experience with 2nd hand dealer from chennai

tharun

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hello friends ,

Last week i was in chennai for a visit to my HO , since i had some spare time , my friend took me to a place called Richie street and came across lot of equipment including hi end amplifier and speakers and Cd players , AV receivers etc etc some of the products looks brand new with box , original remote and manuals , the price -----just pay 40 % of the orignal cost ....Tempting ???



I was not , because almost all the product was in NOT WORKING condition, the reason given by the 2nd hand dealer is " transport mistake " .

My question is , will a bad transport damage the ICs or the transistors inside the amplifier ( which looks brand new from outside ) , a hi end CDP which was boxed and looks brand new had a lens problem ( again due to transport ) is this true or is he bluffing ? any chennai members who have visited this richie street area please comment .

regards

Tharun.
 
Hi,

Tharun some of your doubts are infact the truth ! meaning no transport will damage the IC and stuff !

Please be advised that these sellers are No1 penny crooks and will clean you whole if not dealt properly !!

I've posted on this used dealers in an other thread please read !

All the products you see there in Ritchie street are Singpore Junk !! please please stay away from them as far as possible !

I have all info on what goes on there ! I also know people who buy these junks from there and sell here in bangalore ! I mean I know in&out of this market !

So for you and all other members,Untill and Unless you know the guy very very well who at this Ritchie Street please never buy any damn thing !

Regards.
 
hello soundsgreat ,

infact i did not buy anything there even though the price and the looks where tempting, but i bought some dvds from burma bazzar and WASTE of money . Mr.Venkat has warned about buying things from burma bazzar , but i purchased it before reading that information.

thanks

tharun
 
Hi,

Yeah very good that you didn't ! else would've regretted badly !

As with the DVD's they are all copied and compressed so will naturally be bad ! but some of them are bearable !

Anyway I hope you've not lost much in this ! You didn't buy too many dvd's na ??

Regards.
 
Tharun my friend, how did you end up in two of the worst spots in Chennai you can visit for any audio / video equipment?

I visit these shops in Ritchie Street regularly looking for collectors items such as a NAD 3020, a Nakamichi Deck, or a Dual Turntable. But for me, these are just for display, not to be used. The items may look new, but if you look carefully, they will be old to very old models. These shops basically are looking for gullible people - people who have heard that a 'Denon is better than a Sony', and so on. If you sound a little knowledgeable, the shopkeeper will avoid you or say that he does not have the item you are looking for even if you can see it on display.

Yes, bad transportation can adversely affect electronic items. Boards can be broken, water or some liquid can seep in and create a short circuit. Sheer callousness with which transporters handle equipment can even break some items completely. But the manufacturers and distributors protect themselves through insurance. In most cases, the unusable items are supposed to be returned to the manufacturer for destruction. But, I suppose, in some cases they may land in Ritchie Street.

If you want second hand equipment, the best bet may be this forum.

Cheers
 
Hi,

Yeah very good that you didn't ! else would've regretted badly !

As with the DVD's they are all copied and compressed so will naturally be bad ! but some of them are bearable !

Anyway I hope you've not lost much in this ! You didn't buy too many dvd's na ??

Regards.



hello soundsgreat ,

I didnt loose much , bought 25 DVDs out of which 8 are working fine , others Waste of money.

regards
 
Hi,

Ohh man :( ! too bad Tharun ! anyway you can't help it ! But I believe you'll doubly careful in buying stuff !

So think of it as small fee for learning ;) !

Regards.
 
Dear Tharun,

You are not the only person who gets bad experience from second hand dealers , once i saw an advt in AV Max reg an Adcom amplifier sale, i went to the mentioned place to find Audcom ( never heard of that brand) . While dealing with second hand dealers , kindly be more cautious , when you are making your first purchase they try to give you a good product at a reasonable price , but the second time they will cheat you.

david.
 
most of these guys pick up junk and try to sell them off to unsuspecting hifi lovers.got conned once a long time back-bought a 10 band equalizer for for 10,000 rs only to realize that it was junk.Never trust these guys.
regards
chandu.
 
Hi
I have been a regular visitor of Richie Street in chennai and there are some Good Second Hand Shops there (Ex: Mohan Musicals). I have purchased lot of items like AV receivers, speakers, etc., from there which served me nicely and I could able to exchange it for a good price after use for upgradation and sometimes they repair the item you purchased free of cost also. I have also seen many Customers and Second Hand Dealers from Bangalore and Cochin buy from there.
But one must have lit bit of knowledge about what he is buying from there.
Regards
sub
 
On a recent trip I ventured to Richie Street, but could not find any AV Shops. Of course I was there only for a quick look and spent about 10 min, but what I came across were more computers and peripherals and PC speakers etc. Much like what we have in CTC over here. Also just to check I asked for the price of a 4 GB USB stick and found it cost as much as an 8 GB USB stick here. I guess I stood out like a sore thumb and an outsider. Anyways that and the fact that I could not find any AV products per se meant I cut short my visit and ventured back to Pondy Bazaar where my wife was having a great time shopping. BTW picked up some delicious chips from Hot Chips (I think) at Pondy Bazaar and then had some great Sambhar Vadai at Hotel Saravana Bhavan, two places I would say are a must visit with the limited knowledge I have of Chennai. In fact I freaked out on the sambhar everywhere in Chennai and kept only eating Rasam Vadai or Sambhar Vadai the couple of days I was there.
 
