I just purchased a brand new Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster from one of the big online/catalog dealers. Loved it but it had a slight bow in the neck needed to be intonated and the action had to be adjusted.
I sent it to our local guitar tech and he did the basic set up required and it plays like a dream. Kind of like a $1500 guitar should from the factory.
He noticed a dent on the guitar and notified me. The dealer would not exchange it because of the set up and offered 10% off to keep it which i originally refused. They then offered some more to satisfy me which they now deny. I was willing to keep with that discount since it plays so well. Won't be doing business with them again!
Anyone have any ideas where to go from here???
thanks
Mike

I take it from your post that you took it to a guy who set it up,and is not a recognized "Fender" tech or something like that,at a dealer?
The dent in question could have happened in shipping or anywhere after it left the online/catalog place,they naturally will say that and that the guitar is yours now....they will deny doing it and you can't prove they did.
Enjoy your guitar,you didn't notice the dent before evidently,and you say it plays like a dream.

i had the guitar out of the case three or four times before i took it to get set up.
it arrived at my work i took it out when i got it, that evening to play live, the next morning to give it a quick play before work then when i brought it to the tech.
my whole point is don't promise me something then change your mind and leave me stuck.
the guitar does play and sound great i'm just not into the relic or road worn deal.
i would like to put my own dents and avoid doing so at all costs

So,are you saying that you didn't see the dent?
You must not have if your tech had to point it out to you.

Why would the setup guy point out a dent in your guitar? Maybe because he caused it? Being as how you didn't notice any dent when you had it, and it was only after the guitar had been handled by others that the dent was "noticed", I don't see how you can fault the store. I refinished a bass a while back, and just as I finished assembly I put a small, barely noticeable ding on the front (doh!). I forgot about it, delivered the guitar and the owner was thrilled, and didn't notice the ding. Two weeks later he noticed the ding and told me how he thought he did it.

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---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

If you contact the online retailer again and keep working your way up the supervisor chain, it may help. Just keep asking for whomever you're talking to's boss.

However, I think you're probably not going to get much since you didn't notice / report it right away. They may toss you a bone to keep you happy but it would be a goodwill gesture more than anything else.

Jeff

They just emailed me and said they are giving an additional discount to keep me as a customer.
Which they will!

it is a sunburst guitar and the dent is hard to see and in the black on the edge he didn't see it either he felt it while doing the set up.

MC

Congrats! It's now a relic and doubled its value.

Cheers

David

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"Humans think they are smarter than dolphins because we build cars and buildings and start wars etc...and all that dolphins do is swim in the water, eat fish and play around. Dolphins believe that they are smarter for exactly the same reasons."

I just wonder if you bought yours from American Musical Supply? If so this would be the third report of a damaged guitar from them in the last couple of months. I returned mine and it is now up on ebay. They were very good to deal with and I have no complaints about them but they might have a problem employee at the warehouse. Here's a link to the one I sent back:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... MEWAX%3AIT

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'10 American Deluxe HSS Sunset Metallic
'10 JA-90 Thinline Telecaster
'15 Music Man JP-15 Blueberry Burst
'07 Les Paul Standard Faded LCPG #82
'14 Carvin ST300
'12 Carvin CS424S
'66 Guild Starfire IV w/Bigsby
'14 Warmouth Partscaster Daphne Blue

yes it was them but they have satified me so i'm happy now!

BUT THE DAMAGE IS IN THE EXACT SAME PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

not nearly that bad but there is a possiblity the paint job will be effected now i'm scared but we reached and agreement and i'm sticking with it.

perhaps someone at Fender needs to look into this, i don't think it's on the AMS end but perhaps Fender!?

I think the problem is at the AMS warehouse. The first guitar that was damaged came in a Fender box that had been opened and taped back closed. The second guitar that I kept came in an unopened Fender box and was perfect.

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'10 American Deluxe HSS Sunset Metallic
'10 JA-90 Thinline Telecaster
'15 Music Man JP-15 Blueberry Burst
'07 Les Paul Standard Faded LCPG #82
'14 Carvin ST300
'12 Carvin CS424S
'66 Guild Starfire IV w/Bigsby
'14 Warmouth Partscaster Daphne Blue

Wonder if it is someone in their warehouse not knowing how to use some piece of automated picking and shipping equipment? Could just be happenstance but 2 in a short time with the same damage almost sounds like some piece of shipping or loading equipment is out of adjustment. I would think a disgruntled employee would do more damage than that because he's going to get fired anyway when management goes back and checks who handled the boxes from arrival to final shipment.

At leaset if I were going to do something like that and get fired over it, I'd make it worth my time and effort.

Jeff

if the shipping at AMS was to blame the case and Fender box would have been damaged.
Neither were, i hate to speculate at this point but it sure does seem peculiar that these gtrs are damaged in the same exact spot.
These strats come with some awesome cases!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree, which is why I feel someone is taking the guitars out of their case and fooling around with them and not giving a damn. It's costing AMS some money, because yours makes three that have posted with the same problem in the last couple of months.

_________________
'10 American Deluxe HSS Sunset Metallic
'10 JA-90 Thinline Telecaster
'15 Music Man JP-15 Blueberry Burst
'07 Les Paul Standard Faded LCPG #82
'14 Carvin ST300
'12 Carvin CS424S
'66 Guild Starfire IV w/Bigsby
'14 Warmouth Partscaster Daphne Blue

if mine is three and yours is two where and when was the first.
AMS is aware of this post and has fowarded our info to their whse manager.

I will get a pic of the damage on mine and try and get it posted here!