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My Rickenbacker Customer Service Experience

#61
I am a Ric 4003 owner. Mine was made in 2010. I know nothing about the condition of other Rics, as the smaller area I live in has no Ric dealers. I did, however; order one online(a fireglo) and got a bass that has no flaws as far as I can tell; It's been 3 years, so I think I would have seen them by now. I also bought an avri 62P bass, and had to return 3 basses until I got one that wasn't a joke.

My first Fender was a real 62 Strat that I still own, and I've bought a number of other Fender guitars, and basses thru the years. I finally; on the 4th try; got a beautiful 62RI P that is as flawless as the 4003 I bought in 2010. I think all companies have some ocassional QC issues, and it does seem like people jump on the Ric issues with both feet.

Maybe Ric brings some of this on themselves, or maybe they don't; I won't argue that issue. I do know that Ric basses are very unique instruments, and for what they are; they are in a class of their own. I'm not saying they're better than any others; just very different.

just my .02
 
#62
Bubba Ghanoosh said:
Well, the replacement now has the same bubbling problem that the original did.

And it's past the warranty period for finish...:hmm:
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Damn, that stinks. Press the case with them, anyway. Good luck.

It's sad that buying a Ric and then reporting bad experiences with it, in the eyes of some, instantly makes one a "basher" or a "troll."
 
#65
ShoeManiac said:
When I had an issue with my first Epiphone Jack Casady signature bass, I wound up having to send it back to the manufacturer. Epiphone stated that they would try to repair it, but may have to replace it. When word came down that they were going to have to replace the bass, I actually asked if I could get an ebony one instead of the gold (the color of the original one). And you know what? They said no problem! They even sent me a couple of sets of strings, too.
Click to expand...

I had a similar experience. In '05, I bought a used '98 Vintage Sunburst Jack Casady. Somebody had removed the beige disk that goes under the selector switch (similar to the round disk on a Gibson Les Paul).

I asked GC to order one for me. A couple months went by. Every time they'd check on it, they were told that that particular part comes from overseas (I think they said Japan), and they only ship them a couple times a year.

I got fed up with the wait, and sent a letter to Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz. I got a call from a Gibson employee the day that Henry J. received my letter. He said they would get me one as soon as possible. Within a week I received it - free of charge. Along with a personal letter from Mr. Juszkiewicz and a beautiful coffee table book about the Gibson company. Talk about outstanding customer service!! I was amazed, and it was a gesture I will never forget...
 
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#66
Same problem with two basses? Man, that sucks.

It has to be said that there's a problem here with the manufacturing process. And that's not 'bashing' - that'd be true whoever makes it.

As already stated by others, don't let the lack of warranty stop you. The fact that this is a replacement for the same problem would lead them to take your problem seriously. I'd hope.
 
#69
I bought my MG Rick in January 2013 and in January 2014 I discovered two bubbles around the bridge. I went to the local Rick dealer and he told me that I would be very difficult to get it fixed because the issue is not related to the lacquer but to the way the bridge is mounted on the body. Because of the pressure of the strings on the bridge, the bridge presses too hard on the body causing the bubbles to appear. The local dealer had two other Ricks (second hand) with the same problem.
The dealer got in contact with the distributor and they told him that it is almost impossible to get Rickenbacker fix this because they have the power to decide who is getting the new basses. If the distributor starts to complain, Rick will simple not ship new basses anymore and because Ricks are in demand, they don't really want to take that risk.
So, this leaves me with a 4003 MG (which I love to play) and a bad taste in my mouth because my problem (which is not actually my problem but a construction failure) is not solved. I have also send one single e-mail to the Rick service department but I have received not answer.
So, I really have mixed feelings about this now.
Sure, other brand have their issues as well, but that doesn't mean that these problems should not be fixed. Service is so important to the success of a company and I feel that Rickenbacker is not taking this too serious.

My 2 cents.
 
