Members Dr. Scottie C Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 Ok guys, I need your opinion. I bought this guitar here: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1993918&highlight=mark Please read the ad and carefully look over the pics. The guitar arrived today, and I am not very happy. Now, first, let me say, that the seller sent it fast, and it was packed very, very well.... so there is a zero 0% chance that shipping did any of what I am about to describe. Here are my concerns: 1) I question if the guitar photographed and the one I received are one in the same? As the decals in his pictures are perfect, and on the Knopfler that arrived today, both the word "Fender" and "Stratocaster" are scraped. (see pics) 2) I specifically asked the seller if the guitar had any fretwear, to which he replied "zero to none".... the guitar that arrived today needs a new fret job. (see pics) 3) While I knew there was one bad ding (which the seller did show), he failed to mention a total of 4 of other places on the guitar that have dings to the wood. I believed I was buying a 2007 Knopfler that was virtually mint except for the one ding photo'd by the seller....in addition to the dings to the wood, the guitar is really scratched up all over (which is hard to photo on red, but was never disclosed) (see pics) 4) Last... the guitar was advertised as a 2007, as soon as I opened the case and saw the condition, I knew it was too whipped to be a 2007. The serial number showed it to be a 2003, and Fender confirmed this for me on the phone earlier today. (see pic) The seller has just contacted my questions to the concerns with: "I thought it was an '07...that's my mistake I'm sorry your disappointed, but I can't offer a refund since I've already bought another." I never asked him for a refund. I am not a complainer or a trouble maker, but I truly feel I have a legitimate reason to be less than satisfied. Please give me your thoughts... maybe I am over reacting?? Decal scrapes: Fretwear Other dings to the wood 2003, not 2007 serial number Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GH0STrider Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 did you use paypal? If so open a dispute. Clearly this is not what you payed for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dr. Scottie C Posted June 4, 2008 Author Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 Hey Ghostrider... yeah, I used pay pal. Again, I'm not trying to be hard to deal with.... and if the guitar would have just came with 1 of the above mentioned misrepresentations, I probably wouldn't even mention to anyone... but when something arrives, and it's just one inconsistancy after another, it's very, very disappointing and frustrating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kingnimrod Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 you're not overreacting. this guy is trying to put one over on you, and it's not acceptable. Report him to the board admins here, and file a dispute with paypal if you used it to buy the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members skiscem Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 wow that sucks, i dont think you are over reacting, he said, only a "couple" of dings... the word "few" or "some" could fix that, and the fret wear is {censored}ed up, i am pretty sure the pictures were taken when he first got the guitar, you cant really see the scrapes and the wear on his add, I say try to fight with paypal and put his name on your sig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BloodBros Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 i agree"im sorry your dissapointed" doesn't really cut it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slappymcfinkles Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 I agree with Skiscem. Those look like old pix to me. If you look really hard at the Headstock decal it looks like something might be a bit blurry (maybe a little photo shop or something on the logo) The frets are totally hosed and it looks like it fell on or off something which might account for the body dings. If you don't mind me asking how much are ya' into on it? At minimum I'd ask for the cost to refret and a little compensation for that red popsicle if not a complete refund. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pinchegordo Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 hey doc you know who i am as i know who you are,and although i have never done biz with you on here i know from others you are just like me an up front and honest guy.......heres my take if my $.02 is worth anything 1.is it the same guitar?yes i believe it is,i think he posted pics of it when either..a)it was brand newb)these are the pics of it that he was sent when he bought it from someone elsethe latter being the most likely 2. the fret wear......unacceptable,minimal fret wear in my book it less than 10% of the wire worn,zero to none means maybe some light scratching but no more! 3.the dings and the headstock logo....again although cosmetics are secondary to playability,your still buying something unplayed and untouched by you based soley on appearance to recieve something less than what you saw is a let down and makes one feel cheated, which one should never feel when purchasing anything 4.are you being to picky or making a big deal out of nothing?NO,since 95% of the time we dont have the luxury of buying in person when dealing here we rely on sellers to be as descriptive as possible about what they are selling.i would move that he gets reported to the admins and put on the bad sellers list.then you should