Advice on returning faulty goods

[tommyb]

I need advice please guys.

Facts: Bought Onkyo 875 and Quad L-ite speaker system from Superfi in Manchester. Paid for them in February. They were delivered 1st week in April.

Managed to get all my cables last week so set it all up over the weekend - finally.

Paid £50 delivery to the Isle of Man (still in the uk for those of you that aren't sure, but technically 'offshore' ie not mainland I suppose).

Problem:

Onkyo 875 is faulty and needs to go back. Sub pre-out is faulty - or some circuitry linked to it inside.

One of the satelites is faulty and needs to go back - emits a low level humming/buzzing noise.

Questions:

1) should I be paying for delivery back to them and back to me again? (Superfi are arranging a courier but I'm to pay)

2) should I be accepting repaired units or demanding brand new replacements? they are after all, only 6 weeks old!

I don't want to be off with them because i know they have a difficult job, but conversely, I've paid a lot of money for brand new products.

All opinions welcome.

Cheers.

 

[Clare Newsome]

There's everything you need to know about consumer rights on electrical goods - buying direct or via web etc -on this official gov. website. Sure if you quoted this if needs be you'd get good treatment....

 

[tommyb]

Thanks Clare,

What about the postage situation?

The 875 is heavy old thing - it could get expensive.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Just to clarify - have you tried using a different cable on the sub pre-out? And running the sub from a different preout to check it's not the sub that's faulty?

And the satellite speaker is very unlikely to be faulity - there's nothing in it able to create a buzz/hum. It's probably on that amp channel - try switching a different speaker onto that channel to see whether it, too, hums.

Re the postage, if you bought the product mail order and it's found to be faulty when the company gets it back, I'd expect them to pay shipping costs both ways. If they receive it, check it and find it's working perfectly, then you may have to pay the shipping yourself.

 

[tommyb]

Hi Andrew,

Yes, for the sub, I firstly tried a different cable - no difference.

Then I tried both cables in turn connected to the Centre pre out instead - still got bass but this time - no fault!

For the satelite - I initially had it biamped at the front right, so i simply swapped it with the front left - and it was still making the noise.

Then, put it back in it's position and tried the other biamp lead - the speaker still made the noise.

Finally, I put it at surround right, fronts were making no noise and the rear surround was making the noise. So - I'm 99.99% sure it's the speaker - couldn't think of any other variables it could have been.

I thought that about the speaker - but it could be something loose inside creating a rattling buzzing type noise?

As for postage - I bought mail order. That's what I thought - I really shouldn't be taking a hit in the pocket if the product is faulty and still well under warranty.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Oh right, then it does sound like a faulty subwoofer output, assuming all the sub set-up parameters are right.

And your description iof the speaker fault now does sound like a loose driver, internal component or terminal - I was initially thrown by your description of a hum, which I took to be electrical rather than mechanical.

 

[tommyb]

Cheers Andrew,

My powers of description are sketchy sometimes!

Yes, even when I altered the crossovers on the sub to all different options and had it's volume turned to zero - there was still thudding/popping noise. Strangely, the 'volume' of the noise never really altered - it's almost as though there's some kind of signal being sent through / picked up by the sub pre-out circiut / set-up, whenever the audio/volume circiuts are used.

Thanks again. I'll keep you updated.