Vent: getting P.O.'d at a CL buyer

[Zooberwerx]

Sounds to me like he put electric bass strings on it, switched to heavy gauge, or doesn't know how to tune it

Sounds like he bought it without knowing the ins & outs of an ABG, dicked around with it (as oniman addresses), and damaged the bridge, nut, and possibly the bracing and other glued joints & surfaces which remain undiscovered. IOW, he could very well own $350 worth of firewood. Given this consideration, you don't want it back. It's possible the cost of repair at this point may very well outweigh the instrument's value.

Riis

 

[topo morto]

Clearly he is in the wrong, but sounds like the issue is calming the guy down.

Stay polite and just keep referring to the condition when he tried it out, and when you had it checked out by a pro.

He's saying it's changed since then, right? So make like you're trying to help him fix it. Ask him for specifics, like WHEN the bridge suddenly turned 90 degrees or the strings lay flat . Ask him to send pics of that problem, and the splintered nut.

At some point he will get bored.

 

[DrSpunkwater]

Seriously, just STOP talking to this guy. Block his number, block his emails, and call the cops if he comes by your place.

 

[guy n. cognito]

I've had this happen before. A CL buyer, who also happened to be a TB member, spent over an hour testing a bass before he decided to buy it. A couple of days later, he calls me to tell me the bass is "broken". He tried to modify the bass from the condition in which I sold it and broke it due to his inexperience. I tried to be patient with him, and even directed him to my local tech. To make matters worse, he was furious that the polish rag was not contained with the bass. I found it and mailed it to him, but he claimed he never received it. I finally stopped responding to him, sent him $10 for a new cloth and warned him that any future contact would not be received well. I still hear from him on here from time to time and to this day he is the only TB member I've ever blocked.

 

[hrodbert696]

Clearly he is in the wrong, but sounds like the issue is calming the guy down.

Stay polite and just keep referring to the condition when he tried it out, and when you had it checked out by a pro.

He's saying it's changed since then, right? So make like you're trying to help him fix it. Ask him for specifics, like WHEN the bridge suddenly turned 90 degrees or the strings lay flat . Ask him to send pics of that problem, and the splintered nut.

At some point he will get bored.

Seriously, just STOP talking to this guy. Block his number, block his emails, and call the cops if he comes by your place.

Yeah, this is what I'm trying to figure out how I should reply. I've thought of asking the guy who looked over the bass before the sale to be an arbitrator; let him see before-and-after and if HE agrees that the repairs are my responsibility, I'll pay for them, and if he doesn't, end of story. But I'm not sure if he'll want to play that role, and I'm thinking maybe I should just ignore the guy.

 

[Ric5]

It was a cash and carry as is sale. His buyers remorse is not your problem.

 

[Unrepresented]

Yeah, this is what I'm trying to figure out how I should reply. I've thought of asking the guy who looked over the bass before the sale to be an arbitrator; let him see before-and-after and if HE agrees that the repairs are my responsibility, I'll pay for them, and if he doesn't, end of story. But I'm not sure if he'll want to play that role, and I'm thinking maybe I should just ignore the guy.

How many months did the extended warranty you included in your sale cover? If it's past the expiration date, he's out of luck. Explain your store policies, and direct him to a luthier who might be able to repair it outside of said warranty. If you've already done that, then you have no reason to continue rehashing the same conversation. You have other customers to attend to, and if he's being unruly have security remove him from your retail establishment.

I'd be prepared for your Yelp ratings to suffer in the short term.

 

[tmdazed]

as is where is , he had it plenty long to decide he was a luthier and screw with action and settings , or to drop it face first , tell him to eat a bowl of dicks

 

[SirMjac28]

I've had this happen before. A CL buyer, who also happened to be a TB member, spent over an hour testing a bass before he decided to buy it. A couple of days later, he calls me to tell me the bass is "broken". He tried to modify the bass from the condition in which I sold it and broke it due to his inexperience. I tried to be patient with him, and even directed him to my local tech. To make matters worse, he was furious that the polish rag was not contained with the bass. I found it and mailed it to him, but he claimed he never received it. I finally stopped responding to him, sent him $10 for a new cloth and warned him that any future contact would not be received well. I still hear from him on here from time to time and to this day he is the only TB member I've ever blocked.

I think I know that guy.

 

[Munjibunga]

Why would you pay to have work done on his bass?

