I posted this at RAP as well...pardon me/I'm venting...

Well, lemme see. I made a deal for and cut a check for $19,000 (including a $1000 for shipping) to a gear broker for my new console, a series Trident 80 on Feb. 16th. I was told by the broker the console, although we made an "as-is" deal, was in "pristine" shape and that for his tech to go through and recap/fix connectors and other normal BS with a 20 year old console would cost an additional $3500 and I could take delivery in 4-5 weeks. I said I would rather have Dave Latto, a very fine house tech here in Nashville at Quad, do the work here and asked that all the modules be shipped here so he could get going on them. They did and we found a bunch of monkey business on the master section modules. I spoke with the broker and he said he'd have his guy look into them and check them in the console to assure there was no motherboard issues. We got a few input and monitor modules recapped and ultrasonic-ed and immediately sent them back to be checked out. If I had not made a couple of dozen calls to the broker (ending with a shouting match last week) the console would still be there. Only after I called him last week did I find out that the console hadn't
even left his warehouse yet. (I wondered WHEN he was going to call and let me know this. ) He did the right thing (the hard way) and sent a guy down here with a vanful of console. .

Let's cut over to the wiring scenario, shall we?

I hired a local company (whom I have used before and they do reasonably priced, excellent work...) and told them what I wanted to do. I am basically rewiring the whole joint so everything terminates on multipin connectors so I can swap outboard gear around and have this system ready to move into an outside building, as I'm looking for one now and this is the best solution. They came over and got all my info for the job to put together a quote. Then the Saturday before the Monday we were supposed to review the quote and move forward, the church behind us informed us they wanted to buy the whole block we live on and put up a new building and parking lot within the next two years. (This was great news because we bought this property for a number of reasons, one of which is that they're running out of commercial property around here and we figured we could make a killing...we will! ) the wiring people and I discussed this a trimmed all the frills off of the wiring job because I did not need a major rewire if we're gonna move... They told me of their current situation where they were going to "pull out of this other job" because the guy "wasn't paying"them. They then told me they would have me up and running by April 1st and I asked if they needed a deposit and was told yes. I offered this deposit as a show of faith and to help them out because they ( I thought and was told...) that they were getting stiffed. I was trying to be a "good guy" and give them a third of the estimate ($3000) on March 6th, thinking they needed this for both my materials and some operating capital. I also then pulled my wiring out, as they're reusing most of it...so I've basically been "down" since March 3rd. I just got a lame-ass phone call saying "they hoped to get to me by next Monday".
I really have to bite my tongue here, and be very patient. But my patience has worn, well...it's gone. I am f*cking tired of people who could give a f*ck about others, and will no longer try and "help out" another f*cking contractor again. So here I sit with my d*ck in my hand...again trusting somebody in this gawd-forsaken sh*thole of a town. .

The good news? Dave Latto and Greg McNear have been working nights and weekends tech-ing this board out with a great sense of urgency and skill. If you have a console you need refurbished...hire these cats! I HIGLY recommend them! They are passionate, talented techs who really give a f*ck about their job and quality if their work. Feel free to call and I'll put you in touch with them. Between them they have tech-ed just about every console there is and are great people!

All in all, with my dope dealer's help, I MIGHT make it through this. I won't name any names here, because I still need to get this job done. and good wiring people are like the phone company used to be..."we'll get there at OUR convenience" because "we're the ONLY game in town". Customer service does not exsist in the pro audio world...just a bunch of bullsh*tters and egocentric pricks! (Except for Dave and Greg!) I may be losing my FISRT LABEL ALBUM PROJECT DUE TO THESE ASSHOLES AND I AM MAD AS HELL!
Anybody got any papers?