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Magnepan Service HORRIBLE???

I am now into my 5th week waiting for Magnepan to evaluate shipping damage to a pair of MG 3.7's. My wife and I paid Craters and Freighters to build a custom wood crate for them so they would not be damaged further by the trip from Richmond to Minnesota.

I know everyone will say they are a small company and I need to be patient but this is ridiculous to my mind. I have called 5-6 times and the seller has also called. The last time I called Shelia acted like she had never spoken to me before despite the previous phone conversations.

I know the MG 3.7's are supposed to be sensational speakers and I bought my first pair of Magnepans in 1975 but I am seriously considering flipping these if Magnepan ever inspects and repairs them. The aggravation simply is not worth it to me.

A month and I can not even get anyone at Magnepan to open the crate, inspect them, and give me a damage estimate to provide to FedEx who is ready to pay the claim. Unfortunately, they can't pay until Magnepan provides an estimate of the damage and then I have to wait for the actual repair.

I never thought I would feel this way about Magnepan but this current situation has changed my mind to a huge extent. This is just ridiculous the way I see it and I can see no good excuse for it.
etmerritt33
donjr
1,311 posts
 
Has anyone ever brought up the possibility that Magnepan runs a lean organization? In this economy, I surely wouldn't have someone readily available to inspect damage on a speaker they didn't even buy from me. I would think that coming off a two week shut down for vacations, they have some demand to meet. I highly doubt they have piles of speakers lying around to meet demand. They might also have someone dealing with damaged speakers that are new. Are they getting paid for this estimate? Do they have to pay someone because your seller
or Fed Ex screwed up? Where does the money come from to pay the person who assesses the damage to your speakers?
steveaudio
328 posts
 
*Erikt--This is like a soap opera - must....resist....watching....but can't :-)*

I can't believe I'm still reading this, let alone responding again. But "it is like a soap opera"; I keep tuning in for the next episode.

Among all the things I don't understand about this train wreck, is WHY anyone buying used, out of warranty, gear from a very small, esoteric mfg., would "assume" that the co. would have some prompt repair operation. It's just not realistic. Buying huge, hard to ship gear just compounds the problem.
wolf_garcia
4,650 posts
 
I just realized I do have an axe to grind, but it's an actual axe and bench grinder so I'm not sure it even matters to this thread. That said, a relevant point I can make illustrates the fact that a "lean organization" has even more incentive to not be marketing oblivious as the leanness could lead to no businessness. In a hurry. I started a small company many years ago that competed with huge players in the same (financial services) market...we were insanely successful because we did a better job at everything the big boys did...most importantly service. The excuse of vacations (!) or "smallness of workforce" combined with the inability to simply respond to any customer with a beef is a harbinger of disaster, especially when Magnapan is magna-panned in public.
whart's avatar
whart
1,930 posts
 
Wolf- I gotta say, apart from the substance of your post (which i tend to agree with), you are pretty funny.
mrschret
52 posts
 
As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I will be visiting Magnepan Thursday 8/9/12. Per their website instructions, my family will be taking a tour and then hopefully audtioning the 20,7's. There is a good chance that my tour guide will be Wendell. I'm very tempted to ask him what he knows about all this. I have to think it's simply that they do things one way and that way is very slowly. When you buy new, they don't hide the fact that you will wait. You are told right up front that the wait time is long. Your not told two weeks just to make you feel good. Your told two months or longer. As a result your getting a finely crafted piece of equipment that has absolutely no rivals anywhere near it's price point and many multiple price points beyond. This company has been doing business this way since 1969 and obviously has been extremely successful. Considering the 100s of thousand of speakers they've sold I don't think they're too concerned with this. When they're ready they'll get to it. If you don't like it then go someplace else. Once again, their website tells you that they have plenty of business and are not in a hurry for anymore.
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