NBD - Shocking stuff from PMT, pre dinged and missing backplate

[lemmywinks]

1 hour ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Well, you didn't ask for my opinion either, but as it's a forum and you've posted the thread, I'm entitled to have one.

The way the thread reads (although I note you've edited it, so I don't know what it said originally) is that you've quite rightly taken issue with the condition of the bass and then rung them.

I for one would have made the call first and included that in your first post. Right to reply and all that.

I know he's a bit more thick skinned than most of us, but I think you were a bit harsh or @wateroftyne.

Calling out a Moderator on a forum he helps run for you is also not classy.

 

I literally typed most of the opening post while I was waiting for PMT to answer the phone which took a while, I'd already uploaded the pics to my Google Drive prior to that in anticipation of having to send them, as I was at work I thought doing both at the same time would mean less catchup in my lunch hour.

 

I honestly don't care if someone is a mod or not, it's your choice if you allow people to speak to you like that but personally I never have and never will. There's been tons of threads like this where the company's response gradually plays out over the course of the thread I don't recall any pecker waving in any of those so I'm not sure what the issue is here. Strange behaviour and a silly thing to say IMO.

 

 

Anyway the bass works fine and is currently sporting a substitute cavity cover I knocked up, sounds great through in ears and will take it to practice it on Wednesday to hear it amplified.

[lemmywinks]

35 minutes ago, spyder said:

It happened to me yesterday.😒

I bought the "cheap" Ashdown Shavo head from PMT. It was not listed as X demo, customer return or B stock. I was expecting a new amp at a clearance price.

The amp came wrapped in bubble wrap and put in a non original box. It had  scratches all over the top plate and a broken EQ slider.

Matt at customer services ,( PMT ) has been fantastic and has admitted that it should off been listed correctly or not sold in that condition. He is talking to Ashdown to get a EQ graphic replacement board so I can fit it.

Let's hope we can both resolve these problems.

 

Makes you wonder about the other items that have/had, there was a significant discount on one of the limited Stingrays IIRC.

 

I think the conclusion so far is that PMT customer service is top notch however the team listing sale items is perhaps less dilligent, or more likely they're listing unsold items they haven't seen or had an accurate description of from the various stores across the country.

Edited August 1, 2022 by lemmywinks

[Frank Blank]

I received a bass from Andersons that was advertised as new that arrived scratched and damaged, I posted about it immediately. How the shop deals with the issue is one thing but the items leaving the shop in a state that is clearly not as advertised is another entirely. I think there is a trend of trying to fob people off with damaged gear and then offer a poor discount or similar (I was offered no discount whatsoever just a free lead!) in the hope that the customer won't want to go through the hassle of returning. The guy I spoke to at Andertons just reeled off his apology and paltry offer like he'd done it may times. I sent mine back and, oddly, PMT had a pristine version of the same bass in their warehouse £30 cheaper which arrived two days later in mint nick. Personally I think the initial sending out of damaged gear is a deliberate attempt to fob people off with seconds and is a separate (at least initially) issue from how it is subsequently dealt with.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

2 hours ago, lemmywinks said:

I literally typed most of the opening post while I was waiting for PMT to answer the phone which took a while, I'd already uploaded the pics to my Google Drive prior to that in anticipation of having to send them, as I was at work I thought doing both at the same time would mean less catchup in my lunch hour.

 

I honestly don't care if someone is a mod or not, it's your choice if you allow people to speak to you like that but personally I never have and never will. There's been tons of threads like this where the company's response gradually plays out over the course of the thread I don't recall any pecker waving in any of those so I'm not sure what the issue is here. Strange behaviour and a silly thing to say IMO.

 

Anyway the bass works fine and is currently sporting a substitute cavity cover I knocked up, sounds great through in ears and will take it to practice it on Wednesday to hear it amplified.

There was nothing offensive or rude in what @wateroftyne said, unlike your retorts. No need for it towards any member here, Mod or otherwise.

I can't understand how PMT are still in business. They're nothing like the company they used to be. A friend of mine used to work for them and the mind boggles at some of the stuff that went on.

Don't get me wrong, I've shopped there in the past and they've had a bit of money off me, but not for many many years.

Good to hear it's all working itself out though. 

[lemmywinks]

Just now, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

There was nothing offensive or rude in what @wateroftyne said, unlike your retorts. No need for it towards any member here, Mod or otherwise.

I can't understand how PMT are still in business. They're nothing like the company they used to be. A friend of mine used to work for them and the mind boggles at some of the stuff that went on.

Don't get me wrong, I've shopped there in the past and they've had a bit of money off me, but not for many many years.

Good to hear it's all working itself out though. 

 

Depends how you define rudeness, coming on someone's thread and calling them classless is absolutely rude in my book. Either way the little old fella has been sent on his way now so its done with, no point raking up residential home drama 3 pages into a thread about something entirely different.

