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Fender/Reverb fiasco
- Thread starter trickyric
- Start date
I'm not sure why you dragged Reverb into this discussion. It really had nothing to do with them.
You received an item that was shipped to you and you discover that there is a minor issue with the electronics. It very likely could have happened during shipment, a solder joint could have gone bad when the box took a hit. Or an electrical component may be intermittent. You were referred to a reputable factory warranty service provider a half an hour from your home to have the issue promptly and competently addressed and corrected at no cost to you.
Where is the "fiasco" that your headline screams? Oh, heartless, conniving Fender and dastardly Reverb! Shame on the fiasco-wielders!
You can get down off of the table now. Drama much?
Where is the "fiasco" that your headline screams? Oh, heartless, conniving Fender and dastardly Reverb! Shame on the fiasco-wielders!
You can get down off of the table now. Drama much?
I know I sound like a broken record, and sorry for the situation, but this is yet another internet deal gone south.
If this is a new bass (untitled) you should be able to get it fixed at no cost to you. In this case asking for a small discount would be appropriate. Maybe reimbursement for the shipping cost, or have him send you a good pair of strings.
If this was a previously titled bass (not new), that is entirely another kettle of fish. I hope it works out well for you.
PS: Nice quality control a Fender these days, Eh?
That's what I was going to say - easier to drive a bit than to repack and drive a bit to drop it off at UPS / FedEx ( or maybe they could do a pick up depending on where you live ). At least it died under warranty.
I wouldn't be ready to condemn Fender quite yet. True, I've had a 50% failure rate on my Fenders so far, but without clarity that it's a Fender problem, I can't blame them (yet). If my 3rd bass, which arrives tomorrow, is also bad, though, I may have to change that tune so I'll see.
Otherwise, you still have to play each case by ear.
Another example was my Carvin Brian Bromberg, which had arrived with shipping damage. Somehow the strap loc in the upper horn had been semi-ripped off, obviously UPS's fault and not Carvin, easily shown by the damage done to the case inside also.
I called Carvin and they, of course, said it would be no problem to ship it back and repair it FOC, but there would be a fairly lengthy repair time. They said they'd build me a new one too, but that'd take even longer.
But, all the pieces of wood were still there, many of the splinters still attached. It turned out to be an easy repair that I would be able to do myself with good 2 hour epoxy glue and some "elbow grease" with my then-quite-large selection of repair tools and sanding/finishing sandpaper.
So I kept it and repaired it myself. You couldn't even tell there was damage afterwards and the rest of the bass was totally perfect.
But that's just another example. Carvin is very experienced with producing instruments and doing their business online, so they probably have a significantly lower rate of major problems in shipped instruments than others. And the 3 Carvins that I bought were perfect when I got them otherwise. But sometimes even they can't stop UPS from destroying stuff.
So sometimes, the situation really isn't as bad as it may look, and nobody is really to blame. Sometimes it's a perfect instrument and all you need is some toothpicks, or a soldering station and you can start jamming that night.....
L
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Sitting here bored to tears, so $0.02....
I wouldn't be so quick to excuse the seller of any wrongdoing. While the seller has insisted that they tested the bass before shipping, and that everything was working, that claim is highly suspicious. The chances of a pickup "going dead" during shipping seems wildly unlikely. How exactly is that supposed to have happened?
No, it's way more likely that the pickup was already dead. Maybe it left the factory that way or something caused a failure while in the seller's possession. In which case the seller either didn't test the bass prior to shipping, or they knew there was a problem and sold it anyway, with the hope that they could pass the problem on to a buyer who would then deal with a warranty claim themselves, instead of the seller accepting a return/refund.
When a return/refund does happen, somebody is going to get stung with shipping costs. And with Reverb, there's no guarantee it will be the seller who will pay all (or any) of it. Whoever winds up paying shipping costs can be a crap shoot with Reverb, especially when one of their precious sellers contests a claim. Reverb, in their infinite sense of justice may decide that both parties should share the two-way shipping costs, or that the seller should pay all shipping costs, or even that the buyer should pay all the shipping costs.
Furthermore, while many online sellers are totally honest, it's common knowledge that some use online venues to dump items that they can't (for good reason) sell in their physical store. It's happened to me more than once.
So now that the OP has gone the warranty repair route, I don't see how the seller is making a good faith effort to make the bass right. Unless I'm missing new info, the seller appears to have washed their hands of the problem, save for a couple postmortem apologetic emails.
I would have returned it with return shipping cost on them. The bass is brand new, so it should work...wait for it....like a brand new bass.
I'd rebuy it from a more reputable shop that has a great return policy. The guy needs to know that as a buyer, you have many choices, especially with a Fender.
Even if it was honest damage, you still have the right to expect a brand new bass to do the basics, like make bass sounds.
Even a used 1965 Fender bass doesn't have this issue, so why should a new one?
I'd rebuy it from a more reputable shop that has a great return policy. The guy needs to know that as a buyer, you have many choices, especially with a Fender.
