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

robert stalvey <rstalvey@xxxxxxxxx> · Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:01:36 -0500

After posting this yesterday, today I got a call from Bushman offering
options. I could try the low F soul's voice, wait another 2 weeks for my
backordered delta frost, or get a refund right away. I'm impressed with the
level of service from John Hall, even though, I'm really the little guy in
the big scheme and not the "squeaky wheel" type. Usually, I'd rather use the
power of the consumer and go somewhere else if I feel hassled. Truth
is...I'd much rather have my harmonica than a refund. My local music store
seems to be waiting to restock until they sell all of the oddball keys they
have and that money would just be spent on another special20 or I can save
my pennies for a Seydel.

I decided I've waited this long...i can wait 2 more weeks. and i'm pretty
sure the next harmonica I try will be a Bushman Soul's Voice A instead of
the Delta Frost.... Thanks Harp-L for giving a platform for things to be
discussed like this. OH! and John did mention the used harps that were sent.
he said it was a misunderstanding and he sent some of his personal harps
free with a leather case for him to try while other harps were backordered.
I personally won't share my harp with anyone except my girlfriend!

~Robert Stalvey
The Little Guy

On Tue, Jan 27, 2009 at 10:47 AM, Howard Chandler <
pontchartrain.amps@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I have to wonder if they're having trouble getting timely shipments from
> their offshore suppliers due to the credit crunch.
>
> robert stalvey wrote:
>
>> 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
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
>>> Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
>>> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l
>>>
>>>
>>>
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