My Terrible Emotiva Experience

Hi guys,

I've read some mixed reviews of Emotiva, some good, so bad.  I wanted to share my recent experience with them so people see what kind of company they're dealing with.

So, I have an Emotiva power amp I bought a few years ago.  I have my DAC running straight into it, and I've been pretty happy with that setup for a while, but I decided I wanted to buy a processor/preamp to give me some options.  Since I had an Emotiva amp, I preferred to buy one from them, just so they match, since this is in my living room. The only problem I had was that the one that best fit my setup had been out of stock for quite a while.

Fast-forward to a couple of weeks ago, when they announce their "Renewed Item" event. Renewed means different things to different companies, so I e-mailed them to ask if their renewed items simply returned items or if they were used items from their trade-in program. The first reply I got was some vague sales speak about how happy I would be with my renewed item, but after pushing a little harder, they replied and told me that their renewed items were returns from their 30-day demo program that some of them "had never even been opened".  Satisfied with this answer, I placed my order.

When I first opened the box, I realized there was a problem.  The remote was just tossed in the box loose, and it was *disgusting*.  It was covered in what looked like chocolate and sofa lint.  Even after I cleaned it off, it was badly scuffed and scratched, and looked like it had been shoved between someone's couch cushions for a few years. The cables were wadded up in a bag, and the RCA patch cables were covered in dust and grime, the way they get when they are behind your TV for a few years.  The unit itself looked ok, but there was dog hair stuck to the feet of it and all inside the black cover they wrapped the unit in. It was very clear just looking at it that this was not a 30-day demo, but was a well-used item that someone had traded in for an upgrade.  It was also clear that Emotiva had done absolutely nothing to "renew" it.  They hadn't replaced the remote, or even cleaned it, or even the cables.  I can't imagine that they even tested it.

When I contacted them about the problem, they admitted nothing.  They basically just processed the return, which at least I can be thankful for. They did send me some e-mail that started off like an apology, but then turned into a denial that "anything like this could have left our factory".  Even after I sent them photos, I got no reply, no offer to replace it with a proper unit.

While I can't complain that much, since I did get my money back, I still feel that companies shouldn't lie to their customers. If it's a used item, then they should just say that.  They only reduced the price maybe $30-40 off the price of a new unit, so there's no way I would have bought it if I knew it was used.  It would have saved everyone a lot of trouble. And I think if you renew an item, you should at least make sure it's clean and the accessories are in good working order, especially if you're charging near new price for it. Finally, while I didn't ask them for anything other than my money back, if this was a factory mistake and not just how they do business, then they should make some attempt to "make it right". At least offer to replace it with a unit in the condition they promised.  Or at absolute minimum they should give you a sincere apology, and not a veiled accusation that you're a liar. (And I'm not even sure why someone would lie, since they have a 30 days money-back policy.  There's no need to be dishonest.  You can just ask for a return for any reason.)

In any case, before you drop a few thousand on equipment from these guys, you should consider the way they do business. You should absolutely never buy a renewed item from them.  You also might wonder if those new items are really new, or if they're the 30 day demos and the refurbs. This is not a company that you can really trust.