[mr_baseball_08]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif There is a point being missed by this question here. Neither of you, the purchaser or you did not ask for any service after finding a problem which is something I think should have occurred before the OP.

That point isn't being missed, it just doesn't matter. The item was of poor quality. Regardless of whether you try and contact the manufacturer to get a replacement, it still stands that the first cable you had was defective and of poor quality. That is the issue, my friend.

 

[warrior05]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr_baseball_08 /img/forum/go_quote.gif That point isn't being missed, it just doesn't matter. The item was of poor quality. Regardless of whether you try and contact the manufacturer to get a replacement, it still stands that the first cable you had was defective and of poor quality. That is the issue, my friend.

A breath of fresh air! Thank you!

 

[NotoriousBIG_PJ]

His prices were ok when he first started out, but his cables and docks have been way overpriced for a while now. I personally like to get a little more for my money.

Biggie.

 

[warrior05]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif There is a point being missed by this question here. Neither of you, the purchaser or you did not ask for any service after finding a problem which is something I think should have occurred before the OP.

[bangs head against wall] As stated time and time again, both swt61 and I believe that if he contacted Ken we fully expect he would've offered to fix or replace the unit. My issue is with the workmanship I uncovered not with the broken wire. So I contact Ken and tell him, "Hey, I took apart one of you docking connectors and I'm kind of surprised at what I saw. I kind of think that for the prices you charge that, IMO, I would expect some better work." So everyone's contention is I should have sent him this kind of communication first. Okay - then what. Not say anything here? Judging by Ken's response in this thread I expect I would have received a similar response that just because it isn't pretty doesn't mean it won't sound good. Which I wholeheartedly agree and have stated as such. I still contend for the premium prices he charges I expect premium workmanship.

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif How can there be customer service if none is ask for? So no you have not criticized a service you did not seek nor asked for. You just slammed a person for something you did not ask for or seek resolution from.

Wow. So now I've "slammed" him. My constructive criticism has now turned into slamming.

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nor was there much concern apparently about the device until months later. I don't understand why this became an issue for an item that had been essentially discarded.

The issue isn't that the device wasn't working (hmm... I'm wondering how many different ways I can say that) but the quality of the workmanship after taking off the 1/8" plug's body and taking apart the dock. Let's say I paid a premium for some kind of product. Years later after normal wear and tear some part fails. So I decide to open up this product in attempt to fix it myself. If I see sloppy work I'm going to be pissed. It shows me lack of attention to detail and if I pay for a high end product I expect one through and through. Have you ever pulled apart a Hornet? Immaculate workmanship. I recently pulled the innards out of my Corda Move to change the gain setting. Beautiful work was all I saw. THAT is what I expect. I've mentioned taking apart Headphile and Stefan AudioArt cables - pristine work. THAT is what I expect.

 

[swt61]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif This is the reference to months later that I have been referring too.

Yes I understand your reference, but what you don't seem to understand is that it's irrelevant. I have no issue with customer service at ALO. I was not mad because the cable came in with a short. Yeah these things happen I understand that. I was busy with other issues and the cable didn't bother me. [size=large]I HAVE NEVER COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SHORT IN THE CABLE, OR ALO FOR SENDING ME A CABLE WITH A SHORT IN IT.[/size]You can continue to pretend that this is the issue, but you're the ones trying to make this the issue. I was never that put off by it, and I simply remembered it was lying around unused when I was sendind a package to warrior05 months later, so I asked him if he could look at it. He did, he fixed it. I've never been upset with ALO in any way over the short in the cable. What is the problem with having warrior05 fix the cable for me as long as I don't bitch about ALO sending me a cable with a short in it. And if you can find a single post where I complain about a short in the cable please post it. Only when warrior told me about the sloppy soldering did I ever give more than 30 seconds thought about the cable. Then the question is should they be sending out a cable with sloppy soldering at this price point? Sloppy soldering is not the same issue as a cable with a short in it. A cable with a short could be due to rough shipping or a number of other factors, in which case if it bothered me enough I would have contacted Ken about it. Sloppy soldering can not be explained away as a mistake.