Hello,

I had purchased a AKAI BD TT from Mohan Music about 7-8 yrs back. I paid Rs.1400/-, it was VFM. I still have it in working condition after the stylus replacement. Recently my brother had purchased Pioneer Amp from the same shop, which is also in good working condition. The shop owner had demoed the product before purchase, and assured that we can exchange if it was not satisfactory. He was also having a couple of NADs on display which were in working condition.

Still it is a big gamble to purchase any second hand item, and one has to count his lucky stars.

Murali.N
 
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...BTW picked up some delicious chips from Hot Chips (I think) at Pondy Bazaar and then had some great Sambhar Vadai at Hotel Saravana Bhavan, two places I would say are a must visit with the limited knowledge I have of Chennai. In fact I freaked out on the sambhar everywhere in Chennai and kept only eating Rasam Vadai or Sambhar Vadai the couple of days I was there.

Not to invite the wrath of the 'thread police' by my off-topic comment but just couldn't resist! :eek: If you're in Chennai the next time, you'll have to try the Sambhar Vada and other south Indian dishes at Sangeetha in Adyar. IMO, it's the best south Indian vegetarian restaurant in the city...
 
Not to invite the wrath of the 'thread police' by my off-topic comment but just couldn't resist! :eek: If you're in Chennai the next time, you'll have to try the Sambhar Vada and other south Indian dishes at Sangeetha in Adyar. IMO, it's the best south Indian vegetarian restaurant in the city...

Thanks a ton. Will definitely do it. We get a different kind of sambhar here in Hyderabad, no offense but not a patch on the Chennai variety. Though of course if you're talking biryani and then Hyderabad is the place.
 
As I have already mentioned elsewhere

http://www.hifivision.com/sale/2865-cambridge-audio-540a-amplifier-3.html

buying used equipment is a tricky affair. One needs to be armed with enough knowledge. However used equipment offers the best value for money and one cannot deny that. I know Sasi of Mohan music and I can say is that he is a fine gentleman. I have not had issues what so ever with any of the equipment I have bought from him

I find more value for money, choice, people with more knowledge regarding the equipment in the streets of Ritchie (definitely sounds good!) than the swanky showrooms of onkyo and jamo. I have met so many audiophiles out there, learnt a lot and seen some of the most esoteric brands. I urge you not to dismiss a place like this just because there are a few unscrupulous dealers out there. There are few good shops that are definitely worth a visit and maybe even a purchase. Head out and meet them. When I started the fascinating journey of Hi Fi there we no forums, no communities and no demo rooms. It was in places and gullies like this I cut my teeth and met fellow audiophiles who have gone on to become long time friends. Ritchie street is the Mecca of Hi fi in Chennai.

ps: the legendary sub woofer enclosure - an 8" bolton in an earthen pot, endorsed by batches and batches of IITians was born here :yahoo:. Someone with editing access to wikipedia - please make mention of this.
 
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I have visited Richie street couple times as well as Mohan musicals. My brother plays the violin and we tend to do a fair bit of window shopping looking for AV collectibles. I bought couple amps from Mohan and have since either resold them or given them away depending on my mood & financial situation.

I play dumb and usually get lots of "offers" for equipment but I usually walk away.

Need to try the Chennai specials next time I am there (thinking July timeframe).
 
I think it would be a fair warning that the cheaters dont confine themselves to Richie street.

There are lots of second hand dealers who deal over internet/forums etc and sell serviced/repaired/damaged articles. The history of the items put on sell by them is unclear/unmentioned. So buy at your own risk.

Note i am not against used gear; buy them for great deals but be alert. Ideally buy from a friend/known person in your city who has the papers to back his facts. Or a well-known dealer (who may be your friend also) who is answerable for item sold for at least 3-6 months.


regards
 
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I visited a few shops in Ritchie street today 'asking' for CD Players and Cassette Decks. The prices are very attractive - most of them less than 5K. Mohan Music recognised Flanker and even has his Ignite poster stuck on his wall.

One of the shop keeper told me something strange. Most of these second hand items seem to be coming from Singapore and Malaysia. When a deck loses a belt, they pick it (from where? - flea shops there?), bring them to Chennai and do some repair here.

If the replacement is proper, we may be lucky. If not?

I guess, it makes sense to go through someone you know there so that you are not cheated as some casual customer.

Cheers
 
Hi
I am happy that my reply to the thread made venkatcr to visit one genuine second hand dealer in Ritchie street (Mohan Music) and for the benefit of our forum members i would like to give the address of the shop so they can also enjoy Good, Genuine and Nicely Priced Audio Video components and a knowledgeble shop owner like Mr. Sasi.

MOHAN MUSIC
M.Sasikumar
#6, Ritchie Street, Mount Road, Chennai-2
Ph: 28415165
Regards
Sub
 
I visited a few shops in Ritchie street today 'asking' for CD Players and Cassette Decks. The prices are very attractive - most of them less than 5K. Mohan Music recognised Flanker and even has his Ignite poster stuck on his wall.

One of the shop keeper told me something strange. Most of these second hand items seem to be coming from Singapore and Malaysia. When a deck loses a belt, they pick it (from where? - flea shops there?), bring them to Chennai and do some repair here.

If the replacement is proper, we may be lucky. If not?

I guess, it makes sense to go through someone you know there so that you are not cheated as some casual customer.

Cheers

I know Sasi well. I have picked up good gear from him and have had no issues. And being a vinyl fan, I find that Mohan Music has a decent collection of LPs - some of them in very good condition. He is good.

Ignite is a workshop thats run with passion, knowledge and skill by a true enthusiast. I see similar traits in Sasi - that explains the presence of Ignite's poster
 
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