DO NOT BUY anything from AV123

[andy_c]

Well that's what I'm looking to find out, Andy.

Okay, thanks Chu - and good luck!

 

[Hugh-Melody]

Thank You very much.

Post 722 of this thread

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showpost.php?p=615862&postcount=722

 

[randyb]

Isn't there some type of agency that does audits for charitable donations. Also I was wondering about the tax issues involved with these raffles. Couldn't tax records be scrutinized, if not for him (MLS) personally but at least his business? I'm still very surprised that legal charges have not been filed. If I was directly effected and had monetary losses I'd definitely be talking to lawyers. But that's just the way I am. I'm interested in how this all plays out.

Tax matters, unless a suit is brought forth or a lien or levy placed in the public record are highly confidential....as they should be. That excludes certain disclosures that are required by public companies to the SEC and other govt agencies which are public (10K, etc).

 

[Chu Gai]

It was brought to my attention that there is at least one raffle on the list that is legitimate. It is one that benefited a charity tennis tournament for low cost breast cancer mammograms at Santa Monica/UCLA Medical Center that I participated in. When I got word that Sloan/Kettering did not receive proceeds from a raffle, I investigated the this one thoroughly.

That particular raffle was hosted by Craig, and from the thread, and UCLA received a check from him for all the tickets sold.

It is raffle "J" on the list.

I would figure as much. It's almost a shame to list a raffle hosted by Craig among the others.

On a side note, sorry to hear about the problems you're having with your breasts, Curtis

 

[cschang]

geez...I had a few typos in that post....

 

[Chu Gai]

His charm is so infectious, mosquitoes carrying the Nile flu stay away. He once gave an accurate shipping date just to see what it felt like. Everytime he travels, migratory birds follow him. He is the most interesting man in the world.

"I don't always donate to charities, but when I do, they have my bank account number on them" Stay thirsty my friends.

 

[SnowmaNick]

His charm is so infectious, mosquitoes carrying the Nile flu stay away. He once gave an accurate shipping date just to see what it felt like. Everytime he travels, migratory birds follow him. He is the most interesting man in the world.

"I don't always donate to charities, but when I do, they have my bank account number on them" Stay thirsty my friends.

That was one of the funniest things I have read in awhile.

 

[Solid-State]

Man I really don't want to read through this huge thread. I really have only one question...

Where is AV123 at? At this very moment what's going on there? Is it safe to place an order?

Solid-State

 

[andy_c]

Man I really don't want to read through this huge thread. I really have only one question...

Hmm, looks like three questions to me!

Where is AV123 at?

Well, have a look at their web site. Oops, they don't give you a real address, only "Longmont, Colorado, 80501". But they do say:

"To will-call your order, please contact us for the address and to make an appointment."

I did do a reverse phone lookup of their (303) 543-7500 number at whitepages.com. That gives this result:

2150 W Sixth Ave, Ste L
Broomfield, CO

I've heard this may be old though, but I live in the area, so I'll go over there and let you know what I see. Now, when I do a reverse phone lookup of their (720) 494-1751 fax number, I get this:

Perpetual Technologies LLC
1001 Delaware Ave
Longmont, CO 80501

This matches the zip code on their web site, so maybe it's right.

At this very moment what's going on there?

Little magic elves are preparing your order for shipment at this very moment, and Mark Schifter is wishing someone "all the best".

Is it safe to place an order?

I suppose it's "safe" in the sense that when you place your order, no mugger is likely to appear out of nowhere, beat you to a pulp, and "underfund" your wallet. But it's unsafe in the sense that if you order product, there's a good chance you'll never see it.

 

[BWG707]

Man I really don't want to read through this huge thread. I really have only one question...

Where is AV123 at? At this very moment what's going on there? Is it safe to place an order?

Solid-State

Read some of this thread and see what this man (MLS, the owner of the company AV123) has done to people and then decide whether you would like to give him your money. In fact try different searches and see what the overall concensus is pertaining to AV123. Good luck whatever your decision is.

 

[Soundman]

Solid-State,
I own quite a few of their speakers, but I have not recommended them for a while now. We just don't know what's going on over there. There does appear to be some serious issues though.

That being said, personally I have always had great service with them and always received my products within a few does from when I ordered. Maybe I'm one of the few. I don't know. I'm not going to tell you not to buy from them. It is your decision and they do have some excellent sounding speakers. But there are plenty of other great speakers on the market. What speakers are you interested in?

 

[randyb]

Man I really don't want to read through this huge thread. I really have only one question...

Where is AV123 at? At this very moment what's going on there? Is it safe to place an order?

Solid-State

I think part of the answer to that is how financially viable are they now and in the near future. It appears from reports of their operations that they have not had enough cash flow at times to issue refunds when due so instead store credit has been issued. That coupled with prepayments that have been on hand for quite some time makes it a crap shoot unless you have their financials and credit history. I think it is a buyer beware situation that might be fine or might not....and you may not know right away.

 

[andy_c]

I did do a reverse phone lookup of their (303) 543-7500 number at whitepages.com. That gives this result:

2150 W Sixth Ave, Ste L
Broomfield, CO

I've heard this may be old though, but I live in the area, so I'll go over there and let you know what I see.

