Disappointing experience with Fret Nation

[Persona87]

I was looking to try some Fat Beams on a new bass, and I’ve never used them before, but I have used the Sunbeams and knew I liked the 40 gauge tension in those. Since they’re both round core, I ordered the 40 FBs from Fret Nation. I knew that his store had a good reputation, and even though it said it would take 1-7 days to ship, I wasn’t too worried. This is on 10/15.

Well, nine days go by without a shipping notification. I message him and he says it’s on the shipping table now (10/23). Cool, I think, because I’m ready to give him a bit of a break with the shipping and manufacturing issues going on because of current events. Then I get an email later that day saying that the strings I wanted didn’t come in, actually. He was going to contact his supplier to check on them. I emailed Wednesday (10/28), and he says they’re coming in on Friday. Friday comes around, and he has only gotten a partial shipment - and that part didn’t include my strings. He said that if I were willing to accept the 45s instead of the 40s, he could get them shipped out on Monday (11/2).

They actually shipped just after midnight this morning (11/4). That’s just short of three weeks after the order date.

I understand that there are things outside of his control that aren’t his fault, but I was given multiple different ship dates that all came and went, and I ended up having to settle for something different than what I actually ordered. That’s certainly not the exceptional ordering experience that I’ve heard about for this website. Honestly, I could have ordered these strings on Amazon instead. It would have been a couple bucks more expensive, but it would have arrived in just a few days.

 

[alembicguy]

Life happens lesson learned.

 

[Yahboy]

Invalid Link Removed

Matt from String by mail are gently and helpful guy.

 

[RickyT]

My Noll pre amp has been sitting at Frankfurt airport "cleared and awaiting international departure" since the 15th October.

International freight is a nightmare at the moment.

Could be worse though.

 

[alembicguy]

I order from Darkglass regularly and receive products in 3-5 days shipped from Finland so I don’t think it’s a shipping issue and more of a company issue.

 

[RickyT]

I checked DHL's website and shipping to Australia is 20-25 days minimum. Air freight to the Middle East then Ocean freight the rest of the way. We aren't letting anything in easily at the moment (which I won't complain about).....then quarantine and dealing with Australia Post the rest of the way.

 

[Stelio Kontos]

I understand that there are things outside of his control that aren’t his fault

Absolutely! And we should be patient with our dealers of choice these days, IF they care to tell us that something outside of their control is happening.

I was given multiple different ship dates that all came and went, and I ended up having to settle for something different than what I actually ordered.

This would drive me mad. They would have lost me as a customer forever for the shameless lie that the strings were "on the shipping table already", pretending that your product was physically actually there when it wasn't even in stock.

 

[Persona87]

I talked to Jason today and he clarified a few things. He apologized again for the perfect storm of issues. I ordered something he doesn’t normally keep in stock, and DR made some mistakes that frustrated him as well. Turns out they don’t include itemized lists with their wholesaler orders, so when he ordered them, he was unaware that DR didn’t ship them with the other items in his order until he opened the box and saw it was only a partial order. In other words, he received the order that should have contained my strings, but they didn’t. Not really his fault, other than not physically laying eyes on them before saying they had arrived.

He tried to make other accommodations as well, but honestly I don’t want a small business to suffer because of multiple issues that were mostly outside of his control (though I still feel that several of these issues could have been avoided with clearer communication).

All in all, I think he’s mostly made up for the issues. I would be cautiously optimistic about ordering from him again, but if the item is not in stock, I might e-mail him first.

 

[Jon Moody]

I would definitely give Jason - and any place, really - the benefit of the doubt.

Getting raw materials to make products right now (like strings) is incredibly difficult, and also expensive. Also, depending on the state's mandates, if someone has a cough, that's an immediate two weeks off and a Covid test, no questions. As for an itemized invoice to Jason, that's on them.

But right now, if you can find ANYTHING quickly, good on you.