 

 

RE this bass (and the Shavo head also mentioned) it'll just be head office asking each store to make an inventory of unsold stock and then their online presence listing it using stock photos, somewhere along the line there hasn't been enough communication but this is just something to expect when companies expand and the different stores/departments don't have the same level of cohesion as they once did. The guy I spoke to on the phone sounded genuinely disappointed something had gone out in that state.

 

Missing an entire cavity cover is a new one on me though.

[wateroftyne]

5 minutes ago, lemmywinks said:

 

Either way the little old fella has been sent on his way now so its done with

 

You're showing yourself up.

[Frank Blank]

*sigh*

[BassAdder60]

I have been known to use most of the big name stores for ordering guitars, amps, effects, etc etc from Andertons, PMT, and many others starting with G !

All of them have sent out damaged or B stock like goods sold as new goods. All of them handled the issues quickly and professionally but naturally hassle for me. 
I now accept online purchasing is a gamble ( mainly as many goods are returned so technically not “ new” anymore for the next customer.

If I order a bass, an amp or cabinet I ask that it’s a factory boxed new stock and not a return and this has reduced the issues. 
I would say on average over the last four years 60% of the stuff I’ve ordered has arrived marked, damaged or faulty !

The joys of online shopping!! 

[chyc]

1 minute ago, BassAdder27 said:

All of them have sent out damaged or B stock like goods sold as new goods. All of them handled the issues quickly and professionally but naturally hassle for me. 

Personally I wouldn't buy anything musical without playing it first, but I have the luxury of living walking distance from a music shop, and it's a bus ride to London if I feel moved to. Not everyone has that luxury so the shops have to sell the same stuff that my grubby mitts have been all over. 'd like to think I'm a conscientious shopper, but not everyone is so it inevitably gets dinged.

 

Thomann is the new model where the norm is online sales. When you buy from them you're fairly confident that the instrument is still in its wrapping. That kind of shopping is not for me, and when it inevitably becomes the norm I'll be stuck. Places like PMT can't stay in business selling B-stock guitars that people have broken then not bought.

 

Saying that, a missing back plate is a bit much.

[BillyBass]

I have had several bad experiences buying stuff from PMT.  I only order stuff from them if no one else gets near on the price.

 

They are always fine on the phone, apologising and promising to sort it out etc but it shouldn’t be sent out like that in the first place.

 

I personally have never had bad experiences with Guitarguitar, Andertons or GAK.  There is a first time for everything I suppose.

[BassAdder60]

Just now, BillyBass said:

I have had several bad experiences buying stuff from PMT.  I only order stuff from them if no one else gets near on the price.

 

They are always fine on the phone, apologising and promising to sort it out etc but it shouldn’t be sent out like that in the first place.

 

I personally have never had bad experiences with Guitarguitar, Andertons or GAK.  There is a first time for everything I suppose.

My Hercules stand arrived broken that I ordered and the store just said they will ship a new one. Great service and quickly reacted to the problem. Again hassle for me but it’s the new normal. In fairness a lot of damage happens in transit as we all know. 
Quality checks on goods before shipping doesn’t happen and I suspect returns don’t get checked either !

[lemmywinks]

1 hour ago, wateroftyne said:

 

You're showing yourself up.

 

Yeah just get your drama somewhere else, this aint the thread for it.

[lemmywinks]

There does seem an oddly deliberate trend of sending out incorrectly described goods and offering some recompense if the buyer complains, not saying that's what's happened in this instance but I've heard it a few times aside from here. A mate bought a Blackstar mini stack from GAK (the little cream 5w versions) and they sent him the mkI instead of the new mkII, the difference being the mkII was switchable between 1w and 5w or something to that effect. Obviously it was cheaper than everywhere else because it was the old version and when he complained they gave him £20 store credit. When he checked a couple of weeks later the website still hadn't been changed.

[Rich]

The sniping and snide comments stop now, or the thread gets locked. 

[lemmywinks]

2 minutes ago, Rich said:

The sniping and snide comments stop now, or the thread gets locked. 

 

I'm gonna be honest I genuinely don't appreciate having people come on here and use terms like "not classy" in a derogatory manner, especially from a moderator who has nothing else to say regarding the actual issue in the thread. Been at work all day and had the added task of sorting this out with PMT so have been pretty clear about unwanted comments derailing the thread.

 

If he can't leave it be then maybe moderate the moderator? I really CBA with it in all honestly, not what I come on here for.

[wateroftyne]

Just now, lemmywinks said:

 

I'm gonna be honest I genuinely don't appreciate having people come on here and use terms like "not classy" in a derogatory manner, especially from a moderator who has nothing else to say regarding the actual issue in the thread. Been at work all day and had the added task of sorting this out with PMT so have been pretty clear about unwanted comments derailing the thread.