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

Yeah, this is what I'm trying to figure out how I should reply. I've thought of asking the guy who looked over the bass before the sale to be an arbitrator; let him see before-and-after and if HE agrees that the repairs are my responsibility, I'll pay for them, and if he doesn't, end of story. But I'm not sure if he'll want to play that role, and I'm thinking maybe I should just ignore the guy.

No, no, no.

Sorry, but you are done with this guy. Any further you humour him is just going to cause you problems. The bass was as "as is" sale, that is why he saved off new prices. It also means no warranty. Even if you were a store I doubt there would be warranty anyways, I also agree with oniman that he threw on electric bass strings and pulled the bridge forward. User error is generally not covered by warranties.

Just tell the guy the bass was as is, it would be one thing if it happened on his way home or something he may have missed like the truss rod was failed or something, something you might've mislead him on to complete the sale. The guy has no legal leg to stand on, don't you put out a cent for this chump. If he wants to sue you, let him.

 

[hrodbert696]

It was a cash and carry as is sale. His buyers remorse is not your problem.

Why would you pay to have work done on his bass?

No, no, no.

Sorry, but you are done with this guy. Any further you humour him is just going to cause you problems. The bass was as "as is" sale, that is why he saved off new prices. It also means no warranty. Even if you were a store I doubt there would be warranty anyways, I also agree with oniman that he threw on electric bass strings and pulled the bridge forward. User error is generally not covered by warranties.

Just tell the guy the bass was as is, it would be one thing if it happened on his way home or something he may have missed like the truss rod was failed or something, something you might've mislead him on to complete the sale. The guy has no legal leg to stand on, don't you put out a cent for this chump. If he wants to sue you, let him.

Yes, OK then. Thanks for firming up my resolve. Glad I have this forum.

 

[JohnMCA72]

Offer to have it settled on People's Court, etc. so we can all watch.

 

[neuralsnafu]

Offer to have it settled on People's Court, etc. so we can all watch.

that'd be an episode i'd actually watch...

 

[two fingers]

Tell him to kick bricks and you already saved him $50.00 so consider that your portion of the repairs.

Chicken dinner.

 

[LiquidMidnight]

He had to have done something wrong with it. As someone else said, he must have put high tensions strings on it. Basses may need a rod tweak if the climate changes, but they don't just become unplayable like that. I've never seen a nut just crack like that unless it took some trauma, even on budget-level instruments. Did he have any chops or ability? An experienced player should know if a bass is good when he or she plays it.

And yeah, what the hell does the bridge is 90 degrees off even mean?

 

[spaz21387]

get pictures from him so we can see them!

 

[Vince Klortho]

And yeah, what the hell does the bridge is 90 degrees off even mean?

I think it means it collapsed and is laying on the body, toward the headstock instead of being vertical.

 

[hrodbert696]

He had to have done something wrong with it. As someone else said, he must have put high tensions strings on it. Basses may need a rod tweak if the climate changes, but they don't just become unplayable like that. I've never seen a nut just crack like that unless it took some trauma, even on budget-level instruments. Did he have any chops or ability? An experienced player should know if a bass is good when he or she plays it.

And yeah, what the hell does the bridge is 90 degrees off even mean?

I think it means it collapsed and is laying on the body, toward the headstock instead of being vertical.

That's what I'm assuming. It's an ABG and when he says the "bridge" I can only assume he means the bridge saddle. Haven't seen pictures, and he hasn't continued to write me, so I'm not going to ask for pics unless he does.

I think the changed-to-inappropiate-strings scenario is the most likely explanation, and when the instrument couldn't handle the strings, he chose to blame me for selling him a "defective" instrument. Oddly, he did seem to know how to play pretty well when he tried it out, but I'm guessing he'd never played an ABG before and it didn't occur to him that setup issues might be different from a solid-body.

 

[ShoeManiac]

I'm definitely inclined to agree that the buyer re-strung the instrument with electric bass strings (probably for a 34" scale length bass) after the purchase and caused the damage all on his own. He specifically cited damage to the nut as well as the bridge. Hmmm. Curious that the damage would be at both points of contact for the strings!

Additionally, where were these problems when the buyer tried the bass out prior to the purchase? All of these factors lean towards the buyer damaging the bass because he was ignorant regarding the proper stringing of the instrument.