#70
I bought a MID blue 4003 during MF blowout of them in 2010. Haven't really had a problem with the bass. Reliable, awesome sound for gigs. I've caused a few marks and dentist it, but that's on me. I cracked the truss rod cover awhile back and that had me bummed. I contacted RIC and right now am in the process of an exchange program for a new one. So far, the customer service has been friendly and quick response. So, all in all no complaints here
 
#71
This finish problem has come up too many times to dismiss it as Ric haters, trolling, etc. Its well documented in several TB threads (and many times on RicResource, that hotbed of Ric-Hating Trolls), and I've seen it in person on brand new basses at GC, almost always around the bridge, though I've heard of it elsewhere. It looks like a simple problem to fix, as it's pretty clearly sharp edges or rough casting biting through the clearcoat as the bridge is tightened down. Over time the clearcoat separates from the color coat, forming clear "bubbles". It may not show up in the factory, or even weeks/months after sale, which makes it possible for dealers like POTR and Wildwood to miss it. So far these intermittent QC issues haven't resulted in any sales decreases, so Ric has no real incentive to deal with them from a purely mercenary business point of view. For $1700 or so, Ric's incredibly loyal customer base has a right to expect more, and that's not trolling. When they get it right, there is no better finish out there. When they get it wrong, they should fix it, free of charge, including shipping.
Rickenbacker finish issue (Resolved by RIC)
Rickenbacker finish issue (Resolved by RIC)
Invalid Link Removed
 
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#72
Since this thread is about their customer service I'll pass along a recent experience that I had with RIC. The middle case latch on one of my vintage silver cases broke and I needed a replacement so I reached out to RIC to ask if they could tell me the name of the manufacturer of the case so I could see if I could order a replacement latch from them. Much to my surprise RIC customer service quickly replied saying that they had some in stock and would gladly give one to me at N/C, all I had to do was to send them a self addressed and stamped return envelope and they would take care of it. Well I thought that was very nice and appreciated the gesture so I replied saying thank you I really appreciate your offer and can they tell me how much the postage would be so I can make sure that I attach the correct amount to the return envelope. Their reply was, where do you live. I told them Toronto.

Next email quickly arrived advising me that since I didn't live in the USA, they were withdrawing their offer. Seriously! I just shook my head and had to laugh.

I know it's a small thing, but in my line of work, I strive for customer satisfaction to ensure that my customers are satisfied and I expect to be treated the same way with anything I buy.

BTW, I found a replacement latch and installed it, all is now good with the case. I won't be buying anything from RIC in the future and I'm sure they couldn't give a crap.

TD
 
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#75
Gizmot said:
Rickenbacker might have been in violation of the distributor agreement with their Canadian partner if they sent you the part for free - even though they offered to send it to you.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing it's more this...

DigitalMan said:
Or they didnt want to hassle with the paperwork sending it across the border...
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Than this.
 
#76
There are a lot of businesses (and individuals!) that will not send things across the border.
Maybe they think we're all importing parts to make a (bee ohh emm bee) through the mail...:confused:
And yes, there is a lot of stupid paperwork involved.
 
#77
It's odd that they are perfectly capable of shipping things as far away as Japan, but somehow the warranty evaporates crossing that treacherous, impossibly distant minefield of a border with Canada. If you can navigate the red tape required to SELL a bass in Canada, seems like you could handle replacing an effing defective case latch, doesn't it?
 
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#79
Thornton Davis said:
No customs paperwork is required for a $3.00 item.

TD
Click to expand...

Are you sure about that? If I send anything to the States I need to fill out paperwork so I would imagine it is the same coming up north.

Does anybody know if Ric actually uses a third-party distributor? I discussed a Rick with a cat at my local L&M last year. I balked when he said it was there for eight months. I had to explain the Rick warranty process to him, they use date of manufacter not date of sale. He did explain to me, however, that L&M would warranty the bass from the date of purchase. This was a frontline employee though so I don't know if he was actually certain of this.

EDIT: The "paperwork" is a form that takes about 3 minutes to complete slowly.
 

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