I'm tired of getting bent over my Pioneer Electronics. Basically, I'm hoping you all can help me find a name and e-mail address for a customer service manager, director, or somebody higher within Pioneer. Specifically, this is for a car radio in case that makes any difference.
Can you folks help me?
Seems like the perfect job for somebody with a LinkedIn membership...
A tale of woe (sob story) might generate some sympathy....
bentwrench wrote: A tale of woe (sob story) might generate some sympathy....
Only if you twit or bookface it 
http://www.insideview.com/directory/pioneer-electronics-usa-inc
http://leadferret.com/directory/person/kathy-yulich/3046573
http://leadferret.com/directory/person/mark-passmore/5369358
http://gethuman.com/phone-number/Pioneer-Electronics/
Thanks EastCoast and Flight Service. I'll check those links.
For those that want the tale of woe:
Ok, here’s the story. Back in March I purchased a Pioneer App Radio. Basically, it is like having an iPhone in your dash. Capacitive touch screen, apps, all that. Within a few weeks, maybe 6 weeks the screen stops responding to touch every once in a while. After a few months of this happening (it was very intermittent at this point) I called Crutchfield and they said to call Pioneer to get the warranty process started. I do that. I sent it in for the first time in July. By this time it’s happening at least once a week. When it happened, the screen would stay unresponsive until the ignition was switched off long enough for the radio to completely shut down, seemed to be more than 5 minutes.
Radio returned for the first time in July.
I get it back in August, no repair attempted, unable to duplicate. I kinda figured that was going to happen, I know how much of a pain it is to diagnose in intermittent problem. I install the radio again and the next day the screen stops responding. Now though, it’s happening almost every day. I contact my rep, she said to return it again. It’ll go right to the same tech since it’s a re-check. I wait three weeks and send an e-mail asking if there’s an update, stressing that I’m not rushing things, just wondering if they’ve found the issue yet. She says it’s not been assigned to a tech yet. Huh? What happened to the re-check? The radio showed up at my house 6 calendar days later. Every other time they ship it, it takes 12-15 days. The math doesn’t work.
Radio returned for the second time September?
I get it back sometime in September, maybe October. No repair attempted, unable to duplicate. Now I’m pissed. This is clearly an issue. I’m not making it up, every time I send the radio back it’s costing me $25 and a minimum of 3 weeks with a hole in my dash. I install the radio and the screen only worked for about 45 seconds!!! Now it’s happening just about every drive, not every month like in the beginning, not every week, not every day, but every drive cycle!! I call my lovely rep again and she says to send it back. So, I tell her on the phone, and in e-mail (this is also included in the box with the radio for the tech) that I understand intermittent problems are difficult to find. I tell them that they can keep the radio as long as it takes to duplicate the issue, they can install it in an employee’s car, leave it on the test bench running for days or weeks. I don’t care how long they keep it, as long as they can figure this out. I ask that, if they can’t find the problem that they please call me before returning it so maybe we can work something out (I’m thinking an upgrade to a different unit). The radio shows up, maybe a month after I shipped it to them. No repair attempted, unable to duplicate.
I call the woman and let her know I’m unhappy and ask to speak to a supervisor. She said that she’s a manager. So I say “There is someone there that, if they were to come up to you at 4 on a Friday and say ‘Faye, can you come into my office so we can discuss something’, would make you nervous. I want to speak to him/her.” She gets me a supervisor. I tell her my tale of woe and she says “well, we’ll just send you a reman unit. Is that ok?” I’m ok with that. But, now I have to send my radio back…..AGAIN!!!!! So, another $25 down the drain, another month with no radio.
Radio returned for the third time in November I think.
I get the re-man unit in December, unpack it and find the top cover to the radio is not attached. Holy crap man! Whatever. I just want the saga over. I snap the cover back on and install it. The unit is defective, won’t connect to my phone. Guess what comes next? Yup, send it back again.
Radio returned for the fourth time in January. I talk to someone there again. I keep it polite but let them know I’m NOT happy. They offer to let me upgrade to the newest version of that radio for about 1/3 the price. I know, I should have stuck to my guns and threatened a biological attack, but I just want a stinking radio in my car. So, I pay for the upgrade and am told they won’t ship the new radio until they get the old one. I express my irritation at that, but they won’t budge. So, I send the reman radio back in early January. They’ve had my busted radio since Jan 24th. It’s now Feb 27th and I have no idea what’s going on. I e-mailed the customer service rep almost 2 weeks ago and have heard nothing.
