Subject: [Harp-L] RE: Little Guys Going Belly Up?!
Me too! Paul. I would add both Jimmy Gordon (Filisko guild) and David
Payne(Elkriver Harmonicas) to your list of little guys, and I'm sure there are
more neither one of us is thinking of at the moment...as you've said.
Fairly recently I put my money where my mouth is and bought 4 custom
diatonics from Chris Michalek. He'll have to show me how to play 'em at SPAH ;)
Right now they're purely (very beautiful) objets d'art in my harp case.
To reiterate something I've previously written here, I'VE never had trouble
with the items (primarily harmonicas) I've bought from Doc at Harp Depot,
and over the last 4 years I've bought a LOT...as have the people who
attend every SPAH, Buckeye or GSHC Convention I've been to and where I've spent
some time watching the crowds who frequent his store. He's also gotten
awards from SPAH for his service to the harp community, so something doesn't
quite 'fit' with all this HD trashing.
Could the person trying to get hold of Harp Depot not have read their
disclaimer about the specific days and times they're absolutely not available by
phone, or allowed for the possibility that they could have been away at a
convention and/or getting ready for SPAH? I certainly don't know and can't
speak for them, am simply suggesting possibilities, so please...those of
you who think anyone defending 'the little guy' should now be sent hate
email; this is fair warning not to deluge me with offlist stuff as happened
last time I dared speak up for them and against the trashing. I'm not their
Rep, nor am I interested in your anecdotes. Now that it's onlist keep it
there, or not...I'm not the outlet for your frustrations.
Even so, this is an anecdotal complaint aired on harp-l and with the
others who jump on the bandwagon has the possibility of ruining an individual's
business.
So since I counted most of the responses as attacking HD, I'll put in my
own two cents about the other 'big guy' mentioned, Musician's Friend (since
everybody ELSE has been either kudo'ed, or trashed, smashed or dumped on,
why not?)
MF sent my very first order of harmonicas (expensive ones too) somehow
omitting to include any cushioning materials in the package so the heavy box
of my very first Super 64 broke the hinges off another chromatic box,
flattened another box to the point I had to throw it out, bent the button on a
12-hole chromatic, and even chipped a good-sized chunk out of the front of
the comb of the first brand-new double-sided Echo I'd bought in over 30
years. How's THAT for disastrous service?
I called the provided number fully expecting they'd replace them right
away (I was running out of time to go to my first Buckeye) was ready to return
the damaged items pronto assuming they'd expedite the replacement order,
only to be scornfully informed that it was 'impossible' for the packing
material to have been omitted from any box because of their quality control
(they supposedly scan boxes for the amount of items within each before
shipping), ergo I must be either 'mistaken' or wrong. Essentially.... I was lying
to them. They repeated this for several minutes completely shouting down my
insistence, were satisfied they were correct and I was sh-(eer) out of
luck.
I didn't trash them in public because I'm not made that way and it was my
personal issue to deal with, anymore than I would trash a Macy's or other
Department store or any store or vendor for that matter, in a letter to my
local newspaper if an item I bought there was flawed or faulty or the
service lousy. Isn't the correlation the same?
I'm only curious as to just how many times people here run into 'lousy
service' in other aspects of life...whether it's to do with autos, auto
repairs, electronics, furniture, Banks, on their jobs, whatever.... deal with it
or let it go without a public word, yet somehow feel empowered to use this
forum as a way to jump onto the bandwagon in what sure comes across (to me,
anyway) as an attempt to ruin one particular business.
Incidentally, nearly four years later I ordered a lot of book/cd play
alongs from Musician's Friend since they had what I wanted at the time and the
lack of packing material wouldn't make a difference (the cd's are protected
within the pages of the books). Big mistake! The books (when they finally
did slowly trickle in over a period of months) were mostly fine apart from a
couple of bent corners. Except they left out the most expensive one (a $40
double volume), substituting a cheap, throw-away diatonic in the box
(presumably so their scanning machines could 'prove' there had been the correct
number of items in the package).
This time I refused their 'blame the customer' response...and after much
consultation with his supervisor, the person 'helping' me offered to
back-order the book (pretty much proof I couldn't have gotten it in the first
place since it hadn't been in stock). Their realization of their admission of
that fact is most likely the only reason I prevailed.
I'm quite happy with the items I did get from them this last go-round, but
I'll never buy anything from Musician's Friend again. They've had two
chances and have lost me as a customer. I believe in voting with my pocket book
too.
So much for the 'big guys'.
Elizabeth
PS...I also wonder just why a company like MF got to the point of
automatically assuming/deciding a harmonica purchaser/customer is lying? Could it
be because so many harmonica customers in the past HAVE played harmonicas
they've ordered, changed their minds (perhaps because they don't have enough
good sense to do their homework first) returning a used harmonica as
new...so people like me who have legitimate complaints are now stuck with the
fallout?
Complain enough onlist in public and eventually nobody will want to deal
with selling harmonicas to anyone, and you'll all have won.
Umm...tell me again exactly what it is you'll have 'won'?
"Message: 9
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:29:27 +0100
From: Paul Routledge <kingley@xxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] RE: Little Guys Going Belly Up?!
To: Harp L L _Harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:Harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx)
To suggest to "not buy from the little guys" is probably one of the
most stupid statements I have ever heard!
I can understand and do sympathise that yuo have had a bad experience
with one supplier. But to lump all of them in together is just
stupidity!
People like:
Brian Purdy - Harpgear Amps
Scooter - Meteor Amps
Sonny Jr - Sonny Jr Amps
Jeff Spoor - Cumberland Cases
Jeff Spoor - Harp Mic Gaskets
Joe Spiers - Spiers harmonicas
Chris Michalek - Buddha Harps
Joe FIlisko - Filisko Guild
Richard Sleigh - Filisko Guild
Peter Blythe - Harmonicas Direct
to name but a few, are the "little guys".
They keep us all playing and provide top quality service at great
prices!
I for one will be spending whatever money I can afford to with as many
of these guys as I can. I value their services as I'm sure most people
in the harmonica world do.
Sorry for the rant but that sentence infuriates me!
Paul
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