Conrad Johnson Repair Issues


The Post I Never Dreamed I’d Write
About two weeks ago I sent my beloved Conrad Johnson Premier-17 back to
the Conrad Johnson factory for repair because it stopped making any sound whatsoever. It apparently blew some internal component.
I soon received an email acknowledging receipt of the unit and an estimated bill
of about $523.00 not including parts.
On 10/14/2016 I got a phone message telling me the preamp was fixed & total charges were $579.00.
I called a few days ago to give my credit card info to pay for the repairs. The CJ
employee told me that “we also need to tell you that the unit was damaged during
shipping & the damages are not repairable because it involves damage to the structure of the unit & those metal parts are no longer available." The damage was not mentioned until that point.
Photos showed the actual frame of the preamp was twisted & bent. It looked like it had been dropped off a two story building without the box.
The repair manager felt it would be pointless to file an insurance claim because
they would automatically deny any claim where the box was not damaged & refused to assist me with any insurance issues.
The CJ phone rep assured me that Mr. Johnson, the owner, would call me that afternoon but he never did.
I did get a call from the repair employee who said they just want to
get my payment information & send my preamp to me.
I shipped U.S. Post Office & insured for $2000.00.
I’m shocked to have this happen with this company. I've had several pieces of equipment repaired by them with great service.
I would appreciate any advice. I'm a little shaken & confused.
I’m really shocked that this would happen with a company of this stature.
I've stayed with this brand over the years because of their reliability & reputation for integrity.
It really doesn’t look like shipping damage to me.Shouldn’t they at least be willing to
assist with insurance issues?
This is one of the more unpleasant customer service experiences I've had in a while.

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Showing 1 response by sunnyjim

Sounds sleazy on CJ's part.  They should have told you about the shipping damage when you called to pay for the repairs. Also, if they received the pre-amp and the exterior was seriously damaged, why did they not call you before doing the repair??  Did they expect you to place back on your audio rack the repaired pre-amp in its twisted condition. 

 I can only conclude that after they received it, and IF IT  was not showing damage, that this damaged occurred after they received it.  Could be something fell on the pre-amp while it awaited repair,or while on the service bench. 

You need to recoup the repairs charges and the USPS transit insurance money. Just make sure you have all documentation and photos of the damaged pre-amp before making the claim.  USPS is a foundering bureaucracy