I needed to get my turntable cartridge changed, so went to Ahead Stereo. I already had the replacement cartridge, so all I needed was their mechanical/technical expertise. They swapped my old cartridge for the new one, but then realized that I would need a counterweight to complete the swap, which they had to order. Rather than leave me without the turntable for a week, they put the old cartridge back on. When I got home and hooked it back up, sound came from only one channel (speaker). I immediately took it back to Ahead, and they reluctantly agreed to check the wiring. But even after finding that the left channel no longer worked, they claimed that the damage occurred elsewhere -- despite the fact that the turntable worked perfectly (and always had) before. Turns out, the wiring going to the cartridge was damaged -- according to another repairman, caused by "pulling on a wire instead of a clip lead while replacing the cartridge." Even though I'd never had the cartridge removed prior to this -- and never had a problem with the table at all -- Ahead refused to accept responsibility; they simply handed me my table and wished me good luck. All of this, and I haven't even gotten to the supreme arrogance . . . Oh, and by the way, the other repairman charged me 50% of what Ahead would've charged -- including fixing the damaged wiring -- and he didn't even need the counterweight that Ahead claimed I needed. Ultimately, I understand that mistakes happen, and I wasn't angry about the damage, but I was very disappointed by the utter lack of accountability. I expected far, FAR more from an audio/video dealer that's been around for 40 years.
Pros: Location, longevity
Cons: See headline; supreme arrogance
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