 

If he can't leave it be then maybe moderate the moderator? I really CBA with it in all honestly, not what I come on here for.

 

Happy to pick it up by PM if it'll save you from getting your own thread closed 😄

[Ed_S]

1 hour ago, BassAdder27 said:

If I order a bass, an amp or cabinet I ask that it’s a factory boxed new stock and not a return and this has reduced the issues. 

 

Glad it's not just me who does that!

 

I usually feel I'm being judged as a bit of a weirdo for requesting it, but I can live with that much more readily than I can live with a day of listening out for a courier, the disappointment and irritation of receiving something that's not as crisp as the cash that paid for it, a day of fending and proving via email and rejecting offers of discounts if I'll keep it, a day of falling over it boxed back up in the hall, a day of listening out for the courier coming back to collect it, and then several more days waiting for it to be 'assessed' before I get my money back.

 

I'd happily pay a premium, which I would agree to lose if I decided to return the item under distance selling, if I could just have the option of brand new, factory sealed stock every time.

[lemmywinks]

1 hour ago, wateroftyne said:

 

Happy to pick it up by PM if it'll save you from getting your own thread closed 😄

 

Why on earth would I want to talk to you over pm about things I've aleady expressed zero interest in on this thread? Just stop posting on it if you have nothing on topic to say, everything you have said on here has been about provoking unwanted drama.

 

Start your own thread for that nonsense.

[lemmywinks]

Oh and I'm not particularly bothered about the thread, mods can close it if they like.

[lemmywinks]

55 minutes ago, Ed_S said:

 

Glad it's not just me who does that!

 

I usually feel I'm being judged as a bit of a weirdo for requesting it, but I can live with that much more readily than I can live with a day of listening out for a courier, the disappointment and irritation of receiving something that's not as crisp as the cash that paid for it, a day of fending and proving via email and rejecting offers of discounts if I'll keep it, a day of falling over it boxed back up in the hall, a day of listening out for the courier coming back to collect it, and then several more days waiting for it to be 'assessed' before I get my money back.

 

I'd happily pay a premium, which I would agree to lose if I decided to return the item under distance selling, if I could just have the option of brand new, factory sealed stock every time.

 

That's half of the ballache really, not only do you have the disappointment of the thing you purchased not being as described but the hassle of returning it as well which doesn't always go smoothly. I bought a B stock cheap bass from Thomann not so long ago and had issues with both of the drop off points - the first refused to take the box and the second had an issue with the scanner. Doesn't sound much but it took up one of my lunch hours I'd rather have had to myself.

[Mickeyboro]

14 hours ago, spyder said:

It happened to me yesterday.😒

I bought the "cheap" Ashdown Shavo head from PMT. It was not listed as X demo, customer return or B stock. I was expecting a new amp at a clearance price.

The amp came wrapped in bubble wrap and put in a non original box. It had  scratches all over the top plate and a broken EQ slider.

Matt at customer services ,( PMT ) has been fantastic and has admitted that it should of been listed correctly or not sold in that condition. He is talking to Ashdown to get an EQ graphic replacement board so I can fit it.

Let's hope we can both resolve these problems from PMT.

Someone has written on it…

[Woodinblack]

Its all fairly ironic as I got a B stock ABM600 from PMT at under half price, and the only thing wrong with it was a nick on the tolex, and the DI socket was loose. I guess they are doing something different on this sale, as people said, head office clearing up stock on their books that had been there a while.

[spyder]

16 hours ago, spyder said:

It happened to me yesterday.😒

I bought the "cheap" Ashdown Shavo head from PMT. It was not listed as X demo, customer return or B stock. I was expecting a new amp at a clearance price.

The amp came wrapped in bubble wrap and put in a non original box. It had  scratches all over the top plate and a broken EQ slider.

Matt at customer services ,( PMT ) has been fantastic and has admitted that it should of been listed correctly or not sold in that condition. He is talking to Ashdown to get an EQ graphic replacement board so I can fit it.

Let's hope we can both resolve these problems from PMT.

I have a very positive result from PMT and Ashdown.

PMT are collecting the amp and sending it to Ashdown for a repair.

Big thanks to Matt at PMT for sorting out this problem.

 

[BassAdder60]

19 minutes ago, spyder said:

I have a very positive result from PMT and Ashdown.

PMT are collecting the amp and sending it to Ashdown for a repair.

Big thanks to Matt at PMT for sorting out this problem.

 

The guys at PMT online are great and very helpful 

Matt has helped me before, top bloke 

[lemmywinks]

It's Jordan I'm dealing with via email so seems like they're very helpful across the board. The missing cavity cover is arriving today via DPD so good news on that front.

 

Had some more time with this bass last night and the low B is monstrous.