Noisyjon Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 [quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1319280719' post='1412153'] ...I personally think you are just getting messed about and I would call thier bluff and cancel the lot. [/quote] +1 from me on this point. IMO don't stand for this messing around by these companies and people, especially with a serious amount of money involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted October 22, 2011 Author Share Posted October 22, 2011 All good advice. Just realised I'm unavailable for deliveries for a while. May well be out of the country next week. I'm giving myself an hour on the Wii to calm down then I'm making a decision. Bear in mind although I got the Bongo for a very good price, essentially I've had faith and bought another bass instead of accepting my money back or a non matching HH ray plus a £175 or so refund. I've ran out of patience. Agreed that someone should have driven them down, regardless of cost. The two basses are worth over £3000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jigster Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 even if you canx the order Gareth, it's debatable the message to canx will even manage to filter thro and the canx then be processed - and then they'll still try and deliver even when you say you won't be there!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 £3000 of lost business should concentrate a mind or two. But it would have been £3000 back to me a long while ago, I'm afraid, trust and patience has gone. For that money you could have had many alternatives to these basses. They may be good, and that remains to be seen on delivery, but they aren't that good to be messed around like this. I honestly don't see that someone is doing much to appease you and make things better apart from lip service. I think someone doesn't want to let go of £3000 or orders but can't deliver....????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danhkr Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 [quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1319283330' post='1412198'] I'd like to know how involved the BM are in this, especially as the original order was place with them. In my experience that's the first, and should be the only point of contact, [/quote] Absolutely, a customer should not have to go to the wholesaler, they should simply register their complaint with the dealer and the dealer should sort the issue out with the wholesaler. Seems absolutely bizarre that the only 'party' working to sort this out is actually the customer. MM20, it's not your responsibility to chase S&T up, it should be BM because that is who you have bought the item from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted October 22, 2011 Author Share Posted October 22, 2011 No idea what to do. Not heard a peep from EBMM or S&T in nearly three weeks. All I know is that it's been almost 8 months and I haven't got anything apart from less money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Wazoo Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 If that was me... by this time S&T and BM would be tallying their company body counts... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 (edited) Is anyone from either the Bass Merchant or Strings & Things aware of this thread? I've had my own bad experience with S&T's "service" which was only for a pack of plectrums, but this thread has made me re-evaluate whether or not I would want to do business with them and the brands that they distribute in the future. While I don't have any real interest in the their core EB or MM products, having had a look on their (very crap) web site (are they in financial difficulty?) I see that they are also distributors for D'Addario strings and Hercules stands which I do use. I may have look at getting these without them passing through S&Ts hands first in the future... Edited October 22, 2011 by BigRedX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 £3000 could get you almost any bass you wanted. Esp secondhand on todays market. It could get you a pre-EB stingray and change you could walk into most bass shops and pick the bass of your dreams and afford it (well obviously there is a high high end you couldn't, ritter and the like) you could pay a very good luthier to make you any bass you want. you could pay a good luthier to make a kinda stingray with whatever pups and matching headstock whatever colour you wanted.... it wouldn't say 'stingray' on it but you would know it was at least equal, if not better standard. you could pay for most my masters course. you could take a masters course yourself you could buy a secondhand car you could fly away on holiday somewhere south of the equator in winter you could train 12 teachers in kenya (oxfam say) you could save your local library..... or you could just sit and put up with more of strings and things bull**** or if you really want your musician- cancel your order with strings and things, order it in the states and go on holiday and get it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkstrike Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Dang, this is moving from a major **** up, to a disasterpiece of epic proportions, a bloody shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 It is indeed! Everything has gone wrong, Definitely starting to think its time to call it a day and start again once Ive got a refund. Its becoming too much hassle chasing everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retroman Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Been keeping tabs on this thread with interest, as I had somewhat similar experiences with another one of the major 3 from the USA. It is completely unacceptable to me, to spend all that money, and recieve a poor product/ customer service. I've kinda given up now on trying to find a decent bass, that is worth the asking price, from the US giants, although to be fair, the Stingray I had was gorgeous. There are some seriously gorgeous basses, with amazing build quality out there on the second hand market, that seriously eclipse run of the mill production basses with price tags of over £1k. You can easily pick up an Alembic for less than £3k, and I picked up my Orion 5 for the same money as a new Fender Jazz/ run of the mill Stingray, and it just oozes quality, and is amazing to play. The good thing with buying one of the more exoctic/ custom basses out there is someone has already took the hit on the depreciation, and generally you can sell it on for the same amount you paid for it, should things not work out, providing you haven't bought something outrageous that will only appeal to a very limited market. Very much feel for the OP, as I remember how much it upset me when I had problems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluRay Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 On the bright side, its sounding like the world's best excuse to get on a plane and go to Bass Central, to return several days later with