My awful experience with Polk customer service.

Hey guys, wish my first post under better circumstances but alas...

Here is my on going saga and please read if you are interested or can help! Thanks


In the fall I finished developing my basement and a friend recommended Polk Audio for my home theatre. I purchased two 265-RT's from eBay. I also purchased (2) MC80's and a TL1 centre channel off the shelf at Visions. I have yet to purchase my subwoofer as i'm waiting until this matter resolves.

Upon completing my install I found that my left 265-RT wasn't working and after troubleshooting I found that the circuit board for the 265 had a crack in it. My 265RT's were not purchased directly from a vendor by myself but the units had never been out of the boxes.

Middle of November 2017 - I called Polk customer service to get some advice. I already knew that Polk most likely wouldn't be able to warranty my 265's but at the very least I also would need a replacement board to get me back up and running. At this point I wish I could recall the agent I spoke with. He was awful. I told him my issue with the cracked circuit board and asked about any warranty as the products were never installed. The agent sounded annoyed that I would even inquire about this. I wanted the agent to know that my 265rt's were indeed new in the opened boxes and asked him to clarify how Polk warranty coverage works. I asked him if the reason for my 265rt's not being covered was because I was not the first owner and hadn't purchased them directly from a brick and mortar store. I think I set up that question to be answered fairly easy with a yes and we could both move on. At this point he was seemingly so offended that he I could hear his impatience with my inquiry as he sighed into the phone.

I was fine knowing that my products were not going to be covered but how the agent was treating me bothered me. I told him that at the very least I would like to order a replacement circuit board and he again sounded bothered that I would take up more of his time and he let out another short puff of annoyance into the phone. He asked for my address and I told him I was from Canada which he again huffed and puffed about and told me to call the Canadian number. I asked for the number and he begrudgingly gave it to me. Unbelievable. I had no words left but got out a "thank you very much" in a semi sarcastic tone as I was only thankful to be off the line with him!

So I called the Canadian number for support that he gave me and I retold my story to a really nice support guy. He told me that he would check into the availability for the part i needed since he had none in stock. He let me know that he would order it as soon as he found out. I asked him for a call back that day so that I would know how long I would have to wait. He called back the next day and advised that Polk had no parts available but they were on order. He assured me that he would keep my request for the part and promised to call me when the parts were available.

I called again late December 2017 - still no parts available

I called again late January 2018 - still no parts available but was assured of a call back in a couple days. No one called...still waiting....

I haven't ever had a call yet to assure me that I was still being taken care of even though the parts are perhaps still being manufactured. I can understand that sometimes parts just are not available but this is a terrible customer experience that makes me regret going with Polk. I feel as though calling customer service is a waste of time and am hoping someone can help me here online. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated!

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Comments

  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,034
    Why did you not reach out to the seller and request your money back? That would be the correct thing to do.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,557
    Sounds like he was probably outside of the 30 day return window.
    Why did you not reach out to the seller and request your money back? That would be the correct thing to do.

  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,707
    Clipdat wrote: »

    He isn't visiting the forum these days, so you can stop posting a link to him.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,557
    Ah, that's too bad. Thanks for the heads up.

    Would certainly be nice if we had an official Polk customer support rep that regularly visited the forums and offered assistance.
    F1nut wrote: »
    He isn't visiting the forum these days, so you can stop posting a link to him.

  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,707
    edited March 2018
    Ken Swauger reviews the Customer Service threads.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,557
    That's good to know. I still wish Polk had more official presence on their own forum, but I'll leave it at that.
    F1nut wrote: »
    Ken Swauger reviews the Customer Service threads.

  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,707
    And I wish you'd learn how to format your quoted posts correctly.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,557
    When you respond to emails, do you reply above or below the text that you're quoting?
    F1nut wrote: »
    And I wish you'd learn how to format your quoted posts correctly.

  • Hey, yes I was outside the 30 day window and I also had suspicions that I myself could have damaged it myself since the 265rt was a little stubborn as I locked it into place.
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,034
    Hey, yes I was outside the 30 day window and I also had suspicions that I myself could have damaged it myself since the 265rt was a little stubborn as I locked it into place.

    So you may have damaged it yourself, then tried to get Polk to cover it through warranty, then are upset they don’t have the crossover available. Do I have that all correct, or did I leave something out?
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
  • mlistens03
    mlistens03 Posts: 2,767
    Wow, all my experience with the customer service has been great. Sorry that your experience wasn’t.
    You might be able to find someone who could fix it locally if it comes to that.
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,707
    Clipdat wrote: »
    When you respond to emails, do you reply above or below the text that you're quoting?
    F1nut wrote: »
    And I wish you'd learn how to format your quoted posts correctly.

