been on the hook? And those are very large speakers--are the orig. boxes not sufficient, or appropriate? Seems not. I routinely "double box" much smaller speakers than that.
And $1K to ship them to Magnapan? But this whole mess is now their fault? I usually assume that buying used gear made by small companies, esp. big, heavy items, may be a big problem to get repaired.
I don't mean to pile on, but it seems like this this whole thing is a chain of bad packing, shipping, etc, & I'm not sure how Magnapan, no matter how slow their repairs, should be left holding the blame in all this. |
Brownsfan,
Thanks for your post. I've been so angry recently that I started researching speaker alternatives and as you say there aren't any good ones for anywhere near the price. I am wishing I had not sold the Soundlab M-2's we had.
What makes this worse is that I bought a Conrad Johnson preamp at the same time and that arrived damaged also and it has been sitting at Conrad Johnson (I drove to northern Va. and hand delivered it to CJ) for 5 weeks and not damage estimate either. The seller has refunded my money so I will also be in the market for another preamp. I also have a pair of MG-1.7's at home and if the CJ preamp had not been damaged I at least could have run the CJ preamp, the Krell FPB-300 amp, and the MG-1.7's while waiting for the MG3.7's to be fixed. But, that all got messed up too and we were out about $ 10K with nothing to show for it when we should have been enjoying the MG3.7's and the C.J. preamp with the Krell. The entire thing just got hosed up.
Tom |
Honestly, this morning I felt like she knew or someone has said something to her because her tone made me feel that way. I could have been imagining it but that is what my gut was telling me.
I love the company and the products. Audio Art here in Richmond was the biggest ARC and Magnepan dealer in the U.S. when I became involved in 1975. My first pair of high end speakers was the MG 2's. This is the first time I have ever needed anything from them relative to service.
But, this current experience has left such a bad taste in my mouth that I am not even sure if I will unpack them and set them up when they get back. I know that would likely be stupid but I just don't like being in this situation and not being able to do much about it. The problem is that I have other equipment sales and purchases contingent on these speakers so everything is on hold at the moment. |
Wow. I've been following this thread with interest. I've been the plant manager at a few different companies and Magnepan simply isn't doing the right thing by you. I understand about rules and policies but if I were in charge I'd take the extenuating circumstances into account. They're making a bad call by treating you this way simply because you didn't buy the merchandise from them, which should be irrelevant. They've been paid for the goods, now it's simply a matter of standing by the product. I swear by buying used, I've done so many times, but you've been thrust into a worst-case scenario. Hell, the extant of things found wrong made me wonder if the spkrs were 100% when you bought them! |
Does Magnapan know about this thread? I'm always amazed at how lame businesses can be about bad publicity. I wish there was a way to calculate the damage being done to Magnapan, and any other company ignoring the modern forum based wrath machines. I for one will remember this issue, and it's unlikely I'll ever share my cash with Magnapan. |
Magnepan just called. They inspected the damage and both speakers were damaged, not just the top one. The tweeters are ok but they will need to replace the aluminum trim rails on both, the wooden spacers, and the socks have to be replaced. They are going to get a return shipping estimate and add that in and send me a repair estimate today hopefully. This syncs with our theory about FedEx dropping the box on its edge.
The kicker is that I was told it would take 3-4 more weeks to do this simple repair because warranty claims go in front of shipping damage claims. The speakers were delivered to Magnepan on June 25th so despite what they claim this is the 5th week they have had them so it appears I am looking at a total (if I am lucky) of 8-9 weeks total from June 25th not including the time to ship back to Richmond which will likely be about a week.
So, I'll be lucky to see them back by the end of August and that will be 3 months since the time they were purchased during the last week of May. Some of the time was wait time on my end as I could not ship to Magnepan until the FedEx inspector came by and that was a couple weeks after I filed the claim.
More later as this unfolds. |
Etmerritt,
I think anyone who has experienced the kind of frustration you have described has a right to expect more and every right to be angry. It is really a moot point that you should have made the seller deal with this in the first place. Magnepan needs to do right by you regardless. I think most of us recognize the value of customer service and get pretty frustrated if our repairs aren't handled in a timely fashion. I agree with many of the comments above and encourage Magnepan to rethink the value proposition associated with better packaging for shipment, good 5 way binding posts, better jumpers etc.
That said, I very much appreciate the net result of Magnepan's frugality. I've been running maggies for over 20 years, going from SMGa's to 1.6's to 3.7's. In each case, I could not find anything at 2x the price that matched sonic performance, and in all that time I did not need service once. I avoided shipping issues by either buying new or buying locally, and sold both the SMGa's and 1.6's locally. That is just a downside that I am willing to accept given the unique value of Magnepan products. I expect that when I replace the 3.7's, a likely path will be trade in at the local dealer for new 20.7's. If I went in another direction on replacements, I would likely only sell the 3.7's within a reasonable driving distance so I could personally deliver them to the buyer. I think it is just the nature of the beast.
In the end I do hope Wendel gets involved and makes this right for you. |
Buconero117, I agree completely. Magnepan has just let itself evolve at its own pace but has not kept an eye to the times. They are set up so they can not deal with repairs in a timely manner but don't seem to recognize the problem with that. They could easily charge a little more for the speakers and add staff to deal with repairs. Just saying they are a small family owned business doesn't necessarily cut it in today's world.
I have a Merlin VSM-MXe based system which is extremely good. The only reason I was contemplating going back to Magnepan as my last system was due to my infatuation with Magnepan that started in 1975. I have only owned two pairs of conventional speakers in over 35 years of doing this. The Merlins and the Quadrature DSP-5a's. Lots of Magnepans, Soundlabs, Martin Logans and Acoustats in my past.
Magnepan told me on the phone that their primary shipping damage problems were with the 3.7's and 20.7's. The speakers have gotten progressive heavier over the years and IMHO the factory packing is not sufficient. I don't know why they just don't ship both the larger speakers in a reusable wood crate like Soundlabs? It could not cost that much more to have someone make them in Minn.
Never thought I would be this ticked with Magnepan.
To the person that asked why I just did not make the seller deal with this I don't have a good answer. I was just so stunned when we unpacked them to find the top speaker damaged that I was looking for the most expedient path to getting them 100% and really did not want to undo the deal. But, I knew after it registered that the box had been dropped and at least one speaker was damaged that I was looking at a long and aggravating process. It took a couple hours that night for it to sink in. In over 35 years of doing this I have never received damaged items until now. |
Magnepan needs to recapitalize its business so it can offer exceptional customer service, otherwise it will ruin the band. There will be little left to sell as the need to fund Jim's retirement. Get with it. |
Please take 3 points away from Phasecorrect for ruining my drought humor thread. Also, I had UPS (insured) actually lose a sweet guitar amp I'd sold on Ebay...they were nice and STILL took about 3 weeks to pay me. For everything except the shipping...I guess they were being ironic. |
Markpao is right in..As a buyer use paypal.They have an unconditional 45 day return policy and if damaged in shipping have the carrier come get it.Its the sellers that has to deal with making them pony up.As a seller I now only use postal money orders or wire transfer,that 45 day return policy is retarded.I also find it odd that fed ex is actually paying the claim,I forget who their underwriter is but they say "decline" to everything so you may feel this deal is going now where but it could be a whole lot worse. |
07-24-12: Onemug
I was ready to take one of my vintage tuners to a repair shop for some dial lights.... Harry, if that is your 10B, you can easily replace the lights yourself. It takes 2 type 1847's. Here is one source. Sorry to divert the thread. Regards, -- Al |
