dyerseve

Awesome bass! Looks like an Afzelia body like my 87 JD Thumb. 

These basses have the best necks you are ever likely to fund- to give that sine perspective, I've owned nearly 80 basses including other high end Warwicks, Wals, Ritters, Lulls etc

Seller has just replied with another bizzare reply:

"Most issues you show on the pics are also in the pics that i published in this announce, like the 2 missing screws, the small damage on the left top body side, also some scratches on the bottom of the body, the small dent on the neck pickup is all on the pictures, so the bass is sold as is !!!, the bass is in excellent condition for a 32 year!!! old bass guitar, neck is perfectly strait without any weak spots, yes the bass came with low action, because that is the way have all my basses and the way i like to play. again i´ll ask you where was the bass between 11 and 16 of January as you told me that ups did not clarify anything. looking forward to hear from reverb. have a nice day"

So he agrees the bass arrived with more damage then when he sent it. The photos on the listing are very poor and it is not clear that there was any existing damage or missing screws - certainly none of this is mentioned in the description. Also, why list the bass as "Excellent Condition" if this was the case???

I am really not sure why he keeps asking me where the bass was between 11th and 16th of January - the answer will inevitably be in a UPS distribution center or vehicle. The answer is also completely irrelevant to the case at hand, the damage sustained and his responsibility to refund me! 🥱

31 minutes ago, Jakester said:

 

Make sure you document the condition closely before sending it back so as not to find the seller suggesting some of the damage was caused in the returns process...

thank you - I have already made a comprehensive collection of photos documenting the damage of the bass and have shared these photos with the seller and the website.

I have just had my request for a full refund of the bass denied by the seller with the following message:

"Hi Chris, the bass left my home in perfect condition, it is really strange all, ups left bass at your front door but bass was not there, so where was the bass ????? the bass setup was perfect for the strings i use ( normal rotosound 030 set). i have been working as luthier so don´t come up with stories, if the bass wouldn´t be in a good condition i would have mentioned it or even not sell it."

Here is my reply and what will be my final communication with him:
Please note that I am not interested in what condition the bass left your home, how it was setup or how many years you say you have worked as a luthier. What I am interested in is you adhering to the terms and condition of Reverb.com - terms and conditions you agree to adhere to when you choose to sell on this website.
I am also only interested in the condition of the bass as it arrived to me. That condition did not match the condition you declared in your listing. Therefore, I have not received what I paid for - it is as simple as that.
The damage to the bass is a direct result of your choice to insufficiently and ineffectively package the bass for shipping. The fact that you chose not to insure the bass for shipping is your fault, not mine.  Mind you, even if you had insured the bass, your insufficient and ineffective packaging would have resulted in your claim being denied.
You have no choice but to refund me, you do not have a leg to stand on and only have yourself to blame for this situation.
This will be my final communication with you  as you are completely unable to accept and responsibility for your actions, accept the facts of the situation or acknowledge that you are bound to the terms and conditions for all sellers here on Reverb.com.
I will now pursue this matter only through Reverb.

On 18/01/2023 at 19:49, Chris2112 said:

 

This sounds like a right shitshow. I'm surprised you haven't been put off the bass just by the grief it's caused so far. 

Well I have now decided to return the bass for a full refund. Last night I was showing the bass to my GF when I discovered, under a brighter light, that there is a small crack where the headstock joins the neck. The Fret buzz thing is also totally bizzare - the buzzing occurs between (roughly)the 5th and 12th frets of all the strings, yet the relief is set correctly, as is the action at the bridge and at the nut. So it appears that the neck has developed a "hump" in this region.

So im going to wipe my hands of this bass and this terrible seller. 

Just such a shame that this once incredible instrument is now close to useless and worthless...

Oh man these basses are awesome! The sound is epic and incredibly versatile for a passive. They are light, well balanced and very easy to play.

If it wasn't for this being fretless, it would be coming to me! 

Not to mention at this price, it's a stone cold bargain!

1 minute ago, Chris2112 said:

 

This sounds like a right shitshow. I'm surprised you haven't been put off the bass just by the grief it's caused so far. 

