Buyer Beware of accessories4less Scam company with legit dealer license

[everettT]

Why would klipsch atmos speakers with 1 4 inch driver vs the def tech that has 4 4 inch drivers show ohms ?

TLS notes that the driver for the def tech is a midrange driver, not a bass driver or full range driver without inline protection. All 4" drivers are not created equal and and not to mention they're different manufacturers.

While you may have done the battery test in the past and got an ohm reading too, the lesson here is that isn't always the case and explained why thoroughly. Something to note in the future is if the speaker doesn't work, especially two, and are within 30 days, don't worry about trouble shooting past the basics as 1) it can cause more problems 2) there's no reason.

I'm sure this was frustrating, just use it as a teachable moment for the future and get your friend up and running so that the entertainment can begin.

 

[highfigh]

Who said anyone used a car battery? How many ways do u need to test a speaker before u call it dead? 3 is more than enough in my book.

Nobody said anyone used a car batter, it was to illustrate the point that some batteries are more than a voice coil can handle.

Speakers are made for an Alternating Current signal. As I mentioned, a tone generator can be used for testing and they aren't expensive. It doesn't need to be expensive, but it's far better for the speaker than a battery and it will work whether the crossover has a cap to limit the low frequency response, or not. The last way is to remove the drivers from the cabinet, but that will void the warranty.

 

[highfigh]

Why would klipsch atmos speakers with 1 4 inch driver vs the def tech that has 4 4 inch drivers show ohms ?

Not all manufacturers put a cap ahead of the 'woofer'- it's OK to do that, but the 4" driver needs to be unable to produce the lowest frequencies without any intervention. That doesn't mean the bass and volume controls could be turned up and the speaker will survive though. The main reason a manufacturer would use a cap is to reduce the number of speakers damaged by setup that allows the bass to go to the speaker and accidental or intentional overpowering.

 

[ssmokeyy]

So let's say this cap thing is legit. How long would it take a 9v charge last before it would work on an anthem avr ? There was a good 20 min difference between test. I didnt do this test on the new ones I just installed them when we got them and they worked. It goes both ways in my book. Jeff from a4l needs to learn some better customer service skills.

 

[TLS Guy]

So let's say this cap thing is legit. How long would it take a 9v charge last before it would work on an anthem avr ? There was a good 20 min difference between test. I didnt do this test on the new ones I just installed them when we got them and they worked. It goes both ways in my book. Jeff from a4l needs to learn some better customer service skills.

It is impossible to answer that question, as I don't know the crossover circuit. However, a capacitor can hold a charge for hours and days actually, if has no electrical route to discharge is.

It seem to me that the chance of having two bad speakers is very remote. Having speakers that make no sound at all is extremely unusual, so I have to conclude that somehow you had a hand in no sound coming from the speakers.

 

[highfigh]

So let's say this cap thing is legit. How long would it take a 9v charge last before it would work on an anthem avr ? There was a good 20 min difference between test. I didnt do this test on the new ones I just installed them when we got them and they worked. It goes both ways in my book. Jeff from a4l needs to learn some better customer service skills.

If you want to discharge the cap, connect the positive and negative terminals while the speaker is disconnected from the amplifier. If you hear a faint 'click' at that time, it means the cap was charged. Connect a AA or AAA (not a 9V) battery to the terminals and you should hear a similar click if it has a cap.

If the meter you used has a setting for testing diodes, set it to that and connect the probes to the speaker terminals, again without connecting the speaker wires. You should see a resistance number- it's not the same on all meters, but the fact that it shows this means the cap is there. If it always shows OL with the red and black on either post indicates that something isn't connected or if it has a cap, that may have failed.

You/he returned the other speakers, right?

This whole situation may be from layoffs due to COVID. Customer and Tech support for consumers at this time are generally abysmal- for industrial, military and commercial companies, it should be better but from personal experience, I can say that's not always the case. They let people go because 'they' told everyone to stay at home if they weren't deemed essential and then paid them, which resulted in many deciding that they really didn't like working. No surprise there, really. Then, when they needed replacements, they didn't do a GD thing to make sure the new hires were competent, good at anything or verbal past a 2nd grade level. They certainly didn't train them.

 

[lovinthehd]

25 days before he called in to a4l for warranty. Def tech said its out of there hands becuase it was less than 30 days. We found the dm20 local and havent had any problems with them. Also on avsforum post there were just as many people who had problems with a4l vs the ones who have blind trust in that company. Yes we should have taken video of all the test to prove our point. But doesnt mean Jeff at a4l is correct either. A4l or Jeff didn't prove to us that the speakers work either.

Still, requesting warranty is not the way to go about it. You'd either ask for a return and exchange/refund under the terms of sale or wait until the return period expired and then apply to the manufacturer for warranty. Yes, many reports of issues but often it is simply misunderstanding the A4L policy/terms on the refurb product vs new product from what I've seen. Many people simply don't check the terms and expect return priveleges like new products (or even sometimes refurbs) with Amazon or some others might provide. A4L may well have screwed up but launching a thread like this isn't exactly a great way to deal with it either. I'd have moved my complaint up to management....

