Getting a refund for a custom build?

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Silence2-38554

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Dude, this company is impressively bad at communication. When they do communicate, they are very polite, apologetic, informative, etc. But holy hell... I'm the one that traded for Tuffy's Sabre. That thing was a HUGE project to get playing right. I do love a lot of it's design elements, so I'll hang onto it now that I've put the work in, but god damn. Between first communicating with Sabre about getting a wenge electronics cavity cover, some finishing oil for the body and some scrap wood for making sawdust / filling holes, etc. and actually receiving a package from them, I believe it took about 3 months. And when it did show up, I wound up with an ash cover rather than wenge. Upon notifying them of their mistake, radio silence.... I even sent them pictures of the finished guitar......nothing.

That was an incredibly stressful 3 months for me to wait, and they only had about $30 of mine. I can only imagine if I'd given them over $2k.

It's a shame because I really love some of the more recent builds and I love the concept of the "Stock Series", which is what mine is (Syren 7). The business itself is just not being executed very well in several aspects. When multiple people are either missing their guitars or their money for looooong stretches of time, there's no sense in trying to give the builder / company the benefit of the doubt.

I predict this situation getting uglier over the next couple months, then there will be a FaceBook post reading something along the lines of "Wow, everyone really just needs to calm down! The guitars are shipping soon & we've contacted the necessary peopbla bla bla bla bla". Seen this all before with this company. Maybe they exist in a different realm of reality where reasonable timeframes and communication aren't important?
 

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Petar Bogdanov

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On the contrary to your first statement, I see way more opposition from people, when someone wants to order a custom guitar, saying "just get an Ibanez." I don't understand why everyone has to either be anti-production or anti-custom. Why can't people just buy what they want to buy, get the specs they want, if they want to pay for them, and then have the builder not rip them off.

Because you are expecting perfection from someone without any particular qualifications, making things out of wood, for basically average wage (do the math!), each one being a one-off, so he's making each guitar for the first time. This can not be a safe and stable system.
 

Shaynos

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I predict this situation getting uglier over the next couple months, then there will be a FaceBook post reading something along the lines of "Wow, everyone really just needs to calm down! The guitars are shipping soon & we've contacted the necessary peopbla bla bla bla bla". Seen this all before with this company. Maybe they exist in a different realm of reality where reasonable timeframes and communication aren't important?

I honestly have the feeling that the company will go under in the near future. I'd wager with the amount of guitars sold (not that many as far as I can tell) and the obvious overheads of the last few years that he'd be doing it tough financially. Which would really screw me over. I just want my money back before that happens.
 

Deegatron

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I would wager that he literally doesn't have the money to refund your build. he's invested every penny into overhead and the ship is sinking hard.... honestly... I would get my guitar back as is... and sell it at a loss... that's the absolute best case scenario for you right now. sorry bud.
 

Shaynos

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I would wager that he literally doesn't have the money to refund your build. he's invested every penny into overhead and the ship is sinking hard.... honestly... I would get my guitar back as is... and sell it at a loss... that's the absolute best case scenario for you right now. sorry bud.

That thought had crossed my mind. But I would feel too bad selling the guitar and all its problems on to somebody else. I'll keep pushing for a refund and remain (naively) hopeful.

4 times this week I've messaged the Sabre page. All 4 times the message has been seen and not replied to.
 

downburst82

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Not yet, hoping to collect next month when I'm in London.

Collect as in you've made arrangements with him and your guitar will be done and ready for you to pick up...or "Collect" as in your going to see them and demand your guitar in whatever state its in?

(not trying to "stir the pot" just curious)
 

Lorcan Ward

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Damnnn, I think you ordered yours before I even ordered mine. How long now has it been in for repair?

About a year I think.

Collect as in you've made arrangements with him and your guitar will be done and ready for you to pick up...or "Collect" as in your going to see them and demand your guitar in whatever state its in?

Its was ready ages ago so I've made arrangements now to pick it up when I'm in London at Carillion HQ.
 

TheTrooper

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Daemoness is a small custom builder.

On the contrary to your first statement, I see way more opposition from people, when someone wants to order a custom guitar, saying "just get an Ibanez." I don't understand why everyone has to either be anti-production or anti-custom. Why can't people just buy what they want to buy, get the specs they want, if they want to pay for them, and then have the builder not rip them off.


