What would you do if your amp tech had your amp for 13 months?

ICBM

FreddieVanHalen said:

I just can't understand WTF has been going on with this one. Hard times? Personal circumstances?

Possible - or sometimes repairs that aren't straightforward just slip off the radar, if the chap is busy. I'll be honest and admit to having a couple in the workshop which have been there a while (the Peavey, and a much more awkward 'project') - although not even 13 weeks yet let alone 13 months… but both customers know what's going on and why.

olafgarten

In 13 months you can design and build a whole new amp from scratch, to be honest that's enough time to even make the resistors and capacitors yourself.

usedtobe

ICBM said:

ecc83 said:

Quite ridiculous. 13 months is long past the time when you should have become more "formal" and gone all legal on his arse.

Write a letter stating plainly that you want to pick up the amplifiers 7 days (say) from the date on the latter Otherwise you will start proceedings through the Small Claims Court to retrieve the amplifier and monies for loss of amenity and costs.

Tell him, IF the amp comes back inside a week you will pay a reasonably repair charge but ONLY when you have had the amp at home for a few days to check it out. A quick burst on his banjo in his front room is not good enough.

This. In fact I'm not even sure about the last paragraph, I would just want the amp back unrepaired.

The problem will come if he's started it and it's in pieces. From experience with one or two other techs it may be difficult to put it back together if he's lost half the proper screws and things like that…

13 *weeks* would be way beyond reasonable usually, unless he can give you a legitimate reason such as a unique part that he's waiting for.

He must be waiting for a part to be INVENTED..!

revsorg

What make and model of amp is it? What is its value? 

PolarityMan

Guys I'll level with you. Amps arent really my specialty Im more of a PC guy. In fact ive never done one of these before and damned if I can get a note through the damn thing. It doesnplay call of duty on 4k and 60fps though.

mellowsun

My tech would never do this

merlin

pintspiller said:

"The arse"? Needs a kick in the fucking bollocks more like!

Sounds to me like he doesn't have any bollocks. I'd stick with the arse. 

Teyeplayer

For reference, wherever possible my tech tries to turn things around within the week so that it doesn't impair weekend gigs. Where a job takes longer he will do his best to estimate time to get parts and complete the job -during this process he communicates any changes and progress. This seems like a fair standard to expect.

The fact that your your job has dragged on this long sets off alarm bells, I am unclear what quality of communication you've received from the tech but it is definitely time to pull the plug.

The recommendations of a more legalistic bent above seem wise and likely to ensure a swift resolution. Good luck getting your amp back and sorted.

Danny1969

I had an original space invaders machine in my workshop for about 3 months once.... basically I had to wait until the right proms cam available on Ebay or somewhere, it's not parts you can buy new. Sometimes I had laptops in for a couple of months awaiting parts but 13 months is just ridiculous.

As a repairer if you can't get the parts you have to ring the customer and write it off, not leave it on the shelf

Nowadays with phones it's expected to be repaired the same day  ....iPad \ laptops 2 or 3 days tops   .... don't think your guy would last long in my game 

Drew_TNBD

Considering my tech is a good friend of mine, and lives 10 minutes from my house, anytime I need work I block a day out and go round his house. Cuppa tea, chin wag, and he does any repairs or retubing on the spot. In the cases where I have left something with him, it's been inside a week that he's got it solved.

Your tech sounds ... a bit dodgy.

Voxman

Sorry @FreddieVanHalen I really don't mean to come across as unsympathetic but if you've allowed this situation to drag on for 13 months the fault is yours ...not your amp techs.  

FreddieVanHalen

OK then @Voxman please enlighten me as to how you would deal with the situation, and also your rationale as to why this is my fault?

fretmeister

7 day warning to collect it.

the issue proceedings at court. No further warning 

midlifecrisis

i know with razor blades if you leave them long enough they sharpen themselves. perhaps he thought if he left it long enough it would repair itself

Voxman

FreddieVanHalen said:

OK then @Voxman please enlighten me as to how you would deal with the situation, and also your rationale as to why this is my fault?

Firstly, I'd just like to confirm my reply was serious and was in no way meant to be flippant. As you've asked, I'll explain.

Repairs to an amp should typically take a week or so, perhaps 2-3 weeks if the guy has a lot of work on or this is a particularly rare amp and he's identified there is a special component that has to be bought.  When taking an amp into repair I would expect the tech to tell me what the problem is (he might be able to there and then but normally I'd expect to know within a few days or a week at most), how much it's going to cost and how long it will take to fix.  Unless its something that can be identified & agreed there & then, I'll agree with him that they need to contact me within a set mutually reasonable time scale (2-3 days typically) so we can agree everything and I can give instructions to go ahead with the repair or collect the amp & pay for the guys time for looking at it if I don't want to proceed.

If I haven't heard back within the agreed time I'd chase them. If I'd still not heard I'd chase them again and give it another couple of days.  If they still failed to get back to me I'd retrieve the amp and tell them their customer service isn't satisfactory and I'd call someone else.  Throughout I'd send e-mails to keep an audit trail record, including my intention to collect the amp if they don't get back to me. 

