stuckinthepod

Hi all, This is the reply from ParcelForce. I emailed their MD directly. Dear Mr ****** (Stuckinthepod) Thank you for your email to Gary Simpson, our Managing Director, which he has asked me to respond to. I was extremely concerned to read of the actions of our driver in leaving your bass guitar unattended at your address, and genuinely apologise for the clear concern and frustration they have caused as a result of their poor decision when delivering your parcel. Please be assured our Operations Director, who is in overall control of our delivery operation, has contacted our Manchester Depot Operations Manager, who is in charge of our Manchester depot, to personally deal with this incident with our driver who handled your delivery. On our signed for services, upon delivery our drivers are required to ensure the parcel they are delivering is accepted by an occupant at the delivery address and that a record of who accepted the item is kept in the form of a name and signature which is taken from the individual who accepts delivery. The sender has paid for the peace of mind of safe and confirmed delivery to the recipient’s address, and in the unfortunate event something should happen to the parcel, that they are compensated accordingly in line with the Terms and Conditions of Carriage of the service used either by ourselves or our partners abroad their item was sent through as applicable. For the security of mail we carry and safety of the goods we deliver for our customers, Parcelforce Worldwide have a zero tolerance approach when items are not delivered as per our delivery policies. Failure by our drivers not adhering to our delivery policies would always be dealt with under our company’s conduct code by their line Manager and can lead to immediate dismissal. As you mention, we do have multiple delivery options available if the addressee of a parcel is unavailable, such as delivery to a local Post Office, being returned to the local Parcelforce Worldwide depot or for it to be attempted to be delivered to a neighbour within a reasonable distance. I am very sorry our driver made such an extremely poor error in judgment when delivering your item and did not use one of our alternative convenient delivery processes to ensure your item was kept safe. I can advise that our Managers do have individual daily debriefs with our drivers when they return to site and raise with our drivers at weekly meetings any complaints relating to delivery processes to ensure our policies are being adhered to and that any issues are raised with their entire delivery team to ensure they are not repeated, as well as the consequences if they should. Due to Royal Mail Group policy and our employee confidentiality rights I am sorry I cannot discuss the action we have taken against our driver. Please be assured however from the action we have taken there will be no future incidents of this nature with deliveries to your premises. If we receive contact from Thomann we will of course provide our apologies for what has happened and notify them we have taken the relevant action to ensure this does not happen again in your postcode area. Thank you once more for bringing this matter to our attention to ensure we took the necessary action, and again please accept my apologies for the clear concern and frustration we have caused as a result of this regrettable incident. Yours sincerely ______________________________________ David Bowles Managing Director’s Office Parcelforce Worldwide Lytham House, 25 Caldecotte Lake Drive, Caldecotte, Milton Keynes, MK7 8LE  01908 687 249 (Fax: 01908 687 101)

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1431435258' post='2771282'] Watch out for feedback, as they are mostly hollow. Don't stand too close to your amp or monitor. Unless you want feedback as part of your sound of course... [/quote] Cheers. I cranked it a bit last night as next door are away. Got plenty of feedback especially on the 500 position but it seems really controllable and actually quite useable. Dropping the volume knob to 9 seemed to cut most of it out immediately. Can't wait it to have another play tonight.

[quote name='planer' timestamp='1431436645' post='2771318'] You look happy mate, nice one! The bass looks awesome, I can't remember seeing one in that colour before. [/quote] I've read that they were initially limited to 600 in white worldwide, whether that is still the case I don't know. [quote] Slightly (!) ot, what's occurring on your fence? :-) [/quote] Ha,ha. My wife was until recently a childminder working from home. On the fence is a blackboard and the white pictures are alphabet pictures. It's all about the OFSTED ratings man! Wife and kids get an equal share of the whole house with me relegated to that small corner of the kitchen diner for bassing.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1431428561' post='2771151'] Surely having the driver "sign" for the delivery counts as fraud? Might have some interesting implications if you paid for the bass by credit card. [/quote] Big Red, yes I agree it is fraud (whether it could be prosecuted I don't know) and the implications had the bass then been pinched from where it was "abandoned" are enormous. The delivery had been "signed for" so Thomann could have withheld any refund and assumed I was pulling a fast one. Zero response for ParcelForce thus far. [quote name='planer' timestamp='1431436344' post='2771314'] I totally understand why you are upset (I would be too!), but I'm sure Thomman have packed it sufficiently well that it will survive. Try not to let it detract from your NBD mate :-) [/quote] Thanks. They did pack it really well and it was completely unscathed. She is a thing of beauty and I'm really happy and certainly got that NBD feeling when I unpacked her. Have ordered an extra long strap to wear it appropriately low at the next gig.

