Doom Despair Agony on me...

virtualdean

I live and work at a Navy base in Bahrain..

Afew months ago, I got the bug to get a set of Polk rtiA9's/

I wanted to get Paradigm Studio 100..to big for usps..
I wanted to get Axiom m80...to big for usps
I wanted to get polk rtiA9's....to big for usps

Then I discovered the Army/Airforce exchange will work with the Navy Exchange and ship the A9's over here, free. Only Polk rtiA9 was available.
I put a set on order. It took 7 weeks..I expected to see pristine boxes just like when you buy big tv's at the NEX..For some reason they were not.
I went to the warehouse with the sales rep.]
I unwrapped the shrink wrap from the two speakers...My heart sank...my blood pressure rose and I became enraged...(I paid for these in advance)
The boxes were all f!@#$%^&'ed up...They looked old like they had been repeatedly unpacked and repacked. The top of one was so crushed up the styrofoam cap was broken in 3 pieces and someone had used packing tape to hold it together. The crush mark didn't look like new crushed cardboard...there was a gouges in the front that didn[t quite make it all the way through.\\\
The other one had a big tear in the side that went from front to back, and if you held the tear open pieces of styrofoam came out. I got over my shock and refused delivery. Heartbroken. :eek: :mad: Also, one of the grills had not been reinserted right and was twisted and mishapened.
I know it wasn't Polks fault. I found out that Polk is not the NEX's direct supplier, some 3rd party hifi out is... You can imagine them scrounging the internet for rejects, test units, demos and then offing them onto the NEX system, hoping the end user would just accept it as they were because its such a hassle to get them...Wrong guy for that.. Ill squeeze a nickel into a dime before I get cheated...
Let me note I have no firm idea how they got so battered, only raw speculations..
I went through a 3 hour combat to get them to give me my money back. The nex wanted to give me store credit. What? buy an equivalent amount of underwear?
I got money in the end.
So now I'm over it. just for the hell of it I called up Axiom...how much do your m80's weigh? I am bound and determined to use the USPS this time.
Axiom told me the shipping weight was 70 lbs.The usps website had told me 70lbs max...i started to hang up and resign myself to my Bose. Then the Axiom guy says,,,U know, if we remove the drivers I bet we can save 4 or 5 pounds apiece. We can ship them in a 3rd box well packed!
He left to getthe tech support guys to remove the bass driver and repack it and see if it comes in on weight
I was impressed

So, I may buy the Axiom's if they will pass usps regs or I may wait until the NEX puts the battered box Polks on sale at a much reduced price. I like money so I if the price is right I may buy them any way if the Polks are in perfect shape
The Polks look better too.
What would u have done?...Taken delivery and hoped for the best?
Or not accept delivery?:p

tcrossma

The purpose of a box is to take the beating in place of whatever is in the box. As long as the damage didn't look to have affected the speaker, I probably would have taken them regardless of the condition of the box. But I can certainly understand you refusing them too. Good luck with whatever you go for next.

TNRabbit

With that much battering, it's entirely possible the drivers could have been toasted, so you probably did the right thing.

I was stationed overseas for 7 out of 20 years in the USAF; I've received care package boxes that were ROUND like a ball from being tossed all over creation. Not sure WTF they did to them....

I went to the Navy base in Bahrain & to Manama several times while I was stationed at Dhahran, KSA. Did vulnerability surveys at Sheik Isa Air Base that's at the end of the world out past the Tree of Life. How long you been there? Is the "Westerner" bar still there next to the big hotel? Got hammered there a time or two~

LessisNevermore

Deep dark depression, excessive misery.
If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all....:D:D


Sorry to hear about the shipping troubles, you did right by refusing the delivery.

Kchill

Sound's like you still got them. Do you?

TNRabbit

Found this pic of the Tree of Life:





Holy Crap! That wasn't there when I went to Sheik Isa:

Sherardp

STOP RIGHT THERE BRO!!!!. If you want the A9s I can help you with this, I already did the homework and can tell you how to get everything you need to build a killer system. The same thing happened to me with my RTi12s but I was able to get them over here untouched for the most part and in awesome condition. Here's how

The towers are going to be your largest speaker minus subs which will be heavy depending on what you go with.

