REVIEW: The Audio Insider

[michael-]

This is a review of my recent experience with The Audio Insider. Needless to say I probably won't be doing business with them again.

All times are PST.

Fri, 11/18 @ 11:28 AM

Order was received by The Audio Insider for a pair of Swan M200MKII Speakers
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Fri, 11/18 @ 3:54 PM

Sent an email to The Audio Insider asking to change the shipping address since I had mistakenly entered the wrong one.
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Sat, 11/19 @ 7:27 AM

I receive an email notification that my order status is "Processed"
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Sat, 11/19 @ 10:13 AM

Jon Lane sends me an email saying he'll update the address.
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Mon, 11/21 @ 2:10 PM

I receive an email notification that my order status is "Shipped"
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Mon, 11/21 @ 2:11 PM

I send an email to Jon to make sure the item is being mailed to the correct address.
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Mon, 11/21 @ 2:13 PM

Jon sends an email back, "We've instructed the warehouse to use the corrected address." Strange, I thought he had already changed the shipping address on Saturday.
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Mon, 11/21 @ 10:54 PM

I send an email to Jon:

"Hi,

I don’t know what you need me to do -- granted it was my fault to begin with -- but I’ve contacted you twice about changing the shipping address -- once Fri, 11/18 and then again Mon, 11/21.

Both times Jon you have said you’d make the change for me and now when I track the package it says the destination is San Marino, CA.

What do I need to do here?"​

Tue, 11/22 @ 6:38 AM

I receive an email from Jon:

"Hi Michael,

I instructed the warehouse twice to change the address but according to your finding, apparently it's not been done. I'll call FedEx and make the change myself."​

Tue, 11/22 @ 11:30 AM

I receive another email from Jon:

"The delivery address has now been changed."​

Wed, 11/23 @ 3:02 PM

I sent an email to Jon saying the speakers were still being shipped to the wrong address and asked for a credit on shipping charges.​

== I RECEIVE THE SPEAKERS HURRAY! ==

Thu, 11/24 @ 12:30 PM (It's a pretty loud buzz)

I sent an email to Jon:

"Hello,

The speaker with the heatsink in the back, when I plug in the power and turn it on, there is a slight buzzing sound. Nothing else is plugged into it, no inputs, no cables, just power.

Turning the volume, bass, treble, does not change the volume or pitch of the buzz.

What are my options? Thanks.

Michael"​

== I DON'T HEAR FROM JON FOR A COUPLE DAYS (THANKSGIVING)==

Sat, 11/26 @ 8:22 AM

Jon sends me an email asking if the buzzing is thorugh the speaker's drivers or is it a mechanical buzzing insde the speakers?​

Sat, 11/26 @ 8:29 AM (This is where things get fishy)

Jon sends me an email:

"Hi Michael,

Let me explain our position on address changes, please, and then you can advise how you see the delivery.

First, as fraud-prevention, we have a policy that prevents running address changes. A customer could theoretically use an authorized credit card to clear the authorization service web sellers use and then switch addresses. I waived this for your order but it is actually our usual policy.

Second, running changes within FedEx are only sometimes effective - I estimate that fully half of them never occur. FedEx runs a highly automated delivery chain and all changes introduced into this chain are manual, making them very non-standard for them to have to deal with. We did everything we could to change the addredd mid-flight, but FedEx themselves simply could not comply.

Lastly, our final policy is that once the product clears our dock it naturally becomes the customer's property. Anything that happens to it from that point is the shippers responsibility, which in this case FedEx agrees to and bears.

All this said, I am more than willing to contact FedEx and see if I can get a credit to our corporate account and if so, to pass that credit on to you. Please give us a few days to work this out."

Here's why it's fishy. First, the billing/shipping address that was initially used was an old address that isn't even tied to the credit card I used to buy the speakers. Second, he mentions that the final policy is that once the product clears their dock it's out of their hands -- which I agree with. However, I specifically asked him to change the address BEFORE the speakers shipped and he even acknowledges that the address was changed BEFORE the speakers shipped. Finally, I never did hear from him about the credit.
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Sat, 11/26 @ 5:29 PM

I sent an email to Jon telling him the buzzing is coming through the speakers.​

Sun, 11/27 @ 8:43 AM

Jon responds:

"A speaker amplifier's power supply must rectify and filter 120v AC wall voltage to around 24v DC amplifier voltage. Doing so is always a question of degrees: No amount of power supply filtering can perfectly eliminate all 60Hz line "buzz" and a certain residual level will bleed through into the signal.

The question is if this buzz is indeed residual or the product of a defect. Since all Swan powered models are 100% quality-checked before shipping, and since power supply failures are virtually unknown of, one wonders what this buzz is; whether a true defect or just a natural operating function of the amplifiers Swan uses.

If you like we can check the speakers for normal operation. I can't guarantee we'll find a defect or if this is just how the speakers appear to you the customers.

