MicsDirect...to be avoided

I bought an iSK flexible studio stand from them. It seemed a decent good quality sturdy item, but it broke unexpectedly just less than 6 months later. I contacted them about it and asales manager called Andy, told me they sold 100's of these and they don't break...when I pointed out mine had, he wanted me to explain how...I did, and sent photos of the break..They concluded from these photo's that the damage was caused by excessive force and not covered by warranty???? Ummmm....





This presumption of my inability to use a mic stand with my Gorrilla like arms and intellect to cause the damage, continued; despite my best efforts to tell them that the thing just collapsed and must therefore be faulty. All I wanted was a replacment, I wasn't trying to scam them, get refunds or anything, just my stand back...Eventually I had to quote the sale of goods act?? Why anyone ever has to is beyond me, especially as I stated all I wanted was a replacement for a clearly broken stand which should not have broken and the normal use it was put to.

This then resulted in Michelle from "customer service" taking over the communication and stating that these stands don't break, and they don't like my "tone", and do I "think they are stupid?"....no I kid you not, in fact...

"Dear Brian


Andy is away at the moment and has not had time to reply but I do not like your tone of communication to us!

The stand does not just break...do you think we are stupid?

As for your threat of litigation, I don't take that seriously!"

They did offer to repair my stand if I sent it back but I wasn't going to let the tone and Stupid comment go. So I fired back a quick reply explaing the reasons for my tone and annoyance that my explinaiton of events was being classified as lies.

Which then prompted, a fantastic "Without Prejudice" reply staying that due to my reply (yes it was a littel sarky but did offer an olive branch to try to get back on a proper customer with problem/seller wants to resolve, footing), due to my reply they would "now only proceed after examining the damage to ascertain whether it has been caused by a manufacturing fault or by forceful use"

So..no certainty that if i send it back as I had offered,at my own expense that they'd even carry out the repair or replacment...Since they clearly won't drop this presumption that I had been using my mic stand as some form of excercise equipment the discourse contined in a few ever more challenging emails and I have now given up.

Rather than seeking a repair/replacement I'm going to take them to small claims court for a refund, and complain to their MD about the shocking customer service..Though I doubt that will make a difference to this shoddy example of customer service.

Edit Oh I just discovered the owner is the self same sales manager who started the assumption of forced breakage, so I'm not going to get very far complaining about the customer service.

I'll go straight to the small claims court, I have a good case and I loathe being shafted by bad service. This blog post and another I found when googling will remain on the interwebs to act as a suitable warning to people to be careful of dealing with people who offer such bad service. I'll buy myself another stand from a reputable seller who appreciate the idea that good service brings people back, bad service drives them, along anyone they can warn, away.

So this is a warning.

Avoid MicsDirect, prices and range might be good, but if you have a problem, you're probalby going to get screwed.



Ahthankyew