I’ve spent about $100 on shipping the radio, and, if I tracked everything properly (those timeframes above are estimates right now) I’m sure that they’ve had my radio more than I have since the first time I sent it in. I’m pissed off and want to bring this to the attention of anyone and everyone above her in Pioneer.
Well I learned not to buy any Pioneer stuff for my car...
Yep, Pioneer is off my list of brands to consider. Sorry to hear your tale of woe, Dr. Boost. Do you have a local news channel that does consumer satisfaction stories?
Crud. There's a new Pioneer CD/bluetooth receiver sitting on the living room table waiting for me to install it in the van.
Sorry to hear about this mess. Hope the links folks have found get you some degree of satisfaction...
I suggest an Alpine.
Hess: Amen brother. I would have gone Alpine but this functionality lured me in. DOOHHH!!
Again, thanks to Mojo and FlightService. I shot an e-mail off to 4 folks that sounded important. I got a response within minutes. The person that called me has nothing to do with that account, but he's going to send this info to the person that is. It least it's a response.
I remember reading that a major manufacturer completely turned around their quality control when someone shot their car radio with a .45 and mailed it to them.
My google-fu is weak today, and I cant remember which manufacturer it was... Alpine? Pioneer?
One could, ahhh... accidentally short the speaker output lines and crank the radio up to 11 for an hour or two, then mail it back to them and tell them it doesn't make any sound. They should be able to find that one, huh?
I bought an Alpine head unit and amp for my Europa. My first Europa, in 1981. I'M STILL USING IT.
Might link whomever you get a bite from to this thread, because after this story, i won't be considering Pioneer for my next stereo setup.
Much like most of my friends won't be considering Sprint for their cell provider after the horror stories i've documented.
I love my pioneer stuff but that was 10 years ago. Kenwood is off my list of products for similar reasons.
I used to be a Clarion fan, until I went through 3 head units in about a year. Was one of their early WMA/MP3 models, might have only been MP3 even. I'd had a few plain ole CD player Clarions that were awesome before it. Best as I could tell it was simply too delicate survive living in my Jeep. Company I bought it from RMAed it twice, third time they said no, and I didn't press the issue.
Since then I've had Alpine or OEM, Alpine is my go to brand for head units.
The only Pioneer I've ever used were cheap units to fill the hole in the dash of a car I was selling after I removed my Alpine from it.
Best of luck!
I will be linking this thread to them.
It's amazing to me that the people in CUSTOMER SERVICE haven't responded to my. They've had my old radio for over a month! Now, they have two radios that I've paid for and I have a double din hole in my dash.
I would not consider anything but a Pioneer.
I have had them all from a Muntz to a CarFi, Becker to a Blaupunkt.
Pioneer has the best tuner of them all.
I would not be interested in any fluffy stuff though, touch screen? Eeegads!
I do wish mine had a mute button.....
I did audio installs and quickly learned that Pioneer was not what you wanted. Clarion was better but not by much. JVC is crap. Sansui is great stuff as is Nakamichi but both are hard to find.
Since then I am an Alpine (in the Trooper) and Kenwood (in the Jensen) fan. The Alpine has better quality buttons etc but they are on a par for functionality and sound. The Alpine in the Trooper was made in China but it's every bit as good as the Japanese built units I had before.
I like alpine stuff. They are easier to use and to my ears they sound better than pioneer stuff.
Dammit. Now I want aftermarket units in both my cars
I used to use Pioneer units in my cars. I always thought they had a subtle look and worked well enough. I was of the thinking I'd use another of their head units in my Alfa project when it came time... Maybe I'll give Alpine another try (not a big fan of the styling, but they work well enough)
It's a big mistake to piss off the car enthusiast crowd, we happen to know a few people and we have computers.
I will be posting this on the book of faces
I quoted you on my page and posted it to Pioneers page, let me see if they respond to that.
Anybody else care to comment on their page...
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pioneer-Car-Audio/197108360324871
You can expediate "intermittent" by placing it in your microwave on high until you hear the first couple "pops." You don't even have to open the product case. But you didn't hear this from me.
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