WooAudio issues

[csommers]

I didn't want to clog up the for-sale section with comments, so I figured I'd repost it here.

You can read what happened, http://www.head-fi.org/forums/5567428-post12.html , but I'll quote it below as well.

Quote:

Not sure where to post this, but I'll post it here I guess an maybe re-post it later in the general Amp section. Using my intuition I opened the box to 100% make sure the amp was 100%..... Oh boy did I ever find a surprise. Below is the e-mail I just sent to Jack. Just to clarify, I already own one of these amps, which I bought used, and I have NEVER had an issue with it. I'm more sad than pissed off right now, especially since WooAudio has always made great products, and always TESTED them first. I'm not sure what's going on there but it took much longer than usual to get the amp, and it looks like they didn't even give it a glance over to function check. "Hi Jack I just received the amp today. First off let me say that I currently own a WooAudio 6 I bought used, and it has been nothing but great. The amp I received today is a different matter entirely. The LED light does not work. The right hand side 6DE7 tube connector does not work(I tried both tubes in it an neither functions), the 1/4 connector on the front is loose, and the 5AR4 connector is ridiculously loose(the tube wobbles all over). I was originally getting this for my office, then I decided I would rather get a dac/amp combo, so I asked around with a few friends but none wanted it. Lastly I decided to sell it on head-fi or audiogon. Now if I sold this, I'm 1000000% sure the recipient would be more than pissed off, but imagine how I feel? This is supposed to be a NEW WORKING TESTED AMP. I'm very surprised this got past your people. Now the problem is what do I do? This clearly is not a simple fix, the amp will have to be sent back and probably rebuilt, and I do not have time to do such. It really makes me sad because the WooAudio 6 I currently own is nothing short of stellar. Like I said, I'd love to keep the amp but I don't have time to deal with the issues it has and the time that would take. I'm going to re-box it and ship it tomorrow morning. I would appreciate it if you would re-fund my total as well as the return shipping ASAP. Sincerely Chris Sommers" What really bothers me is that I needed the cash, and now I'm up **** creek until I get the money refunded. Obviously the amp is no longer for sale If someone REALLY wants it, and understands the issues with it, I will sell it to you but I would prefer not to. I know Jack will fix it w/o a doubt, but I would feel bad pushing this POS off on someone else.

Has anyone else been having trouble with WooAudio lately?
First it was product delays, then part delays due to "bad" parts...

, then I receive an amp thats clearly FUBAR.
I don't get it. Are they just having a bad week? or has this been going on for some time?

 

[Drag0n]

That doesnt sound like the usual response i see in the forums about new Woo products at all !!! Very strange!!!
And ive met Jack a few times and he was always decent and professional.
Im curious to see the outcome of all of this.

 

[sunseeker888]

Could just be a busy time for them like you mentioned.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunseeker888 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Could just be a busy time for them like you mentioned.

Shouldn't mean quality has to suffer though.

 

[nbourbaki]

I can't imagine how bad it must have felt opening the package and finding that. Please keep us updated on what happens. I nearly pulled the trigger on a Woo 3+ this weekend and I saw your ad for the 6.

 

[csommers]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule /img/forum/go_quote.gif Shouldn't mean quality has to suffer though.

Exactly. The waiting, being promised specific dates twice, is ok I can live with that.
But not spending 3 minutes to test it out? I don't see how you could be that busy to forget that.

All-in-all its just annoying more than anything. The one thing I am glad I did was open it up. I would have been very angry with myself if I sold someone a non-functioning amp.

 

[Covenant]

I'd like to know what Jack's reply is, although IMO your email to him was unnecessarily inflammatory and a simple "these are the things that are wrong with it, this is my situation, what can we do?" would have sufficed.

Lets give the man the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise.

 

[cyd2025]

i'm not clear on what you're saying... did jack of wooaudio refuse to take it back?
i thought they had a 20 day refund policy... did this change?

here's what i see on their website:

"All new amplifier purchases come with 1 year parts and labor warranty covering any manufacturing defects.

Returning item must be made within 20-day upon arrival of the package. Custom orders and amps with upgraded parts are not subject to return. Shipping cost is non-refundable."

i'd just return the amp and get my money back minus shipping. unless it's been upgraded... in which case, have
them fix it at their cost and sell it on the FS forum. i would've just canceled the order before they shipped it...
good luck.

 

[peanuthead]

I thought they thoroughly tested all their amps out before shipping???
Do you think this could be due to shipping damage/rough handling?

 

[sillysally]

That's disturbing.

