My amplifier went away to be modified, it was opened up and.......

[idc]

.....its the wrong one! It was bought new in 2002 as a Musical Fidelity Xcan V2 and that is marked on the casing. I sent it to Rock Grotto to be modified and I have been e-mailed to be told that the innards are from the first version.

I do not have a receipt, it is 7 years old and so well out of any warranty and Musical Fidelity make it clear that if an amp is sent to another company for modification then they disown it. The Rock Grotto upgrade costs less and is guaranteed for 5 years as opposed to MFs modifications which are guaranteed for only one.

I really liked the sound of the amp and Mike Grierson at Rock Grotto is convinced that after the upogrades it will sound greater still.

I have had a look on the internet and I cannot find anything about the original Xcan and a couple of reviews of the V2 which state that it is more powerful, sounds clearer and has better stereo imaging.

Any thoughts, suggestions, experiences please share them as I do not know what to do. Thanks.

EDIT - if you are reading this thread for the first time it has a happy ending..........

 

[Anonymous]

I would have steam coming out of my ears being told that!

You need verification off them, then get onto MF and explain to them that you believe you were sold a mislabled product and ask what they are going to do about it.

I would also get more details on the upgrades and ensure that the mods will be up to the same performance as on the later models. They often are.

 

[Anonymous]

thats shocking. i wouldn't care how old it is, or be fobbed off with the fact another company opened it.

hope you get this sorted. even if its only an appology from MF for selling you the wrong thing, which given the age is probably all you can get.

 

[idc]

Thanks guys. I do think that I am stuffed having read the MF website. The perfect resolution for me would be to get Rock Grotto to send it to MF, MF to to turn it into a V2, then send it back to Rock Grotto for modification and then I get it back, but goodness knows when. I will phone MF and see what they say.

 

[Anonymous]

I would be whispering the words of compensation miss selling by THE MANUFACTURERS, in the ears of the customer relations dept at MF before politely telling them of the influence you have with fellow customers on specialists internet sites.

Any one can stick a better badge on a product and charge more for it.

It's called misrepresentation, and the Sales of Goods Act has something to say on the subject I think.

 

[JoelSim]

That is very dodgy indeed. MF had better clear this up in my opinion.

ÿ

 

[idc]

I have heard back from Rock Grotto and this is not the first time this has happened with the V2. I will definitely speak to MF on Monday and I will report back. I am going to keep a perspective on this and say now it is a mistake and extremely rare. I cannot find anything on the internet about this. But I feel gutted.

 

[matengawhat]

i'd contact mf technical but you can only call between 1 and 3 - did you buy it new?

only reason I ask is because from memory mf upgraded its products and only changed the front face plate - so could be a case of person you bought off bought new model and swapped face plates!!!!

 

[idc]

I was going to just phone and speak to whoever answers. I would not expect an answer straight away. I like to think that I am a good complainer, I will explain what has happened and then see what they say. A sign of a really good company is how well they deal with mistakes, we all make them.

I bought it new off a reputable hifi dealer who is still on the go, but in this case I will go to the manufacturer because I would not expect them to open and check every piece of kit they get. I still cannot get over this!

P.S - if anyone ever gets the chance to buy an original Xcan, it is a very good amp! I wonder what the V2 sounded like!

 

[idc]

I phoned Loud & Clear, Glasgow branch (where I bought it) this morning and the person I spoke to said that he had not heard of an instance of this happening before and that there was nothing that they could do, which I knew anyway. I was just taking a chance that they would have experienced this and know how it was dealt with. So fingers crossed for contacting MF.

 

[Anonymous]

Surely if it says V2 on it and its V1 inside, MF have to take action?

Good luck!

 

[kena]

idc:I phoned Loud & Clear, Glasgow branch (where I bought it) this morning and the person I spoke to said that he had not heard of an instance of this happening before and that there was nothing that they could do, which I knew anyway. I was just taking a chance that they would have experienced this and know how it was dealt with. So fingers crossed for contacting MF.

IDC , Did you ask Loud and Clear if they have old purchase records as it they could confirm you purchased it from them that would eliminate ,any suspicion of "second user" swapped cover etc.

Good luck

 

[Anonymous]

I could be totally wrong here but have a feeling that businesses are required to keep receipts etc for 7 years so you may be in luck!

 

[aliEnRIK]

I wouldnt expect much response from Musical Fidelity. My dad recently sent his kW 500 for an upgrade which went through ok (After about 6 weeks), but communication with them is appalling

What concerns me is it sounds SO unbelievably good (Makes me want to steal it

) since its come back that we believe somethings never been 'right ' with it in the 1st place. We even asked them if they knew what was originally wrong with the unit and had zero reply in return.

On the plus side ~ its all ok now so we're not that fussed about it

 

[Anonymous]

Loud and Clear Glasgow are my local dealer and they've told me a couple of times that they keep records so that if i ever loose the receipt or what have you they can make up another one/confirm purchase.

I wouldn't expect them to keep them forever (although given they hand write receipts and details are on pc maybe they do. storage is cheap after all.

