WARNING: Oscar Prat Basses

[benjobass]

I wonder when all the people that tried to discredit me and call me names in my thread will show up to apologize...

Really wish I'd have known about that thread when it was unfolding. I would have happily chimed in to support with my story sooner...

 

[ole Jason]

Pretty sure Prat uses CNC for all of his basses nowadays so really no excuse for outrageously long build times. The guy is just a flake.

Also, I see everyone chiming in with their trusted luthiers. Every luthier who has ripped people off was trusted until they started scamming people. I'd really only go with people who have a long history providing instruments in a timely manner.

 

[Turbo Sparky]

Invalid Link Removed
Bank/Wire Fraud. Dude's a douche.

 

[ajkula66]

Invalid Link Removed
Bank/Wire Fraud. Dude's a douche.

Not to be a Debbie Downer here, but if Prat is actually in Spain - which seemed to be the case when I last heard of him - and holds their citizenship, there's not much of anything that FBI can do unless he steps onto the U.S. soil...

@benjobass : wishing you the absolute best of luck in resolving this unfortunate issue to your satisfaction.

 

[MEKer]

benjobass:
I hope your situation is resolved in a satisfactory manner. Thank you for sharing your situation and providing a “yellow flag” for other bassists seeking custom work.

TB has been a good place to vet prospective luthiers for custom work, but there are times when these folks stray from the path they are on and end up mismanaging their business. In the case of the OP, the failure to communicate a projected delivery date, and the apparent inability to follow through with prior commitments is more of a red flag.

No matter how brilliant the designs, or how gifted/skilled the luthier may be, the business of custom building is difficult, and requires financial discipline, and a broad set of skills to sustain a livable wage.

And simple integrity/honesty.

 

[Turbo Sparky]

Not to be a Debbie Downer here, but if Prat is actually in Spain - which seemed to be the case when I last heard of him - and holds their citizenship, there's not much of anything that FBI can do unless he steps onto the U.S. soil...

@benjobass : wishing you the absolute best of luck in resolving this unfortunate issue to your satisfaction.

Not saying dude has crossed any sort of fraud threshold/level, but in certain types of cases the Fed's notify overseas offices/divisions (U.S. consulates/embassies) and, at times, work with indigenous law enforcement and/or InterPol. Enough crumbs can lead one "home." If enough "customers" file a report, it will raise this particular douche's profile. Yes, total "good luck" to/for Benjobass in resolving this issue, and to the others as well.

 

[ENDEENDEA]

I Wonder How This Will Affect The Secondary Market On ''Used'' Prat Basses That Come Up For Sale,,,
Do You Think That Anyone Will Even Want One After All Of This ???

 

[walkbassman45]

I've been stung once by having someone do something custom for me over the internet.
Lesson: Never, ever have someone do something for you that involves payment unless you meet them face to face, they have an address you can come too, pocess steller references, and are within driving range. Especially if it involves thousands of dollars which I am assuming building a bass does. Too many people being scammed to take a chance with that amount of money.

 

[PaulJSmith]

I Wonder How This Will Affect The Secondary Market On ''Used'' Prat Basses That Come Up For Sale,,,
Do You Think That Anyone Will Even Want One After All Of This ???

Well, if you think about it, the problem seems to be in dealing with Oscar ... which you won't have to do on a bass already owned by someone else.

 

[Gluvhand]

I've been stung once by having someone do something custom for me over the internet.
Lesson: Never, ever have someone do something for you that involves payment unless you meet them face to face, they have an address you can come too, pocess steller references, and are within driving range. Especially if it involves thousands of dollars which I am assuming building a bass does. Too many people being scammed to take a chance with that amount of money and as far as the FBI catching the scammers? They are to busy appearing in front of committees answering for their own corruption.

No room for that here. You’ve been around long enough to know better.

 

[Iridescentone]

Quirky and criminal are two different things.

True.

So are "artist" and "craftsman".

I'd much rather commission a custom bass from a craftsman than a "quirkist" any day.

 

[cdbrewer99]

I’m currently waiting on a bass as well from Oscar. It’d be my 2nd bass from him. It’s a month overdue. I’m gonna get my bass or my money. Even if a trip to Spain is in order.

 

[cdbrewer99]

WARNING: Oscar Prat Basses

What started out great has now gone completely and horribly wrong. I want to post a warning about working with Oscar Prat on anything. I really, really, wanted my experience with him to go differently than lowendmafia’s, but it unfortunately it has not. I am quite sure there are more of us in the lurch and I encourage you to post publicly here so we can have a collective voice. Here’s a summary of my situation (heads up: lots of dates and details…I want an accurate representation of my experience and how it has felt being strung along):

I reached out to Oscar in Feb 2017 to inquire about a build. Oscar’s communication was stellar at the time. We talked back and forth about woods, measurements, electronics…after agreeing on a price and build time (complete and delivered by December 2017) I paid the down payment (half up front) to get the ball rolling.

After a month he had the master drawing complete and by the very end of April 2017 he secured the top wood for my bass. Then, I didn’t hear from him for 3 months (July 2017) despite emailing him regularly asking for an update. Crickets. I then tried reaching him through Facebook Messenger and had some success. He said he was remodeling his workshops and hadn’t been able to do any work. He was also waiting for new CNC machine parts. We are now into August of 2017 with no work being done at all. Then September 2017 rolls around, with no work done, and he’s still waiting for parts. At the end of September 2017 he said the parts arrived and he’d begin work.