Please let me know and we'll continue to work with you."
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Sun, 11/27 @ 11:14 AM

I send Jon an email:

"No this is absolutely a defect. I can hear the buzz clearly when I listen to anything. I've owned many speakers before and none have exhibited this behavior.

Please fix the issue at hand, I've been more than patient through our issues."
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Sun, 11/27 @ 11:42 AM

Jon emails me:

"Please repack the speakers as received and return them to the following address. After they arrive, please notify us by email and include the tracking number. If there is a problem related to manufacture, after inspection we'll refund the comparable costs of shipping by FedEx Ground only.

HAS
c/o Jon Lane
335 S. Beneva Rd.
Ste 1439
Sarasota, FL 34232

Please note that any previous issue was related to the shipper and not ourselves."

That last sentence I really don't believe because he tells me the address has been changed before the package goes out. Also, keep in mind this is where he said he'll refund me the comparable costs of shipping by FedEx Ground only!
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Sun, 11/27 @ 11:54 AM (I'm getting frustrated)

I send Jon an email:

"Please enough with the excuses. I emailed you immediately after I placed the order telling you my address was wrong and you said it would be fixed. I then followed up on Monday and you said it would be fixed. Finally, it shipped and I told you AGAIN for the THIRD time it was wrong.

You had two chances to rectify the problem when the speakers were in your possession -- don't blame FedEx they did nothing wrong.

Enough with the excuses, own up to the mistakes, fix the issues, and make your customer happy."
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Sun, 11/27 @ 12:31 PM (Jon is getting frustrated)

Jon emails me:

"Michael, I'm not going to either debate or discuss this any longer. We're a professional company that ships scores of units a day. We know how to do these things. We notified FedEx - in a violation of policy - with your address change. As I've told you, what they did with it after that is out of our control. "

Again, he speaks to his policy which is BS in my eyes since I gave him the WRONG billing address when I purchased the speakers. The card should have been declined immediately.​

Sun, 11/27 @ 12:48 PM

I send Jon an email:

"If security is your concern I suggest you talk to Authorize.net because that address I used has never been my billing address for that card.

I will send the speakers back tomorrow.

Michael"​

Sun, 11/27 @ 2:47 PM (So I'm getting a little snarky)

"Hello Jon,

Can you generate a FedEx shipping label for me to print then? Since you ship scores of units a day I am sure your shipping rate is better than mine. I don’t want to end up spending $30 on shipping when you’ll only reimburse me $15.

You don’t have to worry about scheduling a pickup I will drop it off at a FedEx location."

The originally shipping costs Jon charged me was $18.66. FedEx was quoting me $30+ so I figured his rate must be better than me.​

Sun, 11/27 @ 4:06 PM

Jon says:

"We need to evaluate the speakers before they can be found to qualify for prepaid freight."​

Sun, 11/27 @ 4:23 PM

I email Jon:

"Okay, FedEx is quoting me about $30 to ship it back to you, if there is a defect found in the speakers you will reimburse me the shipping charges? I can provide a receipt to confirm the cost."​

Mon, 11/28 @ 3:28 PM

I send Jon the FedEx tracking #​

 

[michael-]

Fri, 12/2 @ 2:07 PM

I email Jon asking if he's received the package and whether or not it's been inspected yet.​

Mon, 12/5 @ 1:24 PM

Jon: "We're inspecting returns tomorrow and will follow-up asap. Thanks."​

Thur, 12/8 @ 11:22 AM

Me: "Hi Jon, It's now Thursday, any updates?​

Fri, 12/9 @ 11:12 AM

Jon: "Michael,

The speakers were received in proper condition, unpacked, inspected, and benched. Power supply ripple was within spec, and the amplifiers are running on bias. We detected no RF noise in the circuit, and measured (and heard) no DC ripple through the woofers. The speaker runs as designed, and we heard no buzz or hum on the bench when run at our local wall voltage (121vac).

I asked that the amplifier board be replaced anyway, to be absolutely certain. Both boards measure identically and both were QC'd by Swan before shipping, one in your set of speakers and the other in our warranty parts reserve.

I suspect something is happening in your particular system that may include a ground loop, although if running at idle with no input connected there's no way this can be present.

Beyond that I don't know what to say. The speakers have been repacked and were delivered to FedEx Wednesday."​

Fri, 12/12 @ 12:27 PM

Me: "Which address did you end up shipping it to?​

Mon, 12/12 @ 2:18 AM

Jon: "The address on the return to us"​

== I RECEIVED THE SPEAKERS 12/12 ==

Mon, 12/19 @ 4:40 PM

Me: "Hello Jon,

Looks like replacing the amplifier board fixed the issue. I know I’m not crazy and there was noise coming from the speakers that had nothing to do with “being normal.” I’m assuming you’re not going to give me a refund on my shipping costs then?"​

Wed, 12/21 @ 11:23 AM

Me: "Hi Jon,

Did you receive this message?"​

Thur, 01/29 (Writing this)

It has almost been one month since I sent the last email to Jon asking for a refund of shipping charges which ended up being $30 or so. I decided to give Jon a call and he was friendly at first until he realized who I was. He told me that it's their policy to NOT pay for shipping charges when it's a warranty issue even though on Sun, 11/27 @ 4:06 PM Jon said he cannot until the speakers are inspected. Honestly, I think I received a defective product because though Jon claims there were no issues, it seemed to miraculously disappear after Jon replaced the components. Absolutely nothing changed on my setup. This wasn't an issue regarding warranty but receiving a defective product. All companies I know upon receiving a defective product will gladly pay for shipping both ways.

