The "BlowMeAndKissMyAss" 2005 Award goes to

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TheRockDoc

TheRockDoc

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My friends at Carvin...*applause*

So I call to pay for my repair, and I'm given a shipping charge of $39.95. The email quoted me in advance at $19.95. Quite simply, I wanted them to honor what they quoted me. I was told, "Sorry, that was a mistake. It should have been $39.95 because it was a doubleneck"

"Well the email quote 19- don't you honor your quotes?"
"Please forward the email to me and I'll see what I can do"

Next day:

"Hi, this is ___ how may I f^&* you today?"
"Hi, may I speak with the person to whom I had a conversation with yesterday regarding shipping a repair back to me?"
"Well maybe I can screw you on that"
"Great- the shipping charge was quoted at $19- I forwarded the original email as requested, and your rep said he would try to get it taken care of. I just need to speak with him please"
"Well, that was a mistake, and the charge will be 39"
"Well maybe that's why I need to speak with ___, may I speak with him please?"
"Well I'm his supervisor, and I'm saying no- the charge will be $39"

Well now we have two problems, don't we?

I'll complete the rest of this later...it really is an award winner.
 
Better Business Beaureu
State's attorney General's office
and a couple of VERY displeased letters aimed at the head's of every department. I usually aim a couple at the CEO too (usually you can get his name off google or the website itself.)
 
So I start to question the supervisor:

"Why would you want to not backup your guy who already tried to help me over $20. It's just the principle of the thing..."
"Sir (Anger Management 101 was a failure). The tech made a mistake when he quoted you and that's it"
"Well, I have to say this is sadly more of what every call to Carvin has been for me. (Then I share highlights)"
"Ok- as a one time courtesy, I will only charge you the $19."
"Great I'll get my credit card. Can you hold for a moment please?"
"Sure"
By the time I opened my wallet, he had hung up on me. Merry fu^&*$g X-mas, dooooshbag.

So after I cool off for a few, I call back to speak to the original guy that said he was going to help me.

"Hi, I just got off the phoen with someone who said he was your supervisor, and I am really quite pissed off. He wouldn't back you up, and then he hung up on me"
"Oh- I was sitting right next to him before the call 'escalated' (must be an internal code). Now you really created a problem as this was suppose to be between us."
"___, I tried to ask for you but he insisted on getting into it with me, so I just gave him a few details hoping that would get me through to you. I didn't know he was your supervisor. I'll tell you what though... I know someone hired him, and I'd like to speak with his supervisor. I'm not fond of being hung up on and treated that way"
"Ah ah, sir, if that's the way this is going, then I'm not going to help you with this at all."

What page of the manual teaches customer service blackmail? No shit...the guy just tried to muscle me into this!

So I wise up, and just try to get through it. Three separate times after that, he told me if I said anything again, the conversation would essentially be over- then he brings it up again (with incorrect facts). All I could think of was the cook spitting on the food when you send it back.

The finale was when I asked about insurance for the return shipment. My new best friend tells me that they do not insure their shipments- even if I pay for it.

"Don't you ship guitars and amps that are very expensive? What happens if they get damaged"
"Yes, but if they are damaged we only get about $100 back on it. We have found that it is cheaper to just build another one"

That, my friends, was priceless. So I guess their 10k 'professional' is less that $100 MANUFACTURERS COST... apparantly.

So I call UPS, and arrange to have it picked up, completely at my expense including shipping. When I call back, the supervisor was nice as San Diego pie- as if we never had a cross word.
If he doesn't piss in the pickle barrel (figuratively) and my guitar comes back in one piece, I'll be amazed.

So am I crazy or is this just absolute bullshit?
 
Looks like I won't be ordering anything from Carvin...

You're not crazy. That's absolutely ridiculous.
 
Harsh man, harsh.

I've taken on the habbit of never expecting to get covered when something breaks that you bought over the internet (or almost anything basicly). I just hope that stuff doesn't break and if it does, well though luck, I'll have to pay for the repair, but I've been lucky so far.
 
I won't do bidnezz with anyone lacking basic human communication skills and a modecum of common f*cking courtesy...Though I had been shopping their basses lately...Thanks for the headsup.

Have you thought about setting up a pool for how long a copy of this thread would last at the Carvin BBS?... :eek:

Eric
 
My experience with Carvin has been quite the opposite.

