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Post by timbot2 on Oct 15, 2018 19:19:26 GMT
I think I've blown my Sennheiser ie8i s. They've never sounded quite right since I gave Ministry of Sound Anthems 90s a really good blast (Just short of the level where they distorted) through a Dragonfly Red while out watering with my watering can in the summer (new family arrival in May so only just got round to looking at them again). The left earpiece is a lot quieter than the right and there's a massive lack of bass from it as well as some distortion.
I had hoped it was a cable fault so swapped the buds onto my father in laws ie8 cable last night but it was no better.
Has anyone used the Sennheiser repair facility before? Any idea of cost and is it worth it? ☹
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davidf
Administrator
Posts: 331
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Post by davidf on Oct 17, 2018 10:08:37 GMT
Sorry, can’t comment I’m afraid.
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Post by timbot2 on Oct 17, 2018 19:07:16 GMT
Bit of a long shot that question, wasn't it? 😁
I've archived my 2015 emails on my desktop so will hunt the email order out later and start the process and see where I get to.
If it's going to cost a fortune then I may look to use it as an excuse to try and grab a pair of Sony WH1000XM3s with the money instead.No cables to get tangled with my watering can then!
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davidf
Administrator
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Post by davidf on Oct 17, 2018 23:19:51 GMT
Sennheiser have usually been pretty good in the past, but I really couldn’t say what they’d charge in this case. In-ears are usually too small to repair, so are usually replaced - whether that’s another purchase or is part funded by the manufacturer, I couldn’t say.
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Post by timbot2 on Oct 18, 2018 17:55:21 GMT
So today I contacted Sennheiser.
The headphones are out of warranty by a year so I enquired about the cost to repair.
The answer was that they are obsolete so they don't repair these ones any more (not sure if they ever did- I think they just replaced if under warranty due to small parts as you suggest).
Because of this they offered a 20% discount code valid for 3 months for anything from their webstore. They still do the ie8i at £270 amongst other in ears but they are way more expensive than other suppliers (official I hasten to add) so that the 20% brings items down to what you would pay elsewhere anyway.
I got the ie8is from a national hifi chain 3 years ago and only paid £99 so they've been good while they lasted but at 20% off £270 there are others I'd consider instead...
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davidf
Administrator
Posts: 331
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Post by davidf on Oct 18, 2018 22:44:47 GMT
But even if it was a case of replacing under warranty, they can’t just not do anything out of warranty!
I’d be a tad miffed (British politeness) if a pair of headphones I bought only lasted three years. I also think that 20% off rrp isn’t much in the way of compensation, considering it’s supposed to be an alternative to them not being able to repair yours.
I’d get in touch with them and say you’ve considered the options, and based in this situation, you’ll not be returning to the Sennheiser brand.
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Post by anta on Oct 20, 2018 10:38:51 GMT
So today I contacted Sennheiser. The headphones are out of warranty by a year so I enquired about the cost to repair. The answer was that they are obsolete so they don't repair these ones any more (not sure if they ever did- I think they just replaced if under warranty due to small parts as you suggest). Because of this they offered a 20% discount code valid for 3 months for anything from their webstore. They still do the ie8i at £270 amongst other in ears but they are way more expensive than other suppliers (official I hasten to add) so that the 20% brings items down to what you would pay elsewhere anyway. I got the ie8is from a national hifi chain 3 years ago and only paid £99 so they've been good while they lasted but at 20% off £270 there are others I'd consider instead... If I was you I would put your complaint on Facebook and Twittter you often get a response as companies hate the bad publicity. Also put a link to their Trustpilot reviews in the UK they are pretty poor. uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.sennheiser.co.uk
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Post by timbot2 on Oct 20, 2018 19:00:56 GMT
Thanks both for the tips.
Hadn't realised what a lousy deal 20% off rrp was when I spoke to them the other day. I'll give them a ring again next week and see what I can sort out. Don't want to bash them on Facebook etc. if they'll sort it out with a phone call. If they don't then I'll follow the Facebook advice.
Out of interest what do you think would be a reasonable outcome? 50%? Free replacement? Not sure how much I should expect. I guess which ever way you look at it they're 2 and a bit years old and they are still selling them for £270 So you'd reasonably expect them to last a lot longer.
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davidf
Administrator
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Post by davidf on Oct 21, 2018 13:58:21 GMT
Out of interest what do you think would be a reasonable outcome? 50%? Free replacement? Not sure how much I should expect. I guess which ever way you look at it they're 2 and a bit years old and they are still selling them for £270 So you'd reasonably expect them to last a lot longer. Sennheisers come with a 2 year warranty. These are just outside that. If a company cannot repair an item they’ve offered for sale (that they STILL offer for sale) they should have some sort of replacement scheme in place for owners. In my opinion, offering 20% off a pair of £280 headphones is a bit of a piss take. You can probably buy them from Sennheiser retailers for that price (one reason why I will never deal with them). In fact, there is a retailer currently offering them for £230. Not much of an incentive to stay with the brand is it? Particularly knowing that if you have the same problem again, you’ve wasted £230. I’d say they should be offering you at least 50% off, but as I’ve just mentioned, the fact that their idea of compensation for a 2.5 year old product is just over £50, I’d be more inclined to snub the brand and look elsewhere. Keep the people who’ve who’ve invested in you, happy.
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Post by timbot2 on Oct 22, 2018 22:48:47 GMT
Latest in the saga...
Spoke to Sennheiser customer service again today. 20% off is all they can do, even though I pointed out this made the ie8is only £1 cheaper than I could buy them online in any case. Also mentioned that they were obsolete enough nktnti repair but not obsolete enough to not have them at the full RRP of £279.99 on their web shop. They've offered me a pair of £40 CX 3.00 as a replacement. I've begrudgingly accepted as at least I can flog them on fleabay and put the money towards something else.
I was expecting to pay for the repair of my ie8is so not looking for a freebie. Just don't expect to have to pay full whack again 10 months out of warranty. If I got a reasonable offer then I'm happy to stump up.
Social media here we come...
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