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Post subject: Buying online/through mail order...
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 8:34 am
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Just cost me $60 to return a bass case to Sweetwater.My Fender Bass VI [a Jaguar body] did not fit this generic form-fit case. Was no way for me to know this from the online catalog. Case was a demo and price reduced. Lesson learned is that there are certain specs one should be certain of before price shopping and verify return policies. :idea: :wink:

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Post subject: Re: Buying online/through mail order...
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 9:46 am
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ZZDoc wrote:
Just cost me $60 to return a bass case to Sweetwater.My Fender Bass VI [a Jaguar body] did not fit this generic form-fit case. Was no way for me to know this from the online catalog. Case was a demo and price reduced. Lesson learned is that there are certain specs one should be certain of before price shopping and verify return policies. :idea: :wink:


Agreed !

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Post subject: Re: Buying online/through mail order...
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 9:59 am
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A postscript to this has to do with the purchase of the Bass VI. It was purchased through a very reputable dealer. No issues there. It is an MIJ LTD edition released this year. It was supplied without a case or bag. Perhaps, in hindsight, this sort of transaction ought to be avoided. The Bass VI is essentially a baritone Jaguar guitar with an extended scale. It requires a case/bag suitable to its design. In essence, its kind of an ugly duckling. But storing a guitar safely, particulary with respect to maintaining humidity control demands an appropriate enclosure. To supply a guitar without such, is really not something manufacturers ought to do. Potential customers should avoid such a purchase, unless they've already considered other options before hand. I believe the original issue, in the 60's provided an OHC, but not since.

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Post subject: Re: Buying online/through mail order...
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 10:32 am
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If when you bought the instrument you had them ship it inside a hard case that fit then you would stand a better chance of getting one. Oddball instruments often have no hard case that fits anywhere. I'm to the point where I use hard cases for storage only and really thickly padded Fender gigbags for bass local transport. I only travel around the immediate area so that is a good arrangement for me. I have this one Fender bass gig bag that is not only very thickly padded, but allows me to load 2 instruments into it. That is all I need to take. Thieves looks for vintage hard cases, not gig bags. I've owned many brands of bags but the Fender deluxe series that has been around a while is the best for me. I especially like the one that totes 2 basses in it.


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Post subject: Re: Buying online/through mail order...
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 10:42 am
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brotherdave wrote:
If when you bought the instrument you had them ship it inside a hard case that fit then you would stand a better chance of getting one. Oddball instruments often have no hard case that fits anywhere. I'm to the point where I use hard cases for storage only and really thickly padded Fender gigbags for bass local transport. I only travel around the immediate area so that is a good arrangement for me. I have this one Fender bass gig bag that is not only very thickly padded, but allows me to load 2 instruments into it. That is all I need to take. Thieves looks for vintage hard cases, not gig bags. I've owned many brands of bags but the Fender deluxe series that has been around a while is the best for me. I especially like the one that totes 2 basses in it.


I'm on the same page with you on this. However, I may have misunderstood that the instrument came without a case. Too accustomed to otherwise. They didn't bother to ask me if I'd be interested in having one. Might have agreed to it.

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Post subject: Re: Buying online/through mail order...
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 10:49 am
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ZZDoc wrote:
brotherdave wrote:
If when you bought the instrument you had them ship it inside a hard case that fit then you would stand a better chance of getting one. Oddball instruments often have no hard case that fits anywhere. I'm to the point where I use hard cases for storage only and really thickly padded Fender gigbags for bass local transport. I only travel around the immediate area so that is a good arrangement for me. I have this one Fender bass gig bag that is not only very thickly padded, but allows me to load 2 instruments into it. That is all I need to take. Thieves looks for vintage hard cases, not gig bags. I've owned many brands of bags but the Fender deluxe series that has been around a while is the best for me. I especially like the one that totes 2 basses in it.


I'm on the same page with you on this. However, I may have misunderstood that the instrument came without a case. Too accustomed to otherwise. They didn't bother to ask me if I'd be interested in having one. Might have agreed to it.


Just for future reference for everyone, I do not know of any Fender Japan instrument that comes with a case stock.

ZZ DOC, was this the Fender G&G made hardcase that wouldn't work? I don't know why it wouldn't work perfectly! Kinda pricey though.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/0068076000/


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Post subject: Re: Buying online/through mail order...
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 11:00 am
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brotherdave wrote:
ZZ DOC, was this the Fender G&G made hardcase that wouldn't work?

No. It was an SKB form fit. What I should have ordered was the Gator GC Bass Case. I had that ready to go from them. However, when I came back from Fedex having run a $60 tab I cancelled my order. They were suprised that I had been charged so much for shipping. It cost them half that much to send me two cases.[I bought one for a guitar, which was just fine.] They told me it probably would have cost them $17 to send me one case. If they had billed the return to their Fedex number and debited my account that cost, I could have eaten it, and they could have had the order. Minus creative thinking on their part, and too much already invested, I opted out. Sometimes you have to be clever in business. Sometimes you figure you're doing so well, you don't have to. My first and now last deal with them.

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Post subject: Re: Buying online/through mail order...
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 1:19 pm
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I recently bought a acoustic from MusiciansFriend. I asked what they would recommend for a case, it didn't fit the guitar. I called them up told them they suggested the case and they said return it and we'll pay the return shipping. Which they did.


