Audio Research service and warranty

[cleeds]

In another thread on the ARC Ref Phono 2SE, conversation drifted off-topic into whether installing your own custom loading resistors would invalidate the warranty. I was quite certain that it wouldn't. I based that on having actually read the warranty, and on my decades of ownership experience with ARC products. The conversation reached a nadir with this post:

Originally Posted by Harlequin

Tell you what cleeds, as you are so sure of yourself on this point, why not fire an email off to Kalvin at ARC central to the effect that your have just taken the soldering iron to your less than 3 years old Ref2se phono, Pre, CDP, whatever, and ask him whether your item remains covered by ARC warranty?

Well, I don't "fire an email" to anyone. But, because I actually own a Ref Phono 2SE that is still under warranty, along with other ARC products - some under warranty, some not - I did send a polite note to ARC through its website to inquire. Kalvin Dahl responded quite promptly and, as I suspected, doing such work yourself does not itself invalidate the warranty.

Those who are interested in ARC's warranty can read it in its entirety for themselves here.

I'm not asking that anyone accept my word on this. ARC and its dealers have always been very committed to attentive customer service. For those users who would consider installing their own resistors, or performing other service on ARC products, I would suggest they inquire for themselves to their dealer and/or ARC directly. Of course, if you're not competent doing such work, I'd caution against it. ARC isn't going to repair under warranty work by unqualified personnel that was not properly executed .

For those who might want to verify my communication with Kevin Dahl, I received it at 10:47 a.m. EDT today. That should be sufficient information for you confirm the info with him directly.

I consider this matter closed and will not engage in further debate on it. Suffice it to say that I would not still be buying new ARC products if I had any reservation at all about how the company stands behind its products and customers.

[Harlequin]

I am not in the habit of disclosing private email correspondence, however as you seem unable to move on and claim to have correspondence from Kalvin that supports your "theory", together with the potential implications of such, I feel that In this instance I have little choice but to do so.

Quoting Kalvin Dahl <kdahl@audioresearch.com>:

> Hello Roger,
>
> For your reference, I have attached a copy of the Audio Research Warranty.
> Please read the Conditions section of the Warranty Policy. Any violation of
> the conditions voids the warranty completely. This would be the case in the
> situations described below
>
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Kalvin Dahl
> Customer Support Manager
> New direct phone line: 763-270-1233
> Audio Research
> service@audioresearch.com
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: felixkat
> Sent: Monday, March 14, 2016 12:57 PM
> To: Kalvin Dahl
> Subject: Advice Regarding ARC Warranty
>
>
> Dear Kalvin, I trust that this message finds that you are well.
>
> I would be most grateful if you could advise me as to exactly how ARC's
> warrenty works should someone be reckless enough to replace componants themselves
> or by an un-authorised tech, on a unit still within the 3 year factory warrenty
> window.
>
>
> I inquire as I am attempting to correct some miss-information as I see it.
>
>
> Instance 1. Replacing the load resisters in an Ref2se would invalidate any
> remaining ARC warranty,
>
*specifically* on that section of the circuit circuit board alone Or wouldsuch an action invalidate the warrenty,
>
> A. Entirely for the unit as a whole?
>
> B. Until such time as returned to ARC factory spec by an ARC authorised tech.
> The remainder of the clock remaining on 3 years would apply?
>
> C. Only for the specific components and function altered from factory spec in
> the event of a fault developing In that specific area of functionality. However the ARC warrenty
> would remains valid in all other areas of the unit NOT DIY'd/Unauthorised?
>
> Viz....A change of output stage coupling capacitors on say an Ref6 would
> Invalidate only the Capacitors themselves plus any other componants directly affected in the
> event of a failed capacitor?
>
Or the whole of the output stage looses ARC warrenty cover, whilst other sections of the unit ie. Power
> supply section would still remain covered?
>
> My apologies should my scribblings make little sense, howeverI am rather keen
> to explain the fine details of your factory warrenty initially to the fellow offering unwise
> advise, then perhaps to make a post on a number of the main audio forums advising owners accordingly and
> correctly.
>
> Kind Regards.

Perhaps you might reciprocate with your intelligences purporting to refute this position by ARC.?

[e28m30a]

I would like to suggest, gently, that this is not a black and white question but a gray one. I would further like to offer support for Kalvin's responses in both cases herein. I can see him both replying to the direct query as to whether the self installation of loading resistors in the open solder pads of a Ref Phono 2 SE violates the warranty by saying it does not, and the referral of felixkat to the warranty statement and saying that everything in his question would quality as a warranty violation.

I do not know who felixkat is and I mean to remain gentle. It is entirely possible that English is not felixkat's primary language. His questions are presented in a way that, we're I Kalvin in the midst of a busy day, I might well make the decision that, rather than attempting subtle parsing of the questioner's meaning and intent, I would take the safe and efficient route of saying that these things you ask about would void your warranty. For example, I think his question was about "replacing" resistors. There is only so much time in a work day, and a representative of a company who is answering what amounts to a question of contract law must be very careful and feel confident he knows his correspondent well enough that he is not violating the intent of his company's warranty.

Full disclosure, I am an Audio Research dealer and, in 37 years, I have not seen an instance of them applying the "not covered by warranty" defense for something remotely as benign as the installation of loading resistors in the Custom location.

[Alki]

e28m30a, welcome to AA.

[Harlequin]

Thank you for penning your thoughts with regard to this topic e28m30a, and for your measured speculation as to how any such incongruities of response from ARC might have come to pass, I am however somewhat less appreciative of the condescending nature and tone expressed in other passages of your post.

For my part, I tend to prefer my legally binding documentation to be Incontestably Black and White, rather than open to some 'Greyar' user interpretation, a position apparently taken by ARC in the terms and conditions of their product warranty.

We may of course speculate upon how many of ARC's distributer/dealer network, responsible, for the implementation of said warranty, might choose to adopt a local, somewhat less stringent interpretation of the terms and conditions, however the manufactures position on this would appear to be quite clear.

[JWJW]

Buy McIntosh and all these concerns go away.

[Cohibaman]

Originally Posted by Harlequin

...I am however somewhat less appreciative of the condescending nature and tone expressed in other passages of your post...

I don't see any condescension; merely an offering of his opinion of what might have been the thought process in answering both emails and that ARC is good at honoring warranty based on his 37 years of selling ARC products.

[Harlequin]

Originally Posted by Cohibaman

I don't see any condescension; merely an offering of his opinion of what might have been the thought process in answering both emails and that ARC is good at honoring warranty based on his 37 years of selling ARC products.

Really!!! Perhaps you missed the part where presumably having read the content of my correspondence with ARC he chose to comment thus,

" I do not know who felixkat is and I mean to remain gentle. It is entirely possible that English is not felixkat's primary language. "

[Masterlu]

e28m30a... Welcome to AA!