DO NOT BUY anything from AV123

[jamie2112]

There is some really good advise flying around on this thread.Listen up naysayers..........

 

[Chu Gai]

My Denon 3808 blew up and took 6 months(not ****) of warranty repair to get it fixed.

In your opinion, after hearing that, is Denon a **** company with quality control issues?

The problem with people like you, with your statement above, is that you do not get that all companies will have duds go out the door. if you rule out every company that lets this 'kind of quality control lets such crap through' then you would not have 1 single place for you to buy anything, from food, to stinky foot powder, to home audio.

Well, if they had a 30% defective rate as AV123 says they have with the MFW, they'd have quality control issues. AV123's quality control department though, is you.
If Denon kept sending you one defective amp after another like AV123, I'd say they had quality control issues and then some.
If Denon sold products where the finish on the unit cracked (like the MFW veneers) and then offered you a $100 store credit as compensation, why that might be more than quality control issues.
If Denon sold products where screws were missing and things rattled (like the gaskets on some MFW units), they'd have quality control issues.
If Denon sold other products and people were waiting for 1-2 years for a replacement amp (like the UFW sub), I'm not sure where that would fall.
If Denon held onto a product in one of their living rooms 'testing' it for you for over 6 months after you paid for it and said they misplaced your address, I'm not sure where that would fall either.
The problem with people like you is that you act as an apologist for what I've listed above (and that ain't all, brother!) and try to make it like all companies have similar problems. They don't. If they did they'd be out of business, sued, and brought up under sundry criminal complaints with the State's attorney general. This company has a shoestring and threadbare infrastructure. You can though count on a certain degree of consistency. Messages will be missed. There will be problems with various email accounts including Yahoo?. MLS will always be sick and so will most of his employees from time to time. Why, there's such a chronic issue with people getting sick, you'd have to wonder what's going on? Substance abuse issues? Just bad luck? Being around all those speakers? Heavens! Call the CDC!

 

[mannoiaj]

Well, if they had a 30% defective rate as AV123 says they have with the MFW, they'd have quality control issues. AV123's quality control department though, is you.
If Denon kept sending you one defective amp after another like AV123, I'd say they had quality control issues and then some.
If Denon sold products where the finish on the unit cracked (like the MFW veneers) and then offered you a $100 store credit as compensation, why that might be more than quality control issues.
If Denon sold products where screws were missing and things rattled (like the gaskets on some MFW units), they'd have quality control issues.
If Denon sold other products and people were waiting for 1-2 years for a replacement amp (like the UFW sub), I'm not sure where that would fall.
If Denon held onto a product in one of their living rooms 'testing' it for you for over 6 months after you paid for it and said they misplaced your address, I'm not sure where that would fall either.
The problem with people like you is that you act as an apologist for what I've listed above (and that ain't all, brother!) and try to make it like all companies have similar problems. They don't. If they did they'd be out of business, sued, and brought up under sundry criminal complaints with the State's attorney general. This company has a shoestring and threadbare infrastructure. You can though count on a certain degree of consistency. Messages will be missed. There will be problems with various email accounts including Yahoo?. MLS will always be sick and so will most of his employees from time to time. Why, there's such a chronic issue with people getting sick, you'd have to wonder what's going on? Substance abuse issues? Just bad luck? Being around all those speakers? Heavens! Call the CDC!

Why is AV123 still in business then?

 

[bandphan]

Krell and Mark Levinson aren't quite as good as they use to be so may be you shouldn't have. Bugs happen everywhere but at some point it get annoying.

id say the latter for sure Dan still cares about his products, albeit highend Ipod intergration kinda chocked me up

 

[Chu Gai]

They're on life support. They've slashed prices on some speakers which has completely undercut the resale market. Some people who've done work for them haven't gotten paid. Other staff has moved on. Hardly anyone has sued them or gone to efforts to have their licence to do business in the state of Colorado revoked. The press only reports the positive and not what you may've seen here and elsewhere. If I was a lawyer, I'd consider doing a class action. The amps thing...that's only one issue.

 

[mperfct]

I think this is the new boring thread.

