Re: [Harp-L] My Recent Experience with Bushman (long)

[robert stalvey <rstalvey@xxxxxxxxx>]

This is my first time replying to something on Harp-L so hopefully i didn't
fark it up!

I'm still waiting since December 4 on a Low F Bushman harmonica that did not
ship with the other 2 harps in my order that was placed december4. I got the
C and the Db early in January. I really like the delta frost too, i'm just
learning i don't have to blow quite as hard in order to get the reeds to
work properly on those. I'm glad they didn't send me a used harmonica.
that's really gross. was there a mustache hair caught in the coverplate? I
remember they were hard to reach for a long time when they were "setting up
ukeleles" to ship for christmas.

I want a delta frost A next! I wonder if anyone has had problems getting
Bushman's from Harp Depot? although they don't have the reedplates that you
need Randy

~Robert Stalvey, Martha's Vineyard
(budding harmonica player who just got 3 more gigs!)

On Mon, Jan 26, 2009 at 12:27 PM, Randy G. <frcn@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> My Recent and Last Dealing With Bushman Music Works
>
> 9/19/08 - placed an online order (I believe my third of fourth order with
> them) for harps and reed plates (this order totaled about $130)
>
> 10/7/08 - called to add to order - one additional reed plate $10.80. Order
> had not yet been sent out, so this was an easy add.
>
> 11/19/08 - Called to find out when order would ship. Told shipment arrives
> there +/- 11/21/08 and so my order would ship out shortly.
>
> 12/3/08 - Called again to find out about order. Got berated for calling so
> much. Told I was a "squeaky wheel" kind of person who thinks that if I keep
> calling my order would get shipped sooner. Told that they would just cancel
> order and send me my money back. I said I just wanted what I had ordered in
> September and wondered where it was. Told truck arrives 12/5/08. I should
> have my order by 12/13/08. I gave him my E-Mail address (which he stated was
> not in his records), he read it back to me at my request, and I requested
> that he send me an E-Mail to assure me that it works. No E-Mail ever
> arrived.
>
> 12/29/08 - Still no order. I was done with all this and wanted my money
> back. I E-mailed for a refund, then called on the phone later that afternoon
> and talked directly to John and canceled both orders and asked for a full
> refund. Amount and address was verified and I hung up.
>
> 12/29/08 (later that same afternoon)- John Hall called me three times and
> gave me a detailed reason why my order never shipped. Said order was held up
> in shipping department because two of the harps I ordered are out of stock
> and they have trouble getting them. Promised refund and to send my
> long-delayed order to me at no charge to apologize and as a good will
> gesture. I had him verify my E-Mail address and asked for him to send me an
> E-Mail to assure that it works. No E-Mail ever arrived. Stated that he
> didn't want to lose me as a customer. At this point I figured things can
> happen, and was satisfied with the explanation, although still not pleased
> with the way I was treated on 12/3.
>
> 1/09/09 - No refund has been issued and no goods have been delivered. I
> contacted my credit card company and filed a dispute for a full refund of
> both charges.
>
> 1/13/09 - As of today no refund and no order. No contact at all from
> Bushman since the phone calls on the day I canceled the order (12/29/08). I
> posted another reply on alt.music.harmonica talking about how poorly this
> has been handled and how undependable Bushman has been to me as a business,
> etc. I also stated that I would only communicate with them in writing from
> this point forward.
>
> 1/14/09 - (the day after I posted on alt.music.harmonica) I receive an
> E-mail from Bushman stating, once again, that parts are in the mail and
> refund to my credit card has been issued. The first E-Mail message I have
> received concerning this refund/unsent order situation.
>
> 1/16/09 - The refund from Bushman for $132.95 now appears on my credit card
> statement, but they failed to credit me for the additional $10.50 from the
> second order I placed as they had agreed to do.
>
> 1/19/09 - An E-mail from Bushman I received today now states that the
> reason the refund was slow to post was due to how old the charge was, and it
> also states, "I also arranged a very nice selection of products, and one
> super nice surprise that you don't even know about, to ship out to you today
> (I actually pulled it and arranged for it to go out last week while I was in
> Anaheim for the NAMM show, but my people didn't ship it as I asked them to,
> so it is going out today)." [This is three weeks from the day he stated that
> the refund would be issued and the package would be mailed.]
>
> 1/22/09 - Phone call from Bushman this AM; I checked the caller ID, saw it
> was Bushman, and so I did not answer. E-mail with tracking number arrives a
> little while later. According to tracking info, parcel shipped 1/19/09 and
> will arrive here tomorrow, 1/23/09.
>
> 1/23/09 - Parcel arrives. The contents were:
>
> 1 - Reed plate/comb assembly - new - key of C
> 1 - Reed plate/comb assembly - new - key of Bb
> 1 - Delta Frost harmonica - USED - key of A
> 1 - Lee Oscar Harmonica - USED - key a Dm
> 1 - Lee Oscar Harmonica - USED - key of Em
> 1 - heavy leather snap case for 6 harmonicas
>
> Not included were the three "A" reedplate sets I had ordered which were
> what I really needed because of the repeated failure of the 5-draw reed on
> these harps. Since they are the "manufacturer" of the harps I believe that
> they can accept used harps on warranty (depending on their local health
> laws), but sending used harps to customers!?
>
> I never wanted to take the time nor the expense to find a different harp. I
> like the DF's for lots of reasons­ They have a good sound, are well tuned
> and set up right out of the box, are responsive, and are relatively
> affordable for the quality they offer. On the other hand, I am playing with
> a group now and depend on my harps and need their supply to be equally
> dependable. Unfortunately, it seems that the decision to change harps has
> been made for me by Bushman. Sad, really. Great harp, but based on my recent
> experience in dealing with them, not a great business.
>
> I have 10+ pages of detailed, chronological documentation covering this
> entire situation. I originally did not want to just post a "don't do
> business with these people" message as I find that those just sound like one
> pissed off person trying to ruin a business. I could post the entire thing
> if it would serve any need, but I think this suffices for the moment. I
> think that the details I have shared here create a mass of evidence that
> anyone thinking of dealing with Bushman directly would be well served by
> reading. Suffice to say that after what I have been though my dealing with
> Bushman or buying any more Bushman products is at an end.
>
> I will post another message regarding my search for a replacement harp.
>
>              From Randy G.
>      Live to Play  -  Play to Live
> http://www.myspace.com/RandyGBlues
> http://www.myspace.com/PhatBoyzBlue
>
>
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