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Path: utzoo!decvax!bellcore!petrus!scherzo!allegra!oliveb!Glacier!Shasta!udell
From: udell@Shasta.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: Don't Buy Brand X Advice
Message-ID: <1489@Shasta.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 1-Nov-85 17:42:30 EST
Article-I.D.: Shasta.1489
Posted: Fri Nov  1 17:42:30 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 3-Nov-85 04:37:50 EST
References: <1473@Shasta.ARPA>
Reply-To: udell@Shasta.UUCP (Jon Udell)
Distribution: na
Organization: Stanford University
Lines: 62
Summary: received new Technics SL-P2, BUT

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