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Post subject: Re: Buying online/through mail order...
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 6:11 pm
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Minnesotastrats wrote:
I recently bought a acoustic from MusiciansFriend. I asked what they would recommend for a case, it didn't fit the guitar. I called them up told them they suggested the case and they said return it and we'll pay the return shipping. Which they did.

That circumstance differs from mine, and your were properly managed.
Sweetwater might have saved me 2/3'ds of the shipping costs had they paid for my return and then debited my refund for the charge. I certainly would have been comfortable with that, and would have moved forward with a transaction for a different case. Failing this, I bailed out, being too far in financially with no gain. I'll take my business elsewhere.

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Post subject: Re: Buying online/through mail order...
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 7:02 pm
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I'm frankly surprised you are dissatisfied with Sweetwater in any regard. Every dealing I've had with them was....well...sweet.

I'd just bite the bullet and get the Fender case for it. If you don't want to deal with Sweetwater, try Music Zoo. They have them. They are a tough find. Sweetwater has the best price though. Music Zoo might price match.

It is Fender Part 0068076000.


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Post subject: Re: Buying online/through mail order...
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 7:13 pm
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brotherdave wrote:
I'm frankly surprised you are dissatisfied with Sweetwater in any regard. Every dealing I've had with them was....well...sweet.

I'd just bite the bullet and get the Fender case for it. If you don't want to deal with Sweetwater, try Music Zoo. They have them. They are a tough find. Sweetwater has the best price though. Music Zoo might price match.

It is Fender Part 0068076000.

I had no issues with the online purchase, receipt, acknowledgement and delivery. In fact, it arrived a day early. My issue is that it cost me $60 to return a $99 purchase and they were aghast at what Fedex charged me, but they enjoy far lower bulk corporate rates. If they had authorized a paid return, they could have debited my account that amount and I would have moved foward on the order for a different case which they were awaiting the OK from me to ship. As with you...I don't require a heavy duty Fender case to store my guitars and content myself with either a Fender gig bag, or my generic looking SKB hard case as needed. Your suggestions in this are, however, greatly appreciated.

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Post subject: Re: Buying online/through mail order...
Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 5:13 am
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ZZDoc wrote:
I had no issues with the online purchase, receipt, acknowledgement and delivery. In fact, it arrived a day early. My issue is that it cost me $60 to return a $99 purchase and they were aghast at what Fedex charged me, but they enjoy far lower bulk corporate rates. If they had authorized a paid return, they could have debited my account that amount and I would have moved foward on the order for a different case which they were awaiting the OK from me to ship. As with you...I don't require a heavy duty Fender case to store my guitars and content myself with either a Fender gig bag, or my generic looking SKB hard case as needed. Your suggestions in this are, however, greatly appreciated.

I deal with Sweetwater quite often, and find that they have great customer service, deliver quickly, well packaged, and their web site has probably the best guitar gallery of any web site.

However, it's not all roses - there's a lot of things they just don't carry, and there's a certain lack of flexibility in their processes. You experienced one such problem.
I experienced another, when I couldn't use a 15% coupon, because it could only be used over the phone, not e-mail or online, even when dealing with the same sales person. Luckily, GC wasn't as inflexible.

i also seriously question all the scuffed demos they sell. Pretty much every single one of them have nicks or dents, according to their web site. Do they have the most clumsy and careless employees ever, or do they intentionally nick or dent items to sell them as a demo?
I handle my possessions daily for years without getting any nicks and scuffs. Sure, shyte happens, but very rarely. And even less for items I know are expensive and fragile.
It happening to dozens of items daily seems downright suspicious.
I know, Hanlon's Razor, but there is a point at where it becomes suspicious.


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Post subject: Re: Buying online/through mail order...
Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 5:31 am
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[quote="arth1]I deal with Sweetwater quite often, and find that they have great customer service, deliver quickly, well packaged, and their web site has probably the best guitar gallery of any web site.However, it's not all roses........... and there's a certain lack of flexibility in their processes.You experienced one such problem.[/quote]

Agreed. The pluses unfortunately do not outweigh the minuses to make the juice worth the squeeze for my dealing with them again. I get can most anything via direct purchase or online delivered to my local Sam Ash or Guitar Center, or any one of a number of local 'mom and pops'.

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Post subject: Re: Buying online/through mail order...
Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 6:34 am
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I had a completely different experience with a mail order website this week.Last week I sent an email to Café Press for a hoody that my wife was giving someone for Christmas and she told me to order extra large size and at the time I said that I believed that this person took a size large but she was adamant that it was XL.Anyway the hoody came and she notified our daughter and our daughter said it was supposed to be a large (it was for her boyfriend).Not being the type to say "I told you so." I said that I'd send for an exchange form from Café Press.I sent for the form stating that I was given the wrong size to order and I would like to send back the XL one in exchange for a L size.Cafe Press emailed me back and said that I needn't send back the one I mistakenly ordered because they didn't want me to go through the added expense of paying postage both ways for the exchange and told me to keep the hoody I received and that they would send me the correct size at no extra charge.I was taken aback by this because companies with that sort of customer support and appreciation are certainly few and far between these days.Needless to say I emailed them back and thanked them profusely and told them that I would certainly be dealing with them from now on and would be suggesting them to others looking for unique one of a kind caps,shirts, etc. and custom printed designs on clothing . I have gotten several great guitar,amp and music oriented caps and tees there that you don't see anywhere else and at great prices.If you want to advertize your obsession with guitars and music to the world check them out http://www.cafepress.com/

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Post subject: Re: Buying online/through mail order...
Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 7:33 am
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Chalk it up to lessons learned...

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