Even if it was honest damage, you still have the right to expect a brand new bass to do the basics, like make bass sounds.
Even a used 1965 Fender bass doesn't have this issue, so why should a new one?
BobDeRosa
Commercial User
- May 16, 2012
- 2,445
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- Owner, Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camps
I'd return it. With quality control that sloppy, who knows what else might be wrong with it?
First, don't get your shorts in a bunch. Keep your cool and get on the hurt and offended bus. Talk businesslike with the seller. If you push on them indignantly they may start pushing back. It's a new bass, and even though it's inconvenient for you, taking it to an authorized repair shop makes sense for a seller from a small store. But kindly ask the seller for a discount on the bass for your time and trouble.
Also, if you used PayPal you can freeze his payment until you've received a satisfactory response. Good luck!
Also, if you used PayPal you can freeze his payment until you've received a satisfactory response. Good luck!
When did they do that? Just asking the buyer "what can we do to make things right?", is not the same thing as actually agreeing to "compensation", or agreeing to anything at all. Had the OP suggested some recompense (which apparently he hasn't), the seller may simply veto that suggestion. What then?
Did I miss an OP's post stating that any agreement was reached?....or that he asked for anything in particular?
Ha, electronics repair always seemed like a nightmare in the 1980's. My poor parents gave so much $$$ to random VCR repair places. My father was not exactly handy, and he might as well wear tee shirts that say "overcharge me."
I had a similar issue with a guitar I bought from Musicians Friend. Frets were rough - like they forgot to polish them after leveling, and the guitar had some other issues like the finish color had bled to the binding, sloppy glue work, etc. Poor craftsmanship all around. It was a guitar “listed” at over $1k but clearance priced for $300. I thought I was buying a $700 guitar.
MF would take a return but I had to pay to ship it back - about $60, on a $300 guitar! They could do an exchange - again with me paying to return it.
Too frustrated with the whole thing, I kept it, pulled off all the strings and gave it a full fret level/crown/polish, fixed some electrical issues, full setup, etc. Got it to a good point. A year later I sold it used for $300. Essentially got my refund, after I fixed everything.
MF had sold me an M Audio keyboard once that was garbage - but not technically broken. I had bought the previous gen M Audio keyboard in 88 key, and it was amazing. I wanted a 61 key version, so I ordered the new model. Junk. Keys were cheap and clanky. Buttons had a bad harsh click when you pressed them. The think felt like a kid’s toy, not a musical instrument. I paid $40 to ship it back. Again, not actually being broken, couldn’t return it. And MF wasn’t doing returns for broken stuff anyways, only exchanges. I’d be sent another cheap quality keyboard. Ugh.
MF would take a return but I had to pay to ship it back - about $60, on a $300 guitar! They could do an exchange - again with me paying to return it.
Too frustrated with the whole thing, I kept it, pulled off all the strings and gave it a full fret level/crown/polish, fixed some electrical issues, full setup, etc. Got it to a good point. A year later I sold it used for $300. Essentially got my refund, after I fixed everything.
MF had sold me an M Audio keyboard once that was garbage - but not technically broken. I had bought the previous gen M Audio keyboard in 88 key, and it was amazing. I wanted a 61 key version, so I ordered the new model. Junk. Keys were cheap and clanky. Buttons had a bad harsh click when you pressed them. The think felt like a kid’s toy, not a musical instrument. I paid $40 to ship it back. Again, not actually being broken, couldn’t return it. And MF wasn’t doing returns for broken stuff anyways, only exchanges. I’d be sent another cheap quality keyboard. Ugh.
Hope it all works out for you, op. I recently ordered a cab from fender, and when it arrived, there were two good sized holes punched through the side of the box. One had hit the thick foam corner piece, the other left a good sized dent in the side of the cab. I called fender and they sent me a paid return shipping label on them. The guy I talked to was very cool, good on them. Poo happens and they took care of it.
not sure you read much on the thread.
I didn't ask for anything. They offered. I didn't take anything. The emailing me the warranty centers address was what really got me.
In any event I took it to the warranty center and it will be repaired.
Well, having one immediately go to the authorized tech is not the most convenient way to buy a new bass. And what you're asking is, how much is the inconvenience worth? Kind of subjective.
Just speaking for myself, I dunno. They should have unboxed it and did a thorough test and checked the set up, but these days, not enough retailers do this. Sometimes they drop ship instruments, sometimes they just store them boxed until it sells.
Maybe a couple of packs of strings for your trouble?
Good chance when you get it back from the tech it will be made whole again, and if it's a player it will have been worth the wait to you. That is a reward in itself sometimes. Lord knows I've waited far longer than three weeks to get a long-term keeper back in my hands. But if it's a player and you liked everything but the dead PU, I wouldn't dare send it back for a replacement. Bass roulette is too risky, and there are too many lemons out there. Bird in the hand and all that.
Nothing was reached. I decided to just get it fixed and accept the apology.. even though it came a bit late
Am I the only person who read this and every time I saw "MF" I thought "mother F'er?"
