My Terrible Emotiva Experience


Hi guys,

I've read some mixed reviews of Emotiva, some good, so bad.  I wanted to share my recent experience with them so people see what kind of company they're dealing with.

So, I have an Emotiva power amp I bought a few years ago.  I have my DAC running straight into it, and I've been pretty happy with that setup for a while, but I decided I wanted to buy a processor/preamp to give me some options.  Since I had an Emotiva amp, I preferred to buy one from them, just so they match, since this is in my living room. The only problem I had was that the one that best fit my setup had been out of stock for quite a while.

Fast-forward to a couple of weeks ago, when they announce their "Renewed Item" event. Renewed means different things to different companies, so I e-mailed them to ask if their renewed items simply returned items or if they were used items from their trade-in program. The first reply I got was some vague sales speak about how happy I would be with my renewed item, but after pushing a little harder, they replied and told me that their renewed items were returns from their 30-day demo program that some of them "had never even been opened".  Satisfied with this answer, I placed my order.

When I first opened the box, I realized there was a problem.  The remote was just tossed in the box loose, and it was *disgusting*.  It was covered in what looked like chocolate and sofa lint.  Even after I cleaned it off, it was badly scuffed and scratched, and looked like it had been shoved between someone's couch cushions for a few years. The cables were wadded up in a bag, and the RCA patch cables were covered in dust and grime, the way they get when they are behind your TV for a few years.  The unit itself looked ok, but there was dog hair stuck to the feet of it and all inside the black cover they wrapped the unit in. It was very clear just looking at it that this was not a 30-day demo, but was a well-used item that someone had traded in for an upgrade.  It was also clear that Emotiva had done absolutely nothing to "renew" it.  They hadn't replaced the remote, or even cleaned it, or even the cables.  I can't imagine that they even tested it.

When I contacted them about the problem, they admitted nothing.  They basically just processed the return, which at least I can be thankful for. They did send me some e-mail that started off like an apology, but then turned into a denial that "anything like this could have left our factory".  Even after I sent them photos, I got no reply, no offer to replace it with a proper unit.

While I can't complain that much, since I did get my money back, I still feel that companies shouldn't lie to their customers. If it's a used item, then they should just say that.  They only reduced the price maybe $30-40 off the price of a new unit, so there's no way I would have bought it if I knew it was used.  It would have saved everyone a lot of trouble. And I think if you renew an item, you should at least make sure it's clean and the accessories are in good working order, especially if you're charging near new price for it. Finally, while I didn't ask them for anything other than my money back, if this was a factory mistake and not just how they do business, then they should make some attempt to "make it right". At least offer to replace it with a unit in the condition they promised.  Or at absolute minimum they should give you a sincere apology, and not a veiled accusation that you're a liar. (And I'm not even sure why someone would lie, since they have a 30 days money-back policy.  There's no need to be dishonest.  You can just ask for a return for any reason.)

In any case, before you drop a few thousand on equipment from these guys, you should consider the way they do business. You should absolutely never buy a renewed item from them.  You also might wonder if those new items are really new, or if they're the 30 day demos and the refurbs. This is not a company that you can really trust.
himerope
@ghdprentice

My reply to your lack of understanding my post

Its a Grown up position. its like when you were 4 yrs old and fell down and started to cry. Then your dad comes over, and, seeing that you are not hurt, he brushes you off & tells you to, "Go on now. You’re a big boy"

Your reply to me
So, I see you are superior. Now, I get it. Recapping a bad experience with a vender to a group of audio enthusiasts is an opportunity criticize the poster. We’re you a bully grade school as well? Why not be nice and just move on without putting the OP down?

The sad fact is that I suspect THIS reply is based on how you were taught to read. I learned how public school had introduced literary criticism to 1st graders when I had to help my 6 yr old niece last fall with her learning to read.
I never bought into literary criticism when I was in college, nor do I know. But when you are taught this at an early age, your reply is the outcome. The reason is that one component of LC teaches you to look for the intent of the authors writing. Supposedly, The reason its taught is to analyze the Type of document it is. But most people will automatically know if they are reading a technical journal or a love story, So its like the unnecessary teaching to look out for something which itself is self explanatory. The problem is that more often than not, the modern reader will accuse the writer of bad conduct whenever the writer disagrees with their POV. That is the natural outgrowth of teaching this at such an early age. But we have at least one generation, if not 2 who often does this same thing where anyone who disagrees with them is said to be acting evil. This is what you have done here. Because you THINK I believe myself "superior" you have now ascribed that to my intent and thus made a judgement, even though the words I wrote have no such meaning. So, in essence, to you, words have little or no meaning. Its all about my intent and agreement with you. Disagreement is bad. And THAT is where we are at as a country also.
@himerope,I agree, that is not a good experience.But here are some points on your post:
1. Your first one on audiogon and it is a "complaint"
2. You got the money back but you took the pain to register and complain
3. You tried to save $30-$40 and got a refurb.......and you said you dropped $$$ on their product. Sometimes it is better to wait rather than try to get stuff in a hurry to save a few $s.
Hope you got yourself another preamp and are enjoying your music.

@oldhvymec That's both hilarious and terrible! I had a similar experience with some household goods during an overseas move that sat on a dock in a leaky warehouse for a few months.  Luckily I had shipping insurance.  Wasn't really an act of God though.  More like the act of a horrible moving company.  As an aside, crawfish are quite tasty if prepared correctly, so there is always a bright side to things.

@milpai I actually wasn't even trying to save money. It was just the first time I'd seen the model I wanted available.  You're right that I've learned my lesson about refurbs. I've been a stereo enthusiast since I was in high school (which was a long time ago!), and I'm an engineer by trade, so hopefully my future posts will be more positive.
OP, 

I'm sorry but how is that hilarious? He lost his money / didn't get to enjoy the components. What about the business owner he bought from?!  Natural disasters are not something a normal human being laughs at. Does the suffering of others make you feel better about yourself?

Seems like you have no respect for anyone here. Based on your writing style alone, you appear to be from Audioholics or Head-Fi. Nobody cares if you're an Engineer. Good for you! 
I don't see anything in the OP's post that would imply a lack of respect for anyone. He had a bad experience and he shared it with the community. Not sure why some folks are getting so emotional about this.