 

[haraldo]

I think this is the new boring thread.

he he, I agree with you... lots of posts here, but absolutely nothing new
Just the same things over and over again

 

[gmichael]

he he, I agree with you... lots of posts here, but absolutely nothing new
Just the same things over and over again

I love my Strata Mini's, but I'm not so sure I'd chance buying from AV123 right now.

 

[haraldo]

I love my Strata Mini's, but I'm not so sure I'd chance buying from AV123 right now.

Yes, they look like great speakers

And it's bad coz, the MFW's looks like really great sub's !!!!

 

[just listening]

Just to let people know, every single MFW-15 sub amplifier is being recalled. A queue has been setup to take care of customers. MLS has made several posts discussing this including pics of the new amp boards and how the replacement process will work. For all the disappoint I have in what happened and how MLS handled things early on, the fact that he didn't declare bankruptcy, but instead went about fixing every faulty sub is noteworthy.

http://forums.av123.com/showthread.php?t=40982
http://forums.av123.com/showthread.php?t=40974

As for the bargain sales, no manufacturer is concerned that the resale market is good. AV123 like any audio manufacturer is focused on new sales.

The next thing is to see how MLS takes care of every LS6/LS9 customer who has been waiting such obscene lengths of time in a final, complete way. I have heard that several have received their speakers, but not all by any means.

I have done business with AV123 in the past, have always had good luck. But I won't purchase any more from him until all those customers who were shafted are taken care of.

 

[braminator]

Well here is a pair on Audigon
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1248459144&/av123-LS6-in-rosewood.
Sorry to hear of everyones problem with AV123. I almost bit the bullet and bought some Strata mini's. I wish I could of heard a pair before I bought my last couple of spekaers, but with all the problems I am happy I stayed away.

Good luck to all of you out there having this problem.

 

[septim]

Its really interesting to read all these different stories. It really paints a bi-polar portrait of the company. Sometimes they go way over the extra mile and have almost fanboyish followers. Then sometimes they throw customers in a void with no communication, constant delays/promises etc.

I do think it would have been fairly easy for them to have quietly disappeared over the period where communication dropped off and the forums closed. I figured if they were gonna take the hit on those amps that they weren't gonna bail any time soon and decided to chance an order.

 

[MinusTheBear]

Its really interesting to read all these different stories. It really paints a bi-polar portrait of the company. Sometimes they go way over the extra mile and have almost fanboyish followers. Then sometimes they throw customers in a void with no communication, constant delays/promises etc.

I do think it would have been fairly easy for them to have quietly disappeared over the period where communication dropped off and the forums closed. I figured if they were gonna take the hit on those amps that they weren't gonna bail any time soon and decided to chance an order.

These inconsistencies in customer service, quality control of electronics and delivery of product are signs of a poorly run company, it is that simple.

 

[Chu Gai]

I think this is the new boring thread.

I admit that it is boring, but boring as it may be, it serves to squarely keep the issues at the forefront for the buying public. If it's allowed to lapse into obscurity and become replaced by 'gee, my MFW really sings now...good going MLS' or more irrelevent announcements by the company commander, then additional and important issues will never be addressed. MLS has chosen to live and do his business in the virtual world. The virtual world is reacting and through the power of the written word is not and will not allow AV123 to shirk its responsibilities to the consumers it has taken monies from in exchange for products that are under warranty and don't work.
In the past (pre internet), if there were 100 people who'd bought a product through a catalog and that product was defective, any one person would never know there were 99 others similarly affected. They might think they were unique. But now, you've got the ability for all 100 to realize they're not alone. Further, they know there are others who are not affected but are completely sympathetic to their plight and they're talking too. Or they're hosting a site where the message is going out to others. So, boring, sure but nonetheless an issue which doesn't deserve to die.

 

[gmichael]

Its really interesting to read all these different stories. It really paints a bi-polar portrait of the company. Sometimes they go way over the extra mile and have almost fanboyish followers. Then sometimes they throw customers in a void with no communication, constant delays/promises etc.

I do think it would have been fairly easy for them to have quietly disappeared over the period where communication dropped off and the forums closed. I figured if they were gonna take the hit on those amps that they weren't gonna bail any time soon and decided to chance an order.