Okay, I looked over in the AV123 forum, at it looks like they moved out of that location around January of 2007.

 

[Solid-State]

That's all a sad shame. Those guys were first to bring us Emotiva and a lot of great Asian sourced product. I bet they got smoked on the ODM/OEM fab cost back in China. Someone somewhere was pressured and I bet component costs went up and they couldn't compete. Before this all happened did any notice an incremental price increase on their product line of say the course of a year? What is their relationship with Hi-Vi and the other components manufacturers they used to fab their speakers? For the company bottom line to drop out like that with such a run of product it can only be something like that or financial incompetency within the company.

Solid-State

 

[Chu Gai]

In seems they got screwed with their x-series line up in Colombia. Whoever was doing the cost of goods projections down there intentionally understated (lied about)the cost to get MLS too invest in the manufacture. That's what purportedly started the whole mess...

Did that have something to do with a second factory opening over there?

 

[Solid-State]

In seems they got screwed with their x-series line up in Colombia. Whoever was doing the cost of goods projections down there intentionally understated (lied about)the cost to get MLS too invest in the manufacture. That's what purportedly started the whole mess...

Owhh right I forgot assembly was done in Columbia.

Solid-State

 

[Solid-State]

Read some of this thread and see what this man (MLS, the owner of the company AV123) has done to people and then decide whether you would like to give him your money. In fact try different searches and see what the overall concensus is pertaining to AV123. Good luck whatever your decision is.

I have no plans to buy their loudspeakers what so ever. My uncle does need a new set though. I've been looking at the Emotiva line for some time wondering. It's just so difficult to pull the trigger when you can't audition them in person before purchase. I also for the most part have lost all trust regarding speaker reviews. What is one to do! Support your local small shop is what to do! ID outfits are the Walmarts of the AV world with regard to small run/production 2nd tier "boutique" gear in the sense that via the net they are taking money from the bottom line of your local shops. It's just so hard to not give in when such deals can be had. As consumers we are all guilty of this...

Solid-State

 

[Solid-State]

I have to add that anyone getting into this should really look at what happened to those guys. It's proof that the best ID model for loudspeaker sales/marketing is what Axiom is doing as in assembly done in NA and in-house. With the right investment in CNC etc and a decent reliable cost affective source on drivers that won't turn on ya and offer great performance per $. I wonder if other outfits ever request cabinets from the axiom CNC mills. It sure wouldn't be hard. You could email the drawing for cabinet and they could run it off and ship. I'd really be surprised if the Axiom mills run 24/7 just for speaker production of their own internal line. They must use that gear to make other stuff perhaps not even loudspeaker cabs. Also it's a lot easier to ship drivers than a complete loudspeaker from over seas ehh! And a lot lesser pain in A$$!

Solid-State

PS Does anyone have an idea how large the id loudspeaker market is? Annual sales figures would be interesting. It's gotta be a pittance compared to the big box API/Klipsch numbers in NA. The other thing I don't like about it is they are so dependent on review sites and vice versa for click-throughs. It really ends in obvious unavoidable conflict of interest IMHO.

 

[Solid-State]

OK I just tried to get the numbers....

AND ok guys hold onto your boots! You know what that info is worth!

http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reportinfo.asp?report_id=338505&t=o&cat_id=

That's How much in USD!!
CRAZY... that's a $5k question!

Solid-State

 

[abboudc]

No, it won't, that's the point.

The posts will be (are being, actually) deleted. Look at their speaker forum right now, someone brings up a raffle/charity thread to the top, someone posts something that's not all peaches and cream (it wasn't offensive, it wasn't filled with profanity, it just QUESTIONED the timeframe of the raffle prize delivery, which isn't even the most pressing question, the big question is whether the charity recipient even got all the funds). What happens? That persons post is deleted and the thread is locked.

Not sure how long the posts will last, but these (from three separate posts in the same thread) aren't peaches and cream...

Deleting the posts isn't going to get rid of them. The only way to get rid of angry customers airing their problems are to not have angry customers to begin with.
http://forums.av123.com/showthread.php?t=40926&page=7

Without a doubt, my treatment by AV123 in connection with my purchase of a UFW-12 is the single worst customer experience that I have ever had in purchasing anything from anyone. I was lied to about the sub's capabilities when I purchased it and, during the next 3 plus years, I have been lied to many, many times about when it would be fixed. I find it incredible that, even after MLS tells us that he has changed his ways and asks us to forget his past mistreatment of his customers, he again promises updates, delivery notices, etc. and then lets those dates pass without even an apology. The belated excuses have become so predictable. The dog can only eat your homework so many times. I am beyond being frustrated and disgusted with the entire AV123 experience. No company should ever treat, and continue to treat, its customers this cruelly. I do not want to hear that it will all be worthwhile when (if?) I finally receive the HR kit. I can assure you that it will not be worth it.

There is one silver lining in all of this. At least I did not buy a gift certificate to cover the extra cost of trading my UFW-12 for a BMF.

Shouls I stop looking at this thread for a few more months or what. I am just wiped out on this (YEARS)! This is the frustration showing its way to the light! Down to the brass tax! What gives?

My experiences with products from AV123 has not been the best.