[Cyric]

Quote:

Originally Posted by insomniax /img/forum/go_quote.gif Its nice to see Cyric pop up. =P Although there's a limited amount that he could do for the OP since he bought from an unauthorised source, it is comforting to know that go-the-extra-mile customer service still exists in Singapore. Albeit a rarity nowadays. Maybe this one will go down amicably resolved.

Thanks for the support. I just hope I don't end up disappointing anybody due to lack of resources.

 

[Cyric]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mister__big /img/forum/go_quote.gif @Cyric: Thanks a lot for offering to help, I appreciate it since you are not obliged to do so and I understand you are simply doing it out of goodwill. I will forward you the receipt. Thanks again.

Thanks for accepting my offer to assist. I will wait for your e-mail and proceed from there. Meanwhile, I do hope you'll endure with the issue and I'll find some way to make it up to you once I've settled most of my back end stuff.

Aside from that, a big big hello to everyone here, whether you're using a Shure or not, whether you're a fan or not.

I'm actually looking for a part time customer support staff, with possibilities of conversion to full time. So if any of you are interested to do part time for a couple of months, and then be converted to full time, do drop me an e-mail for further details.

Once again, my mailing address is rank@grandtech.com.sg

Cheers !!
Rank aka Cyric

 

[ccfoodog]

FWIW, I purchased a pair of E500s at full MSRP that later had to be replaced. It was by sheer luck that I actually had a copy of the receipt, six months later.

Personally, while I understand it may be perfectly legal, I find it very distasteful that manufacturers don't stand behind their products -- period.

So I bought an expensive item and gave it or sold it to someone else? Why shouldn't that be covered? It isn't like it magically stopped being their product.

Manufactures should stand behind their product, period.

Folks have pointed out Etymotic doesn't abuse their customers in this way, and we should note our dissatisfaction with less.

When you buy a Surefire flashlight, their warranty states:

Quote:

GUARANTEE/WARRANTY THE SUREFIRE NO-HASSLE GUARANTEE Lamps will burn out and batteries will be used up. Everything else is covered by our no-hassle guarantee: If it breaks, we fix it.

When you are selling a premium product, please stand behind it.

-john

 

[cyberspyder]

Surefire has THE best warranty in the business...no questions asked warranty.

 

[Bilavideo]

On a flashlight, once you disclaim the bulb and the battery, what else are you standing behind? A plastic shell? A spring? A switch?

I think the guy from Shure stepped up and I admire that. Let's not belittle it with a comparison from a flashlight company. I'm sure the guarantee on a pet rock was solid, too.

 

[cyberspyder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bilavideo /img/forum/go_quote.gif On a flashlight, once you disclaim the bulb and the battery, what else are you standing behind? A plastic shell? A spring? A switch? I think the guy from Shure stepped up and I admire that. Let's not belittle it with a comparison from a flashlight company. I'm sure the guarantee on a pet rock was solid, too.

Not really....but then again, lets not get OT. I just have to add this...Surefire's stuff is THE best in the industry...go to their website...honestly. Not just a "plastic shell, a spring, and a switch".

 

[fzman]

since i work for a retailer, feel free to take everything i say with the proverbial grain of salt. (we sell shure in-ears, but it is a very small part of our business, and is not why I am replying to this thread).

i am sorry that the OP had trouble getting his Shures repaired for free. what i would like to point out is that when you decide what to buy and where to buy it from, you are not just buying the thing that shows up in the box. there are also considerations about service and support both before and after the sale. These things would, first and foremost, fall on the retailer who sold the OP the headphones in the first place -- perhaps it is not a big surprise that they are out of business.

Shure, like many companies, expends time and effort to find retailers who are able to properly sell, advertise, and support their product. this is what justifies the dealer to make a profit from selling goods for which they are authorized.

I remember a specific instance where I received a call from someone asking for very detailed, specific instructions regarding the set up and use of a universal player that we sold. During our conversation I did ask him if he bought the product from us. He informed me that he bought it from another seller who had a slightly lower price-- but that he was not going to call them for help using the player, since he believed that they had no product knowledge, and would not be able to explain to him how to do what he was trying to do. (this is an example, not a comparison to the OP!!)

my point is simply that when you make a purchase solely on the basis of price, you have to decide what the actual costs and benefits are of making that specific purchase from that specific source.

like many of you, price is an object to me, and i do research my purchases fairly extensively, before i decide to buy, and from whom. i never assume that the vendor offering the lower price is doing it out of the kindness of his/her heart, or that they are somehow more honest than vendors offering the same goods at higher prices.

i treat my customers the way I would like to be treated, and expect the same treatment in return, and from people from whom I make purchases. always remember that the best price is not always the best deal.

 

[crossmd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fuxkie /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey, you stupid fool!! They don’t even know if your earphone from ebay is original or not. How come they can confirm to offer you warranty in e-mail? There is always no guarantee for warranties on parallel imports. Everyone knows but they just don’t admit it!

Great first post! Keep it up..

Seriously though, what's with all the trolls recently?

 

[mister__big]

@fzman: I know where you are coming from and I understand full well that you should never expect service from a distributor you didn't purchase from in the first place. That is not what I did. What I did was purchase an original pair of Shure earphones and when it broke due to a manufacturing defect (well documented here on Head-Fi), I went to the manufacturer to get it fixed. Even if I had purchased from an authorized distributor, the only they can do in this situation is to send the earphones to Shure on my behalf. That's it. It's not like the authorized distributor can perform the repair for me.