 

[ssmokeyy]

When we were dealing with a4l we didn't know there was anyone higher than Jeff. Staff would transfer us to Jeff and said he's the warranty/ returns manager. We thought they sent out refurbished gear. It wasnt until Jeff said they were out and he had them send new units out. Not sure I believe that but thats what he said. I have all ready said maybe a4l isn't a bad company but Jeff is a bad employee. If one of my employees treated a customer like he did I would fire him. But at the same time if they keep him around what does that say about the company. Everything one should be able to post there experience with a company. It's up to the individual person to choice to do bussiness with a company. But I would want to know what a said company is like when stuff goes wrong and how they deal with customers says a lot about the company. Even refurbished these speakers were not cheap.

 

[lovinthehd]

When we were dealing with a4l we didn't know there was anyone higher than Jeff. Staff would transfer us to Jeff and said he's the warranty/ returns manager. We thought they sent out refurbished gear. It wasnt until Jeff said they were out and he had them send new units out. Not sure I believe that but thats what he said. I have all ready said maybe a4l isn't a bad company but Jeff is a bad employee. If one of my employees treated a customer like he did I would fire him. But at the same time if they keep him around what does that say about the company. Everything one should be able to post there experience with a company. It's up to the individual person to choice to do bussiness with a company. But I would want to know what a said company is like when stuff goes wrong and how they deal with customers says a lot about the company. Even refurbished these speakers were not cheap.

I always assume the guys that you get on the phone are not the upper management. I did know about Mark before as he has participated in various audio groups/fora. I didn't need to deal with Mark, forget the name of the guy I dealt with as that was almost 10 years ago now but according to my emails it was Larry Beck. If you want to chase the restocking/freight costs....

 

[ssmokeyy]

This has been linked to me so I'm going to link this here. Accessories4Less.com | Complaints | Better Business Bureau® Profile (bbb.org)

 

[isolar8001]

This whole thing about caps stopping 9v testing from working and not getting an ohm reading I do not buy it.

You don't believe the Earth is flat do you ?
TLSGuy told you a fact, plain and simple.....

 

[highfigh]

This has been linked to me so I'm going to link this here. Accessories4Less.com | Complaints | Better Business Bureau® Profile (bbb.org)

OK, you don't buy their claim that a 9V battery could damage something- go ahead and tell us about your qualifications. We'll wait.

Crossover caps are made to handle AC current, but you connected a 9V battery. If you don't believe that a 9V has much ability to damage things, push the terminals into a clump of steel wool and tell us what happens. If nothing happens, use a charged battery. If you want a quick personal experience, put a 9V battery in your pocket along with some coins. Tell us about that, too.

If you do the latter, don't blame me if you burn your leg and/or pants.

If your goal is to crap on A4L, it's best to not do it publicly, where they can be damaged by your acts and comments. We get it- you don't like them but if they're damaged/harmed by comments that are based on missing info, 'facts' that are inaccurate or falsehoods, expect to hear from them if they see what you have posted, especially if you posted about this incident on additional sites.

If your goal is to make people reconsider buying from A4L or to make them stop considering A4L, you have already harmed them, so you're on your own.

I read the customer comments back to 2021 and saw that several didn't read the manual (which is easy to find online) and rely on some unknown 'expert' for setup, info and opinions. That's a bad way to reach good results.

Shipping costs are stated on their website- I can't think of any company that covers shipping TO them, only FROM them after service or replacement. That's the way it has been for consumers and retailers since I started working for retailers in1972. At that time, there were very few 'direct to user' sellers and they didn't pay for return shipping, either. The manufacturers I shipped to when I worked for retailers didn't pay both ways, I have to pay (or charge customers) for shipping when equipment is sent to service locations and returns are paid up front unless a supplier wants to be generous. Not being in the industry, I wouldn't expect free stuff if I were you, but I would expect them to ask a lot of questions when claims of inoperability come in.

In all cases, RTFM before using or installing any electronic equipment. If you don't want to because you're all manly and beefy, don't expect this stuff to work properly, if at all.

If you don't like the tone of the messages coming from A4L, think about how you would act if you had to listen to customers whine and complain on a regular basis. Having said that, if you had tested the speakers with a proper AC signal and they didn't work, I guess they can be chalked up to 'shi& happens, sometimes'- nobody is perfect and shipping damage isn't always visible but communication only works when it actually happens. How something is stated makes a difference. If you teed off on the CS department before deciding that someone is bad employee, I would tell you that's the fastest way to not receiving special favors.

 

[ssmokeyy]

You don't believe the Earth is flat do you ?
TLSGuy told you a fact, plain and simple.....

These are the type of post that make people hate u. Waste of your time to post that crap. Facts are facts

 

[ssmokeyy]

OK, you don't buy their claim that a 9V battery could damage something- go ahead and tell us about your qualifications. We'll wait.

Crossover caps are made to handle AC current, but you connected a 9V battery. If you don't believe that a 9V has much ability to damage things, push the terminals into a clump of steel wool and tell us what happens. If nothing happens, use a charged battery. If you want a quick personal experience, put a 9V battery in your pocket along with some coins. Tell us about that, too.