Sorry to hear you had so much trouble.
 
I've had good exp with them too...but this pisses me off and I'm not even involved.

I was checkin into one of their P-basses but after this shit, I think I'll keep my options open.


HEY CARVIN EMPLOYEE TYPE PEOPLE.....DON'T BE AN ASS!


Especially over $20...
 
apl said:
My experience with Carvin has been quite the opposite.

Sorry to hear you had so much trouble.
Click to expand...

Apparantly, you have not stepped on any land mines.

Again, the issue here, as it was in the last thread about this, really comes down to what you expect for yourself in the marketplace. I had a similar basis for contacting both Modulus and Godin, both with polar opposite results.

It is frequently assumed, in the heirarchy of the music world, that most customers are just shmucks. Take, for example, my experiences in sales.

When designing home theatres years back, I frequently had large sales from non-caucasian customers because I would do little things like assume they came in to buy something. Dumb ass that I am...

When working across from Berklee at Daddy's Junky Music, I sold quite a few Warwicks and Boogie's- more than most other guys- because I didn't dismiss guys in ripped clothes. Jerk.

So as a person who not only has personal contact with large touring acts, but as a professional who serves people that trust me to lay my hands on them and their children, I have basically come to a zero tolerance policy for bullshit. I don't like it when a server at a nice restaurant asks me "if I need change" when I pay my check, I don't like to have people assume that because I am a doc that my purpose in life is to overspend for their lame-ass overpriced merchandise and services, and I DEFINITELY have no tolerance for a guy who trys to blackmail me over $20.

Did it ever occur to them that if I were willing to drop 1500-2000 on one of their older instruments, that I might be willing to drop more on a newer one?

"Hi doc, we want you to be proud that you bought a Carvin. We'll get this fixed up real nice for you so that you'll really get turned on to the experience of owning one. BTW, have you been to our website? There's a pic of one just like yours. You know, we have special programs for people who are previous Carvin owners, what's your email so I can keep in touch with you. Do you like the Koa wood on your double neck? Next time there is a special, I'll be sure to contact you...

No sir. We made a mistake, and you can pay the $20 for it.

How about this- go f*&^ yourself- and please wrap the pole before you insert it so the next guy can have a clean shot at his own ass...

Ass clown does come to mind
 
I had one of their cordless mics. A kid who was helping me set up the sound system plugged the 1/4" patch cable into the mic's receiver and the other end into the powered mixer's speaker connection. :eek: Then he turned it on.

I called Carvin about a repair. The guy said, "No problem, I'll get a new one shipped to you today, Send the other one back when you have a chance."

I had some spot monitors that were out of warranty when someone else blew them. I called about ordering drivers, and they said the speakers weren't serviceable, but I could get another pair for half price.

They've always been very good to me, but I'm an easy going guy with an almost infinite tolerance for BS.

Hope things go better with the next company you deal with, the next restaurant visit, and the next idiot, smart enough to figure out you're a doc, but too stupid to say the right thing.
 
what a bunch of pricks at carvin. Thats the type of situation when you can tell if the place your're buying off of is truly good/bad, carvin failed miserably.
 
frankieballsss said:
what a bunch of pricks at carvin. Thats the type of situation when you can tell if the place your're buying off of is truly good/bad, carvin failed miserably.
Click to expand...

He didn't buy anything. He was expecting to be drooled over when he walked in with an old product.

And somewhere someone said something about they said it's cheaper to build a new one than to fix it, and threw out a $100 figure. Management 101 tells you that there is a lot of cost involved in handling the merchandise that needs to be repaired.
 
apl said:
I called Carvin about a repair. The guy said, "No problem"

"but I could get another pair for half price"

They've always been very good to me, but I'm an easy going guy with an almost infinite tolerance for BS.
Click to expand...

I'm sure that many people have good experiences- that's why they've been in business for a long time. In fact, you and I have had brief correspondence in the past, and I'd say we both had smiles for each other.

The guy was still a dick, and proud of it. In fact, while I stood in the store on Sunset waiting a F&^%ING HOUR for "the other guy" working to write up a repair ticket (25 minutes of which were spent trying to get in touch with the repair guy to verify something that he didn't remember anyway.

Well, I guess it's busy at 11am on a Monday :)

If there is a next time, APL- I'm dropping YOUR name :confused:

Remember, the guy told me it was cheaper for them to replace an expensive guitar than to insure it on shipping for over $100
 
apl said:
He didn't buy anything. He was expecting to be drooled over when he walked in with an old product.

