wrote in message
ups.com...
I think Clyde is terrified that if it were to happen to him, he would
be unable to discern the difference....

Taken from that point of view, his reaction is pretty obvious. But if
it is not fraud, it certainly treads on the knife's edge of fraud.


**Where did you acquire your legal training? And what do you understand by
the words: "Money back guarantee, if not completely satisfied."?


Now, 'fixed' is a strange word, and I haven't any idea what AUS$200
translates in off-the-shelf buying power these days, but speaking for
myself, I would have told the owner that he had a choice... a 'fix'
that would give him an operating pair of amps, or a restoration that
would have given him what I _expect_ he thinks he paid for, but at a
much higher price. If he did not ask you to explain the difference,
well and good. If he did, and you did in accordance with his direct
instructions, also well and good.

**If he asked what I had done, I would have explained in exquisite detail.
He was pleased to have his amps back and functioning and looking just like
they did when he gave them to me for service.


But, I will also state that if he discovers the deception (and that it
is) at _any_ point in the future, you are 100% obligated to provide him
with a repair up to his full and initial expectations, and at no
additional cost, not merely refund his money. By letting him get out of
your shop with those amps and withuout full-disclosure, that is exactly
where you are on the ethics scale.

**It gets a little more complex than that. After all, much of my work
involves straight service work. Some entails performance mods, where
appropriate. In many cases, due to the improvements gained through the use
of modern components and thinking, some repair work invloves an 'automatic'
upgrade. For instance: Replacing some capacitors and resistors in older
units, with identical parts, is impossible. It is now only reasonable to use
modern, high performance items. This will, inevitably, result in a
performance improvement. Where does one draw the line?


Keep one other mechanical item in mind. Tube amps clip pretty softly,
solid-state amps do not.

**That is a false and oft-repeated claim. SOME tube amps clip softly and
SOME SS amps do not. You forget that I had one good channel, with which I
was able to measure and duplicate the performance from.

What what happens if he changes the
application and drives your kluge to clipping? Just a thought.

**Question based on previous false assumption. Your question is, therefore,
invalid.

You
understand that you have given him an infinite warranty against even
his own potential for idiocy AND against any damage to other equipment
real or imagined that is touched by this amp.

**In which universe do you imagine that such a warranty has to be provided?
Look at the facts:

* The amp is now MUCH more reliable than it was.
* The amp will enjoy a much longer life than it previously could.
* The now has protection against owner stupidity, which it did not
previously have.


So, what happens if he pulls out a tube or three? Will the amp still
play? That *just* might get him to question what is actually going on.

**It may do so.


And, after all that, was it worth it?

**Lemme see:

* I have a happy client, who has since sent several other items to me for
service and has also recommended several other clients to me.

Yes, it was well worth it. For all concerned.

Normally, I don't need to perform such radical surgery on a tube (or any
other) amplifier. This was a unique situation. I addressed it accordingly.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au