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Counting the days??


BIG.J
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I wouldn't even call it fancy, it's the most confusing and convoluted website I've ever seen!

Who cares about looking up the progress of their instrument when the guy obviously spends more time doing that than actually conversing with the client!
If you'd ordered a Shuker (as one example).....you might not have had many pictures....or an update on the website....but you'd probably be holding the bass by now lol

Good luck with it
Si

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[quote name='Sibob' post='577437' date='Aug 22 2009, 11:00 AM']I wouldn't even call it fancy, it's the most confusing and convoluted website I've ever seen![/quote]
The site might have been considered fancy in the mid-nineties, but it looks like a crappy hobby site to me.

This site comes up high on a search for the bloke:
[url="http://www.guitarsite.com/database/Guitars/rec/7433/"]http://www.guitarsite.com/database/Guitars/rec/7433/[/url]

From the comments there it appears he has been ripping people off like this for a long time:

[quote][b]Never Again[/b]
Posted by One-Time Customer on November 25, 2007 at 03:32:21:
I found this "luthier" in an internet search by accident when looking for a custom guitar builder. Although he seems like a pretty nice guy, his workmanship is horrible. Any monkey with a bandsaw and a sander could keep right up with him, and probably even deliver a finished product alot faster. It took him well over a year to finish mine. I was NOT happy with the end result to say the least. I'm even embarrassed enough that only a few people have seen the guitar. I'd rather not advertise for him. I see he now has a CNC machine. I believe he had to go this route because his "by hand" work was nothing to speak of... I'll never bother with the guy again and all my guitar playing friends that saw my finished product and will not do business with him either.[/quote]
[quote][b]guitar work[/b]
Posted by Still Waiting on May 03, 2007 at 13:51:13:
I would place an order but he isnt finishing any of the work he has.[/quote]

[quote][b]Slowest mudder fudder I have ever bought from[/b]
Posted by Tonga on April 15, 2007 at 13:51:26:

Took 9 months for a simple fretboard.[/quote]
[quote][b]Christopher Woods - Rip-off artist[/b]
Posted by Ruben on February 14, 2005 at 17:52:40:

I ordered a custom Strat body from this guy (Christopher Woods) - he took a $95.00 deposit and led me along with emails for about a year, then stopped answering my emails, even though he is still advertising for business on his web site. Don't order from this guy - he rips people off!

You have been warned![/quote]

Edited by Jean-Luc Pickguard
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Good News!!

Christopher woods must have been contacted by someone in the UK for a custom build! When the potential customer carried out a few internet searches he came across this Thread on Basschat? This link was sent to him and within 24hrs he has replied to the customers Email, sending a copy to me. He has made it quite clear to him that i am not being ripped off and that things have taken a little longer to complete but my name is on the list. I am not the type to complain or kick up a fuss, Just wanted some sort of reply to say things were ok and that things were taking a while to complete. Having watched my name on the list for months & months i hope Mr Woods can understand my need to post this thread.

Mr Woods has now updated his Blog and my name seems to be moving in the right direction?

I still haven't had a personal reply in response to any of my concers other than the Email copied from that customer quoting "BIG.J" (Justin) has not been ripped off!

Mr Woods must be snowed under with work and i understand responding to Emails takes up valueble hands on time.

Many thanks to Basschat and its members for your support so far,

Justin.

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[quote name='BIG.J' post='579753' date='Aug 25 2009, 12:40 AM']... This link was sent to him and within 24hrs he has replied to the customers Email, sending a copy to me. He has made it quite clear to him that i am not being ripped off and that things have taken a little longer to complete but my name is on the list. ...I still haven't had a personal reply in response to any of my concers other than the Email copied from that customer quoting "BIG.J" (Justin) has not been ripped off!

Mr Woods must be snowed under with work and i understand responding to Emails takes up valueble hands on time.[/quote]

Glad it's moving in the right direction. Personally, I'd be rightly p*ssed off that he takes time out to 'reassure' a new customer who presumably hasn't handed their money over yet, but hasn't bothered to contact you directly. And, unless I'm mistaken, he still hasn't given you a firm completion and shipping date.

Communicating with paying customers is as valuable as getting the work done. If he'd got back to you in the first place, he wouldn't have had to waste the time reassuring the new customer that he could have spent on finishing your job. It's not good for his business and the quicker you get your neck, the quicker threads like this will subside.

Handsome is as handsome does. I'm sure he's a lovely guy.

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  • 3 months later...

Again, using Shuker as an example (other luthiers are available!), I ordered a custom neck from him. 4 months later I was on tour with it!

I'd be asking for my money back in this instance, regardless of how far down the line the build is. Principle is an important thing!
I'm also not one for complaining, or rushing things, but communication is extremely important in a transaction that is as personal as this!

