Ron,

It's a shame it  had to go the way it did.   I've only made 1 purchase 
from  R and L, and that was  7 or 8 years ago.   I'm sure that  after 
hearing your story, many will think twice before placing an order with 
them.   I'm sure every dealer has  an    unsatisfied customer from time 
to time.   Glad we have a number of choices as to where we spend our 
hobby money.

73, all the best, Steve KW3A

On 8/4/2015 5:21 PM, Dr. Ronald E. Milliman wrote:
> Steve, in hindsight, you are probably right. I should have sent it back
> directly to Kenwood. However, I purchased it From R&L, and I honestly
> thought that since it was a new rig, just out of the box, that R&L might
> simply tell me to send it back to them, and they would ship me a new TS-590S
> if they still had one in stock. I have had several other firms do that. If
> the defective item was still under warranty, they have sent me a
> replacement, and tell me that when I receive the replacement, to just put
> the defective product in the same box with the packing, and ship it back. I
> have even had a few firms send me a label to place on the returning box so
> the defective product could be shipped back at no charge to me for the
> shipping. I don't know if any of the ham equipment outlets do that or not.
> Fortunately, this is only the second transceiver I have ever had to ship
> back for repairs. The other one was a Galaxy 5 Mark II, and that was many
> years ago.
>
> I have no complaints with Kenwood at this point. I would purchase another
> Kenwood without hesitation. My sole complaint right now is with R&L
> Electronics. It really doesn't make any difference anymore; the decision has
> been made to have R&L ship the rig to Kenwood for repair under the warranty,
> and I'm sure when I get it back, it will work just fine, like it should have
> to begin with when I took it out of the box. I just will never purchase
> anything from R&L again. I have had good service from Amateur Electronics
> Supply, the Main Trading Company, among others. So, there is no reason to
> ever deal with R&L Electronics again.
>
> Ron, K8HSY
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of Steve Forst
> Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2015 3:55 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: TS-590s verses the TS-590SG
>
> Not trying to stir the pot.  I understand Ron's frustration, but when does
> it cease to be a dealer issue, and become purely a Kenwood warranty issue?
>
>
> I'm not quite sure how long he has had the radio, and I realize all the
> stuff going on in his world with the new house and all that entails.
> This model has been out of production for a number of months.    I am
> guessing that he has had it for some time.
>
> Maybe I'm looking at it  through the wrong end of the telescope, but I think
> I just would have dealt direct with Kenwood service for warranty repair,
> and not with the dealer.
>
> In any event, the 2 other options from the dealer were a joke.   The
> Kenwood center in Virginia Beach (Kenwood service east), usually has a fast
> turn around time. Hope it all works out.
>
> 73, Steve KW3A
>
>
>
>
>
> On 8/4/2015 4:25 PM, Tom Behler wrote:
>> Ron:
>>
>> The first two of these terms/options don't make any sense to me at
>> all, from a customer satisfaction point of view.  I just don't get it!!
>>
>> I also have to tell you that I have become less satisfied with R and L
>> in recent yearrs.
>>
>> My most recent experience was when I called them about the Tentec
>> Scout 555 I was trying to trade in toward the purchase of the MFJ 998
>> auto-tuner, and the Ameritron ALS600 earlier this year.
>>
>> They offered me $300 for the rig, the power supply, the keyer, and all
>> nine band modules.  Main Trading Company offered me $550 for the
>> entire setup, without question.  In fact, this is what I got when I
>> sold it at a local swap in my area, again, without question.
>>
>> I am not sure what is going on with R and L, but I don't think it is good.
>>
>> Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: For blind ham radio operators
>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>> On Behalf Of Dr. Ronald E. Milliman
>> Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2015 2:09 PM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: TS-590s verses the TS-590SG
>>
>> Well, I just got off the phone with Larry, head honcho at R&L
>> Electronics, and the next time I want to be insulted, I certainly know
>> exactly who to call. They received my defective TS-590S and put it up
>> on their test bench and checked it out. They found out that this old
>> blind guy really knew what he was talking about all along, and the
>> radio displayed all of the problematic symptoms that I described. So,
>> here is the final deal Head Honcho Larry offered me:
>>
>> 1. He would give me a $500 credit toward the purchase of the new model
>> TS590SG for my radio as is, and I pay the difference of $1,109 or
>>
>> 2. He would send my TS-590S back to Kenwood for repair, and when it
>> came back refurbished, he would give me a $700 credit toward the
>> purchase of the new model TS590SG, and I pay the difference of $909 or
>>
>> 3. He send my TS-590S back to Kenwood for repair under the warranty,
>> and when refurbished, Kenwood will simply send my radio back to me.
>>
>> I am extremely disappointed in R&L. I don't think Larry made any
>> attempt to work with me at all. In fact, I consider his terms and
>> options nothing short of insulting.
>>
>> I told him to just Have Kenwood repair my TS-590S and send it back to me.
>>
>> Ron, K8HSY
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>