Not against Custom instruments, but against "luthiers" that only run a rip-off business/scam.

Real luthiers started from scratch and built a reputation (Daemoness, Feline, Blackmachine) by delivering real products.


I don't get why somebody would spend 2000€ on a Custom guitar made by Mr.nobody, when You can wait 3 more months and afford a Custom guitar made by an expert.
 

TheTrooper

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That thought had crossed my mind. But I would feel too bad selling the guitar and all its problems on to somebody else. I'll keep pushing for a refund and remain (naively) hopeful.

4 times this week I've messaged the Sabre page. All 4 times the message has been seen and not replied to.


Selling the guitar without specifying all the flaws is WRONG.

Your situation is not good, I understand that, BUT You have a powerful tool on Your side: social media.

To paraphrase Lester in GTA V :)lol:)
It's 2016......in the age of the Internet and social media, having a bad reputation on the web it's far worse than dying, because ages ago, when You died, it stopped there; now even after You're dead, the bad reputation stays on the internet for ages to come.

That's what You should do: tell to everybody.

Thery're doing a run on EUGG? Good.
Write on their page and tell all the story, so anybody can read it (and the company will read it too)
 

narad

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Not against Custom instruments, but against "luthiers" that only run a rip-off business/scam.

Real luthiers started from scratch and built a reputation (Daemoness, Feline, Blackmachine) by delivering real products.

That's a weird set of luthiers to prove this point...

Anyway, this notion that social media is super powerful is way too powerful. I've been there - social media in terms of Facebook is practically useless.
 

TheTrooper

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That's a weird set of luthiers to prove this point...

Anyway, this notion that social media is super powerful is way too powerful. I've been there - social media in terms of Facebook is practically useless.


(The luthiers mentioned are form UK)


Social media IS super powerful, if You know how to take advantage with it.

I checked a little and Sabre is doing a run with EUGG because at least one of the guys of the shop are admins of EUGG (which, to me, sounds like a huge scam BTW).
On Sabre's page there are a few complaints of people that are still waiting for the guitar to be delivered/finished/built/started after ONE YEAR with no updates and after a pretty consistent deposit.

Now, I'm not sure what's going on with them, but why are You guys waiting for over an year with no updates?
I could understand a month after they promised some updates, but a full year?
The situation is extremely suspicious.........They have a s*it ton of orders and (what I understood from their words) only 2 people are working there, not even full time?
What? :scratch:
You guys belive that story?
Even if the sickness story is true (might be/might not be) beats me why they have no plan B in case something like that happens..... and still, only 2 people work in the shop, and they are doing a run with 10-20 customers?

:spock:

Hey, if it ends up being a legitimate delay, awesome but I'll advise You to stop waiting and do something about it.

Tying up to the social media thing: try to ask on the GP Music Discussion Page and see If anybody else had a similat situation; still, they're going to .... their pants when they see a rant/complaint on such a big page. :agreed:
 

TheTrooper

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Will not work, post will get deleted. mod/admin is affilated with Sabre...

Yeah, I know that, but I doubt they'll be so stupid to delete the post (thus confirming EVERYTHING)

Either way, he's gonna get some kind of reaction from Sabre or EUGG (and the members).

Another great community is Wired Guitarist.
Write on their Music Discussion page and see if they can help you/guide the right way
 

Jonathan20022

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Kind of sucks you sent it back, you don't have much leeway in that case and trusting them to refund your money once they resell it is also a bad move trusting a brand like this. Hope it works out for you in some way dude.
 
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So, just had a notification on Facebook that a Christian Howes, who is associated with Sabre Guitars, is trying to sell some Sabre's. One that has been for sale for ages..

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That Ebony topped one does look gorgeous, but .... that noise out of principle.
 

P-Ride

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Wow. Sabre are based around 30 minutes drive from me (in Cambridge, UK) and were recommended by a friend, who knows someone there.

The guitars on their Facebook page look great; several guitarists in my area follow their page and the fact they're local put them top of my list for a custom build.

The description of their 'counterbolt neck' sounded interesting and well thought-out.

Looks like I can scrap that idea.. I'll keep buying major brand name guitars and upgrading them with parts myself, or maybe a Warmoth baritone neck.
 
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