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A purchase with issues

#202
RandyMolson said:
I disagree. The old school caveat emptor conventions change when the buyer has no opportunity to handle the item prior to purchase.

Internet seller responsibility is to clearly disclose all defects in the ad. Also, it is seller responsibility (and risk) to make sure the stated condition is upon receipt by the buyer. The seller must be held responsible for properly packing, tracking and insuring because they are the party in direct control of those protections.

Also, in the case of undisclosed defects, it should be the buyer’s decision whether to return or repair. This is because the buyer did not intend to buy a repaired, broken bass; and shouldn’t be forced to do so.

Also, because undisclosed defects are a seller default, the seller should be responsible for reimbursing the return shipment cost to the buyer. Otherwise, the buyer is forced to pay a penalty for a seller’s inaccurate ad. This is also in line with product return conventions for mail order companies.

As far as I know, my thoughts are in line with eBay rules. Like them or not, eBay has had plenty of time to figure out a working protocol for internet sales of used items. Furthermore, eBay rules carry authority outside of eBay because they are so dominant in the used product industry.
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I agree that a seller needs to be completely honest and forward, but just because a buyer can't handle the instrument doesn't mean he's void of all responsibility in a transaction to ask questions and state what his expectations are in regards to the bass in question. I'm coming from the view that a seller DID do everything right and it's the buyer who should of done more.

For example, I sold a bass a while back that was in great condition minus one nick in the finish on its back. I had a few photos of the nick and compared it to various coins so every potential buyer could see just how small and insignificant of a blemish it was. I ended selling it to a guy who, upon receiving the bass, decided the nick was too much for him to accept on a 'new' bass.

I reminded him that the bass was listed as used but in perfect working order and that the nick had been pictured multiple times. He pressured me to refund him but I politely told him that I couldn't do that because it was disclosed beforehand quite clearly. I'm not Guitar Center and do not claim to be so. I'll refund a purchase if a bass shows up broke and the buyer can prove it was broken in route to his or her place, but I won't refund a bass just because someone doesn't like it as much as they thought they would.

I am an honest seller who will sell you exactly what I have. I will be detailed in my post, provide excellent pictures, and will disclose all faults of the bass, but I'll be damned if I do that and someone has a change of heart on a blemish that was noted beforehand. It is a buyer's responsibility to make sure a bass is up to scratch. If it turns out being something he doesn't like then he can turn around and sell it himself. And let's not forget, that's the game of buying used. If you don't want to deal with things like that potentially happening then you should buy new.

Again, all of this is assuming the seller was honest, forward, and detailed oriented in his listing.
 
#203
I'm so disappointed. I was getting ready to leave the shop tonight but was told to check this thread out first. I'm really upset, because I was planning to fill out my application and submit my portfolio to a local University in an effort to major in photography so I could meticulously detail all of the builds at my shop. I was going to minor in run-on sentences. It took me so long to read this thread that I missed the deadline. Now I will have to continue concentrating on building basses instead of documenting them.

All kidding aside: This has been an informative thread. I've known the seller for years and believe him to be an honest guy with integrity. The buyer's standpoint is totally justified as well. I'm privy to information on both sides that have not been presented here and would like to think that this is all a matter of simple miss-communication. I agreed yesterday to evaluate and repair/replace any defective components of the instrument simply because I have the audacity to believe in what I do. It may be "out of warranty" but if something is wrong I want to see it, address it, and learn from it.

Both parties contacted the shop yesterday and I thought it was resolved. If you kids want to continue arguing about this please feel free. From where I stand, there's a CallowHill on the chopping block and we take care of what we make. Bicker on, in the meantime I just want the seller and buyer to know that we here at CallowHill love you both.

Isn't there a "post your basses with pets" thread you guys can "R Kelly" on?

Trying to keep it light-hearted. Be well. -Tim
 
#204
king_biscuit said:
That's fine, but those items are not housed in delicate wooden chassis. Shipping damage that could damage electronics inside of a bass guitar cavity would do major damage to the bass.
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Nope they are mounted to thin aluminum that dents if you sneeze on it. Depending on the switch, I guarantee you can hit it with a screwdriver handle and screw it up. Their not that stout. Neither are pots . They have better sheer strength, but push down on them and you can easily bend the shaft and plate. They either get hard to turn, get scratchy, or just stop working all together. Their only plastic and aluminum inside. That's kind of why there are so many out there that don't work and people are constantly replacing them.

Ever play a brand new bass in a store with knobs or switches that don't work? They weren't bad when they put them in. Ever see how they ship most guitars? That's how the knobs get broken.
 
#205
rayzak said:
I look at it like this: It's a used bass, so it's bound to have some player wear, etc. If you want a minty, new bass, then buy a new bass. HOWEVER... the player wear/defects should be disclosed as accurately as possible by the seller so the buyer can make an educated decision whether to purchase or not, and avoid outcomes such as this.
IF the bass is recieved by the purchaser with any undisclosed issues, even during shipping, they should be given a full refund(perhaps minus shipping costs) immediately after returning the bass back to the seller. Then, the seller should be responsible for repairs, claims, relisting, etc. It only took the buyer 2 days to figure out that he didn't get what he payed for, which is a very reasonable time.
It's simply, the "right" thing to do.
A pain in the rump, yes. But, anything less is just plain selfishness. The buyer deserves to recieve the item that he/she paid for. It's not as if he just tried it and decided that it's not his "flavor". He's got a legitimate complaint. This is, of course, just IMHO.
Click to expand...

Exactly.
 
