Shockwave Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 (edited) Pretty unhappy here. I ordered 3 sets of custom bass strings from overwater months ago. Before it had taken a couple of weeks maximum, I was waiting 3 months before i rang them to ask what happened to my order. The guy was like "Youve waited months?! Crap i'll check into it". I waited a few days then rang back, Apparantly the order had never been made, So they resubmitted the order. Anyway another month later and i have just been charged 132 quid!? I rang them and they said that i ordered 6 sets of strings. I never did i only ordered three, And maybe there was a duplication because the original 3 sets never got ordered. Apparantly no, I have to order 6 sets to get custom bass strings now. Well why didnt they tell me that when i requested 3 sets BOTH times? I am right on my overdraft limit and i am set to go over it in the next week. Thanks very much overwater. Merry christmas. -Rob. [b]The situation has now been resolved, I have no ill will towards overwater or any of its employees, and i wish them the best. [/b] Edited December 30, 2008 by Shockwave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 [quote]I was waiting 3 months before i rang them to ask what happened to my order.[/quote] That's quite a bad memory you have there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shockwave Posted December 23, 2008 Author Share Posted December 23, 2008 [quote name='wateroftyne' post='361884' date='Dec 23 2008, 12:31 PM']That's quite a bad memory you have there...[/quote] I was giving them the benefit of the doubt as i had 2 previously good transactions with them (For one set of custom bass strings on EACH order. Why 6 now eh?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Aye, but... three months? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shockwave Posted December 23, 2008 Author Share Posted December 23, 2008 [quote name='wateroftyne' post='361886' date='Dec 23 2008, 12:34 PM']Aye, but... three months?[/quote] Yeah so its all my fault Its not the point as its not the main problem of the story. Its just another problem i had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acidbass Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 [quote name='Shockwave' post='361878' date='Dec 23 2008, 12:27 PM']I have to order 6 sets to get custom bass strings now.[/quote] How come? Are they blaming you for the error? Sounds like very dodgy business practice. You should forward the original email confirmations for your first order if they want proof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shockwave Posted December 23, 2008 Author Share Posted December 23, 2008 [quote name='acidbass' post='361893' date='Dec 23 2008, 12:38 PM']How come? Are they blaming you for the error? Sounds like very dodgy business practice. You should forward the original email confirmations for your first order if they want proof.[/quote] Apparantly the guys that do the strings for them only do 6 sets as a minimum, I was never informed of this at anytime during the transaction. This was all done over the phone, I tried emailing but never got a response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crez5150 Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Perhaps you should switch to Status..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shockwave Posted December 23, 2008 Author Share Posted December 23, 2008 (edited) [quote name='crez5150' post='361901' date='Dec 23 2008, 12:44 PM']Perhaps you should switch to Status.....[/quote] I was thinking that as well, Funnily enough during the conversation with overwater laurence said "Oh and you wont find another company who will do custom orders like this." I know of at least 3 other manufacturers. Edited December 23, 2008 by Shockwave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shockwave Posted December 23, 2008 Author Share Posted December 23, 2008 WTH! I just got the strings from my mailbox, And they are all Nickel?! I ordered stainless steel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 send them back, get refund and give rob and dawn at status a email Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldo Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Time to get rid methinks. They've only themselves to blame! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Sad to read this - I've always found them to be pretty together. I noticed their website/ordering has been down for a while, I guess they're changing things around? Still no excuse for crap service - did you talk to Chris May? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shockwave Posted December 23, 2008 Author Share Posted December 23, 2008 (edited) [quote name='BassBod' post='361990' date='Dec 23 2008, 02:01 PM']Sad to read this - I've always found them to be pretty together. I noticed their website/ordering has been down for a while, I guess they're changing things around? Still no excuse for crap service - did you talk to Chris May?[/quote] I have spoken to laurence and one other person didnt catch his name. I will be returning the bass strings, I got three extra sets that i didnt ask for which is bad enough, But they are a completely different material to what i asked for so they will be sent back. £132 is alot of money which i just dont really have and assuming i would suck it up is pretty crappy. Christmas has been great to me so far! Got a lovely new hand problem (Vibrating hand syndrome) Got stiffed over by Reverb on a musicman sr5 and now have to hope i get my money back, and now i have to send back sets of strings that i had been waiting months for as they are just not right. laurence made it pretty clear on the phone that he didnt want the strings back as he had no use for them, too bad for him. I better get my money refunded or it'll be small claims court for me! Sounds a bit cynical but the way companies have been treating me recently i dont underestimate! Edited December 23, 2008 by Shockwave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 (edited) [quote name='Shockwave' post='361897' date='Dec 23 2008, 12:41 PM']....I tried emailing but never got a response....