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Buy Qudelix 5K in Europe (Hifi-passion.de)

Ole_S

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Hi Guys,

Finally, I am gonna order the Qudelix K5 :facepalm:
Have any of you ordered any devices from this webshop?

Hifi-passion.dk

Thanks.
 

solderdude

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Ole_S

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I have written several mails to the hifi-passion, but no replies :rolleyes:
 

Snoopy

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I ordered there before and even returned something. All without problems.
 

lvau

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I would like to publicly share my experiences with NT Global Distribution GmbH (Hifi Passion) in order to alert potential buyers to possible issues with the products they distribute. I purchased the Shanling M0 Pro Player from this company, and my experience with it was extremely unsatisfactory, especially regarding their customer service.

The acquired Shanling M0 Pro Player exhibits a significant technical deficiency that occurs in approximately 20% of usage cases. When streaming to my high-end Bluetooth receiver, the Audison B-Con, there is no sound when switching or playing songs to completion, even though the next song starts, and the playback timer runs. Only when I press Play/Pause does the sound become active again and play smoothly until the end of the song. I have documented this problem in a video, which can be viewed at the following link:

This issue does not occur with any other Bluetooth source device (such as a phone or Fiio).

Consequently, I reached out directly to the player's manufacturer, Shanling. Shanling has confirmed the issue (written communication is available) and assured me that they have forwarded the matter to their software team to potentially address it with a future firmware update. However, this solution could take months and is not guaranteed to be provided. Despite this explicit confirmation from the manufacturer, NT Global Distribution GmbH refuses to acknowledge the problem and has categorically denied a return and refund of the purchase price.

I was compelled to take legal action to assert my rights since NT Global Distribution GmbH does not recognize my legitimate claim to withdraw from the purchase contract due to a product defect for which rectification is not possible.

In light of my experiences, I strongly advise other buyers to purchase their products from reputable retailers like Amazon. Amazon offers a hassle-free exchange in such cases, even months after the purchase. In contrast, my experience with NT Global Distribution GmbH underscores the importance of a trustworthy provider that values and treats its customers accordingly.

It is regrettable that I have been pushed into the position of writing this negative review. However, I believe it is of the utmost importance to openly share my experiences to protect other buyers from similar disappointments.
 

markanini

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I would like to publicly share my experiences with NT Global Distribution GmbH (Hifi Passion) in order to alert potential buyers to possible issues with the products they distribute. I purchased the Shanling M0 Pro Player from this company, and my experience with it was extremely unsatisfactory, especially regarding their customer service.

The acquired Shanling M0 Pro Player exhibits a significant technical deficiency that occurs in approximately 20% of usage cases. When streaming to my high-end Bluetooth receiver, the Audison B-Con, there is no sound when switching or playing songs to completion, even though the next song starts, and the playback timer runs. Only when I press Play/Pause does the sound become active again and play smoothly until the end of the song. I have documented this problem in a video, which can be viewed at the following link:

This issue does not occur with any other Bluetooth source device (such as a phone or Fiio).

Consequently, I reached out directly to the player's manufacturer, Shanling. Shanling has confirmed the issue (written communication is available) and assured me that they have forwarded the matter to their software team to potentially address it with a future firmware update. However, this solution could take months and is not guaranteed to be provided. Despite this explicit confirmation from the manufacturer, NT Global Distribution GmbH refuses to acknowledge the problem and has categorically denied a return and refund of the purchase price.

I was compelled to take legal action to assert my rights since NT Global Distribution GmbH does not recognize my legitimate claim to withdraw from the purchase contract due to a product defect for which rectification is not possible.

In light of my experiences, I strongly advise other buyers to purchase their products from reputable retailers like Amazon. Amazon offers a hassle-free exchange in such cases, even months after the purchase. In contrast, my experience with NT Global Distribution GmbH underscores the importance of a trustworthy provider that values and treats its customers accordingly.

It is regrettable that I have been pushed into the position of writing this negative review. However, I believe it is of the utmost importance to openly share my experiences to protect other buyers from similar disappointments.
Unfortunately, I have similar experiences with smaller EU sellers, they are reluctant when I have legitimate grounds for returns, by EU law. Only when I pressed firmly multiple times were my returns eventually accepted by someone higher up.

From what I've heard large scale operations like Amazon are in a better situation to handle customer returns. Contracts are already in place with other business that buy up return items in bulk.

For a smaller online shop solvency would be more challenging due to various overhead and regulations. I assume based on mine and yours experience that first line employees are actively discouraged, or lack clearance, to issue returns.