I've come close... I've had my eye out for one of these at an affordable price for a while though. Also, from what I have heard from the bass so far(between the fretbuzz) it has a lot of potential 

2 hours ago, Doctor J said:

I think you're quite right to claim for damage but to get him to pay for a setup is a bit much. The seller isn't responsible for any climate-affected neck shift or playing style differences, especially since you're suggesting you just need to adjust the truss rods and you only need a 1/4" wrench to do that on an Alembic. They're a couple of € in any hardware shop.

Well as the bass is completely unplayable I think it's OK to ask him to pay for the setup. The way it is now is nothing to do playing style differences with all due respect! I should have mentioned that the fretbuzz only occurs on the first 6 frets so is nothing to do with action. The relief looks fine as does the nut height. This is why im wanting a pro to look at it.

Also, as the bass will have to go to a luthier anyway to repair the damage, clean the pots etc. then making the bass playable again via a quick setup is not much to ask. I also want to get the neck checked to make sure it isn't twisted as when the bass arrived it was "tuned" D,G,D#,G# so that has me concerned...

8 minutes ago, MungoBass said:

 

This makes for sad reading. Who booked and paid for the courier? If the seller did then hopefully Reverb might see sense and be helpful. If you booked and paid for it, I guess that makes it a bit harder but.....irrespective, the seller should be responsible for using generous amounts of packing materials and take the necessary care to ensure the bass arrived with you undamaged.

 

 I hope you can get this resolved, put it behind you and enjoy the bass! 🤞

Thanks mate. Seller booked and paid for shipping (I paid shipping costs within my order). 

To be fair to Reverb, although it was avery different story 12 months ago, they seem to have really turned things around with their customer service! I have had a few dealings with them lately and everything they have been nothing short of excellent!

Just to update: i had requested a partial refund from the seller to cover the damage to the bass and a full setup as the bass is currently unplayable through fret buzz and I don't have the right tools to adjust an Alembic neck.

The seller denied the request stating any damage occurring during shipping was the fault of the courier.

I have tried to make him realise that if he doesn't package the bass appropriately or sufficiently, or insure the bass, then any damage during shipping is entirely his responsibility!

I've asked Reverb to step in, fingers crossed 🤞 

9 hours ago, binky_bass said:

I have actually found that there is a higher chance of 'damage in transit' when the packaging is very cumbersome and heavy. 

 

When I sell an instrument with a hard case, I will pack out the inside of the case as best as possible to keep the instrument secure, but will only usually surround the case itself with black plastic and ALWAYS make sure the handle to the case is exposed, this means Mr/Mrs Courier can hold the case by the handle and gives them something to lash a bungee cord round in the van as well as keeping the package as light and slimmed down as possible.

 

A seller on here (a very trusted seller who I've done business with MANY times!) once sent me a bass is the most bomb-proof packaging you could imagine, seriously over the top packing, 10 out of 10 for effort! Unfortunately still it was badly damaged on arrival, it looked like it had been dropped from a great height or violently thrown into the back of a van from 30ft away.

 

Sometimes even the best of packaging won't withstand the best efforts to break its contents!

I understand your logic however, having sold and shipped more than 40+ basses to international buyers with zero incidents or damages, it is my experience that good packaging wins every time. I always pack the bass extremely carefully - lossening the strings, placing layers of kitchenroll between the strings and frets and strings and pickups, surrounding the bass with foam within the case - so it cannot move in any direction at all. I also remove the strap button from the bottom of the bass - this mitigates damage to both the bass and the case, if the parcel is dropped. I then package the case within the box it came in - or if I dont have that box anymore, I wrap it in double-walled cardboard and use plenty of duct tape to secure it.

Of course accidents can still happen thanks to negligent handling but at least you, as the seller, can say that you have done your absolute best to ensure it got to the buyer in the same condition it left you. You also give yourself the best chance for a successful insurance claim in the event of damage during shipping...

an example of my packaging for a bass i shipped to the US:

Well the bass has actually arrived! Firstly, the UPS driver was in fact a UPS employ in full UPS uniform. He even rang the doorbell!

I asked him what had happened with this parcel but he said he had been on holiday for the last 3 weeks so could shed any light on it...

