@glupson Yes, one really has to have luck when purchasing an Uptone product. Because everything is considered to be the customer's fault. Rattling noise from a mis-specified board size, botched up assembly and screw job, warranty replacement that failed after 2 months.
The "statistics" Alex quotes never add up. The LPS 1 was supposedly less reliable with a 3% failure rate. Yet the LPS 1.2 which is supposedly more reliable has a 5% failure rate when it suits him. But as he mentions to a customer on the receiving end, do not mention it to anyone as it is their cash cow.
The 3% and 5% seem to encompass an ever increasing number of people so it probably isn't really 3-5% anyway but higher.
Ultimately, even a customer who bought new and directly from Uptone and was taken care of, found Alex's business practices dubious and sold off all his Uptone products.
@the_treble_with_tribbles go through the whole email chain. You will find if nothing has been left out that the scenario is as I depicted in my opening post.
As I have said before, I have not received the money back, regardless of whether Uptone had their funds deducted or not. My credit card issuing bank's policy is to hold the funds in escrow until the case is resolved. I doubt I will see the money back.
Another point that is perhaps of more interest to folk here is whether items purchased on the secondary market are entitled to warranty cover. In Uptone's case, their policy is a transferable 3 year warranty so that is not really relevant here. They are merely fulfilling their warranty policy by assisting with a faulty used product so long as the warranty period is valid. Alex has NOT gone out of his way to be helpful to me here. The same goes for the $185 credit he provided to absolve himself of said warranty towards the LPS 1 that failed shortly after a previous repair. He cannot have a warranty policy that way and then discriminate against people who have bought Uptone items used. But you have also seen from the experience of others who bought direct that much bantering and delaying was needed before Uptone took care of their issues.
If a manufacturer states upfront and outright that secondary market items are not entitled to warranty claims then so be it. But that is certainly not the case with Uptone. If he did that, the demand for new Uptone units will drop - you just need to look at the number of LPS 1's and 1.2's that are frequently available for sale to see that many that buy them subsequently trade out of them.
I have had experience with other manufacturers that have varied. Krell for example used to be country oriented. I have relocated around the world for work and an original unit bought from an authorised distributor in one country is only entitled to limited warranty in another within the warranty period. This is perhaps to protect their dealer network. Mark Levinson when it was under Madrigal allowed for warranty coverage wherever you are or were subsequently located regardless of the original country of purchase. But overall, in hi fi, I have found that it is rare for manufacturers not to be responsible for secondary market products so long as they are within the warranty period.
The "statistics" Alex quotes never add up. The LPS 1 was supposedly less reliable with a 3% failure rate. Yet the LPS 1.2 which is supposedly more reliable has a 5% failure rate when it suits him. But as he mentions to a customer on the receiving end, do not mention it to anyone as it is their cash cow.
The 3% and 5% seem to encompass an ever increasing number of people so it probably isn't really 3-5% anyway but higher.
Ultimately, even a customer who bought new and directly from Uptone and was taken care of, found Alex's business practices dubious and sold off all his Uptone products.
@the_treble_with_tribbles go through the whole email chain. You will find if nothing has been left out that the scenario is as I depicted in my opening post.
As I have said before, I have not received the money back, regardless of whether Uptone had their funds deducted or not. My credit card issuing bank's policy is to hold the funds in escrow until the case is resolved. I doubt I will see the money back.
Another point that is perhaps of more interest to folk here is whether items purchased on the secondary market are entitled to warranty cover. In Uptone's case, their policy is a transferable 3 year warranty so that is not really relevant here. They are merely fulfilling their warranty policy by assisting with a faulty used product so long as the warranty period is valid. Alex has NOT gone out of his way to be helpful to me here. The same goes for the $185 credit he provided to absolve himself of said warranty towards the LPS 1 that failed shortly after a previous repair. He cannot have a warranty policy that way and then discriminate against people who have bought Uptone items used. But you have also seen from the experience of others who bought direct that much bantering and delaying was needed before Uptone took care of their issues.
If a manufacturer states upfront and outright that secondary market items are not entitled to warranty claims then so be it. But that is certainly not the case with Uptone. If he did that, the demand for new Uptone units will drop - you just need to look at the number of LPS 1's and 1.2's that are frequently available for sale to see that many that buy them subsequently trade out of them.
I have had experience with other manufacturers that have varied. Krell for example used to be country oriented. I have relocated around the world for work and an original unit bought from an authorised distributor in one country is only entitled to limited warranty in another within the warranty period. This is perhaps to protect their dealer network. Mark Levinson when it was under Madrigal allowed for warranty coverage wherever you are or were subsequently located regardless of the original country of purchase. But overall, in hi fi, I have found that it is rare for manufacturers not to be responsible for secondary market products so long as they are within the warranty period.