HDTracks/PonoMusic customer service issues

[bluesafficionado]

Am I the only having issues with HDTracks and PonoMusic customer service?

 

HDTracks recently issued a Bread Studio Album Collection, omitting the very last song "Our Lady Of Sorrow" from the album "Lost Without Your Love". Too trustingly I purchased this collection before realizing this omission. I contacted HDTracks regarding this problem, receiving a response that they were aware of the problem and were awaiting a response from their supplier. I emailed back asking why they were still offering this collection; with this they ceased communications with me.

 

Also, I purchased an album from PonoMusic, but, to date, have been unable to successfully download it to my iMac (i.e. I did download it using Windows). I emailed them and received a response to download using the method I had already tried. I complained further, but communications ended with this.

 

The result of these two negative experiences is that I will obtain my music elsewhere in the future.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Am I the only having issues with HDTracks and PonoMusic customer service?

 

HDTracks recently issued a Bread Studio Album Collection, omitting the very last song "Our Lady Of Sorrow" from the album "Lost Without Your Love". Too trustingly I purchased this collection before realizing this omission. I contacted HDTracks regarding this problem, receiving a response that they were aware of the problem and were awaiting a response from their supplier. I emailed back asking why they were still offering this collection; with this they ceased communications with me.

 

Also, I purchased an album from PonoMusic, but, to date, have been unable to successfully download it to my iMac (i.e. I did download it using Windows). I emailed them and received a response to download using the method I had already tried. I complained further, but communications ended with this.

 

The result of these two negative experiences is that I will obtain my music elsewhere in the future.

That's a bummer.

 

I haven't experienced any customer service issues yet with either company.

[baddog]

No issues here either. When I have had one's with PonoMusic or HDTracks they were able to tend to the issues, though sometimes it required a bit of time for them to resolve.

[Jabs1542]

I'm sure you don't want to hear this but as I go through the 70 song listing of the Bread Studio Album Collection I do not see Our Lady of Sorrow on the list.

[REShaman]

I, too, have had no problems with either vendor. Or, once with Pono, but their customer service helped me sort it out to my immediate satisfaction.

 

Sorry you are having these problems. Pono Music store lately has been working well. What stops them from helping you cure your problem(s) is surprising. But surely not a pleasant surprise.

 

Good fortune,

Richard

[flatmap]

 

...Also, I purchased an album from PonoMusic, but, to date, have been unable to successfully download it to my iMac ...

 

I've contacted Pono Music a number of times and have always gotten reasonable responses. Sorry it hasn't been working for you.

 

Obviously you have to decide when enough is enough... but I'd advise to keep complaining as long as you can bear it so they can clean up their act.

 

I've never had any downloading problem on my 2014 MacBook Pro. However, they do tend to close your ticket with each response they send. Yet, when I respond (using the email that has the ticket number/response code), the ticket is automatically reopened and I've been able to continue troubleshooting/conversing. I've never had them fail to respond.

[REShaman]

I've contacted Pono Music a number of times and have always gotten reasonable responses. Sorry it hasn't been working for you.

 

Obviously you have to decide when enough is enough... but I'd advise to keep complaining as long as you can bear it so they can clean up their act.

 

I've never had any downloading problem on my 2014 MacBook Pro. However, they do tend to close your ticket with each response they send. Yet, when I respond (using the email that has the ticket number/response code), the ticket is automatically reopened and I've been able to continue troubleshooting/conversing. I've never had them fail to respond.

 

flatmap's good counsel is just that. That has also been my experience with the way things work with Pono Support.

 

Persevere.

 

Best,

Richard

[Jud]

I find HDTracks more "rule bound" than many other vendors. You must get special dispensation if you need to download something again, for example, while with other vendors it tends to be more like "of course, your old download links are always here if you need them."

 

With Pono, as others have mentioned, it's necessary to keep after them. Their original responses tend to be scripted and unhelpful to an almost comic degree. When I reported that AIFF files weren't showing up in the player software but FLAC files were, the initial response was that I should check if my USB cable was properly inserted! But if you are persistent, someone who knows something will eventually come and help.

[REShaman]

At first Pono Musiic treated the problem as if it were anything but their problem with AIFF tracks transferred and appearing in the Music folder on the Pono Player, mine is a Limited Edition Chrome NY. Example, Barry Diament's Winds Of Change. All of the thirteen tracks were appeared in the Music folder, but only three of the thirteen displayed on the Pono album screen and were playable. Eventually after repeated support requests emails, they (someone) acknowledged it was a firmware problem and would be addressed in the next firmware update. I was advised to convert my AIFF files to FLAC as a work around. I chose not to. With FW 1.05 update, I now have two Winds of Change files, the original with traks 4,8,and 11. Transferred the same album which then displayed tracks one through thirteen with track four MIA.

 

I have deleted both "copies" of Winds Of Change (1. 4,8,11; 2. 1-3, 5-13). Re-transferring the AIFF tracks from my Music Library on my external Pegasus Raid 5 manually using OSX 10.0.2. Not fun. But other Hi-Res AIFF files AND DSD have transferred without incident. It's not a perfect world (PMW).

