I only wanted to buy a turntable! [Archive]

View Full Version : I only wanted to buy a turntable!

bearair

11-09-2017, 09:21

I bought my first real HiFi unit over thirty years ago from Radfords in Bristol, I have dealt with Hifi dealers ever since and always received excellent service until last week.

Round One
I ordered a Elipson turntable directly from Do Good Audio for my stepson who is off to university. It was ordered on the 7th paid extra for next day delivery and promptly received an order confirmation. Late on the 7th I contacted them asking to know whether the turntable would be delivered next day as I would await the courier company. They responded with "it is being processed", phoned them on 8th and spoke to a lady who said she needed to check with another lady, she understood I was waiting in and would ring me back in 15mins. I waited and waited, no phone call so at 13.00 having waited half a day I contacted them again. This time I was told they did not have the item in stock but could supply me with a different turntable, no apology! I requested an immediate refund and email conformation of the refund. The Email I received, but as of today no refund has appeared on my card. I contacted my credit card company who say there is no record of a refund being processed! I am sure I will get the refund eventually but looking for somewhere else to buy the deck from I found the company still advertising the deck in stock and available for next day delivery! Looking at feedback they have done this sort of thing to a lot of people.
Sure enough checked on e-bay and they are still advertising the out of stock table for next day delivery.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ELIPSON-OMEGA-100-BELT-DRIVE-TURNTABLE-RED-/232231129088?hash=item36120dd000:g:f6kAAOSwjDZYmG~ q

Round Two!
Whilst looking at turntables for the boy, I fell for another turntable from a very well known manufacturer, but I found it difficult to find much details on the very new model they are releasing. Found one online at a dealer, buy for £549. Contacted them by e-mail to check they actually had got it in stock! Not in stock came the reply, 21 days for delivery we only keep the more expensive ones in stock. Ok I thought I can wait for 21 days, was just about to place the order when I received a email from the manufacturing company who I had contacted for a dealer name. I replied thanking them and informed them of who I would be buying the deck from. They came back to me telling me not only was the price completely wrong but they have never supplied anything to this dealer. So it appears that another dealer wanted to take my money with little or no prospect of me ever receiving the goods! I am now dealing direct with the manufacturer who has been very helpful.

I do want to stress that this is not a rant at the HiFi industry who have been great to me for over 35 years, I just was unlucky to find two poor dealers in the same week!

Roger

Ali Tait

11-09-2017, 09:57

I'd name and shame quite frankly.

walpurgis

11-09-2017, 10:02

I'd name and shame quite frankly.

Yes. Others need to be warned, just in case.

bearair

11-09-2017, 10:17

No problem, was not sure of forum rules,

Obviously the first company was Do good Audio, and the second was Scott Nangle Audio.

Roger

RothwellAudio

11-09-2017, 10:29

Since internet retail has appeared, this is not uncommon. Anybody can have an impressive looking website with hundreds of products on display, but do they actually have the stock? Quite often not. As a manufacturer I get this all the time. An internet retailer will ask to become a dealer but won't actually buy any stock. Six months later they want an item delivered next day - possibly directly to the customer - and then get shirty when it isn't available to them. :doh:

walpurgis

11-09-2017, 10:34

and the second was Scott Nangle Audio.

Roger

Hmm.

Audio Al

11-09-2017, 11:02

Scott Nangle Audio.

He is banned from this forum for dubious reasons

bearair

11-09-2017, 11:09

Scott Nangle Audio.

He is banned from this forum for dubious reasons

I have since read about him on goggle, for various reasons he should count himself very lucky. One day he will might well do it to the wrong person.

SLS

18-09-2017, 23:37

When my eldest son to Leeds university, even though he has a system at home, we went straight to Richer Sounds and got a turntable, speakers and TEAC all-in-one with everything including phono input plus speaker cables for £600. The TEAC broke and they sent it off and got it fixed by the manufacturer inside a week. Brilliant and helpful service, all warranties are recorded on their system. They carry loads of stock.

Failing that, Amazon Prime, next day guaranteed.

rubber duck

19-09-2017, 06:01

the second was Scott Nangle Audio.

Roger

That's disappointing. SNA's website does state which products are in stock or not if this is any indication. In his defence, I enquired about a cartridge last year that he clearly did not have in stock. He recommended another model (an Ortofon Quintet Blue) and offered to send this to me to try without payment and not knowing who I was. The cart arrived, I listened and decided it was not quite for me and returned it as part of the offer. I was impressed with and grateful for this level of service. Not sure many dealers would do the same.

