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Scratch in brand new Warwick Rockbass


Silvia Bluejay
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Damn, you're right, hadn't noticed that.I'll email them straight away! :P

On a more serious note, I got this email a few minutes ago:

---

hi there,
Thank you for the email and the photos.
Please return the faulty unit back to us for replacement.
Please send the unit in its original condition with all the accessories in the
original box with the labels which you will receive within few hours in a
separate e-mail. You can print the label, stick it firmly on the parcel and
take the parcel to nearest post office to be sent.

Pack the unit as good as possible so that the possibility of a further
transport damage would be at its minimum and in case of one, we could get the
courier responsible for it.

Please include a message with your contact details, reason for return (written
fault description) and your wishes for the procedures made with this specific
return.

Within 30 days from purchase, we can exchange the item under the following
conditions:

-The unit needs to be in mint condition.
-No dog ears on manuals.
-Original packaging and accessories needs to be returned as well.

If these terms are not met or the 30 days is clearly over, we will instead
repair the unit for you.

Please observe! Normal repair time is 3-4 weeks from the time we receive the
returned item until we can send it back to you. Unfortunately we cannot lend
you a product during this time.

Repair info only: In case where the technician states that the fault was
accidentaly caused by you, we can not cover any of the shipping costs nor
repair the unit under warranty. I don't think that is the case but I am
obliged to let you know this before hand.

---

My reply:

Thank you, but surely this is no way to make amends - four weeks!! I do
not accept your offer of a replacement as stated.

If you send a new, good bass in the next couple of days, AND NO LATER, and
collect the other one at the same time as you deliver it to me, I can
accept that.

That would be the ONLY way I could accept an exchange. Asking me to wait
longer is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE under any point of view.

As a less preferable alternative, I request from you a partial refund on
the price of the bass, so that I can pay a luthier to repair the bass here
in London.

Please reply without delay.

Best regards,

Silvia

-------------

I think their suggestion is an insult, TBH.

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[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1326722594' post='1500963']
Damn, you're right, hadn't noticed that.I'll email them straight away! :P

On a more serious note, I got this email a few minutes ago:

---

hi there,
Thank you for the email and the photos.
Please return the faulty unit back to us for replacement.
Please send the unit in its original condition with all the accessories in the
original box with the labels which you will receive within few hours in a
separate e-mail. You can print the label, stick it firmly on the parcel and
take the parcel to nearest post office to be sent.

Pack the unit as good as possible so that the possibility of a further
transport damage would be at its minimum and in case of one, we could get the
courier responsible for it.

Please include a message with your contact details, reason for return (written
fault description) and your wishes for the procedures made with this specific
return.

Within 30 days from purchase, we can exchange the item under the following
conditions:

-The unit needs to be in mint condition.
-No dog ears on manuals.
-Original packaging and accessories needs to be returned as well.

If these terms are not met or the 30 days is clearly over, we will instead
repair the unit for you.

Please observe! Normal repair time is 3-4 weeks from the time we receive the
returned item until we can send it back to you. Unfortunately we cannot lend
you a product during this time.

Repair info only: In case where the technician states that the fault was
accidentaly caused by you, we can not cover any of the shipping costs nor
repair the unit under warranty. I don't think that is the case but I am
obliged to let you know this before hand.

---

My reply:

Thank you, but surely this is no way to make amends - four weeks!! I do
not accept your offer of a replacement as stated.

If you send a new, good bass in the next couple of days, AND NO LATER, and
collect the other one at the same time as you deliver it to me, I can
accept that.

That would be the ONLY way I could accept an exchange. Asking me to wait
longer is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE under any point of view.

As a less preferable alternative, I request from you a partial refund on
the price of the bass, so that I can pay a luthier to repair the bass here
in London.

Please reply without delay.

Best regards,

Silvia

-------------

I think their suggestion is an insult, TBH.
[/quote]Way to go! You pay without delay, in full. They should respect that and treat you with respect. But this type of processing (ugh, horrible word but that is how it feels) goes for a lot of companies.

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When I had an issue with a damaged active speaker cab from Thomann, they tried the standard guff on me as well.. I then mentioned distance selling regulations the superceded any terms and conditions they might want to imply I accepted and then everything went smoothly in terms of a replacement...They also tried to argue that I should chase the post office up for compensation until I pointed out that the courier was their agent not mine...

