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What to do about tech rip off?

I agree with Socal
As I said before there is NO WAY he is going anywhere near the receiver. The reasons:
He was in a hurry to get it out of the shop.
He did not seem to want to "audition" it for me.
There was something messy spilled on the top, but I didnt take pics of this(actually that is the least of it)
I have the work order stating that he had by passed the multifunction switch. On the order, it says something about using tape 1 and 2 for the aux, because the aux didnt work. These functions don't work when I tried both of them carefully checking to make sure I had the correct buttons pushed.
The unit has static (like it did earlier) and it sounds weaker on one channel and then it cuts out and then it sounds a bit louder on the other channel. UNIT NOT FIXED.
I had another receiver in the same place with no static attached to an FM wire, so it can't be the reception. Also double-checked my speakers. They play fine with the other receiver...so UNIT NOT FIXED and there is DAMAGE to headphone jack.
The headphone jack looks like it has some kind of pinsticking out inside it and I cannot plug in headphones. I could use headphones before I took it to him!
No one should have to put up with this kind of shoddy work.
I started a dispute with the CCCompany. The CCCompany told me that he already has been paid.
I guess the worst that could happen is that the dispute will fail and I still have to pay the money. Until then, I can't take the receiver to another tech until all this clears up.
Thanks everyone for concern for my situation.

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Understood. But you did ask "should I call him?". Did you call him and actually speak with someone?

You might not want him to touch it (and I did not say he should), but maybe he would simply refund you. That's what a retailer should do if they want to retain any sort of respect. Instigating a charge-back is not a negotiation between you and him; it's an aggressive approach.
 
I told his partner that the stereo still had problems.
So the partnerr knew that there was a problem. I called three times, leaving messages. No one was getting back. The parnert told me he was sick , and to call next week.
 
I was able to cancel the charge back. Just in time.
I guess we'll see what happens next week. I will ask for a refund then.
I guess I would not rather not be dragged to court, in case that goes wrong...
I wish I'd never gone there, I can tell you that!
 
yes, i believe everyone deserves second chance, but in this case, i'd ask for my money back. if he refuses, do the charge back. he clearly does not understand these old circuits. didn't this guy test the unit after whatever he did to it? maybe he thought since it's an old piece, you wouldn't mind crappy performance from it as long as it passed sound. either way, i would not trust him and would not give him "second chance" to cause permanent damage.

i learned it hard way that not all audio techs are equally created. if one does not have knowledge and appreciation of the "older" stuff, he is as ignorant as your neighbor (unless you have a vintage audio tech living next door). :D
 
retroJ said:
I told his partner that the stereo still had problems.
So the partnerr knew that there was a problem. I called three times, leaving messages. No one was getting back. The parnert told me he was sick , and to call next week.
Click to expand...
The partner can't look at it? Each of those techs only work on certain gear??? Maybe you tell the partner that you really need this fixed, you have already payed, and that you would like him to work on it instead of ______________. Does the shop have a warranty period posted or listed somewhere?
 
Last edited:
Bucky,
No warranty was mentioned.
AS for the other guy, I dont know what he does.
It is mostly a PC repair shop. Someone from ebay mentioned him, since he had fixed a few vintage receivers for him.
I won't bring it there again. I'm even afraid to peer inside to see if he actually did anything in there. Maybe he just said he was doing a by-pass but didnt do anything much. I hope so because its going to be expensive to undo what he might have done...
 
retroJ said:
Hi all,
Recently, I got a Marantz receiver from ebay. I realized that it would probably have issues, but the price was fair.
It had static and channel issues, so I took it to a tech in my area. He had it for only a couple of days...
Click to expand...

Next time, check in with the Marantz forum BEFORE taking it to a tech. Cleaning controls and adjusting the trimmers can cure a lot of expensive sounding problems.
 
I hear ya retroJ. Follow your guts. I hope that whatever is wrong with it it can be repaired and not cost to much.
 
Well, I just a got a phone call from the tech. He had quite an attitude! First off, I refused to let him take the receiver again.
I was rather clipped, but I didnt yell at him or anything like that.
He wouldnt say anything about why earlier he wouldn't demo the stereo for me before I left the store, and flatly denied there was any damage to the headphone jack. I repeatedly asked for my money back.
He said, "We've finished talking."
So now, I'm a liar who invents stories about damaged headphone jacks.
I would file the cc charge back, but I'm afraid the guy is going to haul me into small claims court, and it will be my word against his!
I believe in karma, but I dont think he does...
 
You will have no problem proving your claims in small claims court. Bring the receiver and a pair of speakers with you, along with headphones.

If your story is true, and nothing works as you say, the judge will readily seem and hear the truth.
 
Did you already mention how much you paid for his services? It may be worth your while to go to small claims court but it seems unlikely if it didn't cost too much. The added stress factor wouldn't be worth it. Also, I wouldn't even want to look at the guy's face again. Learning lesson? This site is a good source for fixing anything electronic.
 
Fixing a pc is very different than fixing vintage audio gear. With rare exceptions, about all PC repair people do is swap boards, run diagnostic/repair software and change system settings. They really don't have to know anything about electronics per se. Many may not even know the basics of using a multi meter.

You need to find a technician that knows component level electronic repair. If you have limited options, take it to an old TV repairperson before a PC technician.
 
I'd file the chargeback. You gave him a chance to explain himself, he was rude, he lied. I doubt he'll take you to small claims.
 
Ok, the charge was $86.00. If I file a charge back, it means the stereo will have to sit around untouched for months, maybe. Plus the stress factor of having to go to court.
The sound gets louder on one side then moves to the other channel. I was also unable to hook up the cd player the way he SUPPOSEDLY had set it up to do. Finally, the headphone jack damage. How is a judge going to know what to believe about that?
The guy is arrogant as hell...I think i'm just going to move on. I'm sick of all this...
 
File the charge back.

Take the receiver to a good stereo repair place in the Bay- there are plenty.

Have the tech document every item in contention - the jack, the bypass repair, the loss of the two inputs, the lousy sound and improper balance. Talk to him and ask for nude photos of the process.

Pay the second bill after demoing the unit for proper completed repairs.

If you have to go to small claims court, you have an expert witness(the second tech) who will rape and pillage the computer guy.

Judges are sharp people who can detect BS a mile away. The initial service was supposed to be workmanlike and professional, evidencing at least a minimum standard of technical repair and due competence. It doesn't.

The worst that can happen is you will be required to repay the bill. The best thing is the tech and probably the day manager will need to appear as well at the hearing. They won't file, because they do not wish to incur a couple hours of lost productivity and income.
 
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