sunburn and a hand picked bass. That's proper compensation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swanbrook Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Total w*** ! To much grief for one man to handle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swanbrook Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 Ah ! Sorry about the above post, I may have half and ale or so ;-( But I do think I would just get my money back at this stage, as an musicman player I can't believe the treatment you have had so far. Especially when you think of the money you have spent on the same brand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 [quote name='swanbrook' timestamp='1319447734' post='1414055'] Ah ! Sorry about the above post, I may have half and ale or so ;-( But I do think I would just get my money back at this stage, as an musicman player I can't believe the treatment you have had so far. Especially when you think of the money you have spent on the same brand. [/quote] +1,000,000! Seriously man, get your cash back and regroup. You've got plenty of basses to be getting on with and I think you really need to send a message to Strings and Things who seem to have been the bad guys all along. If you really want to add another Musicman(s) to yer stable, then I'd contact them directly over in the US and tell them you have [b]no faith[/b] in their UK distributor and are only willing to buy direct, unless they can assist in setting up contact with someone willing to ship from the states. I think Guitar Center (Apologies for the spelling, that's what the shop is called...) are now shipping to the UK and I think their website prices in £ might include all the taxes and crap that comes with it. Cheers, Eude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 Agree with the last few posts, after waiting 7 months, plus another 3 weeks on top i would take my business elsewhere now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted October 24, 2011 Author Share Posted October 24, 2011 (edited) [b]If [/b]I have to work this Weds, and I take my holiday on Saturday (all of this is out of my hands with final decisions) then I wont be able to take any deliveries for a good 2-3 weeks, as Im busy with work, gigs, and a possible holiday. This was why deliveries last week and Saturday were the last option for me...and I knew I would struggle this week onwards. I can't wait that long for an outcome, so ill see what happens in the next 12 hours and make a decision. I am disappointed. It has taken the fun out of it, completely, and to be honest, as much as ill track down a HH Ray at some point, I might look at a Sadowsky Metro for my next bass. We shall see. Edited October 24, 2011 by Musicman20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toasted Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 I feel sorry for you. You deserve better than this. It's time to call whomever you gave money to and demand it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacker Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 You've waited long enough and showed loyalty to a brand that has not been returned by its distributor. Get your money back; you've tortured yourself enough. Gone way beyond what I would have put up with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 I think you just need to shop elsewhere rather than give up on the Ray. If you are thinking of going to Florida that would be the ideal time to go in to a shop, choose the perfect bass and get it shipped back here. It might not work out much cheaper, not like it used to, but at least you can hand pick the bass. What's Darren's take on all this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 [quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1319449508' post='1414073'] It has taken the fun out of it, completely.[/quote]I think that this is is so telling. Few of us are able to make a living at playing the bass and do it for fun, part of that is the searching, planning and acquiring of new gear (certainly for me at least and given the GAS threads on BC I'm not the only one). For dealings with a predominantly bass biased company to have killed the joy of a new purchase is almost the worst thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 [quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1319449508' post='1414073'] [b]If [/b]I have to work this Weds, and I take my holiday on Saturday (all of this is out of my hands with final decisions) then I wont be able to take any deliveries for a good 2-3 weeks, as Im busy with work, gigs, and a possible holiday. This was why deliveries last week and Saturday were the last option for me...and I knew I would struggle this week onwards. I can't wait that long for an outcome, so ill see what happens in the next 12 hours and make a decision. I am disappointed. It has taken the fun out of it, completely, and to be honest, as much as ill track down a HH Ray at some point, I might look at a Sadowsky Metro for my next bass. We shall see. [/quote] I don't know all the ins and outs of this because all we get is what we read here, but judging from the way that you've been messed around on this I can't help but feel, that you've been a bit too patient on both The Bass Merchant and Strings & Things. Certainly if it had been me who hadn't received my instruments on Saturday especially after that particularly lame excuse, I would have been straight on the phone to The Bass Merchant demanding politely but firmly that they organise getting my instruments to me later that day otherwise I would want a refund and they (and S&T) would never see another penny from me ever. These things can always be sorted out no matter what the circumstances (I know as I have friends who work in the industry) provided that the companies who are involved care enough to make it happen, and in the current economic climate they should care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hutton Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 [quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1319452163' post='1414121'] I think that this is is so telling. Few of us are able to make a living at playing the bass and do it for fun, part of that is the searching, planning and acquiring of new gear (certainly for me at least and given the GAS threads on BC I'm not the only one). For dealings with a predominantly bass biased company to have killed the joy of a new purchase is almost the worst thing. [/quote] Great post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted October 24, 2011 Author Share Posted October 24, 2011 Well, that was a long process, full of bad luck basically...I was more than willing to keep going on this, but its not going to work. Deliveries cannot be 100% guaranteed for Wednesday, and I dont want to swap days off or have it swimming around the postage system if Im working or going away. So, refund it is. My next question is...what do I do now?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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