Jon left it at, "I'm not going to debate with you about this issue. If we paid for all returns, we'd be out of business." Considering all the hassle he put me through regarding shipping address changes, me having to drive a 1.5 hours to pickup up the speakers, and ignoring me for almost a month you'd think he could cover the $30.

I think this is an edge case issue that probably doesn't happen very often. It's these edge case issues that really challenges a company to think about how to handle and resolve an issue to make the customer happy. I firmly believe that The Audio Insider and Jon failed.

I personally will never buy from Jon again nor will I recommend them to anyone. He obviously is great when things go smoothly but once a really problem arises that isn't typical, his true colors come out.

Anyways, that was a very long review and I don't even know if it was valuable or if anyone will agree with me.

Thanks,

Michael

 

[SandyRavage]

Unfortunate situation but I think the problems could of been handled better by both parties.

Wed, 11/23 @ 3:02 PM

I sent an email to Jon saying the speakers were still being shipped to the wrong address and asked for a credit on shipping charges.

Why would they credit you the shipping charge when they would pay for any corrections? It's not like they charged you twice for their mistake (which was partially your fault in the first place).

 

[agarwalro]

This is not made up. A few years ago I brought home a brand spanking new spendy guitar amp and the damn thing was picking up local AM radio !! So I march it right back, make a scene and the guy is looking around for a hidden camera thinking he's being Punked. So, we plug it in and... Dead silence, like, no amp noise floor even at 100% master volume. I swear I felt like going punk rocker on the thing right there. Tuck my tail, trudge home and plug it back in. The MF'n POS was picking up AM radio again.

It almost sounds like high amp noise floor due to RF interference. Just saying... Then again, the replacement unit does not have the hum/buzz. Tough to call, and glad it is fixed.

I understand ou are frustrated, but, I have never heard of anyone covering shipping costs on a warranty claim.

Which speakers are we talking about?

 

[davidtwotrees]

Sorry about your experience.
Too bad the reason you joined our forum was to bash a company.
Kind of a bad way to start out, don't ya think?

 

[markw]

That wasn't a review. It was a rant. Feel better now?

You don't deserve a refund of the shipping charges, pure and simple.

You had to pay for shipping to begin with.

That a correction mid stream had to be made is imaterial.

They were, in fact, shipped to you and you received them.

You got what you paid for.

The fact that your own ineptitude up front caused the situation to begin with simply adds to their case.

Loking at the timeframe of emails you show says to me that they were probably processed and shipped by the time they were able to act on the address correction. Once it's shipped, seller has almost no control of anything. Unless someone is paid to just sit and monitor emails all day, it's likely that it wasn't noticed and/or acted upon until later.

You're lucky he was able to do what he did. Check up on "FOB" as it applies to shipping in North America.

As for the other problems, well, I'm sure they just love dealing with you now. You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.

And, thanks for joining out community. We love having people stop in jus tto complain about some audio related transaction and then leave when they don't get the sympathy they hoped for.

 

[Hocky]

Long thread for a $30 debate.

 

[agarwalro]

You don't deserve a refund of the shipping charges, pure and simple.

You had to pay for shipping to begin with.

That a correction mid stream had to be made is imaterial.

They were, in fact, shipped to you and you received them.

You got what you paid for.

The fact that your own ineptitude up front caused the situation to begin with simply adds to their case.

Loking at the timeframe of emails you show says to me that they were probably processed and shipped by the time they were able to act on the address correction. Once it's shipped, seller has almost no control of anything. Unless someone is paid to just sit and monitor emails all day, it's likely that it wasn't noticed and/or acted upon until later.

You're lucky he was able to do what he did. Check up on "FOB" as it applies to shipping in North America.

As for the other problems, well, I'm sure they just love dealing with you now. You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.

And, thanks for joining out community. We love having people stop in jus tto complain about some audio related transaction and then leave when they don't get the sympathy they hoped for.

Ok! Mrs. Cleveland .

 

[GranteedEV]

All times are PST.

Fri, 11/18 @ 11:28 AM

Order was...
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Fri, 11/18 @ 3:54 PM

Sent...
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Sat, 11/19 @ 7:27 AM

I...
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aww... I was hoping this would be like a season of 24

 

[mtrycrafts]

... If we paid for all returns, we'd be out of business." ...

WOW Are they getting that many returns to potentially put them out of business due to the shipping charges alone? That is saying something and it is not encouraging, at least in my mind