[/quote] I contacted Overwater to order a strap last year. I emailed twice and nothing happened, then phoned twice and nothing happened again! I won't be phoning again!! Edited December 24, 2008 by chris_b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 That is pants Rob! I don't see how Overwater have a leg to stand on re. refusing to refund you; it 'isn't' what you ordered... plain and simple! I suppose it's a case of whether you go for a full refund or they supply you with the appropriate strings. Shame it had to happen now; 1) it's Christmas and you could do without the aggro 2) it'll be hard to sort out over this period and you'll not want it playing on your mind. Best of luck to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodster Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 I too, am really sad to read this thread. I'm a long time Overwater customer, i have 2 basses, straps, leads and i used their strings for many years. I've always found them friendly, knowledgable and totally customer focused. I'm really disappointed to hear that standards seen to have slipped at OW, I hope you get it sorted. Come on Overwater, do the right thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 I tried to order custom strings from Overwater at the end of February, through their website. I did this a couple of times, to no avail. Then emailed them in March, had a response saying they were waiting on those gauges. Then nothing. Chased them three times during April and May with no response. Eventually gave up and phoned them and managed to place an order. Credit card was debited twice but then refunded. The strings are great but what a palaver! The thing that bugged me most is that I continued to get spam from them having given them my email address on my initial inquiry - it's one thing getting spam but it's another thing getting spam when you're still waiting to hear from a human there! Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golchen Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 Bad experience there. I would have thought that in the current economic climate smaller companies would be trying to hold on to their customers. I'd write a snail mail letter to the top dog and send it recorded delivery, keeping it polite, factual and with an earnest tone, explaining your disappointment with them and the attitude shown. Any decent company would apologise and give you a sweetener .......... And I would probably be going elsewhere in future! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 [quote name='Golchen' post='362599' date='Dec 24 2008, 10:04 AM']And I would probably be going elsewhere in future![/quote] I would but it's really hard to get custom gauge strings for a 36" scale... Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 This thread concerns me as I own two Overwater 36" scale basses. Luckily for me their standard medium gauge set suits me fine so I don't have to get involved with custom orders. Because of this a couple of sets bought from the Overwater stand whenever I see them at shows sorts me out. I have considered using their on-line ordering service a couple of times but in the end haven't needed to. What I'm reading here is highly concerning and I hope that there's a positive resolution soon. In the meantime it would be worth both Alex and Shockwave having a word with [url="http://www.newtonestrings.com/"]Newtone Strings[/url] and see what they can do for you. They supplied all my strings for my first Overwater when no-one else seemed to be capable of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 Well, there's three or four of us customers in this discussion (and many more viewers) who will think again before buying from Overwater - you couldn't ask for more direct feedback than that. I'm sure Status or any other supplier would produce 36" sets if they had enough interest. Mo Clifton used to supply Picato strings (they were ok, also used by Wal) and there are others. I tried some Mansons recently that were cheap and good... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acidbass Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 [quote name='alexclaber' post='362614' date='Dec 24 2008, 10:16 AM']I would but it's really hard to get custom gauge strings for a 36" scale... Alex[/quote] It may be worthwhile looking for a string endorsement, I think Dan (dood) got one from Rotosound (?) at one stage because the strings for his Shuker 7 were so far removed from theirr regular gauges. If you're gigging a lot, they'd probably love to have you endorsing them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_bass Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 With so few British bass building companies around it's sad to hear of one of the biggest behaving like this. Good luck with it Rob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 I'd speak to Chris May; he's an extremely accommodating bloke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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