And somewhere someone said something about they said it's cheaper to build a new one than to fix it, and threw out a $100 figure. Management 101 tells you that there is a lot of cost involved in handling the merchandise that needs to be repaired.
Click to expand...


Ah misread post.... nonetheless he still got screwed in a bad way.
 
apl said:
He didn't buy anything. He was expecting to be drooled over when he walked in with an old product.
Click to expand...

If that were the point I were trying to make- which it was not- what exactly would be wrong with that?

Do I have to have cash in hand to be treated well- maybe even treated better than I thought I might be?

BTW- I had already proven, as I said, that I was willing to pay good money for a top shelf guitar that they built. No one ever asked me, or cared, whether I actually purchased it from them.

Don't take the post personally, man. BTW- what if those drivers they offered you at half price suddenly became retail when you were ready to pay- with no accountability at the company?

"Hi, I was told that I could hve a set of replacement drivers at half price"

"Pffffwhhew...sorry- I just spilled my coffee. Uh- that was a mistake- you'll have to pay full price- even though my supervisor said that- because I just won't do it"
Choice #1- "Thank you, may I have another"
Choice #2- "F-U"

I guess it's just the Brooklyn in me...

Just to clarify- When I asked about the insurance shipping, Assclown #2 said that they do not offer the option of insurance on shipping. That seemed odd to me as many of their guitars are $750+.
"Don't you even insure on shipping for over $100 value on new equipment (I have shipped UPS before so I am aware of the policy- all packages insured up to $100 then you buy per $100 in value)?
"No", says assclown #2, "We find, even when we get stuff back smashed up by UPS, that it is cheaper to just replace it with another one than to insure each shipped package".

Un QUOTE

So when I realized that my guitar could come back with spit and vinegar and a broken neck, I would have no one accountable. So I am arranging a shipping pickup myself. To their credit, they didn't charge me for the box :cool:
 
TheRockDoc said:
Don't take the post personally, man. BTW- what if those drivers they offered you at half price suddenly became retail when you were ready to pay- with no accountability at the company?
Click to expand...

He didn't offer drivers at half price, but new spot monitors at half price.

And back to the insurance thing, if they've found that there's rarely a claim because they always ship guitars in cases, it would be cheaper not to insure. If you buy a guitar and it's not to your liking for any reason, you can return it and they'll build you another one.

Dropping my name won't help. They don't know me from all their other very satisfied customers.
 
Doc, Carvin should've done you better. They should've insured your axe, they should've charge you $20 for the shipping. And they should've made you feel like they respected you. Your experience is atypical.

But even if they were total jerks to everybody (they're not), they have excellent products at good prices. The soup nazi did brisk business for the same reason.
 
It's hard to put up with bad treatment. That's why I only deal with local guitar mongers that I have a great relationship with. If I have a problem, I can walk in and talk to someone about it and they ALWAYS bend over backwards to take care of it.
 
I don't think that's an accurate representation of our conversations.

I did finally get the email you forwarded. It had been caught in our spam filters for some reason. The numbers our guitar tech gave you were telling you what our repair rates are, so much per hour plus $19.99 shipping back to you.

We do not normally repair doublenecks. This is a special case. I don't think the standard shipping rate really aplies to something that is so far outside the scope of what we normally do. That price is based on a certain weight. A doubleneck obviously weighs much more than a regular guitar.

Now, if I had been able to put all this together, before the shouting started, I probably would have agreed to the $19.99 because I can understand where the miscommunication was and . . . it's only twenty bucks difference. I was absolutely unwilling to agree to that price while on the phone. I will not be pushed or bullied into giving a special price. The squeaky wheel does not get the grease from me.

We do not have shipping insurance. There is no such thing here. We do not normally work on things we can not repace. It's cheaper for us to repair or replace items damaged in shipping than to put insurance on every item. So we have no shipping insurance. You are looking into getting UPS to pick this up and paying for the insurane and shipping yourself. The shipping will be a lot more than $40, before you add on the insurance.

Mike
Carvin Customer Service
 
Gee wiz Mike. I do believe you ARE a jerk now. Great advertising for your company. Talk about suicide. :eek:
I know I'll be spreading the "good word" about your company to ALL my musician friends.
 
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