 

Enjoy the music,

Richard

[wwaldmanfan]

At least PonoMusic has a customer support telephone number where you can talk to an actual person. I dislike online merchants where the only way to reach customer/tech support is by email. When they don't respond, what recourse do you have?

[Allan F]

Pono just announced availability of the Pono Store in Canada. Last night, I ordered an album and installed the PonoMusic World software, but I couldn't get it to download no matter what I tried, including uninstalling and reinstalling. I opened a support ticket and am awaiting a response.

 

Today, I can't even access their website, as I keep getting an "Unable to Connect" message. I don't know if the site is down or too busy to handle the traffic. I hope this is due to "teething" problems. I am not impressed.

[Allan F]

I received a reply from Pono Support suggesting that I may be having trouble with my internet connection and to make sure that I am online. Of course, with my ADSL connection, I am always online. The other suggestion was to check my firewall settings, which I had already done several times. But I checked again to confirm that nothing was blocking the application and the executable program.

[Jud]

I received a reply from Pono Support suggesting that I may be having trouble with my internet connection and to make sure that I am online. Of course, with my ADSL connection, I am always online. The other suggestion was to check my firewall settings, which I had already done several times. But I checked again to confirm that nothing was blocking the application and the executable program.

 

Those are their programmed first responses to any tech support question you ask. I am not kidding. I got the same response when I reported that AIFF files weren't showing up on the player but FLAC were. (This was resolved quite a while ago with one of the early firmware updates.) Edit: Oh yes, and to check if my USB cable is properly inserted, as I mentioned above.

 

See if you can find anything in the community forums, though their "improved" forums and search leave me unable to find much of anything.

[Allan F]

Those are their programmed first responses to any tech support question you ask. I am not kidding. I got the same response when I reported that AIFF files weren't showing up on the player but FLAC were. (This was resolved quite a while ago with one of the early firmware updates.) Edit: Oh yes, and to check if my USB cable is properly inserted, as I mentioned above.

 

See if you can find anything in the community forums, though their "improved" forums and search leave me unable to find much of anything.

Thanks, Jud. I finally got what I would consider to be a 'substantive' reply. Or, at least a search for one. They asked me to turn on logging in the Pono software, repeat the steps, and send them the saved log folder. I have done that and we'll see what happens. I am prepared to give Pono Support a bit of time to solve the problem. But, considering the number of other music download sites available, it's not worth my time and effort if this continues much longer.

[ElviaCaprice]

I just downloaded the Pono World software and downloaded some purchases here in Costa Rica, yesterday. No problems, very smooth. Impressed with the library selections, like the search capabilities, works great. Found a release never before digitally released but on ITunes in 256k. The Redbook checked out fine in RX3 and sounds great. Big thumbs up for Pono Music.

[Allan F]

I just downloaded the Pono World software and downloaded some purchases here in Costa Rica, yesterday. No problems, very smooth. Impressed with the library selections, like the search capabilities, works great. Found a release never before digitally released but on ITunes in 256k. The Redbook checked out fine in RX3 and sounds great. Big thumbs up for Pono Music.

I can't tell you how glad I am that you are able to report that you are happy with Pono Music. FWIW, I won't let 256K MP3 files anywhere near my stereo system.

[CatManDo]

I'm sure you don't want to hear this but as I go through the 70 song listing of the Bread Studio Album Collection I do not see Our Lady of Sorrow on the list.

 

That was the situation in March 2015.

 

Today there are two collections available on HDtracks, one with 70 tracks and one with 71 tracks:

 

The Studio Album Collection | HDtracks - The World's Greatest-Sounding Music Downloads

The Studio Album Collection | HDtracks - The World's Greatest-Sounding Music Downloads

 

So they did not correct the initial download, but added a second one. Very confusing!

 

I guess that means that those who bought the 70 song collection are out of luck, as the Bread albums are "album only" downloads, they need to buy the entire "Lost Without Your Love" album to get that missing song.

 

Lost Without Your Love | HDtracks - The World's Greatest-Sounding Music Downloads

 

Or has HDtracks been customer-friendly enough to offer that song to the buyers of the 70 song collection (which should be removed from the store, as it is obviously incomplete)?

[Allan F]

Or has HDtracks been customer-friendly enough to offer that song to the buyers of the 70 song collection (which should be removed from the store, as it is obviously incomplete)?

My guess would be that, if HDtracks hasn't offered a solution to the 70 song collection buyers, they will do so...eventually.

[firedog]

IME, they never offer such "solutions" on their own, but might if you write them at the contact email address on the site, give them the order number for the "70" collection and ask for a way to get the missing song from the new version.

[Allan F]

Pono Customer Service has given up on trying to resolve my problem. I asked for an expeditious resolution or a refund. I was just advised that the latter had been processed.

 

After getting by the initial hurdle of receiving an error message to the effect of 'cannot connect with server' by uninstalling and reinstalling the Pono software several times, I was then presented with the situation where the file would appear to download but, in fact, only folders for the artist and album were created and no tracks were downloaded. The log showed each track with an error message to the effect of 'error downloading file, try again'. Needless to add, trying again numerous times yielded the exact same result. So much for the Pono Store for me.

[Rock Bottom]

Bread? The band Bread? People listen to Bread?