Kiesel --- Never Again!

[Choncie]

I ordered a Zues in December with an early March completion date. Noticed a $1,400 charge on my CC with no email or call prior.
Found out my guitar was completed and ready to ship. Great!, couldn’t wait to get it. Waited a few days and no tracking number, thought that was weird so I emailed them. I received an email that my guitar was already delivered. I thought that was odd since I never received the guitar. I explained that I never received the guitar and that they had made a mistake.
Come to find out they shipped my guitar to someone else and that person had had the guitar three days by the time Kiesel found out what had happened.
It’s now going on a week and whoever has my guitar still hasn’t shipped it back to Kiesel. They say their work schedule is too hectic but will try to return it soon.

Kiesel has apologized and I appreciate that but I’m considering a refund. What would you guys do? Wait it out or get your money back?

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Get your money back asap. You can always put in another order later. Who knows what the jagoff who didn't send it back is doing to it. I wouldn't want that guitar.

 

[gunshow86de]

Either full-refund or significant (ie several hundred dollars off) discount. It is technically a used instrument now.

 

[budda]

@Choncie full refund. No time for that BS.

 

[mbardu]

@Choncie full refund. No time for that BS.

I also like the option above ^ of asking for a good $$ refund.
Not sure Kiesel would do it...but if they do, then you can easily spot if anything is wrong with a guitar and cleaning it up is really not that difficult.
Funnily enough I once returned a Kiesel I didn't really jive with (probably about 2016?) that I ended up loving when I found it used in a store like 2 months later. Ended up re-buying it at 50% off.

Would have to be a very good amount of $$$ to compensate for the bad experience though.

 

[mbardu]

I explained that I never received the guitar and that they had made a mistake.
Come to find out they shipped my guitar to someone else and that person had had the guitar three days by the time Kiesel found out what had happened.

I like that guy's attitude. Fedex at the door: oooOOOOooo a free guitar I didn't order. Must be my lucky day!
Keeps the guitar and doesn't contact anyone about it. When asked to do so, he "may" do it in a few days.
Living the life

PS: It's a joke. If the guy is busy at work and lives far from a Fedex dropoff, it's probably a hassle he didn't need. Everyone loses in that situation.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I would just worry about the dude who isn't returning it fucking it up. It's just not worth the risk, not when Kiesel could probably whip up an identical guitar in no time.

 

[mbardu]

I would just worry about the dude who isn't returning it fucking it up. It's just not worth the risk, not when Kiesel could probably whip up an identical guitar in no time.

I mean...unless the guy specifically goes nuts on the truss rod or pries out the electronics or drags the top face first on the pavement....it's hard to really damage a guitar in a few days while you're busy at work. Risk of really reaaaally fucking it up as in beyond what a reasonable person could easily check upon a 5 minutes inspection? I guess I don't see it.
Not pleasant for the future owner for sure though, which is why monetary compensation could be a good compromise; though we're all just speculating anyway.

 

[olejason]

You can guarantee he's had his tallywacker all over the guitar. I wouldn't want it back.

 

[budda]

You can guarantee he's had his tallywacker all over the guitar. I wouldn't want it back.

More likely is he did things himself and then played guitar, without washing his hands.

(this post is actually a PSA about washing your hands)

 

[Viginez]

i'd try to contact them one more time and ask if the guy responded.

 

[jemfloral]

Money back from Kiesel, immediately. You can always order another. It's their fault for shipping to the wrong person in the first place, why would you accept a 'used' guitar for the price you expected a new one at? As @budda alluded to, particularly with the current state of the world w.r.t. COVID-19...

 

[MatiasTolkki]

Money back from Kiesel, immediately. You can always order another. It's their fault for shipping to the wrong person in the first place, why would you accept a 'used' guitar for the price you expected a new one at? As @budda alluded to, particularly with the current state of the world w.r.t. COVID-19...

Yep, because there are sick people out there who would try to purposely infect others with Kung Flu (yes, this happened here in Japan).

 

[spudmunkey]

I mean...the virus dies on dry surfaces after a couple days at most...

but, yeah...people are gross.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11151...king-fingers-wiping-them-pole-belgium-subway/

 

[mbardu]

I mean...it's a dumb error from the sender, probably frustration for everyone involved (the guy who received it in error included)...and something should definitely be done for the buyer cause that's a terrible experience.