Not to diminish the customer experience, just pointing out there are systemic issues that favor mega size companies. It's sad how it's passed on to the customer when doing the right thing, supporting small local businesses.
 

lvau

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Indeed, that's the challenge with smaller businesses. I genuinely want to support them, but it often becomes quite a hassle when their products encounter issues. Moving forward, as regrettable as it is, I'm going to prioritize buying more from Amazon. Even if it means spending a few extra bucks at times, I know that if there are any problems with the product, even if it was sold by a third party on Amazon, I can return it without any hassle. Their customer service via chat has never refused a return—speaking specifically about Amazon Germany.

On the flip side, my experience with Hifi Passion (NT Global Distribution GmbH) has been far from pleasant. This situation has been ongoing for two months now. Their "solution" is that I send the player back to them (at my own expense!) for their technicians to inspect, which I find rather comical. This is especially the case considering I'd already been in touch with Shanling, the manufacturer, and they're well aware of the problem—a software issue in the M0 Pro involving specific Qualcomm chipsets on the receiver side. Shanling isn't even sure if they can resolve it with a firmware update. Despite these clear facts, Hifi Passion refuses to accept a return and refund. To add insult to injury, they've even mentioned that if their technician doesn't find any issues with the device, they'll charge me for the technician's time. It's worth reminding that the device manufacturer acknowledges the problem lies with their player's software so it is pretty clear what the outcome would be if I´d really send it back to Hifi Passion. This company's actions and policies are, to be candid, far from professional and do not align with even the minimum expected standards of customer service.
 
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markanini

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Their "solution" is that I send the player back to them (at my own expense!) for their technicians to inspect, which I find rather comical. This is especially the case considering I'd already been in touch with Shanling, the manufacturer, and they're well aware of the problem—a software issue in the M0 Pro involving specific Qualcomm chipsets on the receiver side. Shanling isn't even sure if they can resolve it with a firmware update. Despite these clear facts, Hifi Passion refuses to accept a return and refund. To add insult to injury, they've even mentioned that if their technician doesn't find any issues with the device, they'll charge me for the technician's time.
Any new terms that affords them plausible deniability, or in any way diminish your legally mandated consumer protection, should be rejected. If you are in a position to pursue consumer dispute resolution bodies you can let the seller know that, but tell them you prefer to resolve the matter with them, on your terms.

Only agree to sending it in if they acknowledge that it's faulty up front, and they agree to refund you if they can't fix or replace your unit within a reasonable time frame. And keep a video documenting the error on your unit.
 
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lvau

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Thank you for your advice; I've already taken that step, but unfortunately, they seem unresponsive to my efforts. I even informed them of my intention to involve my legal counsel and gave them an additional 10-day window to initiate the refund process (including providing a DHL shipping label), but regrettably, this only resulted in complete silence from their end. I will now be passing this case on to my attorney, fortunately, I have legal insurance for such situations. However, it's disappointing that the resolution process has to follow this route. Comparing this to the seamless refund process with Amazon, which typically takes just a 5-minute chat with their customer service, it's clear where I'll be directing my future purchases.
 

lvau

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A minor update about my "case". After posting my factual report as a review on Google Maps, NT Global Distribution GmbH threatened me with a lawyer regarding publishing my negative experience with them. They´ve contacted Google to remove the negative review too and currently, it´s pending a review by a Google moderator. Make what you will out of this, but I think it speaks heaps of how this company deals with unhappy customers like me.
 

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Snoopy

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I mean if you are outside of that 14 days? Return Window they are not wrong. It's not really their job to make sure that all manufacturer included features work in every scenario.

If it's a warranty case they are doing everything correctly like most other retailers probably would do.



The hifiman EF400 that I purchased from them had a known hardware issue and they send me a return ticket and refunded the money. No issues at all.
 

lvau

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German consumer laws are slightly different. You are entitled to a 2-year warranty, and during the initial 6 months after purchase, the burden of proof rests with the company that sold the product to demonstrate that the issue did not exist at the time of sale. In cases like this one, where Shanling confirmed the issue via email, they are obligated to either promptly rectify the problem (which they cannot do in this instance since it's a software issue that only Shanling can resolve) or offer a full refund upon returning the item. The 14-day return period is unrelated to this situation and applies when you simply decide you no longer want the product for any reason, as opposed to cases where it is not functioning correctly, such as in this instance.

I am currently in the process of building a case against them with the assistance of my lawyer. Given the clarity of German laws in this matter, I anticipate that this will not pose a significant challenge.

My revised post aimed to illustrate their approach to negative and factual reviews. Even if the laws were not in my favor for the return case, I have the right to express my experience by assigning any rating I deem appropriate to this company if I believe they deserve just one star for any reason. In Germany, this is referred to as "freedom of expression," and as long as you adhere to the facts, as I did in this case, you have the absolute right to review as you see fit. I believe it speaks volumes about a company when they attempt to have such legitimate negative reviews removed and even threaten the customer with legal action.
 

markanini

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I feel like I can't comment any more without being privy to all details in this case.

