I mailed my Remote to US Repairs and it turned into a nightmare rather quickly...
Read on for the email exchange and the WORST customer service I have every experienced in my life!
- Parker stated first:
- "Hey unfortunately we are unable to save your Remote Frame. The latch that holds the ethernet jack in place is broken so you will need a new frame. They are $110.00. Sorry for the bad news! Do you have a PayPal email address we can send an invoice to?"
- I replied:
- "Why wouldn't this be covered by warranty? That is how I got it (new from Sweetwater), all I did was plug the jack in and it never got moved from my studio since I tried to unplug it.This is a factory issue, I should not be paying anything because it is under warranty still.."
- Parker:
- "Unfortunately the main board inside the Remote was damaged as well. The ethernet port on the remote was damaged beyond repair. What we can do is send you a B-Stock remote. But you will be responsible for $110.00. Let us know how you would like to proceed."
- Me:
- "WHAT!!!! My Remote worked fine when I sent it out, except the connector would not unplug, and you're saying you destroyed it now?Again this should be covered under warranty. My Remote was brand new, not a scratch on it... You broke it, you bought it man.. I wish to escalate this to a higher level, I am thoroughly dissatisfied with this experience. Please provide me with contact information to speak to someone regarding this, and I'll also be submitting an inquiry to the main site, anywhere I can. This is unacceptable..."
- Parker, conveniently ignoring my request to escalate replies:
- "There is no physical way of removing the Cable from the Remote Frame without damaging the board. The Remote did not work when we tested it before opening it up. Sorry for the bad news."
My Remote was in perfect working order when I sent it out, minus the cable unable to unplug. Yet Parker conveniently states after they destroyed it removing the network connector, that it was not working when they received it. (what comes out of a bull's rear end?) I am %100 livid with Kemper US Repairs right now. I KNOW my Remote was WORKING FINE when I mailed it out. I cannot fathom how I am being charged for an issue that was defective from the factory.
I have attempted escalating this with Parker in email, he flat out ignored me... I also sent the details via the website contact form to Sales Inquiries, as I cannot call to German HQ, so waiting to hear back from there. Also I am posting this here to warn others that the US Repair Service out of Colorado is doing some nasty deeds and trying to charge me for some B-Grade replacement..
So I also called back to Sweetwater (btw, David Merkosky is the man!) and they have my back %100. I forwarded the email chain to them to see. They couldn't believe the level of disrespect in how Parker is handling this. Ultimately they wished that I had returned it to them and they would have simply replaced the whole thing with a brand new one right off. But unfortunately I was steered into sending to service through here.
Sweetwater has offered to reimburse me the $110 if that is the only method left, but I would then be stuck with $610 sloppy seconds? ($500 out for mine originally, then an additional $110 for a B-Grade replacement) I had an A-Grade remote minus an inconveniencing factory issue with the cable. Hindsight, I should have stuffed it in a pedalboard and forgot about the issue, instead now I have a disgusting situation that is turning my stomach, I'm so mad.
Kemper HQ in Germany, please hear this madness and step in to rectify this situation.