[headfever]

I guess Shure will deem the cable is a out of controling warranty parts for there are too much of causes can damage the cable.

 

[mister__big]

@headfever: As I have mentioned, this cable breaking problem is well-known to Head-Fiers. Sugarfried (Shure's rep on Head-Fi) has also acknowledged that Shure is aware of this issue and will repair or replace E500s with such problems even if they are out of warranty.

 

[mister__big]

Update: Francis from Shure Asia has inspected my E500s and agrees to replace them with a new SE530 as "courtesy replacement". However, he claims that the replacement will not "carry any further product warranty".

I'm miffed about this because if there's a problem with new set, I'm back to square one. To all Head-Fiers who have gotten repairs/replacements from Shure, have you been told that your repaired/replaced unit will no longer be covered under warranty? I want to be sure about this before accepting any offers from Shure.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nebby /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's actually quite common for manufacturers to not provide warranty for products purchased from unauthorized sellers. I personally find it a nice gesture by a company when they do service a product that wasn't sold by an authorized seller, but I don't expect it. I will say that it's not right that they don't mention the authorized dealer only fact on their warranty policy online. Shure - Warranty Policies

And not only that, but there are quite a few companies which can refuse repairs on (or replacement of) any product that is not sold through their authorized sellers even if the owner offers to pay all repair or replacement charges for the product(s) in question.

 

[ClieOS]

Others have said it before, Shure will just give you a replacement to settle the issue, and it seems like this is how this is going to end. If you don't like it, just sells the new SE530 to some else and makes it clear to that person that it carries no warranty what-so-ever. You can use the money for another headphone, and perhaps you want to avoid Shure this time if you dislike their terms of warranty that much.

You should remember that there is little at your end that you can do about. You parallel exported / imported the IEM yourself, which means neither U.S. nor Singapore's laws will give you much (if any) protection. You had decided to risk your chance and unfortunately it didn't work out as you thought - that is how I see the story. A courtesy replacement is probably the best result you are going to get

I bought my SE530 from a local authorized dealer in Singapore and had replaced it once (first pair was a lemon). The warranty carries to the replacement unit.

 

[Arjisme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mister__big /img/forum/go_quote.gif To all Head-Fiers who have gotten repairs/replacements from Shure, have you been told that your repaired/replaced unit will no longer be covered under warranty? I want to be sure about this before accepting any offers from Shure.

Yes, I was told that. How long did you say you had your originals? I think it's questionable getting miffed over that. You will get a brand new pair that will have the newer cables and they are very unlikely to have the cable cracking problem.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mister__big /img/forum/go_quote.gif Update: Francis from Shure Asia has inspected my E500s and agrees to replace them with a new SE530 as "courtesy replacement". However, he claims that the replacement will not "carry any further product warranty". I'm miffed about this because if there's a problem with new set, I'm back to square one. To all Head-Fiers who have gotten repairs/replacements from Shure, have you been told that your repaired/replaced unit will no longer be covered under warranty? I want to be sure about this before accepting any offers from Shure.

I would imagine if they claim the original pair has no warranty, then they are offering to do a one time replacement with still no warranty. I'd bet if they are dead out of the box that they would only cover that, but nothing later. You may want to just sell them if you are afraid to use them and have them wear out prematurely.

 

[mister__big]

Well I've finally received a replacement pair from Shure Asia, thanks to Francis who was very professional and actually addressed my concerns rather than provide irrelevant cut-and-paste answers like the other customer service staff in Shure Asia or completely ignore them like Shure USA.

I checked out the policies of other earphone manufacturers and it seems Shure is not alone in their warranty restrictions. Etymotics seems to be the only manufacturer willing to warranty their products regardless of where you buy them from. That means I will strongly consider their products for my next upgrade, since here in Singapore you can either purchase on eBay (I believe authorized distributors cannot ship to places not in their territory. This is the case for Shure distributors.) or buy from the local stores which costs 30%+ more. I don't mind paying a bit more to buy locally but when the difference is so big, you can't help but think twice. Note that I'm not just talking about Shure, but other brands such as Sennheiser, Westone etc. as well. A lot of US-based posters have said in this thread "It's your fault that you didn't buy from an authorized distributor" but let me ask you this: Would you pay an extra ~30% just to buy from an authorized distributor?

Although Shure replaced the unit for me (after almost a month of being stonewalled), I feel that it shouldn't have escalated to such a position in the first place. If they had agreed to take in the unit for inspection immediately, I would have a much better impression of their customer service. Instead Shure first tried to disavow their own warranty card (which didn't mention that buying from a non-authorized dealer voids the warranty), then when I told them I would take action with my local BBB they changed tactics and claimed my unit could be a fake. Why they didn't just man up and take the unit in for inspection first is beyond me.