As to the actual bass that was eventually delivered, I have to say that I am rather whizzed off with the seller. He shipped the bass in a case(which is great considering the listing said "case not included") but that was all he shipped the bass in. The case was "wrapped" in a whole two layers of clear shrink-wrap. Not surprisingly the case did not survive unscathed with significant damage to one end - not a big deal as long as the bass survived unscathed, right?

Well the bass was not entirely unscathed and I would say that the fault actually lies with the seller - here is his idea of secure packaging...

Please note there is also a random screw included in the case - just to ensure that the bass can rack up a few extra, completely unnecessary scratches and dings during transit...

Considering that Reverb.com (the website I bought the bass via) has a very comprehensive guide to packaging guitars safely for shipping - which the seller has obviously completely ignored, it is pretty easy to understand why I am rapidly losing patience with the seller. Let me remind you that it is the same seller that thought it ok to ship an Alembic without insurance!

The listing for the bass described the condition as "Excellent" - Reverb.com defines "Excellent" as "When an item has been used, but only has minor cosmetic defects, this can be considered Excellent. Minor surface level scratches, such as pick marks from regular use, would qualify." So imagine my surprise when I inspect the bass and find many non-surface level dings and scratches. Not to mention 2 of the 4 screws from the control cavity are missing(the rando screw included in the case is exactly that - random!), scratchy pots, highly tarnished bridge, a high frets, non-original fret dots(thankfully removable) -none of which is mentioned in the listing...

I was really looking forward to getting my hands on this baby and think the bass has a lot of potential, I'm just rather frustrated and disappointed in the seller and UPS... 

Last time I checked, Dimebag played guitar, not bass, so not sure HTF you can have a Dimebag signature bass guitar???🤨

thanks everyone for the input. I've just noticed an interesting update on the tracking details page:

thankfully I am in all day today so will be interested to see what happens...

1 hour ago, binky_bass said:

Delivery drivers won't wait 10 minutes, not a chance in hell.

 

I'd actually blame the way their company pays them as opposed to the drivers as often they get paid in relation to the amount of parcels they have 'attempted' to deliver, so asking them to wait 10 minutes is asking them to take a pay cut that day.

 

Absolutely no excuses for those drivers that just drive up to a house to make their tracking SatNav show they were at the property, and then drive off again without actually leaving the van. I've had that twice with DHL.

 

The pay structure of delivery companies has a lot to answer for.

Unfortunately this is spot on. I would also blame the courier companies that have enacted a policy that allows their drivers to deliver packets without obtaining a proof of delivery:

Though I have to say that I find it strange that my Amazon delivery driver has no problem locating and utilising my doorbell - and he even waits while I open the door! I mean if any delivery drivers are going to be under the pump then I thought it would be Amazon drivers!

2 hours ago, binky_bass said:

@dyerseve - The email address for the UK CEO of UPS is:

 

[email protected]

 

Send them an email, you'll end up with a response from the 'executive office' and not the actual CEO, but it'll hopefully get the matter escalated.

thanks Binky. You dont happen to know the email of the CEO for UPS here in Germany do you please?

5 hours ago, Drax said:

Of all the delivery firms UPS have been consistently the most unreliable both in delivering on time, but also in correct communication. 
Have you actually spoken with UPS yet on this. There’s a good chance this was never delivered at all, the wrong code inputted by driver, and it’s still somewhere in the UPS system. 

Unfortunately, it is impossible to call UPS. The investigation I have opened with them will hopefully reveal any such inputting error very quickly:

Hi, we are looking into your claim.

The following package has been reported as lost or missing. UPS will search for the package and contact the shipper with any updates or for additional information requests.

UPS Next Steps:
We will search for the package. We will contact the shipper with the results of our search, or if we need more information.

Your Next Steps:
You need do nothing at this time.You can check the status of the claim online at any time.

On 18/11/2022 at 11:09, cetera said:

Update. One more purchased so now:

 

75 basses

10 guitards

I would be very interested to know what basses you have. 

Thanks UPS!🙄

The bass was shipped from Spain to Germany and was originally scheduled for delivery on Monday but never arrived. The tracking details were then updated on Tuesday to show that the bass was out for delivery and would be delivered between 13:00-17:00 on Tuesday. I waited all that time and it never arrived. Tracking info was updated again around 17:30 to say it was still due for delivery that same day but now before end-of-day(19:00 for residential properties). I waited and it never turned up.

