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Repair Shop Damage

#61
willsellout said:
I would do this and I'd also write a review on Yelp.
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I'd hold off on Yelp until the issue was resolved. If I were management in the shop and saw a review like that then I would just call the customer and tell him to come and collect his property. I'm assuming that the OP signed a waiver (which is fairly typical) before he had any work done so that's enough to legally cover it.

The BBB complaint will be enough to get the shop owner to bend over backwards to solve the problem.
 
#62
Who splatters solder? We are not talking sweating copper pipe here fella's just a tiny drop on a pot etc...splatter...really? I have soldered allot of basses and guitars parts and it has never happened to me. In this case its BS the shop needs to stand behind the damage... sloppy soldering..whatever.
 
#66
Not that it helps the situation now, but I would feel it's important to talk with the person who's actually working on my bass.

You meet this person, see their work space and what they're working on. This tells you a lot about them right off the bat. You show them your bass, the parts you have and discuss what your goals are. Even if it's a simple pickup swap there may be different ways to approach it. Doctors and surgeons are very, very busy people but good ones take the time to explain things. I know it's just a bass guitar, but good techs make themselves available to their clients. I don't think I would ever hand my bass off to a third party.

I know this isn't how it works all the time, and as I said before I've had a bass dinged-up before by a tech. It sucks that your bass got messed-up. The fact is it will never be the same and you should not have to pay for the work.

No blame, or 'told you so's' here...just an honest, experienced observation.
 
#68
mbelue said:
A repair shop has an ethical responsibility to treat any instrument that they take in the same. Regardless of make/model/finish quality. Gear snobbery by a someone who you are PAYING to improve an instrument is ridiculous.
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Sticky and sig worthy. Well said.
 
#70
bassbully said:
Who splatters solder? We are not talking sweating copper pipe here fella's just a tiny drop on a pot etc...splatter...really? I have soldered allot of basses and guitars parts and it has never happened to me. In this case its BS the shop needs to stand behind the damage... sloppy soldering..whatever.
Click to expand...

I suspect they use an iron that's way too hot, in interest of speed.
 
#72
Toptube said:
I suspect they use an iron that's way too hot, in interest of speed.
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In that case (it appears you might be right) any tech should of preped the area first although for the life of me who solders like that?
From the marks on this bass its is crazy to think they were this sloppy but it appears they were. If this shop calls themselves professional then someone like the OP needs to let others know they are not.
I would have no issues with outing this shop and telling the owner I was going to unless he not only refunded me the cost of repair or at least half and made the damages right.
 
#73
Why the assumption that the damage is from solder splatters? Just looks like chipped paint to me, never seen solder make those type of marks.

In a perfect world, the fair solution would be for the store owner (or hack tech) to offer to buy the damaged bass from the OP. As in... "You broke it, you bought it".

But down here in the real world it looks like you're stuck with taking a beat on this one. Good luck.
 
#74
The OP has got his bass back with a damaged finish.
For those who've basically said 'get over it' - there is no way he should swallow that.
I bet none of us who take a bass in for repair would photograph it carefully all over first.

I imagine this will end up with him taking the best offer the shop can give and then avoiding
the place like the plague, or not delaing with the repairer again.
Sorry to hear it's happened.
Best of luck with the outcome.
 
#75
Hmm....I won't detail this thread with details. I have a similar situation.

So disgusted that I put the bass in the case and shoved it under the bed.

After all the supportive input I'm seeing here, I'm reconsidering contacting the manufacturer, since mine is a warranty issue.
 
#76
Ok, I just want to clarify two things before I give an update.
1) I'm not positive the damage was from soldering. It's just the only explanation that I can come up with that explains paint missing in so many spots.
2) This is a New-Old-Stock of a discontinued bass. Brand new but a few years old and in perfect condition.

Now for an update:

The owner called me on Monday. He said he spoke to the tech again and that he doesn't feel that he did anything that would have caused the damage. He said it looked to him like "the finish just fell off." So he offered to take $50 off the price of the repair because he wanted me to be happy, especially since I was sent there on a recommendation. He then asked if that was going to satisfy me and I told him "No." I would be perfectly willing to pay in full, I just wanted me bass back the same way that they got it. He said "Well, I'll take the $50 off if that'll satisfy you and it ends there. Are you willing to agree to that?" And I told him "No, but I'm on my way in right now to pick up my bass." To which he responded "Ok, but since I don't know what you're going to do I'll have to charge you the full price." So I went in and paid the full $120 (plus tax) and got my bass back.
 
#79
ronin614 said:
Ok, I just want to clarify two things before I give an update.
1) I'm not positive the damage was from soldering. It's just the only explanation that I can come up with that explains paint missing in so many spots.
2) This is a New-Old-Stock of a discontinued bass. Brand new but a few years old and in perfect condition.

Now for an update:

The owner called me on Monday. He said he spoke to the tech again and that he doesn't feel that he did anything that would have caused the damage. He said it looked to him like "the finish just fell off." So he offered to take $50 off the price of the repair because he wanted me to be happy, especially since I was sent there on a recommendation. He then asked if that was going to satisfy me and I told him "No." I would be perfectly willing to pay in full, I just wanted me bass back the same way that they got it. He said "Well, I'll take the $50 off if that'll satisfy you and it ends there. Are you willing to agree to that?" And I told him "No, but I'm on my way in right now to pick up my bass." To which he responded "Ok, but since I don't know what you're going to do I'll have to charge you the full price." So I went in and paid the full $120 (plus tax) and got my bass back.
Click to expand...

If you haven't already, contact the Better Business Bureau and explain your case to them. When they get in contact with him I'll bet you $20 that he changes his tune in a hurry - no business wants a black mark on their record from the BBB. While the BBB may be nowhere on your radar, a lot of people check to see if the business has a record before they will deal with them.

Using the BBB to resolve a dispute is free, but they are a non profit organization and will ask for a donation at a later date.
 

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