PSA: Be Careful Dealing With Uptone Audio

[STC]

34 minutes ago, PeterSt said:

For those who like mud throwing ... I have sad news.

BOTH parties here are to be trusted, but both apparently do not have the experience ... well ... I have.

 

 

This is how it should look like when customs opened a package for inspection (see the green tape). But this surely does not happen all the time; I experienced this only once that I have heard of, plus coincidentally once with a flight of my own.

But packages are opened all the time ... And when not sealed with explicit tape, it's often carefully sealed again, the customer not even knowing how we packed it. On a side note, the picture above does not show the real damages to these both boxes, but I guarantee you they look as 10-times used. But both boxes were new when they left here.

 

What am I getting at ?

 

In one of the boxes you see, there is a PC from us. The thing was taken apart completely. Cooling fan cables were not connected any more, switches had been taken out and put back in upside down (very cosy (not) for a dipswitch and trouble-shooting further problems), and then also to notice that the whole issue came to light when the PC ran hot and we couldn't tell how.

The prosperous matter in this case is that this concerned a long-term customer who started blaming customs right from the start instead of thinking that our QC wasn't the best. Of course the tape customs applied helps too here.

 

Talking about Lush^2 ... only 3 months or so back, a customer received an open package (he saw it being dropped on his doorstep while it was open), the both crucial connectors missing from the package. Had this package been sealed again (nicely or poorly) he would have been assured we forgot the connectors.

 

I have so many stories, some working out OK, some working out not-so-good (costing someone additional money). But one thing: I take it for granted right from the start that customs does these things. And I quite well know in which countries this happens (Malaysia included, Thailand included (photo above). Point is: you just can't imagine what they all do to find strange stuff inside, or why in haven's sake switches get disassembled. Or why cooling fans power connectors are taken off.

 

 

 

And not one, but even two. In the end most probably everything, but then they don't know where to put it back. It is outrageous. And from the customer:

 

Attached please find photos of cooling fan and wire harness tied near the front panel. I found one Y-connector cord which is unconnected. Is the fan (mounted on right side panel) male connector supposed to be connected with this famale Y cable ? 

 

Also I noticed that the emergency cooling switch (right front) does not kick start the two emergency fans automatically when the switch is up (auto mode) even the CPU temp is 60 C ? What is the CPU temp to auto kick start the fans ? When playing back I always turn on emergency fans by lower the emergency switch. What is the normal setting for emergency switch ? 

 

Yes, this too took numerous emails to a. sort out what was going on and b. solve the issues (after finding them). But all in good spirit and then suddenly money doesn't play a role much.

 

In the case of Y A I myself am pretty sure that customs didn't have a torque screwdriver at hand and so they tried something else instead. The picture shown (later in the thread) obviously shows total-damage to the screws which never ever will be from a little worn-out screw driver. But what obviously goes wrong here is that person A blames person B because customs can't have done this, and person B feels attacked and does not investigate further whether maybe the shown pictures could lead to customs behavior after all. And then they start fighting instead of blaming customs ...

 

Really, the number of times such things happened to us are not countable on two hands, so one can suspect such issues if even the slightest looks or feels wrong.

Add to this the nature of people from that area (which includes not being able to buy proper tools, which includes feeling helpless because no "physical help" available really, which includes, well, all we would not be able to envision because we live in "the west". Maybe @STC can confirm this by his angle of view (no need to respond if you don't like to).

 

 

No worries. Y A is a fine customer already (which out of all happened after this thread emerged, while I only found it today). And let me add to it that some people are more demanding than others which again originates from the "being helpless" which really is so for quite some countries in this world.

 

The verdict:

Alex @Superdad, you apparently missed the fact that customs do this to you. If still possible, someone should open that unit and find the source of the rattling noise. You may well find my PC situation in there.

Y A @mikey8811, you couldn't know and had no other choice than blaming the supplier. For a next time, investigate the techniques people or companies (or customs) use to let packaging look like unopened. Also maybe investigate track records of people / suppliers (/ manufacturers) to see the ill-logic of matters.

 

Alex, what could be lose inside ? Answer: nothing I bet ya. Unless something happens (happened) to it like that PC.

 

 

Addendum for a bit of fun:

I once sent a non-insured low jitter clock assembly to a local customer in Holland, by normal mail. It got lost.

I sent a next assembly to the same customer, knowing that the chances would be too low to let that happen again. So why to insure it (value was 120 euros or so). It got lost again.

Then I agreed with the customer to over-value and insure it for 500 euros; we agreed money would be left for a nice dinner for two if it would happen again and I could claim the 500.

And yes, it happened and the claim of 500 was in order and fulfilled. OK, the dinner never happened.

The customer now came collecting his clock assembly.

 

Sh*t happens everywhere, and sometimes of magnitudes we can not imagine. I hope you two can get along again and that Y A is eventually able to make a nice Thai ending (ahum) of all his forum threads; I really can't imagine the slightest that Alex / Uptone is even capable of doing the things he is accused of, but this, sadly, includes the kind of admitting that it could have happened in his offices, looking at the screws (Alex, man, look closer !). And Y A, please, I tell you that Alex can be trusted (I am a customer too, he is a customer too, etc.). And if you can't trust him then you better don't trust me as well (FWIW - haha). I feel quite similar(ly operating).

 

Regards,

Peter

 

Peter, my poor eye sight is telling they were checked by UPS. Some courier companies do check and certify that the parcel ok to pass thru local customs. Usually customs got no time for this.