Audio Al

19-09-2017, 10:04

Once you can tollorate , repetition is worrying

bearair

20-09-2017, 09:18

Update

Received refund from Do Good last Wednesday think it took a few days to go back in the account, but they did issue it on the Friday as they promised.

Bought the Elipson from Amazon arrived next day, was very impressed with the little deck, perfect for the lad at uni.

The good lady liked the little red turntable so much she said she would not mind one in the living room, and I was so impressed with it I bought one for myself.

So now I have a Hifi system going in the living room as well! My cup over floweth! :eyebrows:

mikeyb

20-09-2017, 12:56

Now let the misery begin, you do know it's a slippery slope now [emoji23]

Audio Al

20-09-2017, 15:11

bearair

21-09-2017, 10:05

BAN the wife from dusting the new TT or I see DOOM ;)

Wife! Wife! don't go giving her delusions of grandeur and scaring me!:eek:

Ps, if she see's this I am dead!

Audio Al

21-09-2017, 10:10

Wife! Wife! don't go giving her delusions of grandeur and scaring me!:eek:

Ps, if she see's this I am dead!

Opps , amended to partner ;)

Marco

22-09-2017, 07:05

BAN the wife from dusting the new TT or I see DOOM ;)

That's a bit sexist, daftee... Why would it necessarily be "the wife" who dusts the turntable?

I dust my own turntable, a) because it's me who does the cleaning at home, b) because I wouldn't let her near my T/T, for fear of the DOOM you mention, and c) because if I asked her to do it, she'd tell me (ever so nicely) to fuck off! ;)

As indeed she would if I referred to her as "the wife"!! :eek: :nono:

Marco.

struth

22-09-2017, 07:26

lol...

I regularly called 'er indoors wifie.... She liked it as it wasnt sexist. she called me things too;)

mikeyb

22-09-2017, 07:38

That's a bit sexist, daftee... Why would it necessarily be "the wife" who dusts the turntable?

I dust my own turntable, a) because it's me who does the cleaning at home, b) because I wouldn't let her near my T/T, for fear of the DOOM you mention, and c) because if I asked her to do it, she'd tell me (ever so nicely) to fuck off! ;)

As indeed she would if I referred to her as "the wife"!! :eek: :nono:

Marco.Overreact much ?

[emoji23]

Marco

22-09-2017, 08:05

lol...

I regularly called 'er indoors wifie.... She liked it as it wasnt sexist. she called me things too;)

Lol - hey, whatever works, works. I can only imagine what she called you, big boy, during those 'quiet moments'... :eyebrows:

Marco.

Marco

22-09-2017, 08:06

Overreact much ?

[emoji23]

Soz, don't get what you mean? :scratch:

Marco.

bearair

22-09-2017, 08:15

Well at this point I was hoping to write about how good the little deck was, but unfortunately it has developed a fault! It will not track anything, it literally started on one track where it just shot to the center of the record even over the label. Nothing I can do will stop this. It now has to be returned, spent last night trying everything with setup records, scales, its like the bias mechanism has gone mad!

Audio Al

22-09-2017, 09:04

Sounds like its just the tracking weight that needs adjusting ( The weight on the stylus ) this is all part of the set up procedure

Look on youtube re tracking weight and how to adjust it , Its done by moving the weight on the rear end of the arm , Im for more weight out for less , You need to know the tracking weight for the cartridge you are using and maybe a set of scales ,

bearair

22-09-2017, 09:22

Thanks Al, I appreciate you trying to help, I have a bit of experience setting up tonearms. I have tried altering the weight from 1.5 to 2.25 grams set with scales. Tracking weight was set at 1.75 grams and it played really well for days, not skipping and tracking some poor records. Then last night I put a brand new copy of Californication on and the arm headed straight for the center of the record. Measured tracking weight still 1.75g, tried setting bias with a bias setting record and it would not adjust at all, the arm has an unusual bias system and I suspect something has gone wrong with it.

hifi_dave

22-09-2017, 11:04

Bit late now but why didn't you buy a Rega ?

anthonyTD

22-09-2017, 11:08

Check the needle isnt dirty, I know its obvious to some of us but...
Thanks Al, I appreciate you trying to help, I have a bit of experience setting up tonearms. I have tried altering the weight from 1.5 to 2.25 grams set with scales. Tracking weight was set at 1.75 grams and it played really well for days, not skipping and tracking some poor records. Then last night I put a brand new copy of Californication on and the arm headed straight for the center of the record. Measured tracking weight still 1.75g, tried setting bias with a bias setting record and it would not adjust at all, the arm has an unusual bias system and I suspect something has gone wrong with it.