Missing Presumed Stolen - Alembic Essence 4 String, clear gloss, serial number #90K6225

[Jakester]

35 minutes ago, dyerseve said:

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...

 

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...

[dyerseve]

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.

 

[Chris2112]

Here's hoping you get the refund and can put this whole episode behind you. 

 

It seems with shipping you really do deal with the luck of the draw. I was on a bass-related Facebook group the other day seeing that a guy in California had taken delivery of a bass sent from the UK. This bass was an Explorer shape, making it even more likely to sustain damage due to it's slabby body, flat edged and pointed extremities. The instrument was sent in a measley sheet of bubble wrap and a weird assortment of small boxes which had been cut and taped to form a bizarre outer layer (which looked to have absolutely no rigidity at all). It was without a doubt one of the worst packing jobs I'd ever seen. Amazingly, the bass made it the whole way unscathed. It looked to me like it would have been in bits before it even left the UK. 

 

You can only cross your fingers and hope when a bass is being sent by post but bit of effort with some proper packaging does go a long way. 

Edited January 21, 2023 by Chris2112

[dyerseve]

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! 🥱