Unhappy Customer

kab

What do you think of this story?

About six months ago, an individual ordered a MicroPro 4000 from Polk Direct, choosing the six-payment option and making the first payment. Shortly after, he ordered more products again using the six-payment option. Then he dropped out of sight. No payments on the several thousand dollars he owed Polk. No answer to calls. Reluctantly, we sent him to collection. Oh well, it happens.

A few weeks ago, Factory Service gets a call and an amp for a blown subwoofer. You guessed it, the MicroPro 4000. We've never dealt with situation before. In the end, we decided to repair and return the amp when we collected the money for the sub.

Needless to say, this individual found our position unfair and not very customer friendly.

On Friday, November 12th, we received an email threatening to flame us on the avs forums unless we fixed and returned the sub. He would tell everyone about our cruddy product, that we didn’t stand behind it and that customer service was unresponsive and inferior.

Also on Friday, a review was left on the Polk site. I choose not to post it. (only the seventh time in all these years I’ve decided not to post a review)…

Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 5:10 PM
To: Ballard, Al; Chrobak, Patrick
Subject: --- New Customer Review ---

Product: DSW micro <small>PRO</small> 4000
Rating: 1

Good:

---

NOT WORTH THE MONEY

Bad:
----
POOR CUSTOMER SUPPORT

Review:

---

BUYER BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
POLK DOES NOT HONOR ITS WARRANTY. THE AMPLIFIER BLEW IN 2 MONTHS OF USE AND POLK WOULD NOT FIX OR REPLACE IT. DO NOT BUY FROM THEM.

For reasons of privacy, I can’t tell you who this person is. I just wanted to tell you our side in the event you see Polk CS getting trashed on AVS or other forums.

Al

dorokusai

I suggest that we, including yourself Al...AND/OR Patrick(JUST A SUGGESTION) talk with the AVS Forum owners. They don't take kindly to threats either and I believe those guys would be very cool in regards to this issue. The wording is clearly a threat and uneccesary given the problem and the efforts to resolve the issue at hand. I've had nothing but positive stuff offline from AVS folks, the owners don't play games and would expect that given the magnitude of involvement, gladly nip this is the butt.

If you want, I can go ahead and touch base with them and set something up.....

Mark

SolidSqual

dorokusai wrote: »

I suggest that we, including yourself Al...AND/OR Patrick, talk with the AVS Forum owners. They don't take kindly to threats either and I believe those guys would be very cool in regards to this issue.

Mark

Ditto, I can think of another matter where AVS reacted quickly.

ben62670

Do you have his addy?

dorokusai

ben62670 wrote: »

Do you have his addy?

No, it's NOT going to go there Ben. Or are you referring to the AVS SysOp's? Yes, I have them all.

KAB - If you ever wanted to see what Club Polk means to these folks....or what kind of solidarity we have here, like or dislike of one another....this is THE thread. This is the stuff that binds us all and we care about these issues and our forum.

ben62670

I was kidding. After giving it a little thought I would think that offering a refund and taking the loss would be the best recourse. I have dealt with customers like him and he will never be satisfied.

dorokusai

ben62670 wrote: »

I was kidding. After giving it a little thought I would think that offering a refund and taking the loss would be the best recourse. I have dealt with customers like him and he will never be satisfied.

But the fact he has threatened, leveraged himself in a way that he expects to get what he wants, makes me ill. I'm on AVS and have been for quite some time. They won't tolerate it and he knows it....I know it.

Polkersince85

The stated warranty and the six month agreement may be two different agreements that have to be dealt with separately. Honor the warranty but also deliver a summons for a judgement on the unpaid items. That should keep him busy for a while. He may have a valid claim on the warranty but Polk has the claim on the debt.

dorokusai

I would hope that all of you readers would at least comment....I see you there. Invisible doesn't mean anything to me as I see you. Just comment, at least via PM to KAB.

Rivrrat

You're never going to make everyone happy all the time. Talk to the avs forum people, and see where it goes.

shack

Polk's position is absolutely the right one. Not only would I not return the sub until paid in full...I would sue the person (take the account back from the collection agency and sue in small claims court if necessary) and once a judgement was issued, it then becomes a matter of public record and Polk would be free to respond to any negative internet bashing with a simple link to the court records or a copy of the legal judgement. Polk would not be breeching any privacy and would be able to discredit the person bashing them for their actions. People like this make me sick.

ben62670

Polk has a great reputation all around. I think a refund with a return of the equipment would still be the best recourse. I have a feeling no matter what this particular customer will complain no matter what Polk does for him. I still say take the loss.

halo71

Offer him a refund?!?

