ProMusicTools - Munich

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

Just before I pull the trigger, I just wondered if there were anything other than positive experiences dealing with the above company.

I've never purchased from them before, so thought I should probably check before I go all NBD :-)

I am aware of the thread started by BassTractor from 2013 which exonerated them from the situation he found himself in.

[Mudpup]

Bought a Stingray off them a few months back. Good as gold - great comms before i bought, tracking info a little slow but bass arrived in a few days. I would use them again without hesitation.

[BassTractor]

There may also be a follow-up thread about what happened afterwards, but I can't find one.

So here's the fatty skinny:
1) I've ordered from them three times. Prices are high, but they do tend to have rare, sought after items, and they do inspect and set up every bass very carefully before shipping.

2) My last Music Man bass from them was erroneously packaged without protection between bass and Music Man case, leaving the bass to move around inside the case.
Also, they had put the case in a much larger Fender corrugated board box without filling the void adequately, allowing the Music Man case to move freely within the Fender box.
Thirdly, they'd put on the address sticker in such a way that if one had the sticker in reading position, the bass inside would be standing on its headstock.
The obvious result of all of this was that the bass had gotten its volume knob knocked off during transport.

ProMusicTools initially would not accept any responsibility for this, and instead meant this was due to stupid consumer error, which got me fuming. When they finally did accept responsibility after I'd thoroughly documented how badly they had packaged this time, it took them [b]more than a year[/b] before they sent me the new pot I would solder in myself (I had offered to do this myself in order to save them the hassle as well as the shipping costs both ways).

Several of my polite mails during that year remained unanswered, and my last, very clear and very strict one a whole year later (still polite, mind, just factual and strict) that stated I would complain about them to Music Man, resulted in an enormously butthurt answer and in the pot arriving here within a few days.
No apology or anything like it.
I remained flabbergasted. I saved them on postage twice and offered to take responsibility for the repair, and all they mustered was being butthurt by me saying their customer service was unacceptable to me.

3) the German spoken Swiss bass chat site bassic.ch has a forum where people tend to tell stories about rather creepy experiences with the firm when meeting up in person, leading me to believe the firm are best dealt with as a webshop.

In summing up: in my experience they're very good when there's no problem, but they show their private personal issues very clearly when not everything is perfect anymore.

Edited February 16, 2016 by BassTractor

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

[quote name='Mudpup' timestamp='1455646690' post='2981108']
Bought a Stingray off them a few months back. Good as gold - great comms before i bought, tracking info a little slow but bass arrived in a few days. I would use them again without hesitation.
[/quote]
Aha! Just what I was hoping to hear. Which Stingray did you buy if you don't mind me asking?

[Mudpup]

This one.........

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/273533-nbd-usa-stingray-in-unusual-colour-%26-9786%3B/page__p__2911988#entry2911988

[Wolverinebass]

I bought my Hamer 12 string off them. They were great to deal with.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1455647713' post='2981133']
My last Music Man bass from them was erroneously packaged without protection between bass and Music Man case, leaving the bass to move around inside the case.
Also, they had put the case in a much larger Fender corrugated board box without filling the void adequately, allowing the Music Man case to move freely within the Fender box.
Thirdly, they'd put on the address sticker in such a way that if one had the sticker in reading position, the bass inside would be standing on its headstock.
The obvious result of all of this was that the bass had gotten its volume knob knocked off during transport.

ProMusicTools initially would not accept any responsibility for this, and instead meant this was due to stupid consumer error, which got me fuming. When they finally did accept responsibility after I'd thoroughly documented how badly they had packaged this time, it took them [b]more than a year[/b] before they sent me the new pot I would solder in myself (I had offered to do this myself in order to save them the hassle as well as the shipping costs both ways).

Several of my polite mails during that year remained unanswered, and my last, very clear and very strict one a whole year later (still polite, mind, just factual and strict) that stated I would complain about them to Music Man, resulted in an enormously butthurt answer and in the pot arriving here within a few days.
No apology or anything like it.
I remained flabbergasted. I saved them on postage twice and offered to take responsibility for the repair, and all they mustered was being butthurt by me saying their customer service was unacceptable to me.