In order to get a pair of A9s skip the exchange, unless they can order and you pay for them after arrival. I went through BAX global and got my subs from SVS and my Rti12s delivered. My boxes were in crappy shape also, and I had one problem with a single driver but that was a free replacement from Polk. I would highly recommend BAX, also I suggest you look at FEDEX Freight as an alternative which have been great. I imported my entire system also and it took some homework but I'm here to share that info with you regardless of speaker choice. Thanks for serving, Semper Fi (former marine here).

If the Polks are in good order, have the store play them for you. You could always wait for the discount, NEX likes to move inventory and I bet those A9s would be gone fast once they put them out for sale.

virtualdean

TNRabbit wrote: »

With that much battering, it's entirely possible the drivers could have been toasted, so you probably did the right thing.

I was stationed overseas for 7 out of 20 years in the USAF; I've received care package boxes that were ROUND like a ball from being tossed all over creation. Not sure WTF they did to them....

I went to the Navy base in Bahrain & to Manama several times while I was stationed at Dhahran, KSA. Did vulnerability surveys at Sheik Isa Air Base that's at the end of the world out past the Tree of Life. How long you been there? Is the "Westerner" bar still there next to the big hotel? Got hammered there a time or two~

The Best Western is still here. Along with many other nightspots...I was surprised at the variety of companionship..I mean music lovers,..

The so called Tree of life...what type of tree is it? A tamarisk? A mesquite bush?
I've been here over 2 years now. I like it except for the Summer...
We hit 126 degrees with very high humidity last year.
But beautiful weather for about 7 months of the year...

The shock to the drivers were one thing I did consider...no warranty support here I don't think. And no way to mail them back.

virtualdean

Sherardp wrote: »

STOP RIGHT THERE BRO!!!!. If you want the A9s I can help you with this, I already did the homework and can tell you how to get everything you need to build a killer system. The same thing happened to me with my RTi12s but I was able to get them over here untouched for the most part and in awesome condition. Here's how

The towers are going to be your largest speaker minus subs which will be heavy depending on what you go with.

In order to get a pair of A9s skip the exchange, unless they can order and you pay for them after arrival. I went through BAX global and got my subs from SVS and my Rti12s delivered. My boxes were in crappy shape also, and I had one problem with a single driver but that was a free replacement from Polk. I would highly recommend BAX, also I suggest you look at FEDEX Freight as an alternative which have been great. I imported my entire system also and it took some homework but I'm here to share that info with you regardless of speaker choice. Thanks for serving, Semper Fi (former marine here).

If the Polks are in good order, have the store play them for you. You could always wait for the discount, NEX likes to move inventory and I bet those A9s would be gone fast once they put them out for sale.

I will investigate..Thank you...

Oh yes, I was commiserating with a couple of my friends about this over a cold one. After a few rounds, one said all the right things to smooth my jaded nerves, like "Quit your whining! Buy us another round"...his tone of voice changed...
Then he said, "Uuhhhhh, did the Navy Exchange guy happen to mention WHEN they might be put on sale?
You're right, they won't last long.
The NEX has been taken over by the Home Theater crowd and carries that stuff to exclusion. They don't carry any floorstanding stuff or any quality speakers at all.

virtualdean

LessisNevermore wrote: »

Deep dark depression, excessive misery.
If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all....:D:D


Sorry to hear about the shipping troubles, you did right by refusing the delivery.

You are dating yourself! I don't know why but I liked that show...
Hee Haw for you youngsters..:D

virtualdean

TNRabbit wrote: »

With that much battering, it's entirely possible the drivers could have been toasted, so you probably did the right thing.

I was stationed overseas for 7 out of 20 years in the USAF; I've received care package boxes that were ROUND like a ball from being tossed all over creation. Not sure WTF they did to them....

I went to the Navy base in Bahrain & to Manama several times while I was stationed at Dhahran, KSA. Did vulnerability surveys at Sheik Isa Air Base that's at the end of the world out past the Tree of Life. How long you been there? Is the "Westerner" bar still there next to the big hotel? Got hammered there a time or two~

The Best Western is still there. Along with many other nightspots...I was surprised at the variety of companionship..I mean music lovers,..

