| Columns Retired Columns & Blogs |
July 29, 2010 - 8:04pm
#1
HDtracks latest deception
| Loudspeakers Amplification Digital Sources | |
Analog Sources Accessories Featured | |
Music Columns Retired Columns | |
Show Reports | |
Features Latest News Community | |
Resources Subscriptions |
© 2024 StereophileAVTech Media Americas Inc., USA
All rights reserved
Sad, and very bad business behaviour. Thanks for letting us know. I for one will surely stay clear of HDTracks.
I also got bit in the same manner on attempting to use a coupon code with HDTracks a few months ago. I realized, however, that it was my misuse of their interface which caused the error. After entry of the coupon code, you need to click on the "Apply" (I believe that's the text) button. The screen will then refresh with the corrected price.
I'm still a bit queesy that they store your credit card information (although it's in another secured site). Clicking on "Proceed" (once again, I'm not sure about the text) in the checkout screen will execute your transaction against the stored card information.
I will continue to be a regular HDTracks customer despite some of these issues as their catalog is quite broad, the quality is excellent and the price is right (well at least it's better than many others). My downloads have always been complete and with correct metadata. Regarding the issue of their content not being truly Hi Res audio, they pro-actively and freely replaced the Herbie Hancock River album I purchased with a correctly mastered version.
Thanks for your reply CharlyD. My experience with HDtracks has been first rate up until this issue. Like you, all my downloads have been perfect. I am also a little nervous still about the security of my AMEX card information.
My thoughts are this. What if I had a really urgent problem with an order that involved more than my paltry $2 discount. The issue still remains that they do not return emails or calls. Who's to say that any attempt to contact them for any reason would result in the same ignoring of their customers? This is why I choose to no longer send my business their way. No, they won't go bankrupt without my few hundred dollars a year.
I hope my experience is the exception rather than the rule. Maybe my complaining about this will alert them somehow to the problem and might prevent others from this frustration if they decide to correct it.
By the way, how did you contact them to even inform them about replacing the Herbie Hancock album? I would not be boring people with these posts if I had been able to contact them. Heck, they might have even taken care of me quickly and maybe even have offered an apology. I am sure they are not bad people. Their business practices, however, leave much to be desired.
Again, thanks for your response.
Hello flosstycoon - and how are things in Montana?
HDTracks sent an unsolicited email notifying me of a possible problem with the Herbie album and offered a free download of the corrected version.
The support practices at HDTracks does seem to have fallen off a cliff. I had some good exchanges with them last year where their responses were consistently timely. In the last few months, however, my experience has been the same as yours - a black hole. The Chesky brothers seem to have a basically good business model but lack the technical and business skills to execute that plan. I hope they can overcome these growing pains.
Ahhh... Montana. I may be moving there soon. Thanks for your helpful and reasoned reply. Glad you got a good result from them. I have been a customer for a couple of years, I think, and have always thought of them as pretty solid as far as customer service.
Frankly, I will miss the selection and ease of doing DLs from them. When Koko Taylor died I went to HDtracks and got a bunch of her stuff - a couple I couldn't find on Amazon. I don't think they are evil and scheming - just a bit behind the times with their online presence.
I bet you enjoy your music and if you got the Zappa reference, I know your taste is impeccable! Good listening to you!