    I don't recall quoting in emails.

    LOOK at how everyone else does it here and stop being so damn difficult.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • TNTsTunes
    TNTsTunes Posts: 751
    Clipdat wrote: »
    When you respond to emails, do you reply above or below the text that you're quoting?
    F1nut wrote: »
    And I wish you'd learn how to format your quoted posts correctly.

    When you talk to people do you reply before they talk or answer questions before they are asked???
    "Make a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day. Light
    a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."


  • Hey, yes I was outside the 30 day window and I also had suspicions that I myself could have damaged it myself since the 265rt was a little stubborn as I locked it into place.

    So you may have damaged it yourself, then tried to get Polk to cover it through warranty, then are upset they don’t have the crossover available. Do I have that all correct, or did I leave something out?

    No, not at all. I was willing to admit that I "could have" damaged the circuit board because I remembered re-adjusting the speaker when I felt resistance when installing. Calling polk was never to "make" them give me something I wasn't intimated to. There is also a good chance my seller sent me a damaged product as well.

    Upon calling polk all my questions regarding warranty were to understand if I would qualify for it based on the 265rt being damaged from the factory.

    In the end, if your read my post above, all I really want to have a working left 265rt and am more than happy to pay for it even *if* the fault could have been polk's, the seller's, or mine.
  • mlistens03 wrote: »
    Wow, all my experience with the customer service has been great. Sorry that your experience wasn’t.
    You might be able to find someone who could fix it locally if it comes to that.


    being a small business owner I get it that "it happens" once in a while and maybe i'm just having some bad luck with a really great company. Its good to know that you have had a good experience. Hopefully this thread will generate some constructive discussion and maybe someone higher up will see it.
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,707
    You have to deal with the Canadian rep. Posting here will not help you resolve the issue.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,557
    edited March 2018
    If it bothers you that much, then I suggest that you just add me to your ignore list.

    Besides, it's not like I'm ever going to post anything that you don't already know.
    F1nut wrote: »
    LOOK at how everyone else does it here and stop being so damn difficult.

  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,707
    edited March 2018
    Clipdat wrote: »
    If it bothers you that much, then I suggest that you just add me to your ignore list.

    Besides, it's not like I'm ever going to post anything that you don't already know.
    F1nut wrote: »
    LOOK at how everyone else does it here and stop being so damn difficult.

    You still don't get it. There's a flow on a forum like this and you are disrupting it for EVERYONE. I'm only saying what others are thinking, so please get with the program.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 7,658
    Hello "hammondbeethree",
    Welcome to Polk's forum, I'm sorry you're having a problem. I'll send this to Walter Moser and Kim Jasper and I'm sure they can help out.
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,557
    Simmer down, Jesse. Not everything is "right" or "wrong", "correct" or "incorrect".
    F1nut wrote: »
    You still don't get it. There's a flow on a forum like this and you are disrupting it for EVERYONE. I'm only saying what others are thinking, so please get with the program.

  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,707
    Good bye.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • mlistens03
    mlistens03 Posts: 2,767
    edited March 2018
    Just saying that I have never found clipdats way of posting to be annoying. It’s different, but not annoying.
    I don’t feel like getting involved in this argument though so I’m gonna back out at this point.
  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,722
    I wouldn't call it annoying, but it is out of the norm. Forums like this do tend to read easier when people stick with a format. Quoting backwards to me is like someone who quotes a 3 paragraph long post or someone who doesn't use punctuation or paragraphs at all...it doesn't break my ability to follow along it just breaks the flow and slows down my reading
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,965
    Where the crack in the circuit board, take a knife and gently scrape off the green coating over the copper.

    Take a wire, solder it to each side of the crack along each section where it is broke. Do this to any section that would otherwise be connected.

    Fixed, the end.
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
    I wouldn't call it annoying, but it is out of the norm. Forums like this do tend to read easier when people stick with a format. Quoting backwards to me is like someone who quotes a 3 paragraph long post or someone who doesn't use punctuation or paragraphs at all...it doesn't break my ability to follow along it just breaks the flow and slows down my reading
    100% agreed. As I scroll through a thread, I always get thrown off by his posts. I think he likes being a non-conformist, so I don't expect him to change. I don't know that it rises to the level of being inconsiderate, but it's interesting to note how seemingly 99.9% of quoted posts are the other way around.
  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 6,646
    Some people just have to always be different.

    tergjthjv733.jpg
  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    I have a Yorkie. Walter is 5 years old now.
    te1lt2vzdlke.png

    Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
    Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
    Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
    Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
    Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
    Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD.
  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 6,646
    verb wrote: »
    I have a Yorkie. Walter is 5 years old now.

    Here's the song you should play to let him know it's time to go out. :p

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDdnvLP4wD4