The so called tree of life...what type of tree is it? A tamarisk? A mesquite bush?
I've been here over 2 years now. I like it except for the Summer...
We hit 126 degrees with very high humidity last year.
But beautiful weather for about 7 months of the year...

The shock to the drivers were one thing I did consider...no warranty support here I don't think. And no way to mail them back.

LessisNevermore

virtualdean wrote: »

You are dating yourself! I don't know why but I liked that show...
Hee Haw for you youngsters..:D

LOL Let's just say I was a captive audience....but at the time it was either that show, or "Anna one, anna twooo, anna three........"

virtualdean

Sherardp wrote: »

STOP RIGHT THERE BRO!!!!. If you want the A9s I can help you with this, I already did the homework and can tell you how to get everything you need to build a killer system. The same thing happened to me with my RTi12s but I was able to get them over here untouched for the most part and in awesome condition. Here's how

Sherardp:
Can you send me the information on using fedex freight? I don't care about the speed, I want a low price.

Thanks

virtualdean

virtualdean wrote: »

I live and work at a Navy base in Bahrain..

Afew months ago, I got the bug to get a set of Polk rtiA9's/

I wanted to get Paradigm Studio 100..to big for usps..
I wanted to get Axiom m80...to big for usps
I wanted to get polk rtiA9's....to big for usps

Then I discovered the Army/Airforce exchange will work with the Navy Exchange and ship the A9's over here, free. Only Polk rtiA9 was available.
I put a set on order. It took 7 weeks..I expected to see pristine boxes just like when you buy big tv's at the NEX..For some reason they were not.
I went to the warehouse with the sales rep.]
I unwrapped the shrink wrap from the two speakers...My heart sank...my blood pressure rose and I became enraged...(I paid for these in advance)
The boxes were all f!@#$%^&'ed up...They looked old like they had been repeatedly unpacked and repacked. The top of one was so crushed up the styrofoam cap was broken in 3 pieces and someone had used packing tape to hold it together. The crush mark didn't look like new crushed cardboard...there was a gouges in the front that didn[t quite make it all the way through.\\\
The other one had a big tear in the side that went from front to back, and if you held the tear open pieces of styrofoam came out. I got over my shock and refused delivery. Heartbroken. :eek: :mad: Also, one of the grills had not been reinserted right and was twisted and mishapened.
I know it wasn't Polks fault. I found out that Polk is not the NEX's direct supplier, some 3rd party hifi out is... You can imagine them scrounging the internet for rejects, test units, demos and then offing them onto the NEX system, hoping the end user would just accept it as they were because its such a hassle to get them...Wrong guy for that.. Ill squeeze a nickel into a dime before I get cheated...
Let me note I have no firm idea how they got so battered, only raw speculations..
I went through a 3 hour combat to get them to give me my money back. The nex wanted to give me store credit. What? buy an equivalent amount of underwear?
I got money in the end.
So now I'm over it. just for the hell of it I called up Axiom...how much do your m80's weigh? I am bound and determined to use the USPS this time.
Axiom told me the shipping weight was 70 lbs.The usps website had told me 70lbs max...i started to hang up and resign myself to my Bose. Then the Axiom guy says,,,U know, if we remove the drivers I bet we can save 4 or 5 pounds apiece. We can ship them in a 3rd box well packed!
He left to getthe tech support guys to remove the bass driver and repack it and see if it comes in on weight
I was impressed

So, I may buy the Axiom's if they will pass usps regs or I may wait until the NEX puts the battered box Polks on sale at a much reduced price. I like money so I if the price is right I may buy them any way if the Polks are in perfect shape
The Polks look better too.
What would u have done?...Taken delivery and hoped for the best?
Or not accept delivery?:p

I got the good folks at axiom to remove the drivers and they look like they will come in just under max usps weight.
Then I found out they have a vinyl finish.. (heavy sigh)
I don't care how nice the vinyl is its still vinyl. I want wood veneer at least.
When I think of vinyl I think (incorrectly) of acrylic on top of particleboard like the crap made at ikea.