I've taken a number of steps to highlight what happened here to ParcelForce. Whether I get a shred of response or not remains to be seen. I have lodged a complaint via ParcelForce's website- You can't complain by phone according to their customer services I have emailed a complaint and pictures to the MD of ParcelForce and the Director of Customer Care at Royal Mail (who still ultimately own ParcelForce). I've posted complaints on the ParcelForce Facebook page. I have emailed Thommann and copied them in on the email I sent to ParcelForce so they know what their UK delivery partner is doing. I have complained long and hard Basschat - scourge of the corporate world, fighter for truth and justice and natural home to grumblers everywhere. I will let you know if I get any response. Cheers, Ben

Cheers Discreet. Blood knackered now after being on edge all day. The neighbours are away so time to crank it...

The Epiphone lives! Bass is A OK thankfully. Was doubled boxed and completely unhurt by her ordeal. Have lodged a complaint with ParcelFarce and am going to email the pics to their Managing Director. Will let Thomann know also so hopefully they'll kick up a stink. My experience with Thomann delivery was the opposite in that the bass spent a week in Germany then shot through the UK in relatively quick time. New bass pics here: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/261895-nbd-epiphone-ltd-ed-jack-casady-2014-alpine-white/"]http://basschat.co.u...4-alpine-white/[/url] Thanks for all the messages of support, shared outrage and suggestions, it was appreciated. Nuclear rage has subsided and will be saved for another day...

Yay! After the delivery palaver I posted about earlier I'm very happy to confirm the Epi is safe and well. I saw this bass a week and a half ago ago on Thomann and had to have it. It's my first "new" bass as in box fresh. I bought it completely off spec/reviews having never played one but noted all the good feedback they get on Basschat Thomann to their credit wrapped it well and it was double boxed so no harm done by the rain. Still need to let Thomann know what their UK delivery partner is doing with their products and have lodged a complaint with ParcelForce. The bass is a beauty and looks ace in white. Paint job is very good, hard ware seems good as do the tone and volume controls. Yes the strings are pretty low end roundwounds but they'll do for now until I can get some flats on it. Action is quite good but the intonation on E and A strings will need a tweak as very flat. The tone and playability are excellent. Neck feels chunky but comfortable a bit like my old Epi EB3 so nice and familiar. The tones are exactly as others on here have commented. Big and bold tones with a hint of DB on the 50 position, happy medium on the 250 and grindy rock tones on the 500. I'm very happy and looking forward to exploring what she can do over the next few days prior to next band practice. [url="https://flic.kr/p/sqyVAv"][/url] [url="https://flic.kr/p/sH33cc"][/url]

What annoys me the most is that Parcel Force have the option that most couriers companies don't. Just taking it to the local delivery office where I can pick it up safely the next day.

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1431350156' post='2770253'] That's what it looks like to me too [/quote] I really hope so too. My wife checked for impact damage and couldn't see any so I've got everything crossed all is well when I open it up tonight.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1431346536' post='2770186'] I'm guessing that Thomann do a LOT of business with Parcelforce, and will be better-placed than you to put pressure on them. Thomann generally get a very good press here on Basschat (including from me) so you might want to send them a link to this thread. I read the OP as that he had NOT signed for it at all. [/quote] No the driver faked a signature and lobbed it- we were all out at the time. My nuclear rage has now diminished somewhat. Will be contacted Thomann and directing them to the pictures. A calculated response for Parcelforce will be coming this evening.

Have already emailed Parcel Force and will email Thomann tonight after I check the contents. Mrs Stuckinthepod said box looks okay apart from a little damp so I'm hopeful that the bass is ok. Today will be a long, long day in the office.

Epiphone Jack Casady Ltd Edition. Was hoping to do a big NBD post later but just feeling sick and pissed off at the moment.

Words cannot convey my current level of anger... Checked the Parcel Force tracking info this morning and saw my parcel had been delivered and I had apparently signed for it - despite being at work. Asked my wife to go home from work and check thinking "It's probably gone to the local delivery office" but I'd better check to be on the safe side. In my minds eye I had the worse picture of it being sat there on the door step. This was a close second. My signature was faked by the driver and my Thomann delivery was tossed over the back gate and left in the rain (which thankfully finished soon after). [url="https://flic.kr/p/spA3Ke"][/url] [url="https://flic.kr/p/sG529H"][/url]

Hootie and the Blowfish. However if it had been Hooters and the Blowfish... such a fine line between clever and stupid.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1431010497' post='2766880'] Tour Paedo [/quote] You'll always draw a crowd...well a mob.

