D'addario Multi-pack packing. Not happy!

[Long Jon]

Originally Posted by RussL30

People fake a $7 pack of strings? Wow

People fake 50 cent packets of cigarette rolling papers ... I kid you not.

[ac]

I absolutely do not buy name brand strings from eBay. It's tossing dice.

Counterfeiting brand name strings is common and it's not that difficult.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by Toby Walker

Sorry to hear that amigo. Sounds like you need to pick up that guitar and share with us what we need, to hear that cool Waterloo of yours once more.

Hi Toby, I played with bob yesterday more than I've played (2 hours plus) than I played since April. I can no longer sing, but I can talk - sadly al the talk I talked is the source of the pain.

This morning my left hand and arm hurt from playing !!

I don't want to do videos at present as I think my looks now would scare people.

I've heard from the dealer, and he has encouraged me to contact D'addario and given me a contact name/number.

[HHP]

Haven't used D'Addario for many years but recently bought about 20 packs of J74 and J67 mandolin strings. Only problem is my own stoopid. I was going to put some of the nickel J67's on a very dark sounding mandolin I have so I grabbed a pack, tore it open, pulled out the strings. Noticed they had a funny copper color for a nickel string and only then realized I had grabbed a pack of J74's. Oh well, the mandolin sounded pretty good with them but I obviously need color coding on the exterior packaging.

[Long Jon]

Originally Posted by HHP

Haven't used D'Addario for many years but recently bought about 20 packs of J74 and J67 mandolin strings. Only problem is my own stoopid. I was going to put some of the nickel J67's on a very dark sounding mandolin I have so I grabbed a pack, tore it open, pulled out the strings. Noticed they had a funny copper color for a nickel string and only then realized I had grabbed a pack of J74's. Oh well, the mandolin sounded pretty good with them but I obviously need color coding on the exterior packaging.

It beats mixing up the similar looking tubes of fiery Deep Heat muscle embrocation with the cool soothing Anusol , trust me.

[HHP]

Originally Posted by Long Jon

It beats mixing up the similar looking tubes of fiery Deep Heat muscle embrocation with the cool soothing Anusol , trust me.

Few years ago, I hand some hand surgery and as they prepped me, the nurse took a big bright colored felt marker and put a big red "X" on my right hand and then a bright blue arrow pointing to the tendon to be worked on.

Have to think some serious mistakes in the past had been preceded by a surgeon thinking "Did they mean 'his' left or 'my' left????"

[Wolfram]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

According to"Play Real" the strings are genuine.

That's good to know (though I imagine it would be easy for counterfeiters to copy legitimate serial numbers?). I would speak to D'Addario UK in the first instance - I've found them to be responsive in the past when I've been in contact with them. They should be able to advise whether there has been any packaging change, and help to establish whether they are legit or counterfeit - I'd hope that they would also replace any that were damaged.

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Hi,
the ebay dealer is a reputable store with a shopfront etc, who sells the products on Ebay at the same price as direct. I have no reason to distrust them.

You'd be amazed at