[buffalowings]

Quote:

That sound very reasonable. Most companies I've deal with ask for you to ship them back at your own expense even koss lifetime warranty 
 


 

this is clearly their fault though...
 

 

[keanex]

Most companies? I've never heard of one company asking for the customer to pay shipping to replace an item that was defective. Microsoft never made their customers pay return shipping on their Xbox 360s with the Red Ring of Death. Razer sent me a box to send my broken mouse back. Logitech simply sent me a new mouse no questions asked. Apple gave me a brand new pair of ADDIEMs off the shelf when my ADDIEMs experienced cracking due to me dropping them. Norelco sent me a replacement razor with a return box when my razor died due to a power surge. Needless to say I've shown proof via picture that the IEM broke at a fault line due to shoddy production. If they're going to send me a new replacement, then why not send it first and send me a box to return them in?

 

[buffalowings]

Quote:

Most companies? I've never heard of one company asking for the customer to pay shipping to replace an item that was defective. Microsoft never made their customers pay return shipping on their Xbox 360s with the Red Ring of Death. Razer sent me a box to send my broken mouse back. Logitech simply sent me a new mouse no questions asked. Apple gave me a brand new pair of ADDIEMs off the shelf when my ADDIEMs experienced cracking due to me dropping them. Norelco sent me a replacement razor with a return box when my razor died due to a power surge. Needless to say I've shown proof via picture that the IEM broke at a fault line due to shoddy production. If they're going to send me a new replacement, then why not send it first and send me a box to return them in?

X2, honestly. i would not even ask the customer to send it all the way back to china...assuming it's an obvious fault and in this case, it is
 

 

[keanex]

Yeah, especially when I heard from a personal friend that he had to wait 20 days from the day they received his RE2 for them to send it back.

 

[Tefloon]

I thought brand new IEMs as a replacement was standard.

 

[murano]

Quote:

Most companies? I've never heard of one company asking for the customer to pay shipping to replace an item that was defective. Microsoft never made their customers pay return shipping on their Xbox 360s with the Red Ring of Death. Razer sent me a box to send my broken mouse back. Logitech simply sent me a new mouse no questions asked. Apple gave me a brand new pair of ADDIEMs off the shelf when my ADDIEMs experienced cracking due to me dropping them. Norelco sent me a replacement razor with a return box when my razor died due to a power surge. Needless to say I've shown proof via picture that the IEM broke at a fault line due to shoddy production. If they're going to send me a new replacement, then why not send it first and send me a box to return them in?

Welcome to the new world of customer service!  Making customers pay postage for returns of defective products is definitely an increasing trend.  Companies that pay return postage may be the exception, not the rule now days.  I think even newegg is making customers come out of pocket for returns now.
 
If you really think about your situation, is an extra $1-2 worth all of the aggravation and time spent on e-mails and angry posts.

 

[vwinter]

 
Quote:

Most companies? I've never heard of one company asking for the customer to pay shipping to replace an item that was defective. Microsoft never made their customers pay return shipping on their Xbox 360s with the Red Ring of Death. Razer sent me a box to send my broken mouse back. Logitech simply sent me a new mouse no questions asked. Apple gave me a brand new pair of ADDIEMs off the shelf when my ADDIEMs experienced cracking due to me dropping them. Norelco sent me a replacement razor with a return box when my razor died due to a power surge. Needless to say I've shown proof via picture that the IEM broke at a fault line due to shoddy production. If they're going to send me a new replacement, then why not send it first and send me a box to return them in?

Ummmm... to quote my grandpappy: "After the fifth divorce, you have to start wondering if maybe it's you."

Seriously though, I honestly cannot believe that you've never heard of a company doing that. I agree with the other guy, its pretty damn common (not so much the reasonable part). Now that's not to say that I don't agree with you that companies should pay the return shipping for defective products. I wish that's how it always worked.
 
But to be fair, you can't use the Apple example because you took it to the store which is the same as you paying return shipping.
 
Unfortunately, you've ended up in a bad spot and my suggestion is that you pay the $1.50 USPS to ship it back out to them. Not because you want new ones, not because its right or wrong, but because you've moved on and assuming they are defective, the company shouldn't just get out of it because you don't want to pay $1.50 on principle. You take the negligible, in relation to the cost of the IEM's, hit of $1.50 and the company will take the hit of replacing them and return shipping to you. So what if they take a month to get back to you, you don't even seem to want them anymore, so whenever you do get them, you can just sell them as brand new and cut your losses.
 
