m-audio return policy SUCKS!!!

Maybe not all of their products but certainly their O2 and definitely their repair policy! Ive had my O2 for two years. Ive always been gentle with it it shows almost no signs of wear. Suddenly middle C doesnt work unless you bang it! And m-audio wants me to pay MORE THAN HALF of what I paid for it to get the ONE KEY fixed! Check it out -this is what they sent me:

"Warranties

Most M-Audio hardware products have a one year warranty, while microphones have a six-month warranty. (Check the manual for your device to make sure.)

A copy of the original receipt must accompany the return as proof of purchase date for warranty repair.

If under warranty, you are responsible for the shipping cost to M-Audio while we will pay to ship it back to you. If not under warranty you must pay return shipping as well.

Out-of-warranty repairs are $40 plus parts and return shipping. The cost of electronic parts is typically between $5 and $15, depending on what has gone wrong.

You will be contacted before completion if additional repair work is necessary."


I might as well by a new one. What is the best back pack sized controller for under $150? One with great controls and wont break down for NO REASON A YEAR AFTER THE WARRANTY IS UP? Preferably NOT M-audio I dont trust them anymore.

yeah, they have one of the youngest legacy set of products too. Their driver support isn't always on the mark and the customer support can be spotty. I did get good support for my Axiom, but they are behind the rest of the world for 64-bit drivers.

I have a BiPort2x4S that causes BSODs when the BiPort is powered off in XP. The drivers worked until I got a dual processor. I guess the drivers can't handle it. It is an awesome piece of equipoment that Midiman let go to Legacy too soon!! Still irritated at that. I got it exchanged from them when they first came out with USB midi controllers. The Midisport units sucked and they gave me the BiPort in exchange. It has been rock solid. (as long as it is powered on when XP comes up now.)

ORIGINAL: drobinsondn

Maybe not all of their products but certainly their O2 and definitely their repair policy! Ive had my O2 for two years. Ive always been gentle with it it shows almost no signs of wear. Suddenly middle C doesnt work unless you bang it! And m-audio wants me to pay MORE THAN HALF of what I paid for it to get the ONE KEY fixed! Check it out -this is what they sent me:

"Warranties

Most M-Audio hardware products have a one year warranty, while microphones have a six-month warranty. (Check the manual for your device to make sure.)

A copy of the original receipt must accompany the return as proof of purchase date for warranty repair.

If under warranty, you are responsible for the shipping cost to M-Audio while we will pay to ship it back to you. If not under warranty you must pay return shipping as well.

Out-of-warranty repairs are $40 plus parts and return shipping. The cost of electronic parts is typically between $5 and $15, depending on what has gone wrong.

You will be contacted before completion if additional repair work is necessary."


I might as well by a new one. What is the best back pack sized controller for under $150? One with great controls and wont break down for NO REASON A YEAR AFTER THE WARRANTY IS UP? Preferably NOT M-audio I dont trust them anymore.

I see where you are coming from. I guess it sucks but seriously, look at it from their perspective. Are they supposed to spend their resources to repair $100 conrollers til the end of time? They would rather spend their time and money developing newer and better products. Seriously, you can't tell me you were expecting a $100 controller to last forever. Everyone knows they are hella cheap and althought there are better, more expensive options, a lot of us buy the cheap ones to save a few bucks. You got 2 years use out of an "el-cheapo" product. That comes out to roughly .13 a day. The 13-year-old Taiwanese girl who made it probably made less than that in a day. Go guy a new one. Maybe invest more cash into a better controller. There are definitely bigger things to lose sleep over.

JMHO

ORIGINAL: drobinsondn

Maybe not all of their products but certainly their O2 and definitely their repair policy! Ive had my O2 for two years. Ive always been gentle with it it shows almost no signs of wear. Suddenly middle C doesnt work unless you bang it! And m-audio wants me to pay MORE THAN HALF of what I paid for it to get the ONE KEY fixed! Check it out -this is what they sent me:

"Warranties

Most M-Audio hardware products have a one year warranty, while microphones have a six-month warranty. (Check the manual for your device to make sure.)

A copy of the original receipt must accompany the return as proof of purchase date for warranty repair.

If under warranty, you are responsible for the shipping cost to M-Audio while we will pay to ship it back to you. If not under warranty you must pay return shipping as well.

Out-of-warranty repairs are $40 plus parts and return shipping. The cost of electronic parts is typically between $5 and $15, depending on what has gone wrong.

You will be contacted before completion if additional repair work is necessary."


I might as well by a new one. What is the best back pack sized controller for under $150? One with great controls and wont break down for NO REASON A YEAR AFTER THE WARRANTY IS UP? Preferably NOT M-audio I dont trust them anymore.

