I just want to share the experience that I had today.  Well, it actually
started in February.

Our campus released some money to our department for the purchase of
equipment.  We decided to spend the "early" release money on 4-Track
recorders.  Being budget dollar poor, we try to get as much for our
money as possible.  I began researching 4-track recorders.  Since we
don't have a recording room, and not much storage space, it didn't make
much sense to get a larger unit.  So, I started looking at the smaller
units.  I located a modified Sony "full 4-track play/record/variable
speed" recorder.  I found this in the LS & S Group catalog.  When I
called to ask about it, the customer service person answered the
following questions for me.

1.  Is there a built-in tone indexer?
        No, that item must be purchased separately.  The cost is $39.95
each.

2.  Will we be able to correct mistakes that may occur while we are
recording?
        Yes.  All of our recorders allow you to correct errors.

Well, given this information, we purchased 3 of the recorders and 3 tone
indexers.  The indexers came in quickly; however, the recorders were
back ordered for several weeks.  By the time they came in, it was the
end of the semester.

Now that summer term has started, we are working to prepare two texts on
tape for one of our students.  We opened the recorders and started to
work.  To our surprise, we found that the equipment we received didn't
do what we had been told it would do.  While recording, if a mistake is
made, it cannot be corrected.  Not only is this a problem, we also
discovered that of the 3 recorders we received, 1 of them has the "A /
B" switch in (or connected) backwards.  If we record track 1 on either
of two recorders and then play it on the third, we have to make the
recorder think that it is on track 3.

IN ALL FAIRNESS, I MUST SAY THAT WHEN I CALLED LS & S TODAY, PETE WAS
VERY HELPFUL AND QUICKLY REMEDIED THE PROBLEM TO OUR SATISFACTION.
However, during the conversation, I learned that when recorders are
modified to make the 4-track, they remove the erase head because there
is not enough room for both devices.  Before ending the conversation, I
suggested that they have their staff brush-up on their knowledge of the
equipment being sold via the LS & S catalog.  Additionally, I told them
that it might be "more correct" advertising for them to indicate in the
recorder descriptions that "modification" means "removal of the erase
head".

Just wanted to let other "fairly new" AT types in on one of the problems
we have encountered so that you don't end up having the same types of
problems we have had.