Edit: Damn, Murano beat me to it. Same exact post, different wording. Kind of creepy.
 

 

[keanex]

Quote:

I thought brand new IEMs as a replacement was standard.

Apparently they changed this in 2011, before then no.

 

[Nankai]

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/465263/head-direct-nankai/45#post_7528178
 
 
Before 2010 we used to ship fixed RE0 as replacement to customers. Since we received some complain about this, we start to providing new replacement since early 2011. 

 

 

When I reply keanex's email, I was on my way to airport. I don't want customer to wait so that I directly reply with my cellphone. I found a internet bar in airport a while ago so that I can reply the post right now.  If the customer don't have money to pay $1.5 shipping cost, we of course can help him after we receiving the package. 

 

 

In keanex's email (8:22pm), at first he mentioned he don't have the invoice or receipt.

 

I replied him at 8:44pm, told him that he should have an email invoice in his email.

 

In 9: 15pm, keanex replied that he got problem of his email so that he can not provide me any invoice. 

 

I told him that he should have the record in his paypal or googleaccount. (9:22pm). 

 

I got his reply that he paid via debit card, not paypal or google. (9:24pm). 

 

Then I told him he might purchase at amazon or from other sellers. (9:27pm)

 

In 9:34, keanex found this transaction in amazon at Nov 4th at 2010.

 

I send the warranty instruction email to the customer at 9:41.

"Good. Now u can get ur warranty with ur receipt. Pls print ur amazon receipt and this email, note u need a replacement, and ship ur earphone (no accessories and box) to the following address.
Head-direct corporation 
41-70 main st, #3-326

Flushing, ny 11355 "

 

In 9:46 the customer don't want to pay shipping, and start to attack in words, and insisted that we will send him a bad replacement. 

 

I replied at 9:55 that shipping back via USPS only take $1.5, and we will ship him a new replacement. 

 

In 10:03PM， customer keep telling me that he don't believe we will not ship him a new replacement. And attacking. 

 

I tried to tell him that pls trust us, and we will send him a new replacement, but customer never listen to me, and keep threatening in words. 

 

 

[borrego]

How ironic it can be.... the right case of my RE0 splitted open this morning. I super clued it back and then I see this post.
 
I have had the RE0 for about a year (i think warranty just expired). I have always handle my pair with care. I think it is just the glue giving up on my pair.

 

[mephiska]

I know how some very vocal customers can really tarnish a company and product's reputation, and very few companies have representatives that come to forums to publicly defend themselves.  
 
Good to see HiFiMan out there at least giving the other side of the story.   Also good to see you honor the warranty when bought through Amazon since that's where I got mine, no problems yet (fingers crossed).
 
Since the glue for the shells is the most common point of failure people experience, do you have any plans for changing the design or type of glue to more permanently fix the problem?

 

[keanex]

Or perhaps completely redesigning the shell as to avoid the problem completely? It's a terrible spot to have any seam, especially one 1mm high at the biggest pressure point on IEMs.

 

[Neosk]

A lot of barrel IEMs use a similar shell. My sennheiser CX300 broke in a similar way (although it lasted me a year).
 
Keanex I don't know why you want to strike a vendetta against Head-direct when they are willing to replace your RE0 for a small shipping cost. You should be grateful that they have this kind of warranty. My Sunrise Sw-xcapes died on me after two months and I didn't have this kind of warranty offer.
 
Also, aren't you being a little too dramatic? Another headfier had a similar problem with the sw-xcape (http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/555579/totally-disappointed-with-the-sunrise-sw-xcape), yet he wasn't vocal as you declaring that sunrise is the worst company ever. Problems like this happen to any reputable company, not only head direct.
 
 

 

[keanex]

 

[size=medium]

I may have been a bit harsh out of anger given the circumstances, I apologize. I will take Nankai up on the offer and give Head-Direct another chance, I do expect a speedy return though given I'm shipping to New York and I live in New Jersey. We will see.
​

[/size]

 

[kiteki]

Experienced customers of head-direct like ljokerl have said his inventory is fine, the RE0 seems pretty popular overall, and I don't think many people expect the highest build quality from an enthusiastic and innovative Chinese hifi brand, I think they typically expect low prices, high sound quality, and average everything else.
 
Nankai has shown that he responds to emails frequently even when he's busy, and he has underlined that a faulty RE0 within warranty will be replaced with a brand new RE0, I never even expected that kind of high level service until I saw this thread, so now I'm convinced to purchase an RE0! hahaha, and it's become evident that this whole issue is about a customer refusing to pay $1.50.