If I mailed a stand to someone and it arrived broken, I would hope they would contact me first, as it may well have been due to shipping even if it was packed extremely well (this has happened). But if I send out a headphone stand that was just poorly made with loose joints or an inferior finish, why does the customer have an obligation to contact me first before complaining about it? To me it's obvious that if I didn't care enough to build it right the customer has every right to post his bad experience without contacting me first.

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't really see how it could have been months since this device has not been available that long but this is here anyway. Could have been weeks, maybe.

And right here is the big problem, you didn't care enough to get the correct information before jumping to this conclusion. Where is it posted that the dock with the short in it was the same iMod dock that warrior05 recently purchased? You just jumped to that conclusion and implied that I stretced the truth for saying it had been months instead of weeks, without any information to back that up. The dock in question was a regular iPod thin copper dock that I bought many months back.

 

[xnothingpoetic]

People need to learn how to read.

 

[swt61]

Quote:

Originally Posted by guzziguy /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was referring to the OP, I had no idea whether or not he was an ALO owner.

Quote:

Originally Posted by warrior05 /img/forum/go_quote.gif What set me off was purchasing their iMod Female Mini Dock for the 5+ gen iMod. This is a physically tiny piece of hardware yet I was given no choice but to pay $15 for shipping.

This is the beggining of the first post. Does it get any clearer than that? If you would read the post before making these incorrect assumptions, I wouldn't have to keep refering back the these post over, and over, and over.

Quote:

Originally Posted by guzziguy /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm curious, is this the only ALO product with poor quality that you two have seen? Did warrior open any of his ALO products to compare? If so, what was the result?

So what is your point? How many poor quality parts do I have to buy before I'm allowed to talk about them? Is it 12, or 9, or 6...?

Quote:

Originally Posted by guzziguy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Did warrior open any of his ALO products to compare?

I also notice that just seconds after typing that you didn't know if the OP was an ALO owner, you now consider him one. Does this seem a little contradictory?

 

[elrod-tom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Agent Kang /img/forum/go_quote.gif Absolutely. All sponsor-based online communities suffer from this. It is unfortunate that Head-fi takes this type of censorship to another level. I frankly never understood why product criticisms are reacted with such negativity here.

This is, with all due respect, nonsense. Where is this censorship? Has this thread so critical of a sponsor been locked? Deleted?

The answer is no...well, at least not yet. I'm thinking it will stay open so long as people stay somewhat civil.

What you seem to be confusing with censorship is a reaction by the membership that might justifiably make another poster think twice about doing what was done in this thread: post about a beef with said sponsor without making an attempt to contact him and resolve it. That's nothing but good IMHO...the reaction by the membership is out of what some perceive as unfair treatment. Had an attempt to fix the situation with the vendor been made by the OP's, I'm sure the reaction would have been much different.

 

[foo_me]

feedback is feedback...and they should be both positive and negative and let the readers decide.

jeez...it's like no one can write anything slightly negative, regardless how honest and/or true it may be.

I think the op put his comments within perfectly clear context...he didn't slam Ken. He just expressed his experience.

why is it that people can post high praise all the time here and not vice versa? Products of quality will stand out on its own without censorship which is what this kind of mentality leads when people feel like they can't honestly express both negative and positive experiences.

sometimes, people get a little too sensitive here...

 

[warrior05]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elrod-tom /img/forum/go_quote.gif Had an attempt to fix the situation with the vendor been made by the OP's, I'm sure the reaction would have been much different.

Once again - TOTALLY NOT THE POINT.

 

[warrior05]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xnothingpoetic /img/forum/go_quote.gif People need to learn how to read.

[size=large]AMEN![/size]

 

[mrarroyo]

So far reading this post has been quite interesting. I will probably get in deep sh__ for saying what I will but so what.