Generally it's common that stores may want to propose new terms, arguably worse, when initiating a warranty claim. Not unique Hifi-passion. Despite this most issues seem to get resolved. The best thing is always to familiarize yourself with their terms before purchasing.
 

Snoopy

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German consumer laws are slightly different. You are entitled to a 2-year warranty, and during the initial 6 months after purchase, the burden of proof rests with the company that sold the product to demonstrate that the issue did not exist at the time of sale. In cases like this one, where Shanling confirmed the issue via email, they are obligated to either promptly rectify the problem (which they cannot do in this instance since it's a software issue that only Shanling can resolve) or offer a full refund upon returning the item. The 14-day return period is unrelated to this situation and applies when you simply decide you no longer want the product for any reason, as opposed to cases where it is not functioning correctly, such as in this instance.

I am currently in the process of building a case against them with the assistance of my lawyer. Given the clarity of German laws in this matter, I anticipate that this will not pose a significant challenge.

My revised post aimed to illustrate their approach to negative and factual reviews. Even if the laws were not in my favor for the return case, I have the right to express my experience by assigning any rating I deem appropriate to this company if I believe they deserve just one star for any reason. In Germany, this is referred to as "freedom of expression," and as long as you adhere to the facts, as I did in this case, you have the absolute right to review as you see fit. I believe it speaks volumes about a company when they attempt to have such legitimate negative reviews removed and even threaten the customer with legal action.


But you seem to suffer from software issues with Bluetooth rather than a hardware issue. (That the manufacturer is aware of and keeps selling the unit?)

I imagine if you buy a smart TV from a local retailer and complain to them after the 14 day period that you have issue with a app on the TV that they will respond in a similar way.

I believe it's the retailers right to try to repair a faulty unit but it's not their responsibility to fix software issues.
 

lvau

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It doesn't matter whether the fault is caused by hardware or software; if they are unable to repair it, it becomes a warranty issue in Germany. German law does not make any distinctions in this regard (anymore). According to German consumer laws, they have to rectify the issue if the device does not perform as advertised or is faulty for any reason, be it software or hardware-related. If they cannot resolve the problem, they are obligated to provide a refund. In this particular case, the issue cannot be fixed by them because even the manufacturer (Shanling) is unable to resolve it. However, it's important to note that German law remains consistent in this matter; the responsibility lies solely with the seller, and they are bound by the aforementioned procedure to either repair the issue or, if they cannot do so, which they can´t in this case, issue a refund.

Copy/paste from the law (underlining the important parts) (can be found on Google in many places too):

"In Germany, consumers are afforded comprehensive protection in relation to the quality and functionality of goods and services. According to § 434 of the German Civil Code (BGB), all buyers basically have the right to buy goods that are free of defects and must comply with the contract. If the goods are defective or do not meet the requirements, all buyers are entitled to a refund, repair or replacement. This general right to purchase is modified in the BGB by further provisions that are specifically applicable only to purchase contracts between a consumer and an entrepreneur (§§ 474 et seq. BGB). This modification results, for example, in simplified evidence with regard to defects or simplified conditions for withdrawal from the purchase contract. Furthermore, specific laws such as the Product Safety Act ensure that only safe goods are sold on the market, and the Unfair Competition Act prohibits deceptive or misleading practices by companies.


Since January 1, 2022, special provisions have been enacted in the business-to-consumer sector to further enhance consumer protection under German sales law. If a defect arises within one year of the transfer of risk, it is assumed that the product was already defective at the time of purchase (§ 477 BGB). Moreover, the new statute of limitations allow for the claim of a defect in some cases even after more than two years. A new category of “goods with digital elements” has also been introduced to account for digitalisation. Digital elements of goods necessary for their functioning, such as operating systems, software, video or audio files, will be regarded as a component of the good in the future. Sellers of digital goods with digital content must provide consumers with updates during the normal period of use and application and inform them of any available updates. If the digital element is defective, the consumer also has warranty rights.


Consumers are also extensively protected under special circumstances in which the purchase takes place. For instance, they can withdraw from the contract within 14 days without giving a reason if the contract was made outside the business premises of the trader or via remote communication such as telephone or the internet. This enables consumers to examine the goods in detail before deciding to purchase them. Entrepreneurs are also obligated to provide sufficient information regarding the goods in advance.


In addition to these general protections, the Product Safety Act ensures that only safe goods are sold on the market, and the Unfair Competition Act prohibits deceptive or misleading practices by companies."
 

Snoopy

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If the goods are defective or do not meet the requirements, all buyers are entitled to a refund, repair or replacement.

I think that is what hifi-passion offered. Send the unit back to make sure it's defective .. repair / replace or refund after that..that's a normal process.

Not every shop handles complaints like Amazon.
 
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