Hipshot inc. - what's happening?

[andereocci]

I placed an order for some Rickenbacker tuning keys 6 months ago.
They didn't have the bushing available back then, they wanted to keep the money and send me the keys when everything was available. I kindly asked them to be refunded, they refunded me.

6 months have passed, yesterday, to my last request the customer care wrote me "they still have to be made. We simply don't have time. We are going to hire out to have them made."

Is this normal? they also offered me to sell me the set without bushing, quote "I just thought I would offer you a set of tuners without the ferrules so you don't have to wait a year. We are in no position to offer discounts as there are plenty of people willing to pay full price".

I am asking myself, is this normal? I understand covid and everything, but this all situation seems unbelievable to me...

Andrea

 

[Zooberwerx]

We're collecting payments / co-payments on gear that's back-ordered for ~5 months. Your situation is typical when demand has far out-stripped manufacturing capability or covid-induced constraints.

Riis

 

[two fingers]

I placed an order for some Rickenbacker tuning keys 6 months ago.
They didn't have the bushing available back then, they wanted to keep the money and send me the keys when everything was available. I kindly asked them to be refunded, they refunded me.

6 months have passed, yesterday, to my last request the customer care wrote me "they still have to be made. We simply don't have time. We are going to hire out to have them made."

Is this normal? they also offered me to sell me the set without bushing, quote "I just thought I would offer you a set of tuners without the ferrules so you don't have to wait a year. We are in no position to offer discounts as there are plenty of people willing to pay full price".

I am asking myself, is this normal? I understand covid and everything, but this all situation seems unbelievable to me...

Andrea

Yeah times are weird. We're having a hangout built in our back yard. Pretty much "most" of the materials are available. The ones that aren't?

"We have absolutely no idea when they'll be in stock. All I can say is wait or go somewhere else."


This is the kind of answers we are getting. I think the people who work for these companies are just fried. All day every day they're having to tell people bad news. After a while, you tend to care less and less who gets offended.

I'm in the medical equipment biz. Many of my facilities are having to buy new automatic emergency defibs because the pads (which expire after a few years) aren't available. They have to buy a several thousand dollar item because a $48 item isn't available.

An old band mate of mine is the night manager at a Food Lion. (I didn't know that until I bumped into him yesterday.) He regaled me with a tale of woe and uncertainty in the grocery biz. He showed me shelves that were empty, and other that had been filled with related products because there's no sign of a delivery any time soon. He said he hears it's only going to get worse.

Yep. Times are weird.

Best of luck finding your tuners.

 

[hbarcat]

There is a daily program on NPR called Marketplace, and they're constantly repeating the mantra, "The pandemic runs the economy".

That's why, last summer, prices for building materials, like lumber, tripled, while the quality of product plummeted. People were paying $8 or more each for twisted 2x4s.

Don't want to pay that? Fine. Do without.

It sucks, but the reality is there's a pandemic happening, and the global economy is all chaotic.

 

[Leif Dering]

The supply chain is really bad right now. I work at a music store and there's some stuff we haven't been able to get for a year. We had holiday orders we made in JULY come last week.

 

[arbiterusa]

I am asking myself, is this normal? I understand covid and everything, but this all situation seems unbelievable to me...

You don't understand.

People have no idea how long it takes to get an item to market. This isn't abnormal at all if they're having to find a new supplier for a part. They'll be at it another year before you see it for sale. And you made the right decision - I understand they need the business but no, you don't buy a set of tuning keys with missing bushings at full price even if you have bushings lying around your home shop.

 

[hbarcat]

. . . you don't buy a set of tuning keys with missing bushings at full price even if you have bushings lying around your home shop.

If I needed the tuners and they weren't available anywhere else (and I did have bushings at home) then I'd absolutely pay full price and not complain.

I understand that the business isn't trying to screw me, it's just that their product availability and price is dictated by the law of supply and demand. I won't burden myself with negative feelings because of something that's beyond anybody's control.

 

[JRA]

I am asking myself, is this normal? I understand covid and everything, but this all situation seems unbelievable to me...

"The pandemic runs the economy"

yeah, it's true, OP: and FWIW, you're not the only one!* as two fingers said "weird times!" it may take another year or more to see any real relief --- but i hope you get your parts sooner!


* i happen to be waiting on some gotoh res-o-lites myself, and i've waited a long time for various other parts/equipment --- seems like everything went haywire late last spring and summer for the stuff i want/need.