To discover a comment having a negative context about any Service Provider, where the comment is limited to turnaround time only for their Service Offered is not a bad thing, it is a condition that comes with the Service and is not an unfamiliar info when SS are being referenced.
A Turnaround Time that has a difference in lead time from alternative Service Providers does not in any way suggest the alternative option is a a better technical service provider.
Myself, being an advocate of Cartridge Renovation that extends to, Intensive Cleaning occurring at approx' 50% of the Cart's typical usage life period, Styli Replacements, Cantilever Replacements, through to a Complete Rebuild for a Cart', has lead me to keeping my ear to the ground and finding the places I will feel confident in having access to to provide a Service.
Using Services in the UK is for myself a no no, too much 'off forum' info readily available to substantiate that decision.
Mainland Europe has a few very very attractive Service Suppliers to meet my needs.
Australia also has Service Suppliers attractive for my own needs.
Russia has a Service Supplier who is very much admired by myself for their Skills and in creating confidence, is Parity with a Mainland Europe Service Supplier as an attraction for a Service Supplier.
USA has a few Services that are attractive to myself.
I have a shortlist of Far East Service Suppliers, who work on Cart's from all Brands, but info on their workmanship is not readily found.
As stated, I keep my ear to the ground, this as an approach can speedily cast a long shadow over a service provider, leaving concerning questions, when info about their practices or their fundamental lack of knowledge about Cartridges they take on for a Customer is learned.
Very recently, I was informed very reliably about a Service Provider taking on Ortofon Cartridges, and being quite sure in their suggestion there is not a FSE to be found in Cart's from Ortofon, being an advocate of Ortofon Cartridges this is not very encouraging and one less Service Provider is on the Shortlist .
A Service Provider also made the claim to a prospective Customer the Ortofon Range of Kontrapunkt Cart's have an additional fee attached to the costing for the Inspection of a Cart', as the removal of the Cart's Skirt Sides on the K' range is very awkward. This when queried via another Service Provider quite familiar with the K' range, has made it known the accessing the inner pf the Cart', to be a task that is able to be carried out in a very short time period. Over thinking ways to massage a quote to an increased fee comes to my mind, I would prefer to avoid this type of Service Provider, than end up with a Whiffy Smell of BS being part of the sales spiel used to Quote for the Service.
I also know of Cart's returned to the Customer and the Cantilever is immediately noticed for being quite wrong, with the the Cart' Body witnessed resting on the LP. There is nothing that can be good about this as the outcome of a paid for Service. Especially when assessed with the other risks that are unavoidable. The initial sending of the Cart' and return delivery, is for many Customers between 3000 miles - 10000 miles and this is doubled when discoveries as the above or similar are made.
From my end, having a Valued Cart' Globe Trotting for such extensive miles, at the mercy of a Postal Service, especially when full monies are already paid out for the Gamble of Losing the Item and the Service Providers Costs. This from my perspective makes a Service Provider who does this type of work quite unattractive. Others might find this not so concerning if the end story works out fine.
Then there are the discoveries made by one Service Provider who has received a Cart' with work undertaken by another Service Provider at an earlier time.
My preferred Mainland Europe Service Provider returns the Cart' to the owner, a Cart' that has been witnessed to have been worked on by another Service. Even as little as retip is a reject and will not be worked on.
Then there is the well documented made discovery, where a Cart' once sent to a Service Provider for a Cantilever Stylus replacement, was at a later date found to have a Solid Non Ferrous Metal used as a Splicing Material to connect the extension to the Cantilever Pipe. Time served individuals who work with Cartridges were very vociferous in their condemnation of such a methodology for a Cantilever repair.
As stated, I am an advocate of keeping a Cart' in a condition that allows it to be used for many many years after it has been Superseded as a model, I am choosy about who is keeping the Cart' in the condition that allows it to have an optimal function.
The risk of the Cart' being sent off / returned by the Postal Service and the Luck that is needed, becomes an evaluation of risk for each individual to accept, the harder the acceptance is to embrace, will most likely be dependent on what Value is being attached to the Cart' being let go off.