file a claim with paypal and get your dough back. its really kinda ironic because if he would have been upfront about all the stuff thats wrong with it he could have sold it for $800 fairly quickly,MK strats are sweet rigs and are high dollar mass produced fender gitty's.i was seriously contemplating buying this just to resell it locally and make $100-150 on it.too bad,but your not without recourse.the worst thing you could do is not follow through....because then you only serve to enable him or others to sell sub par gear by misrepresentation here in our little corner,again just my $.02,hope this helps you make a decision,if theres anything i can do(i dont see how,but the offer is there) let me know-pete:thu: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rocccity Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 I'll tell you exactly what someone else told me when I bought a guitar that wasn't what I ordered. "Get your money back, the guy totally lied to you no matter how he tries to justify it. You're never going to be happy with this guitar, it'll just remind you about how some stranger ripped you off and you didn't get what you really wanted...and paid for." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jack Dotson Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 I agree with the others. The guy totally misrepresented this guitar and needs to give you a full refund, plus he should also cover the shipping charges at a minimum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members XD40Master Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 Wow, that sucks. If he isn't going to make it right and return your money, file the claim with PayPal. That guitar needs a Fret level and crown at the very least, which will probably cost you $250.00. The pictures he sent are purposely misleading, and how can he not know the age of the guitar? Sorry to hear this guy ripped you off, get Paypal on him ASAP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bim1959 Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 Wow. That blows. If it were me I'd be seriously pissed off. If he'd shown all the dings in his photos instead of just the 1 or 2 in his ad they wouldnt bother me that much. But he misled you on the number of dings. The frets look like something hit the string and pushed it into the frets and damaged the wood also. And to say that there is zero fretwear is a lie. Looking at the pics of the headstock I wonder if the pics he has were taken by the guy who sold him the guitar. The "Fender Stratocaster" pics - the one he showed and the one you show - arent even close. His has no wear and yours is scraped. The serial number we have no clue about since he didnt show a pic of the serial number. Finally, "I'm sorry you're disappointed but I cant offer a refund" doesnt cut it with me either. Every time I've made a deal or had someone purchase something from me I dont spend it or trade it until I hear back from the other party. As we all know, {censored} happens. I'd file a claim against him to get the dings filled/painted and the frets replaced. But then again, what's paypal going to do? Supposedly he has no money since he blew it on another guitar. If your paypal came off a credit card I'd file for a refund against the credit card company.Either way, this is bogus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members yrfuneralmytria Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 "I thought it was an '07...that's my mistake" -Doubting the innocence...but possible. I'm sorry your disappointed, but I can't offer a refund since I've already bought another." -Lame. He should at least offer a partial refund to make it right. We're supposed to be the good guys and not prick each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MoRBiDThOuGhTs Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 wow, fail a claim with paypal. that fretwear is brutal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xnatex Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 I purchased a guitar last year that arrived with more damage than discribed. The seller offered me half the money back instead of having a long and drawn out pissing contest. Although I wasn't 100% satisfied with the entire purchase....the seller did the right thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Backerhacker Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 File a claim with paypal. They will ask you to return ship within 10 days. Once you have a tracking # (use Fedex or UPS) they will track and verify delivery. Once delivered you have your dough. The key to filing a claim is to escalate at the same time. When you escalate, document the seller's comments, "...can't offer a refund." Just went throught this myself...I feel for you Dr. First time I'd returned a guitar in my life. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gbuzz Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 If you can be happy with the guitar after some work, why not ask for a partial refund to do the fixing. That aside, well, that's just {censored}ed up. I'm about to do my first trade with someone on here who's a newbee, and I don't wanna get ganked...but I have to go on the Musician's ethic screw not and be not screwed. Still nervous, but looking forward to thursday! Good luck with the situation bro! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dr. Scottie C Posted June 4, 2008 Author Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 What bothers me almost as much as the guitars condition is another comment made by the seller to me last night after I voiced my concern....this is word for word cut and pasted from his 2nd and last PM: "would you like me to forward people to you who are inquiring about the guitar? I'm still getting bites on it." ...like what am I suppose to do?? Pass this misrepresentation on to someone else? I don't think so. Let me state for the record that the reason I chose to bring this case to public attention on here is that this forum can be a wonderful place to buy, sell, and trade gear within a smaller group of people who run into each other more often, without everyone having to deal with ebay fees. We all have the potential to play and own gear through these forums for much less than we can buy at local stores or from ebay.... but this system breaks down when someone grossly misrepresents an item. I felt in this case, with 3 or 4 major things not disclosed (that were known for sure) that I would publicly use this example (since it has happened to me) to show others and/or newbies what will and won't be tolerated here. Sometimes I fear that some newcomers feel this is a place to unload items that may not "pass" on ebay....so they come here thinking there is no "negative feedback" to worry about if they sell it here. Having said that, I think I have no choice but to file a claim with pay pal. Thanks for your support guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members robbierobnj06 Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 That just stinks...I think we should have some feedback system, like talkbass.com, would weed out the tools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members emmerwood Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 Dr C...yes you've been taken - I've done scores of trades and have been deceived on a number of occasions, and this time you have a legit complaint with all of the hidden issues and downright lies. I have not had the best results with filing through PayPal, so I've gotten in the habit of using a credit card to pay for my PP purchases, and have filed fraud charges with the CC company of a few occasions. I don't know if this option is open to you this time, but going forward, it's another way to CYA. Lastly, escalate now! Call and e-mail the seller daily and include him on all correspondence in your efforts to get your $$$ back. You have a solid case and should be able to win out in the end, but it may be a long road-take it from me, I've been there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PUCKBOY99 Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 The dings & decal......what are ya' gonna do???? But the fret wear is more than minimal. More interesting is the serial number. I'm no expert & haven't looked it up, but it appears to read SE = Special Edition03 = 2003131 = #131 out of however many made No way he "made a mistake"....but without trying to sound like a d!ck: Did you ask for the serial number or did he send you that picture? Pretty clear from my point of view that he stiffed you & he knew it. I'm guessing he won't be very forthcoming in assisting with the fret cost, so either you fight it with Paypal or you eat it. SUCKS !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kgraber Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 Definitely file a claim. That's just ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dr. Scottie C Posted June 4, 2008 Author Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 131 = #131 out of however many madeNo way he "made a mistake"....but without trying to sound like a d!ck: Did you ask for the serial number or did he send you that picture? Pretty clear from my point of view that he stiffed you & he knew it.SUCKS !!!! Puckboy99- The dings and decal may not seem significant, but believe it or not, a messed up decal on a USA strat can dramatically reduce value as the guitar ages, especially on a signature or special edition.... and I think 4 dings to the wood not mentioned are at least worth questioning. The frets...simply need replaced. Period. I am waiting for my local shop to open up at 9:00am my time, but I am sure that a new fret job will run in the $200 ballpark. You are correct, 100% on the money with the serial number.Here's the thing: it was advertised as a 2007, and in all of our communication I was led to believe that he "just got it." and "bought it from AMS last year".... so I really didn't question it. Besides, the guitar in his original photos looks new except for that one dink his last photo shows. The guitar that came looks different. Another interesting thing is that in his photos, it shows the original Fender strap curled up in the case.... that wasn't in my case when it arrived. I have to really wonder if the first couple photos are from another guitar...or maybe it is this guitar, just years ago before it had been through the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ibenhad Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 Hate to say it but too good to be true always is just that. An '07 Knopfler for $800.00 .. Come on these are 1529.00 new @ any online resource. This guy is either being deceitful or just another scam artist douche. Either that or he forgot to mention that it's lightly reliced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MikeP2 Posted June 4, 2008 Members Share Posted June 4, 2008 with all the crap going on now with Backer and Dr. and others, Harmony, ebay, whatever, seems like the safest place to buy is my local guitar center or MF. Someone should start an ebay for instruments with an escrow option. Any players? Backer's got the dough to do something like that...lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.