In summing up: in my experience they're very good when there's no problem, but they show their private personal issues very clearly when not everything is perfect anymore.
[/quote]

Mmm. This presumably wasn't anything top do with the "other" scenario you had regarding the NOS instrument?

In the absence of others weighing in, I think I might be prepared to regard the above as an unlucky occurrence which hopefully won't be repeated for me.

Could I ask how long ago this was?

[BassTractor]

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1455651376' post='2981200']
Mmm. This presumably wasn't anything top do with the "other" scenario you had regarding the NOS instrument?

In the absence of others weighing in, I think I might be prepared to regard the above as an unlucky occurrence which hopefully won't be repeated for me.

Could I ask how long ago this was?
[/quote]


It was the very same bass (in 2013 if I can trust you ), but I do trust the bad packaging had no relation with the NOS thing. Probably just an inexperienced employee cutting corners without realising the impacts the bass has to endure during transport.

The resulting customer service may well have had something to do with the NOS thing.
I'm only human, and so are the folks in Munich. People's glasses can get coloured after such incidents, and maybe I was seen as a difficult customer by then, even though it was EBMM's initiative to warn me rather than to contact ProMusicTools.


Me too, I'd wager a guess that this incident was very special and not something that ProMusicTools have planned on repeating with other customers. I'd guess you are safe, but felt I could not just sit still and not tell you what I'd experienced.
Also, the bassic.ch experiences are not about packaging and/or warranty claims. They are about visiting the shop.
I think it's reasonable to suspect that one person in the firm has issues, not the whole firm.

.
I guess they're safe to order from, but I'd still make sure they know you expect them to make sure the bass can't move within its case. Incidentally, my next Music Man came from the USA, and that firm had a page explaining exactly how they packaged, and one of their principles was exactly that: using bubble wrap around the body of the bass in such a way that the knobs have leeway, but the body has not.

Edited February 16, 2016 by BassTractor

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

Well, I'm pleased you've only had one awkward situation rather than two.

Although I'm quite taken with the one I've seen on ProMusicTools, I would be interested to know which seller you used in the USA to see what they have in stock.

[BassTractor]

Yup. The first two deals were problem free, if long-winded and unlike other web shopping. This may have changed in the mean time though.
The basses themselves were perfect, and arrived undamaged, well set-up and even in tune.

I can't remember the seller's name, and all the info is in my broken laptop, but I can try and find the box tomorrow.
However, if it's a Music Man you're after, and if it's new, then that shop can't help. They're not a Music Man dealer, and at any rate Music Man dealers are not allowed to sell new basses to other areas the first two years of having the bass in stock. Mine was used (even if it was built the week before - probably a sad story there).
(This is where the NOS thing happened: the EBMM guy had forgotten the two year clause in the contract, and so incorrectly concluded either a breach of contract had taken place when a US bass got sold by a Munich shop, or the bass was second hand.)

Edit:
The "two years" clause in the contract does not go for regular basses, which can never be sold to other areas, but only for presumed risky lim.ed. ones, like for example the Kermit green Dargie Delight series.

Edited February 17, 2016 by BassTractor

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

That's great. Don't worry about looking for the info, I assumed the seller was part of the Ernie Ball PDN.

I did look at Sweetwater who have some nice neck-through Ray's, but I think I'm going to go with the one at ProMusicTools.

Thanks for taking the time to explain what you went through. Much appreciated.

[BassTractor]

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1455668142' post='2981408']
That's great. Don't worry about looking for the info, I assumed the seller was part of the Ernie Ball PDN.

I did look at Sweetwater who have some nice neck-through Ray's, but I think I'm going to go with the one at ProMusicTools.

Thanks for taking the time to explain what you went through. Much appreciated.
[/quote]


Okeydokey.
Be aware that if Sweetwater do decide to sell a new bass to you, which then is in breach of their contract, then EBMM will not accept your registration for the bass, and you will not be covered by EBMM's part of the warranty responsibilities.
I have asked several US PDN dealers to send me a bass or even several basses, me accepting the lack of warranty, and they all refused without hesitation.

BTW, I'm sending you a PM.