Opinion, Am I being ripped off?

MooseLumps · #1 06-18-2009, 08:52 PM

I know what your thinking... : If you have to ask, you are probably being ripped off." Well, here's the situation.

I noticed that there was an acrid burning smell coming from my SWR SM400s when I powered it on. I turned it off and on again, and got some really nasty thumps through the speakers. Naturally, I turned it off, unplugged it and threw it into the truck.

Once at the shop, the repair policy was explained to me.

"We'll take the amp now and have our guy come pick it up. The flat fee is $45 to cover testing and any repairs in that range ($45-testing... presumably things like changing fuses and what not.) We'll call you when it's done. If there is any extra charge parts or anything we'll call before we do anything"

I agreed to this, though I was not wild about my amp going to some sucker whom I've never met for repair.

Two Weeks roll by, and I call the shop.
The amp was not done. The excuse was that they could not find a power switch.

Me:"Power switch?"

Them:"Ya, that's your problem. Chris says that the power switch was dead and shorting, so that was the smell and erratic operation. we have tried getting the switch through our usual guy, but that would take a month. Hopefully this new guy will have it out to us soon.

Me:Oooook...

Flash forward two (2) more weeks. I've been in and out of the shop 4 or 5 times. They keep telling me that the switch is on order. This particular day, however, I can tell that the fellow I've been dealing with is getting irked with my walk-ins. He also says that he got confirmation that the part was just shipped yesterday (one month after I brought the amp in)

I stopped by yesterday(one week later). I was told that the switch should come in soon and that they would call me when it was done.

I got that call today. However, during the course of the phone call, the fellow I was dealing with mentions that "You have a balance of $20.67" I'm not forceful on the phone, so I did not pursue it, but because the repair fee was described as flat, I felt that these jokers are charging me $65.67 to replace the power switch. Over the course of 5 weeks.

The kicker? He mentioned that it's not a stock switch. It's illuminated.

I waited 5 weeks for a non-stock switch? I could have run to the hardware store for that! They did not ask about the switch beforehand, and if the $20 is for the fancy spendy switch, I feel that they ought to eat it just for my trouble.

I haven't seen the amp yet. If they had to cut into the front panel to install a goofy switch I might blow this aneurysm I've been working on staring at my basses.

I'm seriously feeling jilted right now. If they reset everything to factory specs, cleaned and calibrates, lubed and tightened and scotch-guarded the amp while it was there that's one thing, but if they tested for damage, f@#$%^ me on the switch and want me to walk out with a lighter wallet I think that they have another thing coming.

AM I OFF BASE HERE? Especially you techs out there. I would hate to think that I'm going to give these guys the fight of their lives over 20 bucks if it was really a project that they lost money on or something. The best I can figure is that they aren't charging per hour labor on this or it would be even higher, but they never said that they did anything but test for a half hour, order a part twice, spent 30 mins wiring it in and sitting on their thumbs for a month.

5 weeks. New power switch. $65. Something is not computing for me

bongomania · #2 06-18-2009, 11:21 PM

Yeah, that is a shafting for for sure. I'd post a warning about them on your local Craigslist.

two fingers · #3 06-18-2009, 11:26 PM

Bad form. I'm not a tech, but I worked in a shop that had a tech and knew him quite well. This would have NEVER happened there.

**jmattbassplaya** · #4 06-18-2009, 11:42 PM

So they are expecting you to pay for something you didn`t agree on when they told you they would run everything past you beforehand?

ErebusBass · #5 06-19-2009, 01:03 AM

I don't know how much I'd fight about it. The biggest thing that would irk me is the non-factory switch... a month is absolutely ridiculous for that.

I'd definitely never go there again.

MooseLumps · #6 06-19-2009, 12:14 PM

I'm home and I have the amplifier.

I got to the store and was recognized and greeted warmly. They tried to get me to sign for the amp, pay and leave but I insisted on play-testing the amp. It sounded great, of course.

This switch is the same general style and size as the old one. It illuminates though. This is odd because directly above it is a red LED indicating on or off. The switch is listed as 5 dollars.

My receipt indicates that the out-of-house repair tech charged me for 2.5 hours of labor totaling $60. The description of his work is this:

"troubleshoot problem to power switch (intermittent contact), replace power switch, clean amp out, 12ax7 tests good, run amp,tests good"

So, I played it and went to the front I asked about the time issue. They blamed the suppliers, but were careful not to try to do anything but make me mad at the suppliers. However, the parts manager said something that I found interesting.

"My suppliers never let me know about something until it's shipped."

So, for these jokers, there is a 2 week acceptable waiting period for confirmation that their order is even confirmed, leave alone in the mail.

They did nothing to make any of it right. I told them that if they were taking the time to hunt down a particular switch, I could understand, but I could probably go to the hardware store to get a switch that was similar to what they installed. They said that this switch was beefier than normal.

I asked where the current was being drawn for the switch's illumination. Blank stares.

I folded under pressure. I figured that the tech was just a guy trying to make ends meet, and the store idiots did not know any better than to try a novel or original idea to get a power switch. I paid, feeling that I was at least whoring myself out to a stranger, and not these idiots.

One note of clarification. The store orders parts, then gives them to the tech. Stupid.

I'm not going back. Ever. They promised to get Warwick and Eden in and I would love to try them, but I'm not going back. They could not find their asses with dogs and a search party.

MooseLumps · #7 06-19-2009, 12:17 PM

jmatt. yes. the receipt even says "call with estimate". I never heard from this mystery tech in 5 weeks. a 5 dollar switch is nothing to scream about, but I would like to know that he's not drawing any current from the preamp for the switch.

Chipsonfire · #8 06-19-2009, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MooseLumps

I asked where the current was being drawn for the switch's illumination. Blank stares.