The dude is behind on payments to the point it went to collections. He f'ed up a sub and has the nerve to threaten to complain about it on another forum(s)? I would not refund a penny to him. I agree with Ken.

ben62670

Can it be proven that he messed it up? Nope. Yes I think he is traveling down the wrong road. Please keep this thread clean as it may end up being scrutinized.

brettw22

I think the guy's an absolute ****, but about the only way I could see that a warranty could be withheld is if it's stated somewhere in the warranty that the item must be (receipt) proven to be paid in full in order to be honored.

I would guess that you'd have to warranty the product, but hand deliver it with a summons that he's being sued for payment of the items.

SolidSqual

Polk's customer service is amazing. I've dealt with it twice and both times they exceeded my expectations.

Toolfan66

I get dibs on the Sub!!!

nooshinjohn

I offer to be the repo man...

WilliamM2

Does Polk have the legal right to repossess equipment for failure to pay? If not, I would say a repair and return of the sub to the "owner" is in order. No way should a refund be offered though, since he never really paid for it.

dorokusai

Thanks Polkies....please comment, for or against. I mean...every opinion is a good one, don't worry about your stance on the subject. This is a just wondering thread.

punk-roc

Sending someone to collections is never an easy decision for a business (due to hassle, percentage payment lost to collection agency if any is ever recovered, etc)..

So a rational person has to assume all reasonable courses of action (to recover the money owed) were taken. I would have handled the situation similarly were it my business I think.

Jason

punk-roc

I might not have given the RMA number and agree to repair it however.. unless the "customer" was made aware he wouldn't be getting it back until he paid what was owed..

ben62670

Is he actually the owner of the gear if he has not fully paid for it?

jtgranby

Shack has the best idea. Sue him in small claims and win the judgement. Watch him squirm a little. If he shows up which I highly doubt. People like this try to hide and hope it will go away. Go for it Al


Jim

cfrizz

Do as Mark suggested and give the heads up on other forums about this thief. Then do what you have to and go after him for the money that he owes you. YOU have all the records showing lack of payment. In court he will lose.

This is the nice way of doing this. If this dirtbag really wants to play dirty, we (Polkies) NOT Polk Audio can do what that other forum did to that guy who tried to rip someone off in some car forum and it backfired big time on him. His name was mud all over the world!

SolidSqual

It terms of the law, Polk did not convert the subwoofer, they repossessed it in a way any court would accept. There was no disruption of the peace . . . the guy didn't even know it was happening. Courts do not care if the debtor was tricked into returning the product.

Toolfan66

Is he really the owner since he never paid for it???

Karma is a **** and someday he will come home wondering where his **** is..

backsigns

I believe if you talk to your lawyers, they would tell you what you have to do. I don't know if you can hold the sub for ransom, but I would.
This is ultimately a legal issue for the company. This guy probably knows you have to send it back to him, even though he stopped paying for it. Good luck getting it straightened out. I would hate to see this guy getting away with this.

MacLeod

I say let the guy flame away. Then watch the Polk faithful come out of the woodwork to defend our brands honor.

Even if we didnt come to Polk's defense - one yahoo one a forum trashing a brand isnt going to raise any eyebrows. Polks reputation for CS is pretty extensive. Ive seen it referenced on other car audio forums but random guys not even running Polk gear so the word is out. I doubt some douchebag with a grudge will tarnish it any.

SolidSqual

TOOLFORLIFEFAN wrote: »

Is he really the owner since he never paid for it???

Karma is a **** and someday he will come home wondering where his **** is..

Yup, he is the owner, but I bet Polk's credit agreement has a few lines where that can end in the event of default. The word "owner" means less when you buy your gear on credit.

vmaxer

Hey,

I wouldn't give him anything. Polk customer service is second to none!!! Polk products are great. I know I haven't posted here a lot over the years, but I have owned Polk speakers for several years and love them. The customer service has sent me parts overnight for free when the problem was caused by me. I admitted it to them and they gave me the parts anyway with free overnight shipping.

This jerk can't hurt Polk's business, absoutely too many highly satisified customers!!