QTH.COM Swap Chat

I was advised by the Better Business Bureau today that International Radio Service Division (IRSD) does not exist. Therefore, I believe this company, which has a link from this web site, http://www.qth.com/irsd, to be a scam. I shipped a radio to IRSD in June for repairs but have only gotton the run around. I call continually but always no answer. I send Emails constanly but no reply. The BBB made a visit to the address listed for IRSD. They advised me today that Mark Thomas (operator) said he does not repair any radios. The phone number and address for IRSD is actually a medical business operated by Mark Thomas. My next step is to contact the FBI Fraud Division to start an investigation. I will kept everyone advised of my findings.

I have been hosting the IRSD web site for many years and was surprised at the above allegations. I e-mailed Mark at IRSD last night and today received a reply from Mark, which I will share with you in hopes of shedding additional light on the subject:


--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 00:00:20 -0400
Subject: Re: Your FT1000
Message-ID: <[email protected]>


Mr Ritner,


WE HAVE BEEN REPAIRING HAM RADIOS FULL TIME FOR 22 YEARS! I HAVE BEEN
EMPLOYED FULL-TIME IN THIS CAPACITY WITH THE COMPANY SINCE 1987! WE HAVE
THOUSANDS OF SATISFIED CUSTOMERS, AT LEAST HALF OF WHOM HAVE GIVEN US
REPEAT BUSINESS! WE (mainly me right now) ARE WORKING EVERY DAY AND
USUALLY INTO THE NIGHT (OFTEN VERY LATE), STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP WITH THE
INTENSLY-INCREASED FLOW OF RADIO REPAIRS THAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS
YEAR, SO YOUR CLAIMS ARE ENTIRELY WRONG, AND MAKE ME FEEL VERY
UNAPPRECIATED!

Yes, we conferred with the Occupational licensing division yesterday,
(the Better Business Bureau has never visited us, nor called) and
confirmed very clearly with them that we do repair radios! I don't know
how this information could have gotten turned around, but perhaps this
might contribute: our occupational licence is under that name of our
sister company, SouthTech Medical Corporation, which maintains X-ray
bone scanners off-site. This fell under a classification that the city
(and county) regocnized; they had no understanding whatsoever of what Ham
radio is, and would have forced us to be classified as a TV/stereo repiar
shop, which would have forced unneeded stringent requirements on our
business, and opened us up to a flood of calls to fix TV's and stereos,
which we don't do (we even had to get our number unlisted to stop the
flood of calls from locals wanting us to fix their CB's!).

The present legal entity, International Radio Service Division, Inc., has
been an actively incorporated in Florida since 1995. You can confirm
this by going to www.sunbiz.com and following the corporate name search
links. We repair close to 400 radios and other ham-related equipment
(such as amplifiers, power supplies) each year with a warranty return
rate of 2% (yes, we honor our warranty!). Many of these repairs are
quite extensive, as many customer also have modifications and alignments
performed, and we successfully repair lightning-struck equipment, which
usually involves several stages of waiting on parts, plus an extended
testing period as we have found this is important in these cases. Such
has been the case with your radio, which has been in here since June 29.

Our facility is guarded by a centrally-monitored alarm system, and we
have always maintained insurance on the contents, i.e., customer's
radios. Our insurance is through Brown & Brown insurance agency. Our
employer identification number is 65-0613239. We have daily UPS pickup
here of repaired radios.

Please make sure to view the attached photos. One is of our main
repair shelf (your radio is the only one turned on in this photo so that
you can distinguish it, but don't worry- it's display is working fine-
the camera's shutter is just faster than the full multiplexing sequence
of the display), and the other photo is of one of our overflow areas.
The boxes in the left background of this photo are just some of the
smaller customer shipping boxes. The larger ones are in our warehouse
out back. All of the radios you see are in various stages of repair;
some are awaiting repair, some are completed, awaiting customer response,
and the open ones are waiting for replacement parts to arrive or
completion of repairs.

We sent you an e-mail yesterday regarding the present status of your
radio. Did you get it? We have been sending e-mails to you in August, but
research of this revealed that some of them probably did not get through
as they were somehow addressed to [email protected], and we apologize
for this.