Si

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[quote name='BurritoBass' post='683045' date='Dec 13 2009, 03:03 PM']Ridiculous. It all sounded like it was moving in the right direction back in August[/quote]

Tell me about it,

All i wanted was a little proof that something was getting done = (Pic of neck in process etc)

Just hope 2010 brings me some luck. :)

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[quote name='Sibob' post='683053' date='Dec 13 2009, 03:11 PM']Again, using Shuker as an example (other luthiers are available!), I ordered a custom neck from him. 4 months later I was on tour with it!

I'd be asking for my money back in this instance, regardless of how far down the line the build is. Principle is an important thing!
I'm also not one for complaining, or rushing things, but communication is extremely important in a transaction that is as personal as this!

Si[/quote]

Thanks Si,

Having paid via Paypal i did look into a dispute etc, As it's been so long there's no record of the transaction ?

Cheers

J.

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[quote name='BIG.J' post='683060' date='Dec 13 2009, 03:18 PM']Thanks Si,

Having paid via Paypal i did look into a dispute etc, As it's been so long there's no record of the transaction ?

Cheers

J.[/quote]

Have you not got the email from paypal saying the payment went through?

Si

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Not being funny but do you honestly think you'll get a positive result from this?

I've followed your trials and tribulations and it seriously looks like the guy has your money and he knows you've now got no chance of getting a refund from paypal so he's simply washed his hands of you. I'd love to be proved wrong but the tale has all the signs of an unhappy end on your part. :)

Saying that I wish you the best of luck. :rolleyes:

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[quote name='yorks5stringer' post='683083' date='Dec 13 2009, 03:46 PM']What some people have done on US Talkbass is "outed" slow suppliers: that could be an option to try and apply some pressure?
Dr Bass cabs got very bad press on TB and they have held up their hands and acknowledged the issues and have brought in more staff to totally restructure the business.[/quote]

I would agree; looking at my last post it looks very 'defeatist' (for want of a better description). However, I would suggest that you up your game considerably, contact paypal to look at the possibility of a refund and probably start a thread over on TB are some of the obvious ones. I can't see that waiting any longer will bring much benefit and will likely as not just drag this drama on even longer for you.

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This was the Email i recieved once Christopher Woods had been drawn to this thread, Again not a direct Email to me but one to a potential UK customer which was copied to me?

In the time it must have taken him to type this Email he could have atleast sent some sort of update directly to me? =

Christopher Woods wrote =

Paul, (Potential UK Customer)


No worries and good luck with your endeavor for a custom bass.


Though I would like to respond to your comments and maybe some of the
comments posted in the forum that you linked me to.


First off Big J or Justin who started that thread is on my Current Orders list and
is the 7th name down shown here:
[url="http://homepage.mac.com/bigvelvetdog/Current%20Orders/gbgncstm.html"]http://homepage.mac.com/bigvelvetdog/Curre...s/gbgncstm.html[/url]
He is not being ripped off it is just going to take a while longer to complete his
order.


Due to this and some other un-happy customer comments like this I have set up a
schedule which is clearly written on my website. It is on the NEW ORDERS page
and there for all new customers to know what to expect for turnaround times.
[url="http://homepage.mac.com/bigvelvetdog/neworders.html"]http://homepage.mac.com/bigvelvetdog/neworders.html[/url]


I don't give out my phone number because for one all the info that I can give as far
as completion times is already on my Current Orders pages. And secondly,,, already
with the couple dozen people that do have my direct phone line, I am on the phone
about 1-2 hours a day. I would like to be able to take phone calls but at this point, I know
that I would not get any work done. Better to build guitars then to talk about building them.


And my last point is that I do know that there are some complaints out there. And as always
100% of un-happy customers will complain. Only about 10% of happy customers will wave
my flag. But some do email me after getting their order so I post those comments here:
[url="http://homepage.mac.com/bigvelvetdog/New%20Orders/customercomments.html"]http://homepage.mac.com/bigvelvetdog/New%2...ercomments.html[/url]
Read Mirko's comment. It is applies to these kinds of situations.


The best case scenario is when customers read the info that i have posted on scheduling,
and policies. Submit their specs. (and don't change them every few weeks) and let me
do what i do best without interruption. I know that that doesn't sound very customer service
oriented but until I am getting $4k per order and can take all the time in the world with
one person, this is the way it works. And it is really not a bad system for those people who
know what they want. I spend extra time in the initial consulting to make sure that I have
answered all the questions that a customer may have but after the order is place and
specs are set, I really need to just build the order.


Anyway, I am going to copy this email to "Big J" Justin.


Thanks

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Reading that guff about "Only about 10% of happy customers will wave my flag" ... "let me do what i do best without interruption" and knowing what's [i]really[/i] happened prompts me to think this guy is 100% full of his own sh*t.

Only one line from that mail is relevant:

[quote]after the order is place and specs are set, I really need to just build the order.[/quote]
So meet your commitments and get on with it.

Edited by skankdelvar
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What a weird website. Who puts the list of current orders and state of completion on the web? It all seems very amateurish to me. He's not doing himself any favours generating all this bad publicity.

Yes - unhappy customers generate the biggest amount of publicity. Now he's spotted that basic rule of marketing he might want to think about acting accordingly.

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