A heads up on Tascam

Joe Nerve · #1 04-25-2006, 11:42 AM

Having problems with my Tascam Bass Trainer so I thought I'd fill ya all in after doing the best I could....

Basically, it crapped out on me, I need it now, and they're unwilling to do anything other than have me send it back to be repaired. That doesn't help me, I already spent the money, I should be able to use it when I need it - and I think it would be real simple for them to have a store swap a new one for me. I have the bill of sale and it's less than 6 months old. Yeah - I'm pissed. 3 weeks from now, it's useless to me. I have to learn songs for a tour I'm doing the 2nd half of may.

There's a couple more details here... my original post about it, but I don't even know if it's necessary... http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showth...99#post2924699

Sundogue · #2 04-25-2006, 12:40 PM

Does it do it on all CD's or just on one (or a couple)?

I had a weird issue playing a couple of CD's...and I thought my CD-Trainer was flaking out on me too. Jumping all over, skipping here and there...playing the song and then not playing anything at all.

I put all my other CD's in and it worked fine. I burned a new CD of the song I needed to learn and the Tascam unit worked just fine then.

Just though I'd throw that out there, because the unit doesn't play all CD's accurately (especially burned ones...and it says so in the manual).

MJ5150 · #3 04-25-2006, 01:00 PM

Thanks Joe.

-Mike

Thunder Lizard · #4 04-25-2006, 03:32 PM

I guess the retailer COULD see if he thinks it looks brand new, and then give you a different one, sending yours back as a "failed as new" item, (it's an old retail trick, say it was just sold, and came back), but unfortunately unless the retailer is willing to stick his neck out for you, you're waiting.
How did you learn songs before? If you've hardly used it, then obviously you have an alternative method available...
But, just to fuel the fire, several years ago I bought a Tascam digital mixing desk.....it took them 2 months to get it to me, and by the time they did?
It was obsolete. No parts. It developed a bad LED in the output meters about four months in, and all they could say was "sorry, jeez, that sux, we don't have parts and can't service it, but we can offer you a good trade in on a different console.... we'll give you half of your nine grand in store credit"
I offered them expletives.
And paid some local guy sixty five bucks to fix it. With a (correctly spec'd) part from freaking Radio Shack.
Tascam sent me a cheque for the repair........ sixteen weeks later, after about seven really bitchy phone calls.
Name or no name, they need some customer service lessons.

Joe Nerve · #5 04-25-2006, 03:40 PM

Bought a DAT machine from them for $1000 a million years ago that never functioned properly. Didn't use it enough to bother bugging them about it. I had to fiddle with it till it worked right just about every time.

Aside from the reason that I'm pissed, I'm trashing these guys now because I'm getting really sick and tired of huge companies thinking they can take advantage of people without it mattering. They seem to often care only about sales and whatever way they can draw in money. I feel the same way about Fender and a bunch of other places.

Other stuff that people don't realize the big companies pull - they mischarge you for little things, and then make it next to impossible to get the stuff off your bills. I signed up for AOLs call forwarding program, it was only about $3.00 a month, but when I tried to cancel it - not only was it next to impossible, I had to do it about 4 times and spend hours on the phone to finally straighten it out. Your average person would say screw it and not invest the time. I'm sure they rake in thousands and thousands of dollars a month with that kind of crap. A lot of companies do it - and it looks all so innocent. I'm tired of it.

seventhson · #6 04-25-2006, 06:13 PM

This is the situation where Guitar Center looks like a night in shining armor...

Folmeister · #7 04-25-2006, 07:09 PM

Isn't there computer software that does the same thing as the Tascam? Check for freeware/shareware at CNET or make an appeal to another TBer that will allow you to. . . . . "borrow" a copy. I have one of those things just sitting here unused. If I could, I would send you mine, but I fear it won't get there in time.