Shafted: Infinity Systems/Fry's Electronics
Brett's recommendation on placement, here it is
So about 3 months ago I bought an Infinity Kappa Perfect 10.1D sub and an Infinity Reference 310a amp from Fry’s. 350 watts RMS on both, twin amp/sub.
Two weeks ago the sub cuts out in the middle of a song. About a minute later it comes back. I think maybe the amp is overheating. IT starts happening more frequently, until it gets to about 50-50 works doesn’t work. I start looking into returning it. Finally it just stops working. I call Infinity and the automated system tells me to return it to the authorized retailer. I take it back to Fry’s, saying it is under warranty from Infinity and they said I should get it swapped out. I shoot the breeze with the manager as an employee goes to the back to call Infinity and find out if they are supposed to do this. He comes and tells me that there is nothing they can do; I have to send it back to Infinity. At this point the manager disappears. At the end of the conversation the employee says not even the manager can do anything about and he’s sorry (I don’t see him ANYWHERE). I go home, confused.
I call Infinity back the next day, get a person, and explain the problem. He tells me it sounds like a voice coil problem, send it back. I asked why couldn’t I swap it out, and then tell what happened at Fry’s. The support guy gets pretty flustered, saying that Fry’s is obligated by their contract to take warranty swaps, and he asks for Fry’s number, and mine. He says he is trying to call Fry’s and do I remember the manager’s name because often this will try to bombard him with questions and then try to deny anything and get off the phone. I ask if this is common and he says yes, just not with Fry’s. Then he tells me that someone from Infinity will call them and then they will call me back and tell me to go in tomorrow.
I wait 3 days, and no call from Infinity. I decide to call Fry’s and explain everything that has happened, and how I was told that they had to swap it for me if it was in stock. I ask DIRECTLY for the “Person-In-Charge”. The lady is taken aback and asks what about? I explain and then hold for about 6 minutes. The phone is answered by a bread and butter audio employee. I explain and he says “Umm we don’t that…. Let me ask my manager.”
I’m not sure what he thought he did with the phone, but I could hear what he was saying clearly. He goes “I have a guy on the line that says we are going to take his sub back, Infinity says so. We don’t do that… do we?” The guy he is talking to goes “I don’t know.” First guy goes “I don’t know.” I get on the phone with the audio-visual manager and he says that he is going to call corporate and find out, what’s my number so he can call back. 10 minutes later he calls back and says that corporate says that they won’t do it, because the damage is considered abuse. He asks me to bring it in so they can inspect it to find out if this is the case. I say okay, I’m on my way.
Before leaving I call Infinity and say Fry’s told they wouldn’t take it back because voice coil problems are abuse. The tech says you get one swap no matter what, but if there are any other ones then it must be a mechanical defect. I get to Fry’s and relate this information to the manager, who says doesn’t matter; we don’t have it in stock. I go to Fry’s quite often, and they have over 10 of these subs at any given time, and I have never seen it on clearance (I read their ad everyday). I ask how this is possible and they say we don’t stock it anymore; its only special order and you have to buy one to get that. The manager says, “ I talked to the buyer for Fry’s, who deals directly with Infinity. He says if you ship it in, they will inspect it and then ship it back to you untouched and charge you S&H.” At this point both men look away and say “I guess I’m kind of out of options” and some other stuff. They don’t look up. I say, “Thank you gentlemen have a nice day. They don’t look up or saying anything, just stand there reading some charts. I walk out.
Now I am stuck with a useless 170 buck subwoofer and I don’t have the money to buy another one (took me awhile to save for that one).
Any thoughts?
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Originally Posted by RandomGuy
