Ever have anything repaired by United Radio Service?

[grampi 10+ year member]

If so, I'm curious as to what your experience with them has been. I sent my 9887 to them for repairs not once, but twice because they didn't fix it properly the first time. This time around they've had it for 3 weeks, they've had the parts to fix it for a week, and yet it just sits there. I called them this morning to find out what the hold up is and they said they will provide a detailed update later today.

I don't know what's happened to this industry over the last several years, but it seems to be overrun with shadey businesses, and even the companies that have built their reputations over many years aren't what they used to be. It's sad to see a hobby go from from one I used to love, to one that now makes more frustrated than an Amish electrcian!

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[frzninvt 10+ year member]

Man that deck has been nothing but a nightmare for you since you bought it. United Radio which is classified as a 5 star Alpine service center sure did not impress me much either. I sent my deck into them for a power cycling problem that they initially could not diagnose and were going to deem it unrepairable.

I called Alpine and asked they WTF is up with this disposable deck nonsense. Alpine has a service center out in CA and they wanted UR to send it there if they could not resolve the issue. After repeated calls and constant *****ing to UR they put a Senior level engineer/technician on it that found a bad trace in the power supply circuit corrected it, and thoroughly went through the unit. It has performed flawlessy ever since I think the problem is find qualified help, makes me wonder if all their eletronics technician's are certified. They supposedly are ISO 9001 and adhere to strict QC pratices but yet things still slip through the cracks.

Companies in the car audio business are not even close to what they used to be in the mid-90's and that is why I am strictly an old school guy and refuse to use any of this foreign made garbage being spewed out from major manufacturer's these days Alpine included. I can't believe that people these days think that amps purchased for pennies a watt these days sound good. Probably because they haven't heard better. Cheap disposable crap is all it is, use and toss in the garbage.

Sad, sad, sad

 

[grampi 10+ year member]

Man that deck has been nothing but a nightmare for you since you bought it. United Radio which is classified as a 5 star Alpine service center sure did not impress me much either. I sent my deck into them for a power cycling problem that they initially could not diagnose and were going to deem it unrepairable.
I called Alpine and asked they WTF is up with this disposable deck nonsense. Alpine has a service center out in CA and they wanted UR to send it there if they could not resolve the issue. After repeated calls and constant *****ing to UR they put a Senior level engineer/technician on it that found a bad trace in the power supply circuit corrected it, and thoroughly went through the unit. It has performed flawlessy ever since I think the problem is find qualified help, makes me wonder if all their eletronics technician's are certified. They supposedly are ISO 9001 and adhere to strict QC pratices but yet things still slip through the cracks.

Companies in the car audio business are not even close to what they used to be in the mid-90's and that is why I am strictly an old school guy and refuse to use any of this foreign made garbage being spewed out from major manufacturer's these days Alpine included. I can't believe that people these days think that amps purchased for pennies a watt these days sound good. Probably because they haven't heard better. Cheap disposable crap is all it is, use and toss in the garbage.

Sad, sad, sad

I don't understand why consumers can't just send defective Alpine gear directly to Alpine for repair. Alpine recommends you send it to URS. Also, either Alpine doesn't know how the quality of service has slipped at URS, or they just don't care or they wouldn't recommend them.

I'm with you in wondering about the quality of technicians they have at URS these days. I mean who would miss something as basic as bad preouts, especially when I specifically explained to them that the preouts were bad when I sent it to them the first time? Why would you not do something as basic as plugging the HU into a known working system to find out if it actually works? That isn't even technical stuff, that's just basic checking your work type stuff. Do you turn the light switch on after you replace a light bulb to make sure it works? It's just basic stuff like that that even a total idiot would think to do. That isn't rocket science. Another thing I don't understand, a customer shouldn't have to keep bugging a place like this to get them to do what they should be doing without being bugged. IF ANYTHING, YOU'D THINK THEY BE JUMPING THROUGH HOOPS TO GET THIS THING FIXED ASAP BECAUSE THEY EFFED IT UP THE FIRST TIME AND NOW THEIR REPUTATION IS IN QUESTION. However, it now seems like it's just the opposite. They don't seem to have any urgency or even a desire to right their own wrong. When places of business get like this, it's either time to clean house and get some new people in charge who are willing to bring the business back on the right track, or close your doors and move on to something else.

I too am sick and tired the new let's-make-everything-cheaply-in-China-and -just-throw-it-away-in-a-year-or-two-and-repalce-it-with-something-else-that's-cheap business mentality. What happend to taking pride in what you make? What happened to building things that last? It just makes me sick!

 

[goodstuff 10+ year member]

I sent my Alpine cda-9830 directly to Alpine and they fixed it. For 95.00. which is what it would have cost me for just the part I needed.

 

[grampi 10+ year member]

I sent my Alpine cda-9830 directly to Alpine and they fixed it. For 95.00. which is what it would have cost me for just the part I needed.

How did you find out where at Alpine to send it? When I called them they actually told me NOT to send it to Alpine, but to send it to URS instead.

 

[frzninvt 10+ year member]

What I did was asked the front desk lady to speak directly to a manager, the receptionist doesn't know squat. Ask to speak to someone in charge like the Service manager, trust me the squeeky wheel gets the grease. I raised a big stink and they even sent my item back and did not charge me once for the inconvenience of sending it back and forth. Tell them this situation is unacceptable and you will be contacting the regional manager for Alpine over the situation.

Then I remember they sent it DHL and the idiots left the box in the snow on my porch with no plastic bag around it. Customer service just does not seem to exist anymore you have to scream at these morons to get any action.

Alpine does not service any units themselves they do have a repair facility near them that they utilize I forget who it was though. Call customer service and make them tell you since you aren't getting any satisfaction from UR then ask how to file a formal complaint.

 

[grampi 10+ year member]

Then I remember they sent it DHL and the idiots left the box in the snow on my porch with no plastic bag around it. Customer service just does not seem to exist anymore you have to scream at these morons to get any action.

Then they wonder why customers bad mouth them. I sware people today have no idea how to run a business.

 

[ngsm13 5,000+ posts]

I have had nothing but tip-top service from URS...

They are hands down the best repair center out... I had them check out, tune up all the moving parts, and replace a part on my spare 9835 before I sold it.

nG

 

[goodstuff 10+ year member]

How did you find out where at Alpine to send it? When I called them they actually told me NOT to send it to Alpine, but to send it to URS instead.

I called them and they asked me what the model was. They said they fix certain units and other units are sent elsewhere depending on what the product is. I was all excited at first when I found the part on partstore.com...came on here saying I found the part for my radio and it was 95.00. Then a guy named Ignoreme which was not his screen name at the time, I forget his old sn, told me I could send the whole unit in to Alpine and they would fix it for the same price. So I did. Had to package it up and mail it to them with a check in the box for 95.00 made out to Alpine. Thought that was werid, but they did fix it and it's still in my dash right now...