Has anyone ever ordered from award-session.com?

[vanslycken]

OK, this concerns a solid state amp, but nevertheless... I orderded a footswitch and a power module from Award Session Website. Welcome to award-session.com [AwardSession Website], guitar amps and music amplifiers after I had received a (personal) e-mail with a quote for the shipping cost. That was in june.
I've mailed them twice, no reply, nothing has been delivered. I think I have been ripped off.

[Steve Conner]

Did you try calling them on the phone? E-mails tend to get lost at random.

[MWJB]

Bought a speaker from them a couple of years ago, no problems. Did it by phone.

[vanslycken]

The first e-mail did get a quick reply, and in my experience, when multiple e-mails get "lost" it's mostly a matter of ripoff...
Apparently, a couple of years ago, they were still manufacturing stuff. It seems now they're not producing anything anymore.
I'll try calling tomorrow. If they don't pick up the phone, I have a good mind of catching a ferry and driving down to basingstoke myself.

[vanslycken]

Some news... Apparently they're not picking up the phone (answering machine referring to e-mail adress), but I e-mailed yet again threatening legal action in the subject line (in capitals). This got a rather fast and believable reply.

They say they haven't received my order from the internet shopping cart system and that my credit card has not been debited with the amount (I assumed this happened automatically but hadn't checked my account yet).

They also say that they're a small company who receive hundreds of mails and can't answer every one of them.

I'm wondering now, should I still try ordering? I mean, I like small businesses but I hate frauds...

[cminor9]

any business that doesn't respond to you isn't worth doing business with. If you have to threaten legal action to get a response, that's not exactly what I'd call customer service. If they really have *that* much email and voice mail, then they should invest in hiring someone to handle it. If they are not willing to invest in it, then they don't really care about their business, and by extension, their customers. Caveat emptor.

It sounds like you have doubts, and I'd listen to them.

I too like supporting small businesses. But sometimes, small businesses are small for a reason.

[vanslycken]

well, haven't heard back yet.
Too bad, I was really looking forward to hearing the *one* solid state amp that would apparently sound good... I'll just gut it and put some tubes in it sometime...

[Steve Conner]

Hey vanslycken

If you send your busted power module to me, I'll try to fix it. Seems a shame to scrap "the one solid-state amp that sounded good" as you say. PM me if you're interested.

Note to others, this is a once-off favour, anyone else will have to pay.

[guitarmike2107]

Thats a shame, when I started out building some years ago he was a great help and had good prices too. I always phoned though....

[vanslycken]

Hi Steve,
thanks for the offer but I'll probably repair it myself. It has a couple of integrated power amp ICs which are probably no longer available but I'll find something... I still have some unused STK power amp ICs which I might try to use.

A shame indeed, I haven't heard back from them whether I can get the modules some way or the other, and the phone is only picked up by the answering machine which refers to the mail adresses.
I think it's a shame if a company has difficulties but in that case they should state that they are currently unable to help.

[Steve Conner]

OK... If I were you, I'd look to see whether the power module uses any kind of current feedback. If it doesn't, you can probably replace it with just about any other solid-state power amp board in the world, and it'll sound just the same. I like the old Maplin 100 watt MOSFET one, but that's not available any more.

If it does, probably best to repair it, as it's part of the mojo. Current feedback can really make a speaker come alive, it boosts the bass and treble response considerably.

The classic way of getting current feedback is to lift the negative terminal of the speaker from ground, and insert a current sensing resistor, so you can look to see if it has that. Some Marshall designs put the resistor in the hot line to the speaker, and used a mess of op-amps to recover the signal.

[vanslycken]

Thanks Steve. If I remember correctly, the only connections are the power supply and the input (from the preamp) so no tricky stuff there. I believe the schematics for certain versions of the Sessionette are online so it won't be that hard to fix.
And even if they're not, these things seem quite easy to reverse-engineer, single sided pcbs and pretty straight-forward design with standard opamps for the preamp and some stuff around the power ics which seems pretty much datasheet application stuff. (...As were most Fender tube amps, as a matter of fact ;-))

[Talent]

I know this is an old thread but did you ever catch up with Stewart Ward?

[vanslycken]

This thread isn't *that* old.

As a matter of fact, I haven't heard back from them. I asked in my last e-mail if I could order something and make sure it'd be delivered. No reply.

If you feel lucky, you might try to order something through their web site. Apparently, if the order is not carried out, your credit card isn't debited.

Maybe these guys are just in a bit of trouble right now and maybe they'll get by. I hope so for mr. Ward, he seems passionate about his amps. Note that on the website it's mentioned that none of the amps are still in production.

[Talent]

Hi
I tracked down Stewart Ward on myspace if you would still like to talk to him.
(he did reply) the problem is being a small business they don't want to get bogged down by thousands of phone calls and e-mails
I only made contact as i wanted to make sure the Award Session web site still worked.
I have ordered a JD-10 on line so hope fully i'll see it this week.
If i do have a problem i'll post here again.
In the mean time as i have said if you want to contact him try myspace.

[Talent]

I've just had a reply to my e-mail which i sent 3 days ago so it maybe you can try again !

[vanslycken]

Well, I have had 1 reply before ordering as well (about the shipping costs), but nothing after the order was placed (and I wrongfully assumed my credit card had been debited). So I'd prefer to wait until you actually receive the goods. Will you let me know?

[Talent]

Hi
I ordered online and it came 2 days later, No problem

[cminor9]

"I ordered online and it came 2 days later, No problem "

great, so at best you are dealing with a hit-or-miss company. I learned my lesson: I once ordered from ampwares (search this forum for more on that.) Big mistake. ANY company that doesn't have time to respond to customers isn't worth dealing with. If you *know* that they don't value you at all (and don't get it twisted: if they don't respond then they don't value you) then why would you send them your hard earned money?

[Talent]

I know what you mean cminor9
I'm just saying what happened !
I was replying to vanslycken just so that he knows the company (Award Session) are still in business.

[vanslycken]

Big surprise this morning: the long-awaited package came (without re-ordering or insisting it'd be sent). Invoice and visa receipt included, and "sorry for the delay" written on the invoice. So, in all, I guess I'm happy - I'm very curious what this sessionette will sound like...

[Talent]

Glad you got it in the end !