 

[mister__big]

Update: After waiting for nearly a week for Shure to respond, they have replied with the same old "non-authorized distributor purchases are not eligible for warranty" line, which completely ignores the fact that my warranty card shows otherwise. Shure only offered to give me a one-to-one exchange at an unknown price.

I really want to solve this quickly and amicably, so I asked Shure for the price of the exchange. If it's within reason, I will consider it but if not, it looks like I will have to seek out my local consumer watchdog to get things done. To me it's a clear cut case:

1. I buy the original earphones in sealed factory packaging on eBay. They are not fakes.
2. Earphones break due to a well-known manufacturing defect. I send them in for repair under warranty.
3. Shure refuses to provide warranty on the grounds that it was purchased on eBay, then tells me to read the terms and conditions stated on the warranty card in my box.
4. I provide a scan of the original warranty card in the box which states otherwise.
5. Shure promptly ignores what the warranty card says (despite telling me to read it) and tells me to read the terms and conditions on their website.

I think people will agree that the warranty card is usually the final authority when it comes to the terms and conditions of a purchase, especially when the card itself states (as in the case of my E500) "THIS WARRANTY SUPERSEDES ALL OTHER WARRANTIES". When a manufacturer refuses to acknowledge the warranty card, to me that is a gross violation of the consumer's rights. You can say all you want about how the manufacturer has to protect their distributors and what not, but at the end of the day, the manufacturer should never go against what's printed on their own warranty card. The end doesn't justify the means on this one.

 

[PolloLoco]

The problem as I see it is that Shure has no way of verifying an EBAY claim. They're taking yours - and perhaps the EBAY vendor's claim that the shure's were new when purchased, and within the warranty period. If this was accepted, it would be quite easy for an individual to "extend" their warranty indefinitely by selling a headphone to a friend via EBAY with pictures of a brand new headphone. With an approved vendor, there's a contract and relationship in place that prevents that.

While some companies can afford to warranty products indefinitely and no questions asked, I can see why others would choose not to. I keep that in mind whenever I decide to purchase on EBAY.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

What is the date code on the cable of the Shure?

 

[Cyric]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif What is the date code on the cable of the Shure?

There isn't actually any visible date code which can easily be read by the consumer. It's usually coded so that only the actual tech support at Shure HQ will know how to read it.

Regarding older models like E500 and the other E series, the date codes could range anywhere between 1 ~ 3 years ago I'd think. Date code only shows when it was manufactured. It could well have sat on the store shelf for years before it was sold (I once had a 1GB kingston flash drive sitting on my store shelf for 3 years before it was finally sold at a huge loss).

In regards to the concerns of those staying in Singapore about the price difference. The actual MSRP of Shure products in Singapore is actually a direct conversion of the USD MSRP. There is no additional mark-up with the exception of the 7% GST.

What most of you are getting are special prices from online stores. And not all online stores are authorized dealers. We do not have any solid evidence on how these people got their stocks, but I have a general idea of the procedure (used to associate with people from this line).

As much as I agree, the consumer shouldn't be penalized for this, yet it is a market that cannot be stopped totally. It's like the market for pirated movies and music. No way to crack down on it. People still download free mp3s and movies one way or another regardless off how hard the recording companies try to crack down on it.

There are bound to be sellers who slip through the net, and that is the main concern for all manufacturers. Right now, the best way to take note of whether a seller is authorized or not, is still price based. If there is a reasonable discount on the MSRP, then it is possible that it's safe. If the discount is huge, and seems too good to be true, it's likely the case.

This part of the post is for those in Singapore. If you are comparing a SE530 bought from overseas at $400 ~ $450 SGD, there's no way you can get that kind of price in Singapore from retailers. Absolutely no way. Whether you are willing to trust my words or not, I leave it up to you. For a retailer to sell you at that price, they are making a loss. A huge loss.

However, I did hear the feedbacks and I will be working on campaigns and promotions based on the feedbacks. I thank those who have e-mailed me with suggestions. I assure you, all suggestions are taken seriously and are being worked on. Watch this spot as we start bringing you exclusive deals and incentives from this month onwards.

Cheers !!
Rank aka Cyric
Shure distributor (Singapore)
rank@grandtech.com.sg

 

[AC1]

I believe Shure does not have a importing policy to their warranty right (like say Stax)?

Ok so you circumvented local distrubutors to get a cheaper price by importing it. On top of that you bought it from an unathorized dealer. But now you have to send it to Shure Singapore (who really just fowards on to the global entity "Shure") to get it repaired (even though it is technically a US E500).

Explain to me why Shure should take any responsibility for this one?

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyric /img/forum/go_quote.gif As much as I agree, the consumer shouldn't be penalized for this, yet it is a market that cannot be stopped totally. It's like the market for pirated movies and music. No way to crack down on it. People still download free mp3s and movies one way or another regardless off how hard the recording companies try to crack down on it.

NO, it's not!

There is a BIG difference between a pirated DVD or CD and a legitimate original disc. If the Shure is a legitimate product, the give the man a (&%!@# warranty, even if he has to send it back to the USA for repair!

It's not even my busted IEM and I'm getting ticked off.