From the attached photos, you can hopefully appreciate why we have to
condense telephone answering hours down to two afternoons a week, so we
can get these radios repaired the rest of the time. Our answering
machine is on at all other times. I am sure that you can also understand
that we are on the telephone nonstop during answering hours, primarily
talking to the owners of these radios. We are sorry that you could not
get through. If you would like to call at a specific time outside of our
answering hours, please let us know which day and time, and we will
answer at that time. If you would like any other information about our
business, please let us know.

Regards,

Mark Thomas
International Radio Service Division, Inc.
1-772-489-6302 (fax: 1-772-466-0248) Website: www.qth.com/irsd

I appreciate the information that you have provided. It explains a lot of
things that I have observed about your business. I have been a ham for
nearly 40+ years and have known the "original" International Radio or "Fox
Tango" Company. The service level today is not the same level that was
yesterday.

First of all, the "original" company would answer the phone immediately (not
weeks later). They would call you back on the phone (not hide through
email). Also, they had adequate staff that provided a high level of service to their customers. This is the International Radio Company that I was familiar with.

I did not create this problem. Your company did. The poor response and poor
service level that I have witnesses thus far is not reassuring. There are
many scams being perpetrated today. They all start out the same way your
company has performed, miserably. I would not be surprised if most of your
calls that you get are from hams wanting to know the status of their radio.

I will be glad to update my remarks on QTH.Com and let the ham community
know about what progress has been made on this issue. I assure you that in
reporting this progress I will state the facts as I know it to be.

I am available by phone anytime you wish to call.

Mark,

Since I have not receive a telephone call from you as of yet , I decided to
leave another message on your recorder at your office. In that message, I
have ask that you contact me by phone so we can understand what items are
left to be completed in any repairs and/or modifications that we have
requested. Also , I would like to know what is the estimated time you
believe that my radio (FT1000D) will be returned?

In a previous email, I requested a fax of the cost of repairs (not
modifications) so I can finalize my claim with my insurance company. In
that same email I also ask that you provide to me with the cost for each
modification that I was considering. I have not received a response from
your company on all these items yet.

Listed below is a portion of that email concerning the mods/options:

""" Now listed below are the mods/options that I want.

1. Noise Blanker Mod ( I will send a copy by fax).
2. General coverage Transmit ( I will send a copy by fax).
3. Turner Upgraders for both vfos.
4. Improve receiver IMD and get rid of key clicks.
5. I am considering the Audio Capacitor mod but without wide band filters(I
would like your opinion on this first).
6. I am considering installing Inrad filters 250hz, 2.1hz and 2.4hz.

I need cost on all above. """

Please response to this email and /or call me. I would ask that you
respond in a timely manner so we can quickly resolve any outstanding issues.

Ritner
N4BNM

I am please to report that Mark and I are communicating well by email. He has responded professionally and in a timely manner. We are going over the details regarding my radio and I am satisfied with the current level of dialogue.

Well Guys,

I am sad to report that it does not look good for the home front. I have been very patience but looks like I am beginning to lose the little bit that I do have left.

I was advised on October 28th, 2003, that my radio would be shipped back in a week. So far, I have not heard from IRSD since and no radio.

I am hopeful that I will get my radio back one day and not have it end up in South America somewhere.


Ritner - N4BNM

I left an email message for Mark to reply as to what is the latest status of my radio. This was done last week. So far, again no reply from this business. It is probably time for this business to answer to the courts in this matter. As when I first made comment at the beginning of this ordeal, I must now conclude that International Radio Service Division is a fraud and a scam.

Therefore, these steps shall be taken in order to prosecute and retreive my radio: (1) File a claim in magistrate court, (2) File a fraud complaint with the FBI, File a fraud complaint with the Attorney General in Florida, (3) File a complaint with the Better Business bureau, and (4) File a complaint with ARRL.

Scott (Ka9fox),
It would be beneficial if you would not provide support or make excuses for a company such as this. Hams have spent years cleaning up the airwaves. Now, we need to clean up the scams that disguise themselves as legitimate businesses.

n4bnm wrote:Scott (Ka9fox), It would be beneficial if you would not provide support or make excuses for a company such as this. Hams have spent years cleaning up the airwaves. Now, we need to clean up the scams that disguise themselves as legitimate businesses.

