Am I being reasonable?

Posted by: David Quigley on 23 September 2002

I recently sold my old CD 3.5 to a fellow New Yorker. He came around to my house heard it working for an hour and subsequently decided to purchase it.

At his request I delivered it by hand, in original Naim packaging to his Father's appartment (still in New York). He subsequently moved it to his own appartment in Greenwich Village.

Three weeks later he called me to inform me that he had set it up and the following things happened. First the CDP made a groaning noise, second the CD in the player and the puck both spun off and disapeared inside the player. He immediately switched said player off packed it back up and brought it to our local Naim dealer.

He would like an immediate refund plus for me to cough up the $80 deposit he has given the local Naim dealer (the excellent Innovative Audio) for the machine to be sent away to NANA for repair.

My reply was that I would like to wait to hear what NANA have to say. If the cause is some defect in the player I would be happy to pay or refund. If however, it is due to mishandling or mistreating the player I would take a different view.

A feq questions
1) Am I being reasonable as a member of the HiFi community in general and the Naim community in particular?

2) Has anyone, any idea what would cause a working 3.5 moved 50 blocks by hand to exhibit the kind of behavior I outlined?

I sold the player for $950 and it is a 1998 model.

Regards, David
Posted on: 23 September 2002 by silklee
I don’t know what is the usual practice in UK, but back in where I live, once the item has been transferred to the buyer after a successful demo, the risk is with the buyer. This is unless the seller specifically gave a warranty.

Anyway it is already 3 weeks since he has gotten hold of the 3.5. In my honest opinion, I don’t think you need to be responsible for the damage. A lot of things could have happened in that 3 weeks.
Posted on: 24 September 2002 by Brucie
David,

I have owned a CD3 for 7 years. I have had the puck come off about 6-8 times over this period. Each time this happend is because I placed the puck off centre because it would not grip some discs for whatever reason. When the puck does not grip the "orrible grinding noise" ensues and generally keeps going until I intervene. That's when I know I have to replace it off centre. Too much off centre and the puck slips into the guts of the machine.

I have always successfully retrieved the puck by carefully opening it up. Sometimes it has landed in awkward spots but I have never once experienced the disc spinning off. Quite frankly I think this is impossible.

If you have never experienced this problem then you would not mind to warn him. Thus your conscience should be clear.

The purchaser must have lifted the machine with the puckless disc on the draw which seems to have damaged the machine internally. He should have called you so I don't see how its your fault nor do you have any moral obligation to pay.

cheers
bruce
Posted on: 24 September 2002 by bruce
I think everybody is on David's side but a public trial is hardly fair as we just do not know all the details. To me, things don't add up but I would reserve judgement, not having heard the buyer's account of events.
Posted on: 24 September 2002 by Eric Barry
With CD3 and now CD5, I always spin the disk after placing the puck on, to make sure it is secure and not too badly off center. Don't know if that actually assures me of anything.

--Eric
Posted on: 24 September 2002 by Greg Beatty
...but I am surprised that this puck issue was not addressed in the new players (at least not in the CD5).

We've got a baby on the way. I can hear it now, "Honey, I can't find the puck and the baby seems sick to her stomach. What should I do?" "That one's easy dear - wait an hour and look for the puck in the diaper."

My child would be very confused about curse words. I stub my toe, "What the *uck!" Baby, "Its right on top of the CD player daddy."

What if condoms were made this way? "I'm sorry - it just flew off!"

My family needs protection.

Couldn't the drawer have been changed to keep the puck from flying *into* the CD player when it dislodges? Or have a surface coming down from the inside of the case that "completes" the walls of the drawer when closed?

OK - rant mode off mad

- GregB mad

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