 

[catcauphonic]

Tough crowd in here. happens. Based on the hundreds of good reviews here on TB alone, not to mention my own stellar dealings with him about a half dozen times, I'd give him the benefit of any doubt and another chance before deciding to not do biz with, or write any negative reviews that could affect his livelihood down the road. Amazon has everybody a bit spoiled these days. Glad things worked out in the end

 

[Persona87]

I guess it’s my fault for having unrealistic expectations during this unusual time. Apparently supply from manufacturers is crazy low right now, and some basic things that everyone expects to have access to is just not available or hard to come by (he named D’Addario high E single guitar strings as an example). If I’d known the state that the industry was in (not that I’d expect him to dump that kind of info on a random customer), I would have given him a lot more slack.

Things suck for everyone right now thanks to Covid. When you’re stressed, it’s hard to remember that the company on the other side of the screen is a real person dealing with their own issues, and they are having to deal with other companies facing their own issues.

The other positive thing I can say is that every time I messaged him, he responded within a few hours. Sure, days would go by while I was waiting, but if I reached out for a status update, he was quick to reply. In hindsight, days were going by because he was waiting on updates as well.

I’m thinking about deleting this post. I think some of the frustration I expressed here was unrelated to the actual service Jason provided and spilled over from other issues in my life.

it sucks out there. Hopefully that will start to turn around soon, but until then, try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and remember that things are probably bad for them, too.

 

[Oddly]

Just on the amazon availability...in the last two months alone, I've ordered stuff there, and received confirmation and shipping dates, only to eventually discover after chasing suppliers down, that the products were never even in stock.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

I’ve bought quite a few sets of strings from Jason over the years. I can think of two times where my order was delayed, but each time was outside of Jason’s control.

Covid has resulted in many, many nightmares all across the board. But I’m confident Jason will do you right. Hang in there.

 

[JRA]

my HS sweetheart dumped me for a football player.

 

[michael_t]

All in all, I think he’s mostly made up for the issues. I would be cautiously optimistic about ordering from him again, but if the item is not in stock, I might e-mail him first.

I never order anything from Fret Nation without checking with Jason directly by email first about the stock situation. He's always been prompt in responding and up front about his stock situation and how long it might take to get what I need. There have been unexpected delays in the past, but I've never been left in the dark wondering.

 

[shastaband]

For another data point, I just received a set of GHS Balanced Nickels from Jason the day before I received the email telling me they had been shipped. The very few delays I have experienced have all been beyond Jason’s control. He remains my first choice for string purchases.

As to Amazon, I have received the wrong strings in the correct packaging from them (a set of Fender strings in a D’Addario NYXL box).
Caveat emptor

 

[Persona87]

I never order anything from Fret Nation without checking with Jason directly by email first about the stock situation. He's always been prompt in responding and up front about his stock situation and how long it might take to get what I need. There have been unexpected delays in the past, but I've never been left in the dark wondering.

i think that’s a really good idea. Never hurts to double check and it could avoid frustration for both individuals.

Final update: Jason went above and beyond to try to fix the issue because he didn’t want me to feel like I was settling for something I didn’t want. I actively tried to convince him not to, because I felt he was being unfairly generous towards me, but he said it was done already. I don’t want to go into details because I don’t want anyone to take advantage of him, but let’s just say that half of what he did for me would have been generous, IMO.

 

[monsterthompson]

I had very similar experiences to the OP on two of my three orders from their old shop (before the name change). There won’t be a fourth order, despite the significant TB positive impressions I’ve read.

 

[michael_t]

I never order anything from Fret Nation without checking with Jason directly by email first about the stock situation. He's always been prompt in responding and up front about his stock situation and how long it might take to get what I need. There have been unexpected delays in the past, but I've never been left in the dark wondering.

I sent Jason at FN an email this past Monday at 8:45 am (his time) about ordering two sets of GHS Pressurewounds - L7200 & M7200-5. It took him all but FIVE MINUTES to reply to my email to let me know the L7200 was in stock but the M7200-5 was in back order from GHS.

I received another email from him this morning at 8:35 am (his time), letting me know he expected the M7200-5 to come in first thing next week. He said he will let me know as soon as it's in his stock.

Just another example of how Jason always looks after me.

 

[bass12]

I’ve been a customer of Jason’s for a number of years and am currently waiting for my latest order to arrive. It’s definitely taking longer than usual but I’m totally okay with that. All of my previous experiences with BSO and FN have been stellar and there’s no one I’d rather get my strings from.