Members 1DZReverendDavidLee Posted November 16, 2005 Members Posted November 16, 2005 I have a Hot Cat 30 and the standby switch went bad on me. Now I bought this used so I'm not complaining about the product whatsoever. One of the best sounding amps I've played thru. In fact -I gigged with it several times and took nothing else with me. The problem is with their customer service. This runaround has been going on for some time now. I emailed them wanting to order a replacement standby switch. I admitted I was not the original owner - but loved the amp -and needed to order a replacement standby switch. I can still use the amp - but it's always on. These things run hot enough that it's not unusual to have to replace tubes in these amps perhaps a little more often than class AB amps for example -and that's not cheap. Cool so far. James emailed me back and told me I would have to call them on the phone and give them my credit card info ($12.95 each) no biggy -so even though it's long distance -I called them the next day. Got an answering machine. Left a message and my home phone number. Waited a couple weeks -heard nothing. Tried to call them again. Got an answering machine again. Left another damn message. My suggestion when you're selling amps of this caliber and cost is to HAVE AN AVAILABLE CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSON AVAILABLE AT LEAST DURING NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS TO ANSWER THE DAMN PHONE. It shouldn't take weeks to try to reach a company to place a damn order for a replacement switch. Meantime -the Bad Cat stays home. Sad really.
Members AcousticControl Posted November 16, 2005 Members Posted November 16, 2005 finding it hard to sympathize ... i mean, they tell you right up front that they're bad cats.caveat emptor.
Members 1DZReverendDavidLee Posted November 16, 2005 Author Members Posted November 16, 2005 Originally posted by delorean finding it hard to sympathize ... i mean, they tell you right up front that they're bad cats. caveat emptor.
Members AcousticControl Posted November 16, 2005 Members Posted November 16, 2005 Originally posted by 1DZReverendDavidLee sorry to hear about that. that sucks.
Members Meriphew Posted November 17, 2005 Members Posted November 17, 2005 Have you emailed them Rev? I've exchanged a few emails with James over the last week about a purchase. Hope it works out ok.
Members agentcooper2001 Posted November 17, 2005 Members Posted November 17, 2005 I know James was in Japan for a while recently, but it does take him around a week to return e-mails. I've sent a few. While I would say their customer service isn't bad, it isn't good either. I e-mailed Phil from Matchless with some questions and he responded within the hour most times. I now play a Matchless SC-30.
Members 1DZReverendDavidLee Posted November 17, 2005 Author Members Posted November 17, 2005 Originally posted by meriphew Have you emailed them Rev? Yeah - that's how I got their phone number - from James. The problem is no one ever answers it and I'm not about to leave my Visa # on an answering machine.
Members shepherdspy Posted November 17, 2005 Members Posted November 17, 2005 If worst comes to worst I would pm this guy: fit2-btiedHe doesn't work at Bad Cat but is supposed to be friends with the owner. Maybe he could help get the guy's attention.It sucks when you are trying to do the right thing and they won't let you. Same thing with ((echo)) and the Angela website thing.
Members agentcooper2001 Posted November 17, 2005 Members Posted November 17, 2005 yeah, fit-2btied is also on the Gear Page under Celestion101. Rick is a very nice guy.
Members tigger_ferret Posted November 17, 2005 Members Posted November 17, 2005 Good luck with it all. I know if I was in your situation I would be pissed. I took my amp to a tech recently and he way over charged me so I got my change jar and payed him with all my {censored} change because I was so mad. Not really the same thing but I feel your pain:cry:
Members gatordoc Posted November 17, 2005 Members Posted November 17, 2005 Bro, it's time you got rid of that piece of crap. I'll give you $50 for it no questions asked - bad standby switch and all. That's just the kind of guy I am:thu:
Members riffdaddy Posted November 17, 2005 Members Posted November 17, 2005 I'm a BadCat dealer, and I can tell you that these guys are always difficult to get ahold of. To make things worse, James contracts out most of the sales-related business to a different guy in Boston. He isn't the most prompt person either, so if a question needs to go through both of them for some reason, it can take two or three weeks to get an answer. Having said that, their products do sorta kick ass.