While I would have given Ken (or for that matter any vendor) a call that is not the issue here. To me is what should be expected when you pay a premium for a product.

For the first 30 years or so after I got my driver's license I bought "regular cars". As I got older I started buying what to many would be a premiun car. The first two were an Audi TT Roaster with all wheel drive and the 225 hp engine, the second a BMW 525.

Now going from $10,000-$12,000 cars to $45,000 cars (in 2001) was a big jump for me. I felt that a car which has an sticker price of $45,000 plus should leaps and bounds over a Nissan Pulsar.

I expected the significantly more expensive car to handle better, accelarate better, have no rattles or squeeks, and just perform like a car that cost me 4 times what my previous car did. Surprise, surprise, both the TT and the BMW were pieces of junk and both were sold in less that 2 years.

The TT spent 7 weeks in the shop out of the first 20 weeks from new. Was I expecting to much when the ECU gave out, or the rear wiring harness had to be replaced, or the bushings on the front stabilizer bar had to be replaced due to squeeking in less than 10,000 miles, or the glove box was replaced twice because of squeeking, how about a recall due to bad coils. The list is longer but the jest is that in a lesser car like a cavalier I would have probably lived with the squeeking of the glove box or the front stabilizer bar. Why because I would have said: It only cost me ... However no way I would have that attitude when I pay a premium for what is sold as a better car (or a given product).

So to sumarize, if you pay a premium price for a product you expect it to be significantly better that the "normally priced" equivalent. You also should expect it to be better built and finished.

Note: I am not a DIY, but in the DIY section here there are plenty of discussions where the newbies are told not to put globs of solder and to clean up their work to improve the sound.

 

[guzziguy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by swt61 /img/forum/go_quote.gif This is the beggining of the first post. Does it get any clearer than that? If you would read the post before making these incorrect assumptions, I wouldn't have to keep refering back the these post over, and over, and over.

Sorry, I missed it. However, warrior seems to agree with mr. baseball that the issue is quality. What does this have to do with quality? warrior knew the price of shipping when he ordered. Or was shipping tacked on later? If not, why bitch about it now.

Also, you don't have to do anything. You are choosing to do it.

Quote:

So what is your point? How many poor quality parts do I have to buy before I'm allowed to talk about them? Is it 12, or 9, or 6...?

I was curious to know if this cable is an exception or if there is a real problem here. I don't consider one that way an real problem. If this is not a rare exception then there is a problem. I'm trying to find out. I'd rather not make judgements from a sample size of 1.


Quote:

I also notice that just seconds after typing that you didn't know if the OP was an ALO owner, you now consider him one. Does this seem a little contradictory?

No, you implied in the post I was quoting that he is a customer and I took you on your word. Nothing else. Sorry again that I misunderstood the first post in the thread.

I still think that you should have talked to Ken about quality issues before going public. I would have. However, feel free to talk all you want.

Heh, it just dawned onto me how similar this thread is to the old SinglePower quality threads.

 

[3x331m]

All I see is that the OP raised 2 concerns:

1. Shipping cost.
2. Quality of the product.

I don't see any wrong with that. We should appreciate his assertiveness. We're all customers in one way or the other.

How do you feel if you're being mistreated by your vendors ?

Feedback from customers is the best measure to grade vendors and keep them honest, and it's up to the vendor to do their job to keep their customers happy.

Sorry... you look bad, too, if you picked the wrong side.

 

[warrior05]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif So to sumarize, if you pay a premium price for a product you expect it to be significantly better that the "normally priced" equivalent. You also should expect it to be better built and finished. Note: I am not a DIY, but in the DIY section here there are plenty of discussions where the newbies are told not to put globs of solder and to clean up their work to improve the sound.

Obviously, I'm going to agree here but I wanted to call out two things.

1) I appreciate this post because it pertains to the issue and is a welcome change from most posts.

2) I do make my own cables and have done work as a paid service for others. I personally can't imagine sending out a cable in a similar state as I found ALO's docking connector.