I just sold a bass on Ebay and it cost me £16 in Ebay fees and £5 in pay pal charges for a £165 sale. Will be trying basschat for sale section in the future.

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1430996788' post='2766652'] As a side question -- a corollary to the original, if you will -- is there a genre of music that you used to hate, but have gradually grown to admire/like/love? Vice versa, do you now loathe something you used to adore? For myself: back in my late teens, I could not [i]stand[/i] classical music. Or opera for that matter. Or anything even remotely C&W-ish. But nowadays, people like Shostakovich and Puccini and Brad Paisley are among the staples of my musical diet. [/quote] Yep I have grown to love Alt Country and bluegrass and bass led me to funk & soul & motown. Used to only be in to "Guitar" music E.G Rock/indie but that led down the road to blues, then trad blues then all of a sudden all kinds of more traditional music.

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1430996436' post='2766642'] I see no need for a lock unless it gets shouty? As long as everyone bears in mind that opinions are like arseholes (we all have one) and that mine is as valid as his, which is as valid as hers, which is as valid etc etc etc, it'll be fine. We're all grownups, right? [/quote] Exactomundo. It's all points of view (until someone disses Black Sabbath- then the gloves are off ). I've actually found playing bass opened my ear up to and made me consider the merits of music I formally had no interest in at all. Whereas my earlier years playing guitar just cemented me in a narrow musical area that interested me.

[quote name='anaxcrosswords' timestamp='1430995979' post='2766635'] Yeah, there was an age of rap that was fun, often with quite a good message – I’m thinking White Lines, The Crown, er, possibly others – but modern rap (even a lot of RnB) seems to enjoy focusing on misogyny, shiny ting and claims of sexual prowess. I’ve sometimes wondered if a deal should be done; you stop referring to females as bitches and hoes and we’ll stop referring to you with the ‘n’ word. [/quote] I think that is part of what dissuades me from it. It seems to be a genre where there is an adherence to a very limited set of messages & story telling that is overwhelming negative. My other complaint is that it seems so musically limited and the "big" songs song to my ears little more than a click track with someone talking misogynistically over the top. Now you can spin than round and talk in exactly the same what about the limited nature of metal music and content there of- however I like metal.

My view on Rap (Using this as a catchall term to encompass every thing from Public Enemy to Kanye) is that it offers me too little musically where as Jazz offers me too much. I totally understand that's a sweeping generalisation and that vocal melodic jazz is different from free form experimental stuff. However, from generalised standpoint I'd turn off most jazz 9 out of 10 times. I think I just drawn to good melodies, good hooks and music that's connects with me emotionally. Rap and Jazz only inspire irritation in me.

[sub]I love/enjoy rock, pop, metal, indie, electo, motown, dance, soul, blues, country, folk, punk, classical and many other varieties. In almost all cases I switch off any Rap or Jazz. To my taste and personally to my ear both are without merit.[/sub]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1430916311' post='2765870'] I think it works both ways. And as I said upthread bands are generally too loud. Loudness isn't an absolute, it's what is appropriate for the venue. We're very careful which venues we approach and agree to play because we are aware of what is appropriate for some venues is going to be difficult (but not impossible) to achieve as a lot of the time the sound levels are increased by the audience which is beyond our control. We have played some of our best gigs at relatively low volume in small pubs but that does require a certain amount of musicianship. Particularly from the guitarist and the drummer . [/quote] I do agree with you. I don't think ours was a volume issue in an of itself more a case of "what have we booked"!! We certainly were not appropriate from the minute we set foot on stage, let alone plugged anything in. We generally play better as a group at a more sensible volume level. As a band we are just hitting our tenth gig and are now finessing the setup and sound to a point where we can get some consistency (own PA/own mixing). The prior gig to the last one we had a very sensible FOH and on stage sound and it sounded the great. The 12 people watching agreed as well.

[quote name='gadgie' timestamp='1430920682' post='2765947'] Well what's the chances of this happening....... I'm listening to some MP3 songs on random. I'm reading your post and get to line above just as the Carperters are stopping ans Stormbinger comes one. Cue strange scifi music! [/quote] Haha! Nice.

Thanks very much. I only found out after naming the band there is also a USA based band with the same name. I can assure you we are very much the UK band, playing to half empty disinterested pubs all across the north west. lol ...but I do love it.