As a consumer you can't sign (or tick away) your rights - and things are very much biased in your favour in terms of buying new kit mail order via the distance selling regulations... Of course the supplier would like you to have a good experience, but it's also expensive to replace things long distance... And in any company there are people who want to sell things and other people who want to save money...

Edited by markstuk
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Another round of emails, and we're stuck at the same point as before.

From Thomann:

Hi there,
Thank you for the email.
You can return the guitar for a refund or for a replacement.
We need to send the bass back to the manufacturer and claim the damage
with them.
We can't send you a new bass before you return the faulty one.
We can arrange for somebody to collect it , if you can't bring it to the
post office.
Please let us know what you decide.

We are sorry for the inconvenience.

---

My reply:

If I allow you to collect the bass, how long before you send a new one
back to me?

Please note that, if you insist on "four weeks", you will be falling foul
of European legislation on distance selling. The law requires exchange or
refund within a reasonable time, in the case of the manufacturer's fault,
so that the customer, who is not at fault at all, is not unduly
inconvenienced.
Since I need the bass for practising - that's the reason why I bought it
in the first place - I CANNOT legally be required to wait more than the
two or three days that it took to reach me whan I bought it in the first
place.

So you either replace it immediately, as I mentioned before, or refund me
part of its price and I'll accept to keep the bass as it is, or face a
massive legal complaint from me.

Please reply promptly.

Thank you,

Silvia

----------------

I may have been bluffing a bit in my reply, but they're asking for it.
Not sure whether to laugh or cry.

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I think Thomman are being perfectly reasonable. They're offering to send a replacement as soon as the original bass is returned to them (having been picked up from you at their expense). From experience they normally send out the replacement the day the faulty item is received. It's pretty unlikely that they will refund you a percentage of the purchase cost instead of replacing the bass, as their internal procedures probably don't have that as an option.

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I made a point of asking them first thing in my email above, as they mentioned at least four weeks' wait in their previous messages - that is, they collect the bass from me, they send it back to Warwick, they wrangle a bit about getting a refund themselves etc. and THEN and only then do they send me a new one. That wouldn't be good enough.

I hope they'll clarify.

Edited by bluejay
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[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1326823294' post='1502462']
I made a point of asking them first thing in my email above, as they mentioned at least four weeks' wait in their previous messages - that is, they collect the bass from me, they send it back to Warwick, they wrangle a bit about getting a refund themselves etc. and THEN and only then do they send me a new one. That wouldn't be good enough.

I hope they'll clarify.
[/quote]

Yes, they're not very clear - but I think the 30 day requirement is only if a repair is required. Anytime they've collected damaged kit from me the replacement has been sent out immediately. They're probably one of the best online places re. customer service. I had three Promethean combo's from them in a row, and sent each one back becaulse I wasn't happy with the noise level - and they were quite happy to send a replacement each time, no questions asked.

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New twist to this seemingly endless saga - I've had a lightbulb moment and emailed Thomann's Customer Service declaring that I want a full refund. Then I logged on to My Thomann and bought the same bass all over again.
In theory, that should ensure a 'replacement' - a new one - arrives more or less at the same time I dispatch the old one back to Thomann.

Hopefully.

(It even cost me a few pounds less than last time, as the euro appears to have gone down a little against Sterling.)

If something goes wrong, I'll find myself with two identical basses... :huh:

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Be careful sending stuff back to thomann. I had a similar issue with a Rockbass Fortress - badd frets high action. big gap either side of the neck pocket....the list goes on.

To cut a long story short they charged 30 euros to collect it (even though it only cost 10 euros for them to send it?) and then there was a £16 diference in what I paid and the amount they refunded me.

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I have received the label for sending the bass back to them via UPS for free. Plus i've got all the emails we've exchanged. I don't think they could decide that it was my fault, really, but if they do, the CEO will get a massive complaint.

I have found Thomann's customer service to be dreadfully slow and inefficient and plan to let the CEO know when the saga is over.

I have asked for a full refund in all the documents I'm enclosing. I guess there might be differences between what I paid originally and what I will get back due to the exchange rate with the euro, as they'll refund euros not Sterling.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Update for those who are curious to know how it ended.

The second bass I ordered arrived in perfect condition, was immediately re-strung with flatwound Daddario Chromes and is now a cherished part of my bass family :)

Thomann have confirmed receipt of the scratched bass and issue of a full refund.

Despite the hassle, I love my new baby to bits! :gas:

Thank you all for following this saga, and giving me your opinions and advice and support.

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