#206
king_biscuit said:
I'll say this, the real loser here is the poor builder who is apparently going to have to put a third neck on this bass under warranty :scowl:
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I fully agree. They are giving everyone the benefit of a doubt and standing behind their product. They also admitted to having issues like every builder with ebony. The switches could have been shipping and it could have just been the necks time to go. Sh*t happens and it sucks.
 
#207
callowhill said:
I'm so disappointed. I was getting ready to leave the shop tonight but was told to check this thread out first. I'm really upset, because I was planning to fill out my application and submit my portfolio to a local University in an effort to major in photography so I could meticulously detail all of the builds at my shop. I was going to minor in run-on sentences. It took me so long to read this thread that I missed the deadline. Now I will have to continue concentrating on building basses instead of documenting them.

All kidding aside: This has been an informative thread. I've known the seller for years and believe him to be an honest guy with integrity. The buyer's standpoint is totally justified as well. I'm privy to information on both sides that have not been presented here and would like to think that this is all a matter of simple miss-communication. I agreed yesterday to evaluate and repair/replace any defective components of the instrument simply because I have the audacity to believe in what I do. It may be "out of warranty" but if something is wrong I want to see it, address it, and learn from it.

Both parties contacted the shop yesterday and I thought it was resolved. If you kids want to continue arguing about this please feel free. From where I stand, there's a CallowHill on the chopping block and we take care of what we make. Bicker on, in the meantime I just want the seller and buyer to know that we here at CallowHill love you both.

Isn't there a "post your basses with pets" thread you guys can "R Kelly" on?

Trying to keep it light-hearted. Be well. -Tim
Click to expand...

Tim / Callowhill rocks!
 
#208
grendle said:
Ever play a brand new bass in a store with knobs or switches that don't work? They weren't bad when they put them in.
Click to expand...

Uhh, some of them were. I worked in a music store for 10 years while in college/grad school, and I saw stuff come through that was clearly built wrong at the factory -- including a brand new Les Paul Custom with the switch wired backwards.
 
#209
callowhill said:
I'm so disappointed. I was getting ready to leave the shop tonight but was told to check this thread out first. I'm really upset, because I was planning to fill out my application and submit my portfolio to a local University in an effort to major in photography so I could meticulously detail all of the builds at my shop. I was going to minor in run-on sentences. It took me so long to read this thread that I missed the deadline. Now I will have to continue concentrating on building basses instead of documenting them.

All kidding aside: This has been an informative thread. I've known the seller for years and believe him to be an honest guy with integrity. The buyer's standpoint is totally justified as well. I'm privy to information on both sides that have not been presented here and would like to think that this is all a matter of simple miss-communication. I agreed yesterday to evaluate and repair/replace any defective components of the instrument simply because I have the audacity to believe in what I do. It may be "out of warranty" but if something is wrong I want to see it, address it, and learn from it.

Both parties contacted the shop yesterday and I thought it was resolved. If you kids want to continue arguing about this please feel free. From where I stand, there's a CallowHill on the chopping block and we take care of what we make. Bicker on, in the meantime I just want the seller and buyer to know that we here at CallowHill love you both.

Isn't there a "post your basses with pets" thread you guys can "R Kelly" on?

Trying to keep it light-hearted. Be well. -Tim
Click to expand...

LOL! Very true. We argue about everything here. I like think its because we are so passionate about the instruments we love. Hats off to you and the folks at CallowHill. You are a stand up company and we need more like you.
 
#211
king_biscuit said:
All we know is it isn't in the same shape as it was shipped,and it was covered for 1000$ in damages. A refund isn't on the table, and the mfr. Is offering to make the bass better than new, for free. And still no damage claim filed. Tick ..tick....I personally would be thinking about the custom inlays I wanted for the new neck on my better than I bought it in condition bass. And what I could upgrade with the one money. Sounds like a pretty good windfall to me.
Click to expand...

I fixed it for you.

/thread.
 
#218
callowhill said:
I'm so disappointed. I was getting ready to leave the shop tonight but was told to check this thread out first. I'm really upset, because I was planning to fill out my application and submit my portfolio to a local University in an effort to major in photography so I could meticulously detail all of the builds at my shop. I was going to minor in run-on sentences. It took me so long to read this thread that I missed the deadline. Now I will have to continue concentrating on building basses instead of documenting them.

All kidding aside: This has been an informative thread. I've known the seller for years and believe him to be an honest guy with integrity. The buyer's standpoint is totally justified as well. I'm privy to information on both sides that have not been presented here and would like to think that this is all a matter of simple miss-communication. I agreed yesterday to evaluate and repair/replace any defective components of the instrument simply because I have the audacity to believe in what I do. It may be "out of warranty" but if something is wrong I want to see it, address it, and learn from it.

Both parties contacted the shop yesterday and I thought it was resolved. If you kids want to continue arguing about this please feel free. From where I stand, there's a CallowHill on the chopping block and we take care of what we make. Bicker on, in the meantime I just want the seller and buyer to know that we here at CallowHill love you both.

Isn't there a "post your basses with pets" thread you guys can "R Kelly" on?

Trying to keep it light-hearted. Be well. -Tim
Click to expand...

Tim,

Very cool of you to make the offer you have. Prior to this thread I had never heard of or played a Callow Hill Bass but I also did not think it was a reflection upon the basses you make. There were to many unknown variables such as what kind of condition does the seller keep his gear in, did it really get damaged in shipping and so on. But after reading your reply, even though you are not obligated to do anything, I think that is very cool of you to make the offer you did and I wouldn't hesitate to buy a bass from you. Also, as a Christian, I love the inlay on that bass and the meaning behind it!
Jay
 

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