He ignores my emails/messages for October 2017 into November 2017 when he finally resurfaces to tell me he had pneumonia. Okay, that sucks, but again…some form of communication would be professional. It feels super weird working with someone who has a big chunk of my money and doesn’t have regular and timely communication. End of November rolls around and he says he actually hadn’t done any more work because he had to order new parts for the CNC and that he had gone through some personal stuff. He offers to send me a temporary bass he has “housed in USA” whatever that means. I explained I didn’t need a bass, I wanted my custom bass which was now never going to be delivered to me on time.

Another month passes and he ignores my emails/messages. When he resurfaces at the end of December 2017 he says he moved to Madrid and began renting a workshop. He promises to get to work on my bass: “I'm giving you my honor word. If your bass is not finish in march, I will refund you everything.” As you might imagine, he did not and he has not.

February 2018 rolls around, now a full year since the process began, and after more ignoring he sends me a picture of, again, the top of my bass. Then a month of ignoring and finally he sends a pic of the neck. Then another month of ignoring he sends a pic of the neck attached to the bass. Then a month of ignoring and in May 2017 he sends a pic of the pickup cavity routed and we have some back and forth good communication about pickups and electronics again. Then more ignoring for June 2018 other than he needed to order the pickups and would finish the bass so when they arrived he could “send it ASAP”. Still no frets, no hardware, no electronics, no oil finish...

He’s been ignoring me for July 2018 and now into August 2018. I’ve asked several times for an update. I’ve been more than patient with his personal situations. And he continues to have terrible and unprofessional communication and still no estimated completion or delivery date.

At this point I just don’t even want the bass but since it’s past the 180 days PayPal allows for disputes I am completely out of luck getting my money back. The best I can hope is that someday he’ll actually fulfill his promise, send me a completed bass, and I can try to sell it and recoup my sunk cost.

This really bums me out. I wanted so badly to support an independent luthier but this behavior is just disrespectful and honestly...shameful.

Some links of interest…

Prat Basses website (DEAD):
http://www.pratbasses.com/

Lowendmafia’s post from July 2017 with similar situation:
At what point should I just give up on a build? (Prat Basses)

Recent Thread from Jan 2018 with similar situations:
Prat Basses

I’m also waiting for a bass build from Oscar!!

 

[Munjibunga]

Never heard of him. You're better off going with someone I've heard of. Then again, I've heard of Steve Wishnevsky.

 

[benjobass]

Just tried speaking with my bank as well, hoping they might be able to get my money back. Just like PayPal, they said too many days have passed for them to issue me a refund and compel Oscar to pay. They suspect he knew what he was doing, riding out the clock, keeping just enough communication going to string me along in order to ensure I'd not be able to get my money.

 

[JACink]

Not saying dude has crossed any sort of fraud threshold/level, but in certain types of cases the Fed's notify overseas offices/divisions (U.S. consulates/embassies) and, at times, work with indigenous law enforcement and/or InterPol. Enough crumbs can lead one "home." If enough "customers" file a report, it will raise this particular douche's profile. Yes, total "good luck" to/for Benjobass in resolving this issue, and to the others as well.

Whilst staying far away from politics, I will say that with recent international affairs between the US and Spain, I don't see Spain spending any time helping with something like this.

That doesn't mean that I don't wish there was something that could be done from this end.

 

[cdbrewer99]

I’m currently waiting on a bass as well from Oscar. It’d be my 2nd bass from him. It’s a month overdue. I’m gonna get my bass or my money. Even if a trip to Spain is in order.

That being said, I’m not going to freak out yet!!!!

 

[benjobass]

Received an email from Oscar letting me know he can refund my money, in small monthly installments, beginning in 4 or 5 months from now...really?...not convinced I'll see any of this money but we'll see if he can keep his word this time.

 

[Dub56]

Received an email from Oscar letting me know he can refund my money, in small monthly installments, beginning in 4 or 5 months from now...really?...not convinced I'll see any of this money but we'll see if he can keep his word this time.

Wow, small monthly installments? Beginning 4-5 months from now? Seems super professional and acceptable . I honestly don't even know what I'd say if a 'business' proposed something like this to me.

So, he basically expects YOU to 'finance' his refund of YOUR money with no interest paid to you. Your money that he has already had for quite some time that he clearly spent on something else (something completely unrelated to the bass you paid him for, obviously).

Perhaps HE should take out a personal loan, pawn or sell something he owns, or do something to come up with the money to pay your refund in full. You aren't his personal bank...

(Well, you sort of are at this point, but you certainly didn't sign up for that )

I'm sorry to hear what you are going through with this, and I really hope you see your money again one way or another. Really unfortunate situation, and embarrassing behavior on the part of the builder.

 

[benjobass]

Yeah, it's shocking behavior still. I sent a reply saying essentially the same thing (why should I have to wait, why can't he take out a loan/charge his credit card/etc. to pay me now) and his response was that the installments were all he can do. Unfortunately for me he continues to hold all the cards - an unfinished bass and my money.

This post is the only power I have to continue to voice my concern about the way he is treating me (and others in this thread). Hopefully it will remain in the top few search queries for him and his basses.