If you do the latter, don't blame me if you burn your leg and/or pants.

If your goal is to crap on A4L, it's best to not do it publicly, where they can be damaged by your acts and comments. We get it- you don't like them but if they're damaged/harmed by comments that are based on missing info, 'facts' that are inaccurate or falsehoods, expect to hear from them if they see what you have posted, especially if you posted about this incident on additional sites.

If your goal is to make people reconsider buying from A4L or to make them stop considering A4L, you have already harmed them, so you're on your own.

I read the customer comments back to 2021 and saw that several didn't read the manual (which is easy to find online) and rely on some unknown 'expert' for setup, info and opinions. That's a bad way to reach good results.

Shipping costs are stated on their website- I can't think of any company that covers shipping TO them, only FROM them after service or replacement. That's the way it has been for consumers and retailers since I started working for retailers in1972. At that time, there were very few 'direct to user' sellers and they didn't pay for return shipping, either. The manufacturers I shipped to when I worked for retailers didn't pay both ways, I have to pay (or charge customers) for shipping when equipment is sent to service locations and returns are paid up front unless a supplier wants to be generous. Not being in the industry, I wouldn't expect free stuff if I were you, but I would expect them to ask a lot of questions when claims of inoperability come in.

In all cases, RTFM before using or installing any electronic equipment. If you don't want to because you're all manly and beefy, don't expect this stuff to work properly, if at all.

If you don't like the tone of the messages coming from A4L, think about how you would act if you had to listen to customers whine and complain on a regular basis. Having said that, if you had tested the speakers with a proper AC signal and they didn't work, I guess they can be chalked up to 'shi& happens, sometimes'- nobody is perfect and shipping damage isn't always visible but communication only works when it actually happens. How something is stated makes a difference. If you teed off on the CS department before deciding that someone is bad employee, I would tell you that's the fastest way to not receiving special favors.

So many things about your post makes me smile. So u don't read the whole post i see. How can they be broke and work normally at the same time? If the 9v broke the caps in the speaker how does it work normally for them. Also we ordered refurbished speakers but once there was a problem they tell us there brand new. Not sure i believe that story. I ordered him 2 new ones from a local company and they ohm out and work normally hooked up to a anthem mrx 540. Sounds like to me that u might work there or know someone there and making this bull up. Everyone has the right to tell there side of the story and facts of the case. This is what happen to my friend, they do it to a lot of people facts. Goal wasn't to crap all over them at the start but than this small post to inform people in our small group that there is a bad player out there to maybe think before buy kinda thing.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I ordered him 2 new ones from a local company and they work normally hooked up to an anthem mrx 540.

I think this might be a case where you might have given too much information.

From the beginning, if you had just simply said, "We hooked up the speakers to the AVR and the speakers did not work even though all other speakers work perfectly hooked up to the same AVR", everyone would have agreed that the speakers from A4L were defective.

I'm wondering if from the beginning, did you also tell A4L about the ohms testing and all that? Instead of just simply saying the speakers "did not work"?

KISS - Keep It Simple Sweet is usually best.

 

[everettT]

This has been linked to me so I'm going to link this here. Accessories4Less.com | Complaints | Better Business Bureau® Profile (bbb.org)

Some of those are hilarious, what some people expect and then translate into poor service never fails. I was surprised to see A4L respond considering they're not a member.

 

[everettT]

So many things about your post makes me smile. So u don't read the whole post i see. How can they be broke and work normally at the same time? If the 9v broke the caps in the speaker how does it work normally for them. Also we ordered refurbished speakers but once there was a problem they tell us there brand new. Not sure i believe that story. I ordered him 2 new ones from a local company and they ohm out and work normally hooked up to a anthem mrx 540. Sounds like to me that u might work there or know someone there and making this bull up. Everyone has the right to tell there side of the story and facts of the case. This is what happen to my friend, they do it to a lot of people facts. Goal wasn't to crap all over them at the start but than this small post to inform people in our small group that there is a bad player out there to maybe think before buy kinda thing.

Wait a second, you bought two more and did exactly the same thing as before *after* it had been thoroughly explained to you how to test a speaker, which is silly to do to a speaker before you hook it up?

 

[ssmokeyy]

Yes we told them that we hooked up the speakers to ohms meter, anthem avr and a 9v battery and that we could not get them to do anything. Its strange that we got 2 not working from but after that we just ordered two new ones from a local company and they both work so it is what it is.

 

[ssmokeyy]

Wait a second, you bought two more and did exactly the same thing as before *after* it had been thoroughly explained to you how to test a speaker, which is silly to do to a speaker before you hook it up?

When your mounting speakers to a wall above a 138 inch screen u test them so u don't have to take them back down after the fact.

 

[everettT]

When your mounting speakers to a wall above a 138 inch screen u test them so u don't have to take them back down after the fact.

Ok, but I never have. The only time I've tested speakers prior to mounting was for 70/100v systems, but that still down the line. Id just play some program material and if there's a problem then decide what's best to do next.

For me and if new products from a big box type of vendor, I wouldn't even fiddle with them. If I waited 9 months for Jim Salk to finish building a pair, I might do some investigating.