After being a loyal Shure user (having bought the E3c, E4g and E500) for 7 years, it's a slap in the face to have to go through this. I will no longer purchase or use any Shure product in the future, nor will I recommend them to anyone I know. I ended up giving the replacement unit to my dad who needs an isolation earphone. I'd rather sell it and buy an Ety for him but I can't since the replacement unit doesn't come with any packaging. Of course, the mother of ironies is that if I sell the replacement unit, the buyer might think it's a fake although it came straight from Shure Asia.

Lastly I just hope that this story serves as a counterbalance to the many positive reviews of Shure on this board. In fact, I purchased my first Shure (E3c) after reading Head-Fi because I was positive that should anything go wrong, I would be well taken care of. Caveat emptor.

 

[ClieOS]

JAYS also has transferable warranty.

Personally I don't see a fault in Shure warranty policy - not too consumer-friendly it may be, but not faulted as a business practice. Also, I bought my SE530 from Singapore authorized dealer with a price much cheaper than (*think eBay's pricing) that of U.S. authorized dealer discounted price. Like any shopping, find the right store with the right price takes some time, but it surely isn't that case of paying extra 30% for the same good.

 

[dreamer08]

This is my first post here haha

Sorry if I did offend you a bit but I just want to share a little bit about this. I do feel the pain for having such a hassle to just repairing/replacing your E500, but I guess this is quite normal for any electronic companies to have such practice. Sometimes is like asking for a claim from the insurance company after you been to the hospital. They try not to pay you until the last minute. (Although I have no problems with claiming insurance for my car accident with progressive in US

) They made up these rules to protect themselves and force people to buy it from the authorized dealer. You know, the dealers do pay a bunch of $ to get the "authorized dealer" name. If they don't protect their benefit, no one ever will get authorized and Shure will lose $ from it.

About the price, I guess other than Apple or some big companies, most of it set different price range. Why do Microsoft sale their 360 more expansive in EU than in US? Is more about the market needs and they set different price. Over in where I live in HK, it sale like US$70k for an Audi A4 and in US is like $50k.

You can always go to Germany to get one, but the dealer might not fix yours or request higher premium. This also applies to electronics. Your price doesn't just pay for the item itself, also the warranty/their operating cost/office..etc etc

I know is sad and is quite unfair, but that's what they do to protect their benefit. Just hope one day they figure out this is not a good way to customer and change the rules. I'm sure ETY is some really good IEM's and hopefully you will enjoy it.

 

[Arjisme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mister__big /img/forum/go_quote.gif Etymotics seems to be the only manufacturer willing to warranty their products regardless of where you buy them from.

I went to Etymotic's website and looked up warranty information and found a page that lists warranty terms for most (or all?) of their products. The length of the warranty varies depending on the product you buy, but they all share the same terms otherwise. It states that they warranty the products from the original date of purchase from an Authorized Etymotic distributor or reseller. A couple of questions would concern me: 1.) how do they determine the date of purchase? 2.)is their statement "an Authorized Etymotic distributor or reseller" equivalent to "an Authorized Etymotic distributor or Authorized Etymotic reseller?"

Just be very sure you read and understand all the warranty information for whatever product you buy in the future. Ideally, that should be done before the purchase.

 

[mister__big]

@dreamer08: No offense taken. But my beef with Shure lies beyond their warranty policies. I am more upset with the way they handled the situation than anything else. BTW, Welcome to Head-Fi, and sorry about your wallet! (That's a standard Head-Fi greeting.)

@Arjisme: Thanks for the info. I had heard that Ety warrants their products even if purchased from non-authorized dealers but it was strictly hearsay. I will check if Ety before buying any of their products just to be sure.

 

[greenhorn]

I am quoting from Shure - Microphones, Wireless Systems, Earphones, Professional and Personal Audio Gear


"All products manufactured by Shure Incorporated feature a limited two-year warranty. This two-year warranty is specific to the date of purchase as shown on your purchase receipt.

While under a valid warranty period, defective products (purchased domestically) may be returned to the Shure Service Department without prior authorization for service and repair, free of charge. "

No mention for the need to buy from an authorised dealer.

 

[pdupiano]

arjisme: Etymotics have tags/codes imprinted on all their products (the ER4p/s have tags/codes on their drivers) and its a way to determine their production date for warranty purposes.

mister_big: I think all of the hassle and trouble you've gone through is the only real reason to buy from an authorized seller. Otherwise, you can get very good deals for products buying from non-authorized sellers. And if you do buy an authorized product, the warranty transfers over to your new pair. If I remember correctly people got multiple replacements on their SE530's while Shure was fixing the wire problem a few years back.

 

[Arjisme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdupiano /img/forum/go_quote.gif arjisme: Etymotics have tags/codes imprinted on all their products (the ER4p/s have tags/codes on their drivers) and its a way to determine their production date for warranty purposes.

I didn't know that, but it doesn't surprise me. Shure does the same thing.

In practice, it may be they use that in the absence of a receipt -- I don't know. But their warranty clearly references date of purchase, not date of production. And, it references Authorized distributors and resellers. So, in the OP's case, he wants a warranty that explicitly provides the coverage he is looking for. I don't think Ety meets his criteria.