But have you guys never bought a guitar used?
And is it because you just assume other guitar players spend their time rubbing their dong on their instruments or something?
I mean is that...even a thing? Are you guys doing it and I'm missing out on something or what ?

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I mean...it's a dumb error from the sender, probably frustration for everyone involved...and something should definitely be done for the buyer cause that's a bad experience.

But have you guys never bought a guitar used?
And is it because you just assume other guitar players spend their time rubbing their dong on their instruments or something?
I mean is that...even a thing? Are you guys doing it and I'm missing out on something or what ?

I'm all for used, when I buy used.

This is just a goofy situation and I don't see why you'd go with the "oops" guitar which hasn't been recovered yet as far as we know, when a refund/rebuild is an option.

I suppose if you really need a couple hundred bucks off (potentially) or need it ASAP it would be worth it, of course that timeline is uncertain given we have no idea what the situation with the guitar is at the moment.

 

[mbardu]

I'm all for used, when I buy used.

This is just a goofy situation and I don't see why you'd go with the "oops" guitar which hasn't been recovered yet as far as we know, when a refund/rebuild is an option.

I suppose if you really need a couple hundred bucks off (potentially) or need it ASAP it would be worth it, of course that timeline is uncertain given we have no idea what the situation with the guitar is at the moment.

That logic I'm OK with. If it was a "wait more and take this same guitar at some point when maybe we get it back and don't expect compensation" kind of situation of course that would make zero sense. Take a rebuild or refund. If the option is to take that guitar and be compensated in a significant way (whatever "significant" enough means to the buyer), eeeeh why not?

The replies turning into "run away, that random guy will give you the killer flu with his hands or make sweet sweet love to your guitar so it will no longer be a virgin" - those however I found pretty funny . For all we know the person in question might not even have opened the box and is just too busy to ship it back.

 

[Choncie]

I reached out to Joe the service manager at Kiesel, I asked for a refund or a rebuild. Here is Joes response below. Joe mentions that the other customer called them Right away after discovering the guitar wasn’t his. This is odd since he got it mid day Friday and no one reached out to me. I only found out because I emailed them Monday to find out why I hadn’t received tracking info. I’m not really sure what the real story is.


“I have been assured by the person who received your guitar that he has not played it or touched it since it arrived. As soon as he opened it up and realized that it wasn’t his guitar he immediately packed it back up in the original case and packaging and notified us. He said that the case was open for less than 5 minutes and it has been back in the case and the original box ever since. He works odd hours so the local FedEx facility isn’t open when he has the chance to take it over there. But he told me that he is off on Saturday (tomorrow) and he plans to drop it off in the morning so we should have it back here by Monday. I would like to encourage you to please hold tight and give us the chance to get your guitar to you. If we discover any flaws, defects, blemishes, anything that is out of the ordinary when we get it back here for inspection then I would say yes by all means let’s do a rebuild. But I won’t know for sure until Monday.


Even if we were to issue you a refund, it wouldn’t happen today. We would not be able to do any kind of refunds or credits or any type of financial related transactions until the guitar arrives back here and gets checked in properly. And we couldn’t start on a rebuild until after the original guitar comes back and gets processed as a return; so we completely understand your concerns and how this situation has made you feel but we also ask that you work with us to resolve these issues and hold on for the time being so we can make this right for you.


Thank you,



Joe Stone

Service Manager

Kiesel Guitars”

 

[mlp187]

Even if we were to issue you a refund, it wouldn’t happen today. We would not be able to do any kind of refunds or credits or any type of financial related transactions until the guitar arrives back here and gets checked in properly...

This is pure bullshit. They can refund your money right now but are choosing not to.

I can understand Joe's perspective but his quoted statement is not the truth.

 

[mbardu]

"Bla bla bla
Kiesel Guitars”

Yeah that's pretty underwhelming. It would cost them almost nothing to say "Are you sure you don't want to give the guitar a try? If not we can start processing a refund for you first thing on Monday", especially since a refund request would only be legitimate now that they've acknowledged the instrument has been opened and in possession of someone else.
The guitar could just go to "guitars in stock" when it comes back and that's it.
instead they put more wait and hassle on the original buyer (we have to wait and check that the guitar is fine etc) as if it's his fault.
I guess this will be one more of those "perplexing" customer service stories that will stick and tarnish the reputation ...