Guest Anonymous Posted November 17, 2005 Posted November 17, 2005 I still want a Bad Cat amp soooo bad. :'( devi-
Members turtleheadblues Posted November 17, 2005 Members Posted November 17, 2005 Yea Heath from Boston guitar runs the sales etc for them as a distributor. I say {censored} a company that sells product that expensive and not follow thru on cust service. Same on the retail end....
Members riffdaddy Posted November 17, 2005 Members Posted November 17, 2005 I get the feeling that they're just overworked, but probably can't afford to hire someone else just yet. Growth can be painful for a small business.
Members mumford Posted November 17, 2005 Members Posted November 17, 2005 My Hot Cat has been very unreliable, broken more than once. The first time I sent it to bad cat and had pretty much the same issue-- impossible to get James on the phone, they had my amp for 3 months to do a simple repair, too. The upside is they only charged me $30.
Members 1DZReverendDavidLee Posted November 17, 2005 Author Members Posted November 17, 2005 Originally posted by riffdaddy I get the feeling that they're just overworked, but probably can't afford to hire someone else just yet. Growth can be painful for a small business. You're probably right and I shouldn't be so upset over the little things but the amp is one kick ass tone machine and it pisses me off that I can't put it on standby - now I feel silly.
Members 1DZReverendDavidLee Posted November 17, 2005 Author Members Posted November 17, 2005 Originally posted by mumford My Hot Cat has been very unreliable, broken more than once. The first time I sent it to bad cat and had pretty much the same issue-- impossible to get James on the phone, they had my amp for 3 months to do a simple repair, too. The upside is they only charged me $30. Ouch - I don't like to read that. I bought mine used for $1600 so I got a good deal I guess - but if I had bought this new and was having this problem I probably would be all over CNN by now...Three months without the amp is ridiculous.
Members turtleheadblues Posted November 17, 2005 Members Posted November 17, 2005 If you can afford full page color ads in Vintage Guitar you should be able to afford someone for 9 bucks an hour to answer the phone and take care of phone calls.
Members 1DZReverendDavidLee Posted November 17, 2005 Author Members Posted November 17, 2005 Originally posted by turtleheadblues If you can afford full page color ads in Vintage Guitar you should be able to afford someone for 9 bucks an hour to answer the phone and take care of phone calls. Or do like Keeley and hire your family! Let's hear it for Keeley!!! It's customer service like Keeley's that makes this look worse than it probably is.
Members BandofThievesâ„¢ Posted November 17, 2005 Members Posted November 17, 2005 Originally posted by turtleheadblues Yea Heath from Boston guitar runs the sales etc for them as a distributor. That explains everything..Nuff Said...
Members guitarchris Posted November 17, 2005 Members Posted November 17, 2005 Originally posted by riffdaddy I'm a BadCat dealer, and I can tell you that these guys are always difficult to get ahold of. To make things worse, James contracts out most of the sales-related business to a different guy in Boston. He isn't the most prompt person either, so if a question needs to go through both of them for some reason, it can take two or three weeks to get an answer.Having said that, their products do sorta kick ass. Are you a Matchless dealer also???? I am about to buy another SC-30 (well my insurance company is buying a replacement for the stolen one).....i would love to swing some business yo way!
Members bieke Posted November 17, 2005 Members Posted November 17, 2005 man, I know how it must be, 7 months ago, I wrecked the bypass toggle on my Mark I and figured it would be difficult to get a replacement from Mesa Boogie, I drove around miles and miles to numerous shops for a whole day and finally, went into a sewing machine shop and showed them the switch (a big carling toggle) and the old lady pulled out a box full beautiful NOS toggles and it turned out to be just the same size and type and it was only 5 minutes from where I live ... I was so happy I ran out the shop, jumped into my car and started yodeling (but that was because my finger got stuck in the door)
Members #16 Posted November 17, 2005 Members Posted November 17, 2005 Originally posted by riffdaddy I get the feeling that they're just overworked, but probably can't afford to hire someone else just yet. Growth can be painful for a small business. Sad, but true.I feel for you Rev!I feel for them...I so know that feeling. HATE IT!=[Let me know if there is anything I can do? Want me to call?
Members newstrat60 Posted November 17, 2005 Members Posted November 17, 2005 Originally posted by adolf Sad, but true.I feel for you Rev!I feel for them...I so know that feeling. HATE IT!=[Let me know if there is anything I can do? Want me to call? your moniker "where the debris meets the sea"... is it from Iggy's "Kill City" ?
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