2. amps-preamps
  3. 165990-160501

My Terrible Emotiva Experience

Hi guys,

I've read some mixed reviews of Emotiva, some good, so bad.  I wanted to share my recent experience with them so people see what kind of company they're dealing with.

So, I have an Emotiva power amp I bought a few years ago.  I have my DAC running straight into it, and I've been pretty happy with that setup for a while, but I decided I wanted to buy a processor/preamp to give me some options.  Since I had an Emotiva amp, I preferred to buy one from them, just so they match, since this is in my living room. The only problem I had was that the one that best fit my setup had been out of stock for quite a while.

Fast-forward to a couple of weeks ago, when they announce their "Renewed Item" event. Renewed means different things to different companies, so I e-mailed them to ask if their renewed items simply returned items or if they were used items from their trade-in program. The first reply I got was some vague sales speak about how happy I would be with my renewed item, but after pushing a little harder, they replied and told me that their renewed items were returns from their 30-day demo program that some of them "had never even been opened".  Satisfied with this answer, I placed my order.

When I first opened the box, I realized there was a problem.  The remote was just tossed in the box loose, and it was *disgusting*.  It was covered in what looked like chocolate and sofa lint.  Even after I cleaned it off, it was badly scuffed and scratched, and looked like it had been shoved between someone's couch cushions for a few years. The cables were wadded up in a bag, and the RCA patch cables were covered in dust and grime, the way they get when they are behind your TV for a few years.  The unit itself looked ok, but there was dog hair stuck to the feet of it and all inside the black cover they wrapped the unit in. It was very clear just looking at it that this was not a 30-day demo, but was a well-used item that someone had traded in for an upgrade.  It was also clear that Emotiva had done absolutely nothing to "renew" it.  They hadn't replaced the remote, or even cleaned it, or even the cables.  I can't imagine that they even tested it.

When I contacted them about the problem, they admitted nothing.  They basically just processed the return, which at least I can be thankful for. They did send me some e-mail that started off like an apology, but then turned into a denial that "anything like this could have left our factory".  Even after I sent them photos, I got no reply, no offer to replace it with a proper unit.

While I can't complain that much, since I did get my money back, I still feel that companies shouldn't lie to their customers. If it's a used item, then they should just say that.  They only reduced the price maybe $30-40 off the price of a new unit, so there's no way I would have bought it if I knew it was used.  It would have saved everyone a lot of trouble. And I think if you renew an item, you should at least make sure it's clean and the accessories are in good working order, especially if you're charging near new price for it. Finally, while I didn't ask them for anything other than my money back, if this was a factory mistake and not just how they do business, then they should make some attempt to "make it right". At least offer to replace it with a unit in the condition they promised.  Or at absolute minimum they should give you a sincere apology, and not a veiled accusation that you're a liar. (And I'm not even sure why someone would lie, since they have a 30 days money-back policy.  There's no need to be dishonest.  You can just ask for a return for any reason.)

In any case, before you drop a few thousand on equipment from these guys, you should consider the way they do business. You should absolutely never buy a renewed item from them.  You also might wonder if those new items are really new, or if they're the 30 day demos and the refurbs. This is not a company that you can really trust.
himerope

Showing 5 responses by himerope

himerope OP
5 posts
 
I think your reading comprehension is lacking.  They told me the items were used 30 days or less, and sent me an item that had been used for several years. There's a huge difference between a demo that someone tried for 30 days or less and returned, and a item that had been used for years that they took as part of their trade-in program and resold.

And I read Audiogon quite often, but I'm not an expert so I rarely have anything to contribute. There's not much info about this company online because they're so small, so I thought my experience was worth posting.  Otherwise how else can people know what to expect?
himerope OP
5 posts
 
I am somehow horribly confused by this post :D
himerope OP
5 posts
 
@artemus_5 So basically, you're saying that if someone whips out a pistol and takes a few potshots at me, it's fine as long as they don't hit any major organs.  I should just walk it off and keep it to myself.

The fact that I got my money back means nothing.  They couldn't keep my money anyway.  I paid by credit card, and I had clear evidence that they had lied about the product, so I could have filed a chargeback with my credit card and gotten the money either way.

My point is, they deceptively market their renewed products as being demos or returns, when in fact, at least some of them are used items from their trade-in program.  That's something people who do business with them should know. I'm sharing my experience to keep other people from going through the same hassle with them, or even worse, getting an item that looks new but is actually old and breaks in a couple of years. I don't have any particular vendetta against Emotiva.  Like I said in my post, I have one of their amps, and I like it just fine.  That's why I was so surprised when this happened.

From the tone of your posts, it's pretty clear you must have some financial relationship with Emotiva.  Otherwise, I don't know why you would get so upset and rant like this.  There are many posts on this forum by people who aren't happy with products or companies, and on none of the other posts are the OP attacked like this. I would suggest that if they have employees who harass people on forums like this, then they have a serious company culture problem.  I guess in this light, the responses I got from them aren't surprising at all.
himerope OP
5 posts
 
To recap my original post:

1. I liked my Emotiva amp enough that I wanted to buy a processor from them.
2. I had a bad experience with their renewed products, and I feel their marketing of these products is deceptive. Or possibly it's a mistake that they just handled badly.  People can decide on their own.

That's both positive and negative feedback, and it's just one data point for people who are looking at Emotiva. 

It's clear from these posts that some of you have some financial relationship with Emotiva that is motivating your posts. I really think you should consider two things:

1.  People are smart, and they can tell when company shills are posting. I'm sure you're trying to discredit my experiences so that they don't affect future buyers, but are you sure that you're accomplishing that? It seems to me that forum bullying will do nothing be reinforce negative perceptions of your company.

2. You're bumping this thread to the top of the forum, and making it so active it's going to end up on the list of "topics of the day" that get mailed out to all forum members.  Is that really in your best interests?
himerope OP
5 posts
 
@oldhvymec That's both hilarious and terrible! I had a similar experience with some household goods during an overseas move that sat on a dock in a leaky warehouse for a few months.  Luckily I had shipping insurance.  Wasn't really an act of God though.  More like the act of a horrible moving company.  As an aside, crawfish are quite tasty if prepared correctly, so there is always a bright side to things.

@milpai I actually wasn't even trying to save money. It was just the first time I'd seen the model I wanted available.  You're right that I've learned my lesson about refurbs. I've been a stereo enthusiast since I was in high school (which was a long time ago!), and I'm an engineer by trade, so hopefully my future posts will be more positive.
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