[chef8489]

I have noticed we as head-fi'ers put up with some of the worst customer service in sales. It seems we just put up with it or make excesses for the seller. I am not talking person to person sales , but companies.I can understand long waits, but lack of communication should never happen. One should not have to hound a company to get responses. We spend a lot of money and it seems the companies should be great full and at least keep us posted on our purchases, especially if we have sent several emails asking. If it were a brick and mortar we would never put up with it.

 

[RockCity]

Because these individuals realize they have absolutely no leverage against these companies or their work integrity. Unlike B&M, there is no hierarchy or supervisor that hears the public's complaints. You might do worse by pissing them off and causing them to sulk.

 

[nsx_23]

Its simple really, I just cancel my order if the company's being rubbish, and I'm always willing to pay a small premium to buy from an actual store rather than a website since I can try out all the different amps, headphones, etc and find the right one for me instead of buying it online, finding that its not for me and trying to resell it.

 

[Lamora]

Many reasons.

Because someone else comes along with a huge post count and says that they order from this company all the time and have never had any problems.

Because people are always willing to make excuses for their preferred companies despite having no financial interest in them.

Because one persons chalk is another persons cheese.

Because some people think because they spent a lot of money a prompt reply is expected and another person is willing to wait a few days regardless of how much they spent.

Because companies find it easier to ignore emails than faces.

Like i said, Many reasons. This is isn't unique to the Audiophile community. Put your money where your mouth is, shop elsewhere if you feel the service isn't satisfactory.

I am a bit drunk, this post may make no sense.

 

[digger945]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lamora /img/forum/go_quote.gif Because one persons chalk is another persons cheese.

This is a new one on me. Colorful. I like it.

Quote:

I am a bit drunk, this post may make no sense.

Well, this is one way to handle disagreements with customer service LOL.

Cheers.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I don't put up with bad service. I always pay via PayPal or credit card. If there's a problem, I file a dispute.

Every time I've filed a dispute the situation resolves itself in a hurry.

 

[ph0rk]

I don't.

I don't buy from the absolute cheapest seller, but places like B&H that have a good return policy that they honor, and fast communication. It is worth it, to me.

 

[Taikero]

I usually stick to reputable companies as much as possible.

Haven't had a bad experience with headphones or other online shopping yet.

 

[solessthanthree]

Sometimes when we complain we get free stuff :]

Other times we just don't have a choice :[

 

[nsx_23]

Xin automatically comes to mind. As much as I want one of his amps (and did have one for a short time), I'm not sure I can wait more than 1 month for an amplifier........

 

[Currawong]

I think part of the problem is that many audio businesses are small and while they are run by people who are great at what they make, those people can also be hopelessly disorganised and lazy at communication.

 

[krmathis]

I personally don't put up with bad customer support.
Payment via PayPal or credit card. Have no problem filing a claim against them if the goods don't arrive as agreed upon.

I also contact the seller and claim a return of partial refund if the item are not as described.

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nsx_23 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Xin automatically comes to mind. As much as I want one of his amps (and did have one for a short time), I'm not sure I can wait more than 1 month for an amplifier........

Xin is not good at communicating and he does take a heck of a long time to send you the unit. However, you do get free upgrades and the sound well ....

At the end of the day you decide if you order or not, and if you pay via a credit card he does not charge you untill the unit is about to ship. The key to ordering from Xin is to pay using a CC and to know it will take a while. However the only amp that right now should be slow in shipping is the Reference due to the ongoing beta testing going on.

 

[xnothingpoetic]

It's amazing how different head-fi and other high-end market people like ourselves differ from everyday consumers (when buying non-high-end products).

Most of us will sacrifice a lot for the last bit of sound quality. We demand perfection from the reproduced sound, but we will easily let things like customer service, price, aesthetics (arguably), and sometimes build quality (to a certain extent) slide. As long as it sounds great- the rest is put on the back burner

But if regular, everyday consumers bought amplifiers (for whatever reason), companies like Xin wouldn't stand a chance in the market.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xnothingpoetic /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's amazing how different head-fi and other high-end market people like ourselves differ from everyday consumers (when buying non-high-end products). Most of us will sacrifice a lot for the last bit of sound quality. We demand perfection from the reproduced sound, but we will easily let things like customer service, price, aesthetics (arguably), and sometimes build quality (to a certain extent) slide. As long as it sounds great- the rest is put on the back burner But if regular, everyday consumers bought amplifiers (for whatever reason), companies like Xin wouldn't stand a chance in the market.

The products we buy aren't that different from other low-volume, mom and pop style operations. If you go to a local garage or use small contractors, it's pretty similar. I don't expect them to do things overnight - they don't have the volume or resources for that. But non-responsiveness, continual delays, etc., are not acceptable.