Ritner, re-read your FIRST posting in this thread. You told everyone that he did not repair radios, that he runs a scam, that his business doesn't exist... all false information. I only attempted to correct your false statements.

I've also tried to make people understand that when you run a small ham business, it's not like you are sitting on easy street with 10 receptionists to handle all your calls, e-mails and letters. Every contact distracts from the work at hand. I know this first hand. I am just suggesting that people have a little more patience when trying to deal with small ham companies, and even radio deals between hams.

I am not defending poor service. Yes, sending a radio in June and not getting it back by November seems like a long time and you have every right to be upset. I am not saying that you do not have a legitimate beef. If you are not getting any communcation, and you have been led to believe that you should have received your radio back before now, then you should take action. Let me know if I can help.

73 - Scott KA9FOX

Today, I filed my compaint with the BBB. Three items left to complete.

I have now completed filing a report with IFCCFBI. This bureau can be reached at www.ifccfbi.gov.

I have been informed by Mark Thomas (by email) that my radio is now ready to be shipped. He says all repairs and modifications are working well. Therefore, I will take another leap of faith (in ham radio) and authorize payment through my credit card.

The clock is ticking again. Let's see the promptness of this transaction!!!!! If the radio arrives, I will let all know what I observe of the radio's performance. This might vindicate him in some way.

Keep your fingers crossed.


N4BNM - Rit

Well Guys,

I have gotton a reply from Mark (see below). To this reply I say "HUMMMMM."

Ritner - N4BNM



"Hi Ritner,

Thank you for the card number info. Regrettably, we had closed the day
it arrived, and will be closed until Dec13th. Several members of our
staff had already requested that time off, and since I have just had
hernia surgery, with accompanying prohibitions on heavy lifting, we
simply closed the shop, and I took the opportunity to take a needed trip
to Texas, where I am right now. If such were not the case, I would try
to get an assistant and go to the shop myself to get your radio shipped,
but such is not possible right now. I will make sure it is shipped right
after we re-open. I apologize for any problem this may create for you.

Regards,

Mark Thomas
International Radio Service Division, Inc.
1-772-489-6302 (fax: 1-772-466-0248) Website: www.qth.com/irsd

Unbelievable!

How could anybody be running a legitimate business and be able to stay in business with the slow or no service, un-professionalism and inconsiderateness that they've applied in your situation? A person could go by sailboat to Japan, rebuild the entire radio by hand and sail back with time to spare in the amount of time it's taken them to do whatever it is they are doing to your radio. Hell...you could even re-invent the radio from scratch and wait for the technology evolution to get the same type of radio and that would probably be quicker than their service. If your situation is typical, who would bother. You've done lots of us a great service by bringing this to our attention and good luck in getting your equipment at least returned back to you whether it's fixed or not. I will avoid them and bring this company's bad service to everyone's attention at our next club meeting. Sounds like they put more effort and priority into making excuses than repairing equipment.

73
Dave, KG4YJR

As you all know, I have been having the same problem....sent my radio in and he received it 22 Sep 2003. Just received an email last week that he was working on it and ball park repair would be from $180.00 to $380.00. Hope this guy knows what he is doing.....he has a tech-plus ham ticket but any more that is about the same level as extra.

I am posting this comment today, Dec. 15, 2003.

I was hoping that Mark (IRSD) would have notified me that my radio was shipped back to me today. He did say that he would be back by Dec. 13, 2003. But, as of close of business today, no such reply. I do hope that his hernia surgery is progressing well and that the doctors did not make a mistake and perform surgery of his mouth and/or his hands.

When he inform me that he was going to Texas for much needed rest, I began looking to see where (if any) hamfests or flea markets might exist in the area. That's a lot of radio for those that may not know how to use it (I wonder if he is about to move to a new location).

I think it is now time that he comes up with another round of excuses. Anybody want to take me up on this bet?????


