Robobass and his wife are excellent, we have already spoken on several occasions, the problem is that I still need money to pay his wife, since there would be even minimal expenses to cover and as I explained earlier I do not have the money to do it, for now I will have to wait, I really wish I could do something about it, all I wanted was my bass, but for now I'm completely tied hands and I can't do much more than wait
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Double Bass Problem with a Luthier (Roland/Emanuel Wilfer content)
- Thread starter Tyronimo
- Start date
Robobass and his wife are excellent, we have already spoken on several occasions, the problem is that I still need money to pay his wife, since there would be even minimal expenses to cover and as I explained earlier I do not have the money to do it, for now I will have to wait, I really wish I could do something about it, all I wanted was my bass, but for now I'm completely tied hands and I can't do much more than wait
This entire situation smells funky so I opted to contact Wilfer directly.
Firstly, I am in the market for a five string instrument so I figured I would contact them and find out how competitive they were on pricing and any customization I required.
Upon e-mailing their generic sales e-mail I received a response from Roland within three hours and keep in mind that I am also located half-way around the world. He was very pleasant and provided me with the information I needed. I asked him about their payment terms and this is what he stated:
Option 1: 40-50% deposit with the balance due upon completion
Option 2: 75% deposit with 2% discount
Option 3: 100% deposit with 4% discount
Naturally those discounts weren't appetizing so there is no way I would provide a stranger with a 100% down payment, let alone one that is having rather severe accusations levied against them. I then brought up the matter going on at Talkbass and he stated that they are very well aware of the "disgruntled" customer and that they have proof that the instrument was shipped long ago and that he has been plaguing them for a long time and on a variety of different forms of social media. Below are the points stated:
1. They apologized that the instrument took far too long to be completed. This was mostly due to the customer changing his desires for color, tuning machines, whether it be a four string or five string, and structural properties of the instrument. I'm not sure I believe color would really play an impact as varnish is one of the last steps and I doubt any client would ask a luthier to re-do varnish and coloring completely on a new instrument unless it hadn't been started yet. Still, it is plausible that there were a variety of changes requested and this probably irritated them and pushed the bass down in queue. Excusable? I'm not sure, but at the same time, it is plausible.
2. Despite this the instrument was completed and they claim to have proof of: (a) an invoice, (b) signed and stamped shipping documentation, (c) export papers including confirmation from the German authorities that it cleared customs, (d) DHL delivery notices. It's pretty hard to dispute this if they actually decide to make these documents public. It would be quite an elaborate ruse for them to state that they have this and then not materialize it. Not sure what to state here.
3. Their usual turnaround time for a custom bass order is 3 months, if not less. Clearly they are having multiple people build their basses if they can do it at this pace. This situation apparently took longer but no where near three years to be completed and delivered. They feel that this customer is simply upset with the finished product and is potentially maliciously going online to tarnish their name.
Naturally, I don't know if any of the above is true or not and clearly other people have complained about similar experiences. There are inaccuracies and things that jumped out at me.
To the OP, naturally you are under no obligation to reveal your identity and you are well within your right to be disgruntled about an experience you've had but I'm sure you can appreciate that some people on these forums are also going to be skeptical of the entire situation.
If I was in the luthier's shoes, I would encourage them to create an account on TB and post the relevant documentation to clear their name so we can lock or delete this thread.
Firstly, I am in the market for a five string instrument so I figured I would contact them and find out how competitive they were on pricing and any customization I required.
Upon e-mailing their generic sales e-mail I received a response from Roland within three hours and keep in mind that I am also located half-way around the world. He was very pleasant and provided me with the information I needed. I asked him about their payment terms and this is what he stated:
Option 1: 40-50% deposit with the balance due upon completion
Option 2: 75% deposit with 2% discount
Option 3: 100% deposit with 4% discount
Naturally those discounts weren't appetizing so there is no way I would provide a stranger with a 100% down payment, let alone one that is having rather severe accusations levied against them. I then brought up the matter going on at Talkbass and he stated that they are very well aware of the "disgruntled" customer and that they have proof that the instrument was shipped long ago and that he has been plaguing them for a long time and on a variety of different forms of social media. Below are the points stated:
1. They apologized that the instrument took far too long to be completed. This was mostly due to the customer changing his desires for color, tuning machines, whether it be a four string or five string, and structural properties of the instrument. I'm not sure I believe color would really play an impact as varnish is one of the last steps and I doubt any client would ask a luthier to re-do varnish and coloring completely on a new instrument unless it hadn't been started yet. Still, it is plausible that there were a variety of changes requested and this probably irritated them and pushed the bass down in queue. Excusable? I'm not sure, but at the same time, it is plausible.
2. Despite this the instrument was completed and they claim to have proof of: (a) an invoice, (b) signed and stamped shipping documentation, (c) export papers including confirmation from the German authorities that it cleared customs, (d) DHL delivery notices. It's pretty hard to dispute this if they actually decide to make these documents public. It would be quite an elaborate ruse for them to state that they have this and then not materialize it. Not sure what to state here.
3. Their usual turnaround time for a custom bass order is 3 months, if not less. Clearly they are having multiple people build their basses if they can do it at this pace. This situation apparently took longer but no where near three years to be completed and delivered. They feel that this customer is simply upset with the finished product and is potentially maliciously going online to tarnish their name.
Naturally, I don't know if any of the above is true or not and clearly other people have complained about similar experiences. There are inaccuracies and things that jumped out at me.
To the OP, naturally you are under no obligation to reveal your identity and you are well within your right to be disgruntled about an experience you've had but I'm sure you can appreciate that some people on these forums are also going to be skeptical of the entire situation.
