Getting shafted and frustrated. What should I do?

[Gene46]

Back in Oct of last year, I bought a guitar from a manufacturer (guitar has pretty lights on the fretboard). It was stupid of me, but I am working abroad and I wanted a guitar that I wouldn't have to worry about and I thought the fret light would help me. I didn't want to risk bringing my pricier guitars overseas.

Long story short, I ordered the guitar and got it shipped to Singapore. Brought it to my tech who tells me the guitar (a tele style) has got a bent neck. Try to fret the high E string above the 15th fret and the string drops off the side of the neck. I've got clear photos of this which I then send to the manufacturer.

They tell me they will send me a new guitar. I tell them I don't want a new guitar, and that I want my money back which they agree to refund. I send the guitar back via their Fedex account. Since then, I've been trying to get my money back, but it's been excuse after excuse. First, they don't answer my emails, then when they finally send me an email in Jan, they tell me they have refunded my money to my credit card. After three weeks of waiting and no refund, I call them up again and the rep tells me that my card has expired and the refund has been refused. This is the same credit card I used to buy the guitar with and it expires in 2014 o I know this is not true. I tell them to try again and the rep insist that the card will not accept a refund and thus they have to mail me a cheque. I give them an address to mail it to, but I receive no confirmation from them, no replies. I'm made the story short for brevity sake, but there have been so many emails from me to them, just trying to get a reply or answer, I just think they don't want to give me my money back.

I'm really pissed at this point. Although I'm not in the US, can I still complain to the Better Business Bureau or something? There must be something I can do. Its not so much about the money at this point, but just the fact that they believe they can treat people like this. I know if I don't call them and hound them, I'm not going to get my money back.

What can I do?

 

[Laurent Brondel]

Bent neck, Are you sure? Does the neck curve following the high E string's path? Or is it straight?
It looks more like the neck is out of alignement. Neck screw holes need to be filled and redrilled so the neck's centreline is the same as the body. Not a big deal for a good repair guy.

 

[Shugaboy]

loosen the neck bolts a little bit, shift the neck into proper alignment and retighten. i have had to do this several times. First time it happened i was worried like you and thought i needed to move the bridge

edit: he has already shipped the guitar back so this advice wont help very much. I must learn to read the full post before replying haha

 

[pbmw]

Or just have your credit card company do a chargeback

 

[Gene46]

The neck has the strings through the body and my tech told me it can't be adjusted. It would involve re drilling holes and other stuff and would cost me more money to fix than would be worth the effort. Easier just to get a new one or a refund.

The fact is, no guitar should come from the factory like this. Even the rep agreed that it was unacceptable. Now that its happened though and I have no guitar and I'm out of pocket, what options are available to me? Is there an agency that can help? How do I put pressure on them to do the right thing and give me back my money?

 

[Gene46]

Or just have your credit card company do a chargeback

I was away when the guitar arrived and by the time I got back, it was in Nov. By the time I sent the guitar back, it was Dec so its been over 2 months. The credit card company can't do a charge back if it's more than one billing cycle.

 

[Sawarow]

loosen the neck bolts a little bit, shift the neck into proper alignment and retighten. i have had to do this several times. First time it happened i was worried like you and thought i needed to move the bridge

+1, from the photos it looks like the neck is sitting a little crooked in the body.

 

[Mark Kane]

Your tech doesn't know what he's talking about. Like has already been said. Loosen the neck bolts a little and grab the neck by the nut and pull it straight. This happens on bolt neck guitars in shipping all the time.

 

[KazJY]

Or just have your credit card company do a chargeback

This.

 

[2leod]

If I read the OP right, he's already sent the guitar back and now is looking for a refund which has been less than forthcoming.

My only advise is to keep at the company 'till you get your money.

 

[GCDEF]

Your tech doesn't know what he's talking about. Like has already been said. Loosen the neck bolts a little and grab the neck by the nut and pull it straight. This happens on bolt neck guitars in shipping all the time.

That's what it looks like to me too, but it's too late now.

As other have said, get the credit card company involved.

 

[2HBStrat]

+1, from the photos it looks like the neck is sitting a little crooked in the body.

Yes! You might be able to loosen the strings, then loosen the neck screws and straight the neck. It might be an easy fix!

 

[Echo]

Hey guys! He's already sent the guitar back. The question isn't about fixing the guitar, it's about getting his money back.

I would keep on them, and tell them that you will be making sure to caution other guitarists against their company if they don't make things right in the end.

Best of luck.

 

[musicofanatic5]

Yes, he has sent the guitar back. Too bad he did not perform a simple chiroprcatic adjustment on it first. I would hold the guy that said this:

"The neck has the strings through the body and my tech told me it can't be adjusted."...

as culpable. If the OP was not so heinously misinformed, he never would have sent it back. Sue the "tech" if no other recourse works out.

 

[Gray]

Proof that nobody gives a **** about reading, they just want to rush in and post their misinformed opinion.

 

[corn husk bag]

Proof that nobody gives a **** about reading, they just want to rush in and post their misinformed opinion.

Yep, it is the way most people operate now.

Kind regards,
Steve

 

[ManliusGuitar]

Proof that nobody gives a **** about reading, they just want to rush in and post their misinformed opinion.

And we have a winner!

Stay on them and hopefully they will relent and give you the refund...

 

[stratoskier]

Before saying too many disparaging things about the tech that advised the OP, I would note that there is a limit to how much correction can be achieved by tweaking the neck up or down. If the bridge and neck pocket aren't aligned reasonably well, you can't force the neck far enough over to get satisfactory results. Looking at the OP's 2nd picture, it appears that the bridge is pretty crooked relative to the pickguard. Hard to tell without having the guitar in hand, but there could have been more serious problems with that guitar.

As noted, it's too late to speculate because the guitar was sent back, but I wouldn't jump to conclusions about the tech's qualifications based on our very limited information.

 

[Gene46]

The tech I go to studied lutherie and builds his own guitars so he knows what he is talking about.

But yes, my actual question is; what can I do besides hounding them? Is there an agency I can write to to complain? I'll talk to my credit card company as well, at this point in time, I'm willing to try everything.

 

[megaweapon]

Having been in multiple situations involving refunds and such, calling the credit card company would be the main course of action. To me at least, it looks as if the bridge isn't aligned properly; not that it matters now anyway. As far as the Better Business Bureau goes; well, they're not any type of legal enforecing agency or anything. It's like giving feedback about a seller to a 3rd party organization. They only matter if someone else who is interested in doing business with them bothers to look at their ratings, to which I believe is a sham process of sorts. Best of luck.