has anyone had problems with wadia service?

It seems we're going round and round and I don't think you understand what I am saying - though I have tried to explain myself numerous times.

The entity that exists today is NOT the entity that wrote the warranty cards nor is it the same entity that you were able to reach via phone 2 years ago. The website content is also likely from the older entity. On this we can all agree?

The new entity is part of a much larger entity and perhaps some of the small independent charm has been lost in that, for the time being, you cannot simply make a call and be connected to a human that will handle your service request.

I understand this and you understand this. So, are we again in agreement?

Now add to it that it is the peak of summer, you called on a Friday, and there is a national hifi show on in CA and you perhaps gain a bit more understanding regardng your expectations of this recently formed larger entity.

Knowing this, and not being able to change it anytime soon, and because you require service, I offered to put you in touch with a human at Wadia - As dealers we are armed with numerous contact information that a consumer is not likely to find or obtain. I maintain that consumers should go through authorized dealers if the manufacturer has chosen a dealer base to distribute it's products.

I would postulate that any dealer in Wadia's extensive dealer base would assist you with this but I happened to see your post and was quick to offer my assistance without any knowledge of the who/from where/when as I don't really need to know any of that.

I have no agenda other than to get you in touch with a person that can help you. Period. I don't own stock in Wadia nor do I need to defend the situation - it is what it is and I can be a part of the solution if you so desire. The ball has been in your court from my initial posting.

Feel free to contact me if you would like my assistance. If not, I wish you the best of luck.

Seattlehifi - I commend your willingness to help! What I am amazed at though is your continued defense of the un-defenseable. Wadia products have continued to be marketed via the same website; if your suggestion above is correct and it hasn't been updated over the last two years that speaks volumes about the lack of customer foresight and therefore service that the new owners have. Additionally, they continue to ship product with the same warranty information, my 171I is only a few months old. If the information continues to be incorrect one could ask why the dealer network hasn't pressed them to update it and shipping materials versus having frustrated and misinformed customers that they then have to deal with? Excepting for the direct slight you feel above, I think you're chidding the wrong people.

08-04-12: Seattlehifi

I will forward the link to this thread to the powers that be at Wadia as I would still like to see a resolution and because I believe Wadia, being the company that they are, would also wish to see Paperw8's issues handled professionally and expediently.


this would probably be a better way to go because there is a problem at wadia, and if making the higher-ups aware of the problem leads to improvement then everyone who needs service on a wadia product benefits. my thinking was that it would be better for you to post the information that you offered to share with me privately because anyone who attempted to contact wadia for service would almost certainly have a similar experience to my own. but i would appreciate if you would follow up and inform your contacts at wadia about this thread because what i am reporting is something that definitely needs to be addressed.

i have been attempting to contact wadia for weeks, so the audio show to which you referred is not the reason why i have been unable to contact anyone at wadia.

for your own information, i would suggest that you go to the wadia website and attempt to follow the service information posted there and you might better understand what my experience has been.

as to the warranty obligations, unless wadia declared bankruptcy before being acquired, the warranty obligations of wadia are now the warranty obligations of fine audio SpA so it doesn't matter that the warranty was written by the truewave llc (dba as wadia digital) entity. it may very well be the case that fine audio prefers the service model that you propose (where customers contact local dealers) but we as customers have to rely upon the information that is publicly distributed by the manufacturer.

Seattlehifi,
I want to make clear to you as well that I thought you were very considerate in trying to assist Paperw8.
I had no criticism for you at all. My point was simply that any business, especially one of Wadia's stature (and price points) should not make basic mistakes like the ones that caused his negative experience. What goes on in the back room (mergers etc.) is not the customers problem.
You tried to do a good thing, but they were negligent.

Facten,

I never said that there was anything wrong with the warranty cards or website info but that both were likely written by the previous entity. I never said that they should throw them out or that new ones needed to be issued.

Had I been in Paperw8's shoes, I would have called the wadia service # and if that did not achieve results my second call would have been to sumiko (assuming that you knew of the acquisition) or to an authorized wadia dealer to request a # that would get me through to someone. Why a dealer? Because they represent the product, have all of the contact info, and have signed agreements in place to assist current and future owners with the product.

Instead, he turned to the forum and the first response on the matter, from me (an authorized dealer), would have solved his problem. We (referring to authorized reputable dealers) exist to help...which I why I responded in the first place.

Sadly, we've been exchanging comments for several days and had Paperw8 contacted me, at the onset, he would certainly already have his RMA# and the unit could have been en route to Wadia. That would have been the end of it.

I had already fired off an e-mail to the head honcho at Wadia to investigate and identify if in fact a problem exists with the consumer warranty service process and, if so, to please correct.

One mans experience does not translate to a breadown of the system. So, rather than ASSUMING that Wadia has a problem, I asked them to look into it and in the meantime requested that Paperw8 call me so that I could assist him.

Within a few days I suspect Wadia will add their own comments to this thread - perhaps an apology to Paperw8 and a thank you to Seattle Hi-Fi. And, they will update us all on the consumer warranty service process.