If I got the quote and gave the OK to proceed, and was told the amp will be ready next week or in 2 weeks, I'd expect the amp to be ready by then.  if it isn't I'd chase, speak to the guy and find out what the problem is (might be a parts problem or a personal/domestic/health issue ...so of course I'd be mindful of the human equation here). If its just that the guy isn't pulling his finger out I'd tell him that I'd give him a further week and get his agreement that the amp would be ready then. I'd also tell him that if it wasn't I may need to take the amp back and find another tech as I need it for gigging.  I'd follow up with a friendly e-mail to confirm our discussion.  

If the amp still wasn't fixed and unless there's a darned good reason, I'd collect the amp and take it to someone else.  
In any relationship, personal or business, good, clear communication and treating each other fairly is key.  But it's my amp and my responsibility to control/manage the situation.  If I don't, then I leave myself open to being used and abused and with no amp.

If you haven't controlled the situation and have allowed someone to sit on your amp not for 13 days, not for 13 weeks, but for 13 MONTHS then it's your fault for not managing the situation.  As things stand, you should go and collect your amp and, unless its fixed when you do, I'd suggest you don't get pushed into paying a penny because the guy hasn't acted reasonably.   

Sorry @FreddieVanHalen I'm not trying to be a 'bad/smart-ass guy' here...but this is just common sense and frankly I'm at a loss as to why not only have you allowed this situation to drag on for 13 months but I'm completely bemused by the fact you've posted here to ask if this is reasonable and then be annoyed at me for not feeling sorry for you and my suggesting this is your responsibility?! - c'mon mate, common sense must tell you this is a ridiculous situation over a nonsense time frame!

FreddieVanHalen

Voxman said:

 
Sorry @FreddieVanHalen I'm not trying to be a 'bad guy' here...but this is just common sense and frankly I'm at a loss as to why not only have you allowed this situation to drag on for 13 months but I'm completely bemused by the fact you've posted here to ask if this is reasonable and then be annoyed at me for not feeling sorry for you and my suggesting this is your responsibility?! - c'mon mate, common sense must tell you this is a ridiculous situation over a nonsense time frame!

I'm not annoyed at you and I can see that you've taken the time to explain your rationale so I don't think you're a bad guy.

I don't fully agree with you about this being all my responsibility - I have engaged what I thought was a professional and well respected company/repairer and they've totally fucked me about despite promises of action.

I cut them slack because I trusted them.

I haven't gone to collect the amp because I posted it to the repairer and I was hoping to have to avoid having to take a day off work, rent a car and go and collect it.

I see where you're coming from in that I've allowed this to go on for too long, but I am not the one that has treated a customer like utter shit and totally let them down.

Voxman

midlifecrisis said:

i know with razor blades if you leave them long enough they sharpen themselves. perhaps he thought if he left it long enough it would repair itself

I thought that was only if you laid them under each corner of a perfect pyramid?

Voxman

FreddieVanHalen said:

Voxman said:

 
Sorry @FreddieVanHalen I'm not trying to be a 'bad guy' here...but this is just common sense and frankly I'm at a loss as to why not only have you allowed this situation to drag on for 13 months but I'm completely bemused by the fact you've posted here to ask if this is reasonable and then be annoyed at me for not feeling sorry for you and my suggesting this is your responsibility?! - c'mon mate, common sense must tell you this is a ridiculous situation over a nonsense time frame!

I'm not annoyed at you and I can see that you've taken the time to explain your rationale so I don't think you're a bad guy.

Thanks @FreddieVanHalen I'm genuinely relieved about that! 

I don't fully agree with you about this being all my responsibility - I have engaged what I thought was a professional and well respected company/repairer and they've totally fucked me about despite promises of action.

I cut them slack because I trusted them.

Sure, but once they start acting unprofessionally, that bird has flown and you then need to regain control and 'lay it down' to them.

I haven't gone to collect the amp because I posted it to the repairer and I was hoping to have to avoid having to take a day off work, rent a car and go and collect it.

Yeah, I see that's a bummer but you are where you are - it's why when choosing an amp tech you should always try to choose someone within a sensible distance wherever possible.  You might think about arranging a courier to collect it as another possible solution - obviously, you'll need to arrange this with all parties!

I see where you're coming from in that I've allowed this to go on for too long, but I am not the one that has treated a customer like utter shit and totally let them down.

I agree you've been treated like shit and let down - but my point is that once that's been identified after a month or 2 months maximum, after that time you've then given them licence to keep treating you like shit...and thereafter the problem is then down to you.  I'm just saying how it is mate, it's not 'fair' & I know you're frustrated ...but it's your amp and your responsibility to handle them....and to be in this position after 13 months means by definition that you haven't done so.   

FreddieVanHalen

All good points @Voxman, wis awarded :-)

lukedlb

My mate is waiting nigh on 11 months for a to spec pedal from a tech here. I waited 6 months and by luck bumped into him on the street. I'd given him huge amounts of time as his dad was ill but frankly it got to be a little ridiculous. The guy doesn't answer the phone or reply to messages. He's a nice guy just completely unreliable and will lose other customers I'm sure. 
So, I quite understand the 13 months when you are trusting the guy. Best just to track him down, tell him you want it back without the repair work and you'll be over to pick it up tomorrow.