A Story about a Defective Signature Platinum
Last week I was listening to music at a healthy volume while sitting at my computer. I have an auto lifter (Little Fwend) and after the arm lifted I noticed a static noise with occasional popping coming out of the left channel about 40 dB down. At first I thought it was a bad tube but it disappeared when I turned the volume down. It is in front of the Preamp. None of the other sources had the noise. Swapping tonearm cables did not seem to change the sound but then I noticed that the sound was also in the right channel just farther down. Disconnecting the tonearm stopped the noise. I change over to an MC Diamond, no noise. Same with the Atlas, no noise. Swapped back to the MSL, noise is back.
The cartridge is exactly one year old but it rotates with two other cartridges and might have 75 hours on it. I called the dealer who told me to contact MoFi distribution, the US agent for MSL. Turns out the cartridge only has a 90 day warranty and I was told I would have to send it in for a rebuild for $6000! Can't they just fix the problem for maybe $500, No. Can't I just send it in for evaluation? The stylus and cantilever are brand new. No, a rebuild is the only option and you have to do that through the dealer, click! Most very expensive cartridges have a 2 year warranty on them not to mention that most companies would cover such a defect even off warranty as in the absence of physical damage it is obviously a manufacturing defect, a bad solder joint or maybe just two wires rubbing together. This is very disappointing and as far as customer service goes Home Depot is better than MoFi, Sears is better than MoFi! MoFI is right up there with Anthem Blue Cross! The service rep could have offered to look into it. Maybe communicate with MSL and get their opinion. I am sure if MSL knew about it they would gladly fix it and actually be embarrassed. The Japanese are like that. There is no way I can find to get directly in touch with MSL.
$6000 is not an option. I am not going to throw good money after bad. I am also not going to off a defective cartridge on someone else. I am going to take the cartridge apart and reflow the solder joints and make sure the wires are separated. If that doesn't fix it, it goes in the trash.
Mistakes and defects happen, it is what you do about them that counts. MoFi failed dismally in this regard. MSL makes a fine cartridge but I would only get another one if they changed agents and increased their warranty. Obviously, I will avoid buying any other MoFi products myself and warn others about their customer service. I have no further use for the dealer who did nothing to help. I have had superb service from Musical Surroundings, Soundsmith, B+H Photo and the Cable Company. All handled issues with ease. Has anyone else had trouble with MoFi? What companies have provided you with excellent service when the sh-t hit the fan?
@mijostyn Interesting that the VP of sales and marketing is now opting for a more ’customer friendly’ position than when you were apparently talking to his reps. I wonder if the bad publicity that you were attempting to expose had an effect? Presumably if your cartridge is still faulty, that the offer to repair it will be on their dime...and not yours? |
Am I the only one wearing the spectacles that sees this thread as becoming a rip innocent parties to pieces threads, first Mofi and then VAS NY Inc. It is a shame to see such a anti third party service type, publicly and regularly spread their doubt on the qualities of the end result of the work completed. With the knowledge at hand that the Cart' in question has been tampered with by a individual and their tweezers, it looks like to me Jon Derda, might be really bending their warranty policy, I am sure this is not how they intend to have supplied Cart's treated and then expected to be kept under warranty. |
Say what. Is this self parody or dissociative amnesia. Most of what you posted was drivel. "$80 for 'this or that'", "Frankenstein", "buffoon" being just a few examples.
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Yes, time will tell. I’m happy to extend the "benefit of doubt" to Derda and MoFi, but where the facts are plain and there is no doubt, they enjoy no such benefit.
MoFi is hardly an "innocent party," based on the information here. |