You could also try repairing it yourself. Sometimes it's as simple as a little dust between contacts. I've repaired a few things by opening it up and poking around. I've also messed up a few, so it's important to be careful. You could maybe find out what parts need replacing and replace them yourself. That would save you the repair fees and S&H. Other than that, you could maybe try to find a local electronics wiz.
It's really just the way things are now. Everything is disposable and it's cheaper to get new than to repair the old.

yeah, I agree, a warranty is designed to cover defective parts and workmanship that might have slipped past QC. Once the warranty is over, I don't blame them or anyone for charging a fair price to service it. if it's that close the price of the product itself, then I would try to fix it myself as sandman suggests, or just throw it away and get another. that's why you didn't pay $300 to begin with! If they extended their 'no cost' repair to you for 3 years, then the price would have to increase when you bought it!

besides that, I had a Delta 1010LT that exhibitied problems in three different computers at my home. I followed all of their suggestions on how to fix the problem, but it didn't work. It was way out of warranty. I sent it back to them and they fixed it and sent it back NO CHARGE ANYWAY. They even paid for the return shipping - which they clearly state on their website that they will not pay for.

I'm not saying that you will get the same treatment, but even tho the published price is there, they still have very good customer service/return/repair policies. I am a very pleased customer myself.

Agree with ModBod. It sucks they suck but they crank those little controllers out like mad, not for longevity.

Look on the bright side, you can keep it around and wait until you do a live gig and then get all punk rock and smash it at the end of the show! I keep an old dead laptop around for just that purpose.

Another thing you have to understand is you can't replace just one key on any of the lower priced keyboards (and the higher end Yamaha's and Korg's). They come in sections and EVERYTHING must be pulled out to get to the keybed to replace a bad strip. It's easily an hour project and most shops charge $50-80 per hour for servicing. I see nothing wrong with your situation or why you'd be upset unless you've never had to have anything serviced before. The first time can definitely be an eye opener, but it IS justified.

ORIGINAL: CP

ORIGINAL: Tape Head

Guitar Center has the best one... "Performance Guarantee".

Performance guarantee just extends the manufacturer's warranty. I've had the sales guys tell me that it covers EVERYTHING. Many people have learned the hard way that it usually doesn't.

I have used the P.G. many times.. that statement is wrong. Shall I go into what it pays for?


Edit:
I should have said "paid"(thanx Mike ),not pays. I've used a repair and replacement plan.

ORIGINAL: Mike Fisher

ORIGINAL: Tape Head
Edit:
I should have said "payed",not pays.

"paid"

Thanx Mike. I'm new to English.

ORIGINAL: Tape Head


I have used the P.G. many times.. that statement is wrong. Shall I go into what it pays for?

Perhaps I should have replaced usually with sometimes. Without giving away too much information, I have seen many of these not be covered through my place of employment.

From Guitar Center:

WHAT'S COVERED THAT IS NORMALLY NOT COVERED UNDER A MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY?
That varies by product, but in general, most manufacturers don't cover damage from commercial use, power surges and the like. Some manufacturers don't cover damage to speakers. Manufacturers also don't traditionally cover accessories like volume pedals. Some don't even cover switches, knobs, power meters, internal power supplies, pots or faders. In every case listed above, your PG provides coverage. Here's a more complete list of what's covered:

· Repairs of Wooden Cracks in Acoustic Guitars (excluding finish)
· Repairs or replacement of cracked wooden Drum Shells (excluding finish)
· Defects to the headstock, neck or body of acoustic and electric guitars
· Internal Power Supplies
· Mechanisms and connected Electrical Parts such as Sliders, Pots, Faders, Jacks, Knobs
· Speakers
· Snare mechanisms and similar drum related hardware
· Guitar Pickups
· Switches
· Power Meters
· LED and LCD Displays
· Power Surges

WHAT'S NOT COVERED?

· Installation, set-up, programming or diagnostic charges
· Head Cleanings, Alignments, Periodic Maintenance or Inspections
· Failures outside the USA
· Loss of use of product
· Damage from misuse, abuse or willful neglect
· Raw Frame Speakers sold separately from an enclosure
· Finishes
· Damage from improper storage
· Any and all pre-existing conditions prior to effective date of coverage

It's definitely true that most manufacturers don't cover from power surge damage, so that's a plus. Of the above benefits, most reputable electronic manufacturers cover everything listed there except surge damage and knobs.

I'm not saying it's bad - in fact many people have great experience with it.

It covers essentially what a warranty covers, just for a longer period.

And, to just restate my original point: IT DOES NOT COVER EVERYTHING! In spite of what you're told.