December 20 I ordered a MMC4 by Soundsmith, January 15 I send them a mail asking if there was any problems with delivery or payment, I paid by Paypal upon order on December 20, no answer, on January 23 I wrote them again asking the same, no answer.

My limit for making a claim at Paypal is 45 days, that will be February 3, but as Soundsmith has a good name here on the forum and I do want to get my MMC4 and not my money back, I'm asking here what to do ???

Anyone from Soundsmith on this Forum ???

Have you read their delivery instructions? They explicitly say there won't be any communication if things go as expected (for them, that is). The first thing you'll usually hear is when the cartridge arrives. Given that you ordered before the holiday season, I wouldn't be alarmed.

I read and also read 3 weeks delivery time, now its  some 6 weeks since order, in todays world of easy communication I think Soundsmith missed something important.

I would expect a reply. A reply to an email costs nothing. Obviously it has been the holiday season but I would try another message requesting a reply.

Well, yes, 6 weeks is getting excessive. I'd try yet another mail or even pick up the phone / send a fax - emails can get lost, grabbed by spam filters, and whatnot...

(Really - if you're using Gmail for example, which has pretty trigger happy filters, take a look in the "junk mail" folder to make sure you didn't have a reply already.)

I'm using yahoo for things like this, my Gmail is mainly for the forum, and yes I check my spam and junk mail, but I will try one more time in the hope that Soundsmith get modernized

If you call their toll-free number (800.942.8009) you'll hear a recorded message that, due to the inclement weather here in New York (we've had one snowstorm right after another), there is a delay of 10-15 working days in the delivery of SMMC cartridges.

I cant call a US toll free Nr. from Mexico, and if I call directly from my home phone, it will cost me another 10 US to put upon their sales price.

Dont throw good money after bad ones.

mediabobny:

If you call their toll-free number (800.942.8009) you'll hear a recorded message that, due to the inclement weather here in New York (we've had one snowstorm right after another), there is a delay of 10-15 working days in the delivery of SMMC cartridges.

Hi Søren,

Sounds like you've got to add three working weeks to the normal 3 weeks for your delivery. Then whatever the normal mailing time would be from the US to Mexico. Hope the normal post time is not as long as your Beoworld prize took from the UK!

Graham

Thats OK with me, but why dont they tell me, if I treat my costumers like this, I could close my business and retire.

However, I'm going to wait and see what happens as I need 2 more MMCs.

Not to mention, there is a real good chance they have been without email (see www.weather.com).  These people have an excellent reputation, and have had one for years.  I really doubt they would stake their reputation on screwing you over.  Of course it COULD be a conspiracy or the Mexican drug cartel.

I will call them tomorrow and have them check this thread.  

I spoke with Peter at Sound Smith.  We had a nice chat, and he assured me that he is working 12+ hours, 6 days per week, working through his cartridge building backlog.  As was mentioned, backlog worse because of holidays and weather.  He asked me to send him the link to this thread, and I encouraged him to respond, though I imagine many would prefer he just catch up.  They aren't making more of these guys, as you all well know.    

Good to hear all is well! It has to be said that if it was not for Soundsmith, there would be a lot of Beograms suitable only for scrap. Hope the back log goes soon.

I am sure there would be another company ready to take the plunge, in fact I would have thought a company like Ortofon would have been a likely supplier but maybe the market is too small for companies like them?

Doctor:

Good to hear all is well! It has to be said that if it was not for Soundsmith, there would be a lot of Beograms suitable only for scrap. Hope the back log goes soon.

Anyway, regards the lack of acknowledgement I am of the thought that communication is one the most important elements of customer service, and this seriously reflects on the companies reputation. In this case, SS do not seem to have lived up to the high standard of their cartridges. At the very least an automated email should have been sent explaining any reasons for a delay in response!

This is not a usual situation.  I purchased a SMMC1 from Soundsmith and am completely satisfied.  I would most certainly purchase products from Soundsmith again.

There is going to be another heavy snowstorm this week.  Air travel, package deliveries, and especially the postal services will be affected throughout more than three fourths of the country.

I seriously doubt there is another company willing to make Beogram cartridges.  However Soundsmith probably could have sent a response.

I appreciate that someone alerted me to this thread - We have had severe storms here in the northeast - as a result, many of my cartridge critical employees have not been able to make it into work for much of the past 6 weeks, as well as very delayed supplies of critical parts.  We are very back ordered from December, and between the weather and my attendance at CES, combined with a huge number of Emails requests of all sorts, as well as phone calls, I am working 14 hours a day, 7 days a week trying to catch up. It hard to put in more than 95 hours a week  - I am not as young as I once was. 

I will not compromise the quality of what we make by rushing.  Some one is correct in saying that the market for these cartrdige is not large enough for Ortofon to get involved in - the tooling and expertise vs. sales numbers do not justify the investment. We hand make each and every cartridge.  TO those who find this thread,  please have extended patience during this difficult time for your handmade cartridge.  Our quality reputation for them will continue, but I cannot answer the phone, do 150 Emails a day, and build cartridges too.  My choice is to build cartridges. That is why it DOES say when you order a cartrdige - WE WILL NOT CONTACT YOU - Your PAYPAL invoice is proof of purchase.

Peter Ledermann/Soundsmith

Retipper:

  TO those who find this thread,  please have extended patience during this difficult time for your handmade cartridge.  Our quality reputation for them will continue, but I cannot answer the phone, do 150 Emails a day, and build cartridges too.  My choice is to build cartridges. That is why it DOES say when you order a cartrdige - WE WILL NOT CONTACT YOU - Your PAYPAL invoice is proof of purchase.

Peter Ledermann/Soundsmith

Hi Peter

Glad that you got the thread and took the time to answer, I got mySMMC4 yesterday and have spend some happy hours testing it against my old MMC4, so you have got another totally satisfied costumer.

I understand your choice of building carts, and respect it, without your profesional work there would be a lot of BGs not working out there.

But, as you have a website and some computer utencils it should be possible to set up an automated E-mail response system, in this way at least your clients get a response, and in this case with devasting winter wether you could include an alert in the automated response.

IMO it would be a nice treat to get just a tracking number after shipping, last week I was in the Dominican Republic and no one at home, in a bad case UPS would return the package.

Paying with Paypal I have 45 days to make a claim for not delivered goods, if the shipper would have been a supplier not known to me I would have started a claim with Paypal, but with your good name here on the forum I did not do that, some one else may do just that, but a response from you could awoid things like that.

Best regards Soren Mexico, and thank you for a good playing SMMC4