The next morning the tracking details were once again updated to show the bass would be delivered on Wednesday, again between 13:00-17:00. I was away that day but had activated notifications for the delivery on my phone - that way, if the bass was delivered, I would call my GF who lives 10 minutes away to go and collect the bass. Sure enough, at 13:04 I get an email to say the bass has been delivered and was left in front of my door(not as bad as it sounds as it is at the back of the property and not overlooked by anyone).  I immediately rang my girlfriend, to go and collect the bass for me. But when she arrived 10 minutes later, there was no sign of the bass. She went to a neighbour and asked if they had received the bass on my behalf but they had not. They then both went around to all of my neighbours and asked all of them if they had received my bass - none of them had. They then searched all of the communal areas of the property and outside the property, the bins, the shed etc but could not locate the bass.
As the bass was originally due to be delivered on Monday and then again Tuesday, I am suspicious that UPS has lost or stolen the bass themselves. There is no proof of delivery, no photo, nothing. As such I have filed a claim for this delivery - the claim was filed on Wednesday and as yet, there has been no response from UPS. 

Please keep your eyes out for this bass and let me know if you see it anywhere.

Unfortunately the seller did not insure the bass, but I should be protected the Reverb.com buyer protection.

14 hours ago, alyctes said:

Wow....

 

I am so tempted to try to arrange a visit...  I really, really want to know what that sounds like.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

I better not.  I haven't got space for a DB

 

The seller has now added a youtube link, enjoy!

On 31/12/2022 at 18:40, hooky_lowdown said:

No need for semantics. I was trying to help and inform, letting BCers know what the bass in question is likely to be. You took it upon yourself to quote me, and say "more likely a Satellite". Then couldn't back it up! 

 

Hondo 830

 

 

having read your posts, I have to agree with @binky_bass that your tone is far from friendly and borderline rude.

you stated that it couldnt possibly be a Satellite bass as "Satellite's never had that style bridge." - Binky then informed you that you were mistaken and proved it by showing you his old Satellite bass which featured that exact bridge. He never said his old bass WAS the same as the one on ebay - just that it featured the same bridge. 

Side note - you asked "with that bridge and is string thru? Enlighten me?" well any bass with that bridge would have to be string through - I've never seen that bridge before in my life but a simple understanding of bass bridges means that I am certain it would never work without being string through...

3 hours ago, Chris2112 said:

Lovely bass. The neck looks to me to be all wenge as even the lighter outer sections have figuring that looks like wenge grain. 

Indeed it is a lovely bass and that neck is 100% wenge, no question about it at all.

14 hours ago, prowla said:

I think it's great that people are prepared to have a go and muck about with things.

However, there is a disconnect between the idea that you can bodge something and the expectation that you can then expect to command a premium price for the result.

Would anybody like to offer me £2k for this creation of mine?

 

I would like to offer you £2K for your creation. Sadly though it seems to be well executed, completed and fully painted. More fool you!

14 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

I crashed my Volvo 200GL on my driveway this morning. Completely ruined front grille and bonnet, will need a new axle and gearbox. Currently on sale for £33,000 o.n.o.

If you highlighted to new potential owners that it also has the "feature" of needing a complete new spray job which they have to arrange and pay for, you could easily ask £35k!

2 hours ago, PriZeMaN said:

 

Why get an off the shelf bass when you could have the only one in the world? I own a custom ACG Krell and I'm more of a unique collector.

It's a personal thing, some might be of the opinion that the looks have been improved but most will like the original, I didn't create it to cater for the masses

Why is it unfinished though? What's with the unpainted areas on the back of what's left of the headstock and the cutout for the new bridge? Not to mention the hideous looking area around the bridge?

If you are going to ask top dollar, you should at least make it look like a finished article!

As for it bring unique, anyone can drill holes in any bass and call it unique...

On 17/12/2022 at 08:26, prowla said:

 

In fairness, I think the OP may have accidentally forgotten to include a link and they didn't appreciate the tone of the reply.

That's possible. In that case, that is all they needed to say...