If I was in the luthier's shoes, I would encourage them to create an account on TB and post the relevant documentation to clear their name so we can lock or delete this thread.
If all this were true, I would expect Wilfer to flee and publish that material, since he doesn't even answer me, and I have nothing to lose, I already lost it ...
I agree. I have contacted them recommending that they make this information public.
- Dec 9, 2003
- 369
- 45
- Disclosures
- Kontrabass-Atelier, Lando Music (Germany), "The Double Bass Book"/"Das Kontrabass-Buch"
I doubt that German laws allow a dealer to make these papers public, since they contain a customer's personal data.
Hello,
i am Tom from Austria. I just found out this site and i am a Little bit surprised About this Situation. I bought 1 1/2 a bass from him. I go directly to his Workshop. He build me the bass and he send me the invoice after i picked up the bass. He means that is not possible to make a down payment.
Tyronimo where you from? You bought directly? If you like i can ask him directly from my side.
I think nobody knows the truth…..sorry for my bad english
i am Tom from Austria. I just found out this site and i am a Little bit surprised About this Situation. I bought 1 1/2 a bass from him. I go directly to his Workshop. He build me the bass and he send me the invoice after i picked up the bass. He means that is not possible to make a down payment.
Tyronimo where you from? You bought directly? If you like i can ask him directly from my side.
I think nobody knows the truth…..sorry for my bad english
Because I have each of his emails and each of his messages and all the times he has told me that he is going to send me the bass and he has never done it.
please do it, I’m from Costa Rica
I have emails from 2018 where he says that in 2 weeks he will send me the bass, but since then I have already waited 2 years and I have messages from a couple of months ago in which he says again that he will send it, so no I have nothing to lose, I have plenty of evidence.
I've only crossed out the transaction id to keep some sensitive data hidden, but you can clearly see the date of the first payment and the date of the second. Just as I have this, I have emails and messages from Wilfer saying many times that he will send it and he does not.
I've only crossed out the transaction id to keep some sensitive data hidden, but you can clearly see the date of the first payment and the date of the second. Just as I have this, I have emails and messages from Wilfer saying many times that he will send it and he does not.
I am not interested in Wilfer at all, nor his recognition, nor his business, nor anything related to him, all I wanted was a double bass from him, if I have made this post it is simply because he has pushed me to this, I live on the other side of the world completely, and the only thing he has that I want is the double bass he was paid for, apart from that I don't care about his life.
Sure, but it could easily be redacted. I can't imagine they have many clients that ordered basses to Costa Rica 3 years ago.
Could it be that both the luthier and the customer tell the truth in this story? Could it be that DHL erroneously delivered the bass to the wrong place or wrong person, or in the the wrong way? The last step (delivery) in the shipping business as operated by DHL, UPS, etc., is typically rather sloppy: there are lots of stories of items being simply left before the front door, delivered to neighbors, etc. I had a bow simply left on my lawn by the deliverer (fortunately, it was not raining and nobody took it away).
Sure, that it is more difficult to imagine for such a bulky and expensive item as a double bass, but I suspect that that deliverers in Costa Rica are not very well paid, and not very well trained about handling specific items such as a double bass; their main priority might well be to get rid of their items as fast as possible.
In any case, it would definitely be useful if the luthier would present himself his version of the story on this forum.
Sure, that it is more difficult to imagine for such a bulky and expensive item as a double bass, but I suspect that that deliverers in Costa Rica are not very well paid, and not very well trained about handling specific items such as a double bass; their main priority might well be to get rid of their items as fast as possible.
In any case, it would definitely be useful if the luthier would present himself his version of the story on this forum.
yes sure i will make this today evening.
But if you ask me i think if this Situation closed then it will be good to delete this thread….because nobody knows the truth and during this times also not helpful or what do you think?
Today I received good news, hopefully everything will continue like this, I will be reporting here what happens.
The company Wilfer is supposed to send the double bass to is not DHL.
If they close this thread they would take away my voice, they would be censoring me, and as far as I know this is a public blog in which I am exposing my problem, I do not want to cause problems, all I want is my bass or money, for which I paid, I'm not asking for donations, I don't think it's so difficult to understand my situation.
The company Wilfer is supposed to send the double bass to is not DHL.
If they close this thread they would take away my voice, they would be censoring me, and as far as I know this is a public blog in which I am exposing my problem, I do not want to cause problems, all I want is my bass or money, for which I paid, I'm not asking for donations, I don't think it's so difficult to understand my situation.
Yes I think it will be the best for everyone, because nobody knows the truth and it looks like now that the Situation will be closed now.
if you ask me it will be fair to close this hear, because everyone tell something other and it is also not good for the business from both side....
this is my opinion
Can anyone delete this thread? Someone is already helping me with this situation and it has been the greatest help I have had in these years and I am confident that everything will work out for both parties, as I previously mentioned, I have never wanted to harm anyone but I felt pressured to do this since I have been waiting since 2017, I hope that all the people who read this or were aware of this thread are fine, I hope someday I will be able to count this as a great confusion on both sides and have been wrong
I strongly urge the moderators to delete this thread. This individual was on a double bass group on Facebook telling a different story about the transaction with Wilfer, which I also suspect is entirely untrue. Please do not allow this kind of libel in future. The correct place to air this kind of grievance is in a court of law, where everyone can have their moment.
Davidyou44 is in the same position, paid for a bass from Wilfer and appears still waiting.
Emanuel Wilfer bass
We should not delete these kinds of threads.
Emanuel Wilfer bass
We should not delete these kinds of threads.
if that truly is the case then his account should be banned on TB and this thread should be deleted. Tarnishing someone’s name is a very serious offence.