Being an engineer, it always makes me chuckle to myself that people think electricity/current/energy just seems to happen, and doesn't need to come from anywhere. On the flip side, I could see my parents making that same mistake.

tplyons · #9 06-19-2009, 01:15 PM

Yep, you got ripped.

I had a similar thing happen to me... I paid for a bass setup, and was charged despite the fact that the neck was twisted and couldn't be straightened. Once this was discovered, I would have preferred a call, and I would have told them not to bother.

But if the agreement was that you were to be called before any decisions were made, and you weren't, I'd be irate as well.

ggunn · #10 06-19-2009, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chipsonfire

Being an engineer, it always makes me chuckle to myself that people think electricity/current/energy just seems to happen, and doesn't need to come from anywhere. On the flip side, I could see my parents making that same mistake.

But (also as an engineer) it makes me chuckle that someone would be worried that the power to illuminate the switch could somehow deplete the power available to the rest of the amp. Most of the illuminated power switches I have dealt with draw their current directly from the power source that they are modulating.

jojobean39 · #11 06-19-2009, 01:40 PM

^^^^
As an engineer I also agree with you. The amount of current to light up a switch is pretty minimal and, yes, is typically drawn from the source, not somewhere down the line.

As for the price, seems a bit high for the switch, but overall seems fair. He probably did test the tubes and input jacks and whatever else first. The actual change probably didn't take but a few minutes, but the trouble shooting seems fair to me. I don't think the tech is to blame here, but the store.

DreadRaver · #12 06-19-2009, 01:59 PM

You did not get "ripped."
I mean that you were not overcharged for the repair service.
Your amp now works properly, right?

It may not seem like much "value added" to you, but when you bring an amp to a tech, they have to be very thorough about cleaning and testing it.
Because they know that once they touch that amp, ANYTHING that goes wrong with the amp after it is repaired, for the next 10 years, will come back to haunt the tech.
So even when it is an obvious repair, like the fuse or power switch, good techs still put their time into checking out the rest of it, cleaning pots, etc.

$65 is not at all out of line for that repair. Some techs I know charge a $75 minimum bench charge.

On the other hand, I do believe that you have legitimate complaints regarding the poor performance and lackadaisical customer service you received.

JTE · #13 06-19-2009, 02:02 PM

Parts orders are the bane of any repair service. There're quite often minimum purchase requirements, and often the source for a retail store or repair service are places that don't actually stock them either. So, the store orders from their parts supplier, who then has to order the part from the manufacturer. That minimum order part causes places to have to wait unitl they have enough to make the mininum. Even without a minimum order, the shipping/handling charges for small orders can get prohibitive.

I don't envy the store that's dealing with this crap now, and I think in your case the communication, especially about the ultimate cost, was really bad. But considering that trouble shooting is the most extensive part of most repairs, it's unfortunately not out of line.

jte

**jmattbassplaya** · #14 06-19-2009, 05:24 PM

I disagree.

He has every right to be mad. 5 weeks for a single switch is insane. On top of that, they didn`t even talk to him before ordering it to tell him the price, what it was, the differences, etc... I`d be livid if someone pulled that on me.

The price I could live with, but the pure lack of professionalism I`d raise hell about.

ggunn · #15 06-19-2009, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

I disagree.

He has every right to be mad. 5 weeks for a single switch is insane. On top of that, they didn`t even talk to him before ordering it to tell him the price, what it was, the differences, etc... I`d be livid if someone pulled that on me.

The price I could live with, but the pure lack of professionalism I`d raise hell about.

It's two different issues. Yes, I'd be upset with the customer service part of it, but the charge to fix the amp was fair. It's not the cost of the part, it's the expertise behind the finding of the problem that you are paying for when you take something to the shop.

MooseLumps · #16 06-19-2009, 08:10 PM

I think that the hardest part was that they made no attempt to even apologize or try to make it right. I understand not taking the blame for crap suppliers, but they lost a customer and they didn't even blink.

ubado · #17 06-19-2009, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MooseLumps

I'm not going back. Ever. They promised to get Warwick and Eden in and I would love to try them, but I'm not going back.

Yup ... don't go back. Eventhough the situation totally sucks ... just know that, that's the last $20.67 they'll ever get from you.

**jmattbassplaya** · #18 06-20-2009, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggunn

It's two different issues. Yes, I'd be upset with the customer service part of it, but the charge to fix the amp was fair. It's not the cost of the part, it's the expertise behind the finding of the problem that you are paying for when you take something to the shop.

Oh I agree that the price was fair(that`s why I added that at the end

), it was just how the whole situation was handled - very amateur.

jmorbita · #19 06-20-2009, 10:08 AM

But from what I understand, they didn't install the right switch and failed to mention it. that's not very professional either. I suppose a switch that doesn't illuminate might be cheaper?

T-Bird · #20 06-20-2009, 11:08 AM

Hi.

IIRC the switch I needed for the intentionally destroyed SM400 back in the day, was $1 in Your currency.

That was pre Fender time period, and as there was no official channels, the switch came from RS. If they tried to get the switch from Fender, they could as well be trying to catch a fart. Just IME of course.

As You say, the price wasn't the problem, but the lack of communication. That's just the way things are these days IME. Also the waiting period doesn't seem that out of the ordinary, even hack techs have long cues.

Not to make the situation any more troublesome than it is, but was there any mention about checking the bias? At least ST220 & SM400 and most probably SM400s & SM900 are notorious for shifting bias. If the bias isn't correctly set, the amp heats up even more than usually. It's a simple and quick procedure for a tech to perform, and I think ANY tech who has done work on this type of FET amplifiers, checks that every time the lid is open. If the amp stays relatively cool and sounds ok, the bias is most likely correct.

Regards
Sam