The Exogal saga continued....


As the owner of the Comet Plus/Ion combo, I have been a vocal critic of Exogal for fumbling the ball on the absence of applications needed to run them. They made the Comet without an illuminated window and reading it is difficult, and the remote, by their own admission, is inadequate. So the apps were indispensable, period. They have claimed for months that a new, improved remote "module" was in the making and about to be released immanently. I actually tried out a prototype they sent me and it wasn't very good. As time passed I tried to communicate with them via their website (on which they advertise a streamer line that they don't make!) and by phone, and was ignored.

So I chased down their sales manager here on Audiogon and he put me in touch with the CEO. The CEO admitted there was a problem and offered a range of excuses--a knee operation, a major internet hacking of their site, the pandemic, poor Chinese-sourced parts, an inability to get parts, etc. [In retrospect I am surprised that he didn't claim the same aliens who started the forest fires in California had attacked Minnesota] I said that I had the Ion packed up in a box as it was unusable and requested a remote for the Comet which he said was ready and would be shipped. He further stated that a new product line was in the making and that when it was released those who had the misfortune to purchase the Comet/Ion could trade those units in for "generous" credit toward the new line. Very well, I have spend thousands of dollars on this stuff so how long do I have to sit on it until I can change it out? There is no timetable for the new offerings--possibly by the end of the year, possibly not. Basically I got the old "trust me, I'm working on it" speech that they give everyone.

Two weeks went by--no remote. At that point I demanded a refund for the Comet and Ion which of course the CEO denied. He claimed he didn't send the remote because he assumed that I had packed both the Comet and Ion away until the unspecified time that he would so generously exchange them for his new products! He said he would send the remote immediately.

Yet another week has gone by--no remote. So I pass all this on to the court of public opinion. But it is ironic that the CEO of Exogal, in one of his own public postings right here on Exogal wrote: 
 "
Too many audio companies announce a product, start selling it, and then frustrate the paying customer with BS excuses. Meanwhile, they've got your money." That sounds remarkably like the situation I find myself in. 
128x128rtorchia
Facts are the OP bought a product in good faith, enjoyed the product in the manner it was described and sold. Now owns a product that is nothing more than an expensive paperweight because the company failed to hold up their end of the bargain.
 
Some may have money to burn but when I spend a chunk I have certain expectations as my clients do when they hire me.

I purchased a product from miniDSP and contacted them beforehand to make sure I got the right product for what I needed and detailed what equipment I was using. I bought the product they recommended, was unable to use it and when I contacted them about the issues I was having was basically told tough luck. Not a good feeling to be looking at the box it came in and what I could have done with the money spent.

An offer of a refund or making it right goes a long way.


@dadork You're not wrong,  but two points.  First, he still has 2 remote options that,  while may not be to his liking are still completely functional along with his gear. Secondly, I doubt that any manufacturer would give a full refund (which was his original demand) to someone who changes his mind 2 years later. Plus,  he's convenient leaving out several possible solutions that I proposed in an attempt to make it right. What he really wants is for us to continue to make unsustainable investments in the apps. I liked the apps, too. I miss them. But I easily switched to a Pulsar and it's not reduced my ability to listen one bit. 
You are misrepresenting me as usual Jeff. So where is the remote you were going to send me? What is the different remote you now advertise on your website? You have steadfastly refused to send me a remote. I also asked for a refund on the Ion and never expected a full one. I didn't at all change my mind--you changed your product after the fact. That's your problem, not mine. 

PROOF THAT JEFF IS NOT TELLING THE TRUTH. Email sent by me to Exogal CEO March 3, 2021. He ignored this message which is why this fracas is taking place. If anyone doesn't believe me I will furnish screenshots of ALL my correspondence with Exogal. 

"I have to say this is not a case of mere customer dissatisfaction but rather your not living up to product expectations, namely no applications to run them as advertised. I didn’t get what I paid for because the application was made unavailable for whatever reason.

In the spirit of compromise I am willing to retain the Comet as long as you send the remote that works. (Actually  my Comet is a replacement you sent for one that blew up.) I will figure out some way to use it. But the Ion is useless and has to go. So I ask that you refund whatever is reasonable for the Ion. It is senseless for me to keep it in a box for such a time that other products may or may not be made available to replace it. This is a simple solution that avoids a big battle. Perry actually recommended keeping the Comet to trade in as there is a vague chance someone might buy it. R-- "

Let's see you get out of this Jeff!



One thing we need to get out in the open is that Jeff's allies here are industry insiders who know his background with Wadia and are sympathetic because they know Exogal is headed toward the same fate. Wadia made terrific products but even early on they could barely stay afloat--see Alan Taffel's article in The Absolute Sound, Feb., 2007. In 2011 (really December 2010) they sold out to Fine Sounds Group in Europe, probably partial fallout from the 2008 recession. Jeff and associates split off and eventually founded Exogal. At roughly the same time Wadia was acquired by the McIntosh Group. The tale of Wadia's demise reminds me of Sony Betamax--the excellence of a product doesn't assure market success, sometimes quite the opposite. Search Wadia in the most recent postings in forums here on Audiogon and you will see that purchasers of their products have been left high and dry. 

Clearly that is what's happening with Exogal. I am sure they are shopping for a buyer and I bet it will be someone in Europe. On its site Exogal states they have opened a European distributor. Jeff doesn't mind committing public relations suicide here because he know the clock is ticking down on his enterprise. But the new buyer isn't going to get stuck servicing questionable products so Exogal purchasers are going to be as badly off as the Wadia people. Very understandably Jeff doesn't want to be transparent. Again, I question his competence in business. For somewhere between $1,500--$1,800 and a remote control all of this could have been avoided. But no, he wants us to pity him and appreciate the fact that he didn't use the "f" word. 

One more misrepresentation from him and I will publish right here on this thread all of my ignored emails to Exogal, including one in which I asked for a recommendation on which Vortex to buy.