I have a WA6se maxed, that Jack said would ship by the end of the month.
So far no shipping notice.
And yes If after waiting this long, only to find a amp that should have never shipped, I would be upset.

 

[atbglenn]

Deleted

 

[csommers]

Quote:

Originally Posted by takezo /img/forum/go_quote.gif i'm not clear on what you're saying... did jack of wooaudio refuse to take it back? i thought they had a 20 day refund policy... did this change? here's what i see on their website: "All new amplifier purchases come with 1 year parts and labor warranty covering any manufacturing defects. Returning item must be made within 20-day upon arrival of the package. Custom orders and amps with upgraded parts are not subject to return. Shipping cost is non-refundable." i'd just return the amp and get my money back minus shipping. unless it's been upgraded... in which case, have them fix it at their cost and sell it on the FS forum. i would've just canceled the order before they shipped it... good luck.

...no he hasn't responded yet. I'm sure he'll take it back and refund my money, its not a question of that though. This isn't a simple refund policy issue either. The amp is DAMAGED, so it shouldn't be my issue to pay for shipping. You wouldn't pay to have a TV sent back after you received it with a broken screen, see my point?

I was going to cancel my order, but Jack didn't tell me until after he had shipped it. If he had said "Hey I'm getting ready to ship your order" I would've just told him "You know what, just keep the amp an refund me -$20 for the hassle for you".

Quote:

Originally Posted by peanuthead /img/forum/go_quote.gif I thought they thoroughly tested all their amps out before shipping??? Do you think this could be due to shipping damage/rough handling?

I can take pictures of the box if no one believes me, but its absolutely PRISTINE. The amp itself, if no ones gotten one from Jack, is encased in a coffin of soft foam 12x12x18".
I HIGHLY HIGHLY doubt it was damaged in shipment, the issues with it IMHO are too numerous to be from a simple bump during shipping.

 

[ghostmusic]

Not that I'm doubting the OP, but my own personal experience with Jack is utterly different from the one described here, as mentioned by others. I think we all need to calm down and wait to hear from Woo Audio before anything. As for me, it's hard for me to believe that Woo Audio would knowingly ship a severely damaged amp in a pristine box... again, not to doubt you, csommers, but why were you trying to sell the damaged amp for less when you're sure that Jack would refund the money? Just wanted to piece all the info together to try to make sense of this all.

 

[cyd2025]

Quote:

Originally Posted by csommers /img/forum/go_quote.gif ...no he hasn't responded yet. I'm sure he'll take it back and refund my money, its not a question of that though. This isn't a simple refund policy issue either. The amp is DAMAGED, so it shouldn't be my issue to pay for shipping. You wouldn't pay to have a TV sent back after you received it with a broken screen, see my point? I was going to cancel my order, but Jack didn't tell me until after he had shipped it. If he had said "Hey I'm getting ready to ship your order" I would've just told him "You know what, just keep the amp an refund me -$20 for the hassle for you"...

yeah, it sounds like they sent you a broken amp by mistake or on purpose...
hope you get all your money back. good luck

ugh... never mind... did you already sell the "damaged" unit? you already had proof
that wooaudio sent you a "damaged" unit and not the carrier, yet you already sold or are
attempting to sell it to a member here? what if there are more issues to it than you
know of? good luck with that... and good luck to the naive buyer...

 

[csommers]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghostmusic /img/forum/go_quote.gif Not that I'm doubting the OP, but my own personal experience with Jack is utterly different from the one described here, as mentioned by others. I think we all need to calm down and wait to hear from Woo Audio before anything. As for me, it's hard for me to believe that Woo Audio would knowingly ship a severely damaged amp in a pristine box... again, not to doubt you, csommers, but why were you trying to sell the damaged amp for less when you're sure that Jack would refund the money? Just wanted to piece all the info together to try to make sense of this all.

....ugh I knew this would happen. Gotta thank the Mod for deleting WHY I posted this info.

Look:
I bought an amp from WooAudio, I didn't unbox it at first because people in the FS thread said to just leave it be. To my knowledge at that point it was 100% functioning.
I decided to open it, and found the mess I posted above. At that point I posted what I posted above in the FS thread.

AT NO POINT DID I TRY TO SELL A DAMAGED AMP. UNDERSTAND THAT.

As I posted above, if Jack had notified me prior to shipment I would have flatout told him "Sorry please refund my money". This didn't happen so I wound up getting the amp, and not wanting to mail it back to him and wait for a refund etc etc, I decided to sell it at a slight loss to a member here.