 

[idc]

aliEnRIK:

I wouldnt expect much response from Musical Fidelity. My dad recently sent his kW 500 for an upgrade which went through ok (After about 6 weeks), but communication with them is appalling

Six weeks! If I had not run into my problem I would have my Xcan back Monday, maybe Tuesday, so a week.

aliEnRIK:

What concerns me is it sounds SO unbelievably good (Makes me want to steal it

) since its come back that we believe somethings never been 'right ' with it in the 1st place. We even asked them if they knew what was originally wrong with the unit and had zero reply in return.

On the plus side ~ its all ok now so we're not that fussed about it

It does make you wonder, what is really inside the black and silver boxes we buy? Though since they all come with a warning along the lines of 'no user serviceable parts inside' or 'opening invalidates warranty' I would not recommend having a peak! I only decided to go the modding route as it is 7 years old and as for the valves, they are way past their supposed life span. Maybe I should have followed the mantra of 'if it ain't broke....' and been blissfully happy in ignorance.

 

[idc]

fast eddie:Loud and Clear Glasgow are my local dealer and they've told me a couple of times that they keep records so that if i ever loose the receipt or what have you they can make up another one/confirm purchase. I wouldn't expect them to keep them forever (although given they hand write receipts and details are on pc maybe they do. storage is cheap after all.

Thanks for that Eddie. Saturday morning was probably not the best time to phone with such an enquiry. If MF cast any doubt on my honesty and ask for proof, I will contact them again. I have managed to find the card of one of the employees from when I bought it along with the headphones I bought at the same time. I am normally good at keeping receipts for the big stuff, but when I went to look where I thought it would be, nothing. Three house moves in 8 years has meant we have got used to ditching stuff, damn. That will not happen again.

 

[aliEnRIK]

Im not sure why the hell it takes so long (Id have said a week too)

But I DO know they spend quite a long time 'tuning' it using a pc (Its a VERY expensive amp)

 

[Anonymous]

I need to go in this week (probably friday) to pick up my new TT and phono stage.

I can ask then how long they keep records for if you want? Save you a phone call and all that?

 

[idc]

Thanks Eddie, I'll see how this week pans out and then let you know.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi idc I think other posters are right and the sale of goods act should apply,and I am fairley shure that your first port of call should be the retailer as your contract of purchase is with them.
My wife is a master at getting things sorted and often states the sales of goods act when retailers get snotty.You could also ring your local traiding standards office they can be very helpful.
I hope you get this rip off sorted!!Nick

 

[idc]

Hi Nick21. I have been looking at the Sale of Goods Act here; http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/consumers/fact-sheets/page38311.html . You are right about it actually being the seller as opposed to the manufacturer, but under the circumstances I will still contact MF first to see what they say. The relevant parts of the act would appear to be;

Wherever goods are bought they must "conform to contract". This means they must be as described, fit for purpose and of satisfactory quality (i.e. not inherently faulty at the time of sale).

It is the seller, not the manufacturer, who is responsible if goods do not conform to contract.

If goods do not conform to contract at the time of sale, purchasers can request their money back "within a reasonable time". (This is not defined and will depend on circumstances)

For up to six years after purchase (five years from discovery in Scotland) purchasers can demand damages (which a court would equate to the cost of a repair or replacement).

A purchaser who is a consumer, i.e. is not buying in the course of a business, can alternatively request a repair or replacement.

If repair and replacement are not possible or too costly, then the consumer can seek a partial refund, if they have had some benefit from the good, or a full refund if the fault/s have meant they have enjoyed no benefit

After six months and until the end of the six years, it is for the consumer to prove the lack of conformity

Thankfully, I do not have to produce a receipt, as I am pretty sure I binned it. But I do have a card from the guy at Loud & Clear who sold me the amp and headphones, I bought the bigger foam 'mickey mouse' ear pieces as I find them more comfortable and he sent them on to me with the card he signed. Hopefully they still as Eddie suggests still have a record of the sale.

 

[Anonymous]

Good luck and let us all know how you get on.

 

[cheyworth]

it would be just like buying a car that says 3 liter on the back and taking it for a service and being told it is onlt a 2 liter.

 

[idc]

I phoned MF this morning and spoke to Indira, customer services and explained what had happened. She then wanted to know about who Rock Grotto were and went into sales talk about their own upgrade service. She could offer no explanation of how this has happened and stated that in fact it could not have happened.

I was then asked to phone back after 1pm and speak to Simon in their technical department. Simon again could offer no explanation. I offered to e-mail the photos I have but I was told they do not have an e-mail address. Simon has stated that he will look to see if they still have any V2 PCBs and to give him a couple of days. I would accept a V2 PCB as a suitable resolution to this as I could send it to Rock Grotto to go ahead with the original upgrades. I also asked if MF were prepared to supply the PCB for free, but Simon was non commital about that. I suppose they are taking a risk that I might be at it. I wish they had an e-mail address, but I can always print things off and post it to them.

I will try to get pictures of the differences in the two amps posted here.