Chipamp.com, worst service ever?

[steveline]

I ordered an amp kit from these guys and have been flabergasted at their almost non-existant communication .


I never got a confirmation email after my paypal payment.

I had to send several emails after payment to get someone to respond.

They never let me know when (and if) it shipped.

They don't respond to my emails.

It's sad because the chipamp thing is going to keep growing and Chipamp.com SEEMS like a great setup.

They will surely fail if they continue in this manner.

[ttan98]

Originally posted by steveline
I ordered an amp kit from these guys and have been flabergasted at their almost non-existant communication .


I never got a confirmation email after my paypal payment.

I had to send several emails after payment to get someone to respond.

They never let me know when (and if) it shipped.

They don't respond to my emails.

It's sad because the chipamp thing is going to keep growing and Chipamp.com SEEMS like a great setup.

They will surely fail if they continue in this manner.

I experience the same situation, fortunately I receive my goods promptly. You must know what you want, don't expect communications from them, apparently too busy,
hence product support is poor.

Chinese saying:
"How to do business this way!"

[Schaef]

You guys do realize chipamp.com is run by one guy as a hobby don't you? It was started as a way for people to get group buys on the parts. Its not really a business for him, its just a way he can help people out, I doubt he's making much if anything on the boards he sells.

Cut the guy a break, and have some patience, judging from other comments in other threads, it sounds like he's been very busy lately.

[ttan98]

Originally posted by Schaef
You guys do realize chipamp.com is run by one guy as a hobby don't you? It was started as a way for people to get group buys on the parts. Its not really a business for him, its just a way he can help people out, I doubt he's making much if anything on the boards he sells.

Cut the guy a break, and have some patience, judging from other comments in other threads, it sounds like he's been very busy lately.

A response to all emails, saying "tentatively busy so cannot response promptly" would take more than a few min. by using broadcast mode. Every customers would understand. No response is not good.

Busy is NOT an excuse. If he is busy over long period of time then it would be better to stop doing it because everyone suffers.

[rabbitz]

AFAIK Brian does this as a service to the DIY community and I imagine there are thousands out there that have benefitted from his willingness to run chipamp.com.

It's a thankless task that most would not take on but Brian has been generous to start from a group buy and keep it going.

Keep this up and one the best and most experienced sources of chipamps will be lost.

I have done a similar thing in the past and there is not enough hours to maintain a normal life, provide the service, so email communication which can be very time consuming gets put to the side. If his site is up an running assume no email replies means he is too busy.

Patience grasshoppers.

[ttan98]

Originally posted by rabbitz
AFAIK Brian does this as a service to the DIY community and I imagine there are thousands out there that have benefitted from his willingness to run chipamp.com.

It's a thankless task that most would not take on but Brian has been generous to start from a group buy and keep it going.

Keep this up and one the best and most experienced sources of chipamps will be lost.

I have done a similar thing in the past and there is not enough hours to maintain a normal life, provide the service, so email communication which can be very time consuming gets put to the side. If his site is up an running assume no email replies means he is too busy.

Patience grasshoppers.

I am not trying to degrade or criticise him, I believe he is running a business and not a community service, evidence is 1. he advertise here, 2. his website does not state that it is a commuinity service, 3. his products are not cheap ie sold at near cost.

I am not saying this from an ivory tower, i use to run a hi-fi business, I could attend to it and make money I stopped.

[steveline]

Guys -

I am grateful for his efforts, including his contributions to this board.

But yes, if he is not running a business he should say so on his site, like this...

"Order your amp parts but I am doing this as a favor to you so don't expect me to tell you I have gotten your money or if and when your stuff ships.

Thanks for your patronage!"

We all know there are other very good kits available. I only ordered from Brian because Rawsonte recommended him. Being somewhat of a newbie I really like and need some customer service.

I guess now that I know the deal I can make better purchase decisions in the future, when I will be building more amps, and spending more money.

[preiter]

The subject of this thread is a bit over the top. I can think of many ways to deliver worse service.

[Nordic]

Besides, you get a paypal receipt........

[geaugafletcher]

I was confounded by similar things during my order a year or so ago... But really, it doesn't matter in the long run. He's a stand-up guy and does his best as ONE person trying to serve this DIY community. It really is more like a community service and if you look at it from that angle, you'll be glad that he's offering what he does in the first place.

The internet is full of little bitty sites that look commercial and sell products, but they're run by a hobbyist. Scant communication is a small price to pay when everything else about the deal is very good. The prices are reasonable, considering the support available on this forum in the huge chipamp.com thread, the time and thought to design the boards, etc. and the flexibility they offer for experimentation.