I think that this is because in Mark's heart, he wants to have that company that goes the extra mile for his customers. It was very evident to me that they did everything they could to be that company when things were going well. (they didn't hesitate one day to send me replacement tweeters when I blew mine due to my own ignorance) But then he received bad products from overseas. He tried to do right, but the replacements were not all that much better. It put him in a bad way with deliveries & cash flow. He started offering bargains to people were were willing to pre-pay to help with his cash flow. Probably thinking that once he got the company back on it's feet, they'd be good to go. But then QC was still an issue and it didn't get better.
No doubt that he is very smooth and knows how to be a salesman. He did a good job of satisfying the few who started making waves. As more and more customers started speaking up, he didn't have the means to make them all happy.
I think that he wants to do good by all his customers but is not able to. Not that any one customer should care why they didn't get their money's worth. Just that they didn't get it. That's their viewpoint and sure aren't wrong in seeing it that way. His promises fall of deaf ears after a while.

I hope that they do work though this and get back on track. It's a loss for many of us that this option for quality audio equipment is slipping through our fingers. I personally would love to get a center and surrounds to perfectly match my Mini's. I've been waiting patiently since they were in the design stages two years ago. Sadly, it looks like that may never happen now.

Mark, If you are reading this, know that I feel for your problems and hope you turn it around soon. But until then, I am too cautious with my cash to buy anything from you right now. Sorry.

 

[nhocti]

Any news on this?

Hi everyone, I'm the friend that the op started this thread for and I just wanted to update that MLS has not rectified this situation. He sent me an ELT 5.0 set($800 value) as an "I'm sorry for the problem" gift, but he has yet to actually send me a refund. If anything it's more of the same. He has informed my friend Grant(op) that he would send me a refund on three separate occasions and each time nothing. Now he just isn't responding to emails at all.

 

[nhocti]

Always enjoy reading your thoughts CG.

I admit that it is boring, but boring as it may be, it serves to squarely keep the issues at the forefront for the buying public. If it's allowed to lapse into obscurity and become replaced by 'gee, my MFW really sings now...good going MLS' or more irrelevent announcements by the company commander, then additional and important issues will never be addressed. MLS has chosen to live and do his business in the virtual world. The virtual world is reacting and through the power of the written word is not and will not allow AV123 to shirk its responsibilities to the consumers it has taken monies from in exchange for products that are under warranty and don't work.
In the past (pre internet), if there were 100 people who'd bought a product through a catalog and that product was defective, any one person would never know there were 99 others similarly affected. They might think they were unique. But now, you've got the ability for all 100 to realize they're not alone. Further, they know there are others who are not affected but are completely sympathetic to their plight and they're talking too. Or they're hosting a site where the message is going out to others. So, boring, sure but nonetheless an issue which doesn't deserve to die.

 

[cmryan821]

Any news on this?

No change. I've tried contacting MLS 1-2x a week for the last three weeks and I have not gotten a single response. I've read so many people talk about how MLS is such a great salesman, but I seem to be one of those people that he doesn't care about trying to sweet talk.

Btw, thanks for the interest.

 

[nhocti]

I understand his yahoo account got some type of problems or something like that.
For the record, I am not trying to stir up any heartache at all.
I think if you call their main phone number then you might be able to get hold of him directly.

This hobby supposes to be enjoyable.

Something is really off here.

Good luck.

No change. I've tried contacting MLS 1-2x a week for the last three weeks and I have not gotten a single response. I've read so many people talk about how MLS is such a great salesman, but I seem to be one of those people that he doesn't care about trying to sweet talk.

Btw, thanks for the interest.

 

[Joeteck]

Hi everyone, I'm the friend that the op started this thread for and I just wanted to update that MLS has not rectified this situation. He sent me an ELT 5.0 set($800 value) as an "I'm sorry for the problem" gift, but he has yet to actually send me a refund. If anything it's more of the same. He has informed my friend Grant(op) that he would send me a refund on three separate occasions and each time nothing. Now he just isn't responding to emails at all.

And there you have it... The title of this thread reveals its ugly head!

My opinion for this website just sank lower... Such a shame...

I smell a law suit of some kind brewing here... You sure have plenty of fuel...500 posts later...