Ritner - N4BNM

I think it is now time that he comes up with another round of excuses

I believe you would be correct.
When they came up with the "since we were so busy, had so many obligations and unfinished business that we just shut down and left town" type of excuse I'm sure they'll have to use a little more imagination this time and maybe try the sympathy thing again. I do wish everyone luck in at least recovering your equipment, fixed or not.

73
Dave, KG4YJR

Dave,

Thanks for your concern. There are a few things that are known. I sent my radio to IRSD in June. He acknowledged that he received. He has not sent it back yet.

All else is merely speculation. Did he fix it? Does he still have it? Is he going to send it back?

My insurance company has advised me that I could file a claim that he has stolen it and get a brand new radio. So, I really would not be out of any money if I decide to do so. After all this time, that claim may be an appropriate one.

So far, I still have not heard from Mark (IRSD). If there is someone in the area, please check to see if he has left town (either, in a hurry or without providing a forwarding address).


Ritner - N4BNM

This morning I received an email from IRSD that by radio has shipped. I was also provided a tracking number. In checking the tracking number with UPS (on-line) the status indicate "in transit".

The radio will probably arrive within the next two days. Unfortunately for me, I will be out of town until Saturday, 20th. I am looking forward to getting my radio back and on the air.

The saga continues.....

My radio has arrived and I am now beginning to check it out. The invoices are detailed and explain the work that was done.

I have made one contact thus far so I know that it is capable of transmitting and receiving.

I am having a proplem with the received audio that was not present before I shipped the radio for repairs. The audio level to the speaker is now appreciably lower than ever before. I must turn the audio knob pass midway (to about 1'oclock) to obtain the same volume that was originally set at about 11' oclock.

The AGC appears to functioning slightly differently. This might be the cause of the audio difference.

I need more time to properly assess the radio characteristics. But, I am leaning towards sending it to Yeasu to resolve the above issues.


Ritner - N4BNM

Hello again Ritner,

It's good to see that you have at least gotten the radio back in your possession. I read that you were thinking of sending it off to the manufacturer but I've heard nothing good about them either. At some of the smaller merchants they do repairs and at most of them you can even speak to the actual tech working on your radio, fat chance of that in the Yaesu bureaucracy. One time I sent a radio to Universal Radio in Ohio, who I buy most of mine and my wife's gear from, within two days of them receiving the radio I got a phone call from Tony, one of their techs who explained to me that he had checked the radio out thoroughly, ran several tests and we found out that the problem was operator error on my part and I got the radio back three days later. It might have taken a little longer turnaround if they would have had to wait on parts or do more extended testing but they did get to the radio within two days of receiving it, instead of just letting it sit on a shelf,and the actual tech that did the work gave me a call.
They are a great business to purchase from too. You can call about a $2000 rig or a $2 connector and they'll spend as much time as you need without rushing you through or being rude. They treat a $2 sale the same as a $2000 sale. Very honest people.

Good luck and Happy Holidays.
Dave, KG4YJR

Tony, you may wish to add your comments about Universal Radio to this thread:

http://chat.qth.com/viewtopic.php?t=351

- Scott KA9FOX

I think you misread Scott, Tony is one of the techs at Universal and yes, I have read and responded to that post. You can't find better people to deal with than Universal for honesty but I have read good things about Memphis Amateur also and I want to give them business after the holiday.

73
Dave

All I meant was this is a thread about International Radio, and you were making good comments about Universal Radio. I just wanted to make sure that you left your good comments about Universal in the Universal Radio thread. If someone was looking for information about Universal Radio, they would not be looking here!

- Scott

Dave,

Thanks for the information. I will certainly consider that as well. I have had some success in talking with the folks at Yaesu but it takes an act of congress.

My main reason why the radio should be sent back to the factory is that they should know exactly how the audio and AGC circuits should behave instead of guessing.

I agree that it is important to have access to a real person. Again, thanks for the information. I will let you know what I decide.


Ritner - N4BNM

Brought my TS-940 to Mark in person on December 15th. It needed a fair amount of work. Six weeks later, I saw Mark again when I picked it up. He did a great job (admitted he was swamped with work). He has a dedicated workshop with signs on the building. Yes, he's there (as advertised) and did a super job for me.

Warren, W4WR