udell@Shasta.ARPA (10/29/85)
This is an update on the status of my Technics SL-P2 CD player. Those
of you who were offended by my first posting (in early August) need not
read further. Personally, I think that I have shown remarkable restraint
in not making other postings until now.
First, let me refresh your memories as to the circumstances leading up
to my first posting:
March 18: I purchase an SL-P2 from Stereo Scene of Cupertino, CA.
I find that one of my discs won't play correctly due to slight
defects (it had played on my (since stolen) Magnavox 3030).
I return the player and receive a replacement that will play the disc.
I return the disc and receive a replacement (Thank you, Tower).
June 2: While taping two consecutive discs, the player emits mechanical
clicking noises near the end of the disc. On the second disc, these
noises are accompanied by skipping. I return the player to Stereo
Scene, along with the tape. They say 2-4 weeks for repair, and
promise to ship the player to me in Oregon (where I will be working
for the summer) as soon as they get it back.
Early August: After numerous long distance calls as to the whereabouts
of my machine, Stereo Scene calls Technics and finds that they are
waiting for parts for it from Japan. I post a long-winded article
to net.audio in repsonse to someone choosing between Technics and
Yamaha.
Since then:
August: Stereo Scene receives the player from Technics (after 9 weeks),
and holds it for 10 days before sending it (despite promising,
when I called Saturday, to send it first thing Monday) to me
via UPS. After three weeks Stereo Scene claims that UPS has
returned the player, saying I am no longer at my address. They send
it again, promising to send proof from UPS that they sent it to me
correctly the first time. I never get the proof.
Sept 3: I come home from work for lunch to find the player on my porch.
The only explanation included with the player is a note saying that
'if a particular disc fails, check that disc'. I set up the
player and insert a disc. I set the jewel box down on top of
the player, and it skips. As I am moving back to California in a
week, I decide to return it to Stereo Scene in person. I play most
of my discs, and find that the player is extremely sensitive to shock
at the begining of them all, and will not play the first track of
about 5 of them without skipping. With one disc, it won't start the
first track at all.
Sept 13: I return the player to Stereo Scene, and am told that it
will be taken to the Brisbane repair center Tuesday. The sales
manager claims that Technics may just give me a new machine, as
this was the second time I had brought it in.
Oct 18 (F): I receive a call from the repairman about the player.
Oct 21 (M): I return the call. The repairman claims he has played the
player every day since he received it, and it has not malfunctioned.
He says I should send him a disc with which it will not work, so
that he can fix the player. HE CLAIMS TO HAVE ONLY 1 TEST DISC.
I call Stereo Scene to complain, and am told to call back when the
sales manager is present.
Oct 22 (T): I call Stereo Scene. The sales manager offers to send the
disc for me with the next shipment to Technics (Friday). I say
that I'd prefer to just get my money back. He says I can have my
money if Technics wants to give it to me. I ask for a loaner
machine. He says that I can have a loaner machine if Technics
will give them one to give me. I give him that disc which will
not play in my machine (after trying it in a demo SL-P2). He
claims that the delivery person will stay and watch while it
is tested. I ask what happens if the player doesn't work. He says
he doesn't know if it would be repaired or replaced.
Oct 29 (T): I post this article, having given a previous version to
of this file to the sales manager of Stereo Scene on Thursday.
The previos version contained an ultimatum of sorts and an offer
not to post this file if I received word of how they planned to
satify me by Monday. I have heard nothing.
< FLAME ON >
I feel that, as a consumer, I have been totally abused by Technics'
lack of support for its product. I will not buy from Technics again.
I also feel that I have been abused by Stereo Scene. Although the
sales manager has been very nice about the situation and claims that
he is doing everything he can to satisfy me, it appears that he has
in fact done nothing except ship the player to Technics and back, and
to accept a few collect calls. In my conversations with him he has
promised to call me back 4 times, and not done so once (one of his
salesmen is 1 for 2). I am especially upset that Stereo Scene will
not stand behind its products by lending me a machine while mine is
being repaired. They have taken the position that this is entirely
Technics' problem, and that they are just a go-between.
< FLAME OFF >
Quote from the back of my claim check:
"After the sale, its the service that counts"
Jon Udell halle@hou2b.UUCP (J.HALLE) (10/31/85)
>>Long dissertation about problems with a Technics disc player
Technics is made by Panasonic. Do Panasonic products have similar
reliability and service problems?udell@Shasta.ARPA (11/02/85)
In article <1473@Shasta.ARPA> udell@Shasta.ARPA (I) wrote: > > Oct 22 (T): I call Stereo Scene. The sales manager offers to send the > disc for me with the next shipment to Technics (Friday). I say > that I'd prefer to just get my money back. He says I can have my > money if Technics wants to give it to me. I ask for a loaner > machine. He says that I can have a loaner machine if Technics > will give them one to give me. I give him that disc which will > not play in my machine (after trying it in a demo SL-P2). He > claims that the delivery person will stay and watch while it > is tested. I ask what happens if the player doesn't work. He says > he doesn't know if it would be repaired or replaced. According to Stereo Scene, when my player was tested with my disc, it didn't track. Technics wanted to repair the machine, saying that the needed part was on order (from Japan again, I assume). Stereo Scene insisted that I get a new player, and Technics finally agreed. So now I have a brand new player that actually works BUT the invoice I had to sign to receive the player contained two conditions, neither of which I was particularily pleased about. I figure that by signing the invoice I probably gave up my rights to a better settlement, but I didn't give up my right to complain. I did let the people at Stereo Scene know that I wasn't happy with the conditions. Condition 1: The new player is covered by my old warranty, extended 4 months. My first objection to this is that it has been almost five months since the player broke. My second objection is that new electronic equipment tends to have failure rates that follow a 'bathtub curve', ie: high initial failure rate, decreasing to a lower level and flattening out until old age starts driving the failure rate back up. If, in the case of the SL-P2, the flat part of the curve occurs before 20 months, I am ok. If not, I'm in trouble. (This assumes, of course, that the player I received is actually new. There is a sticker on the back saying August 1985, but this could also be a repair date. The player arrived in my original box sans operating manual. I presume that this was done to facilitate selling my original player as new after it is repaired (as the sales manager said it would be). (Yes, I think this is dishonest.)) Condition 2: If I have any future need for service, I must deal directly with Technics. Although the sales manager reassured me that I will most probably not have anymore problems ("This NEVER happens with Technics"), he is apparently not willing to back up his words. Perhaps he suspects me of being either overly (sp?) picky about my equipment, or overly abusive of it. In any event, I have now been effectively reduced to the status of mail-order customer, a status which I could have achieved back in March for about $100 less than I paid Stereo Scene. The sales manager claimed that these conditions were insisted upon by Technics, but I suspect that Stereo Scene added the latter. Assuming that my new player functions correctly for two years, these conditions will have no effect on me. If not... In any case, I am now busy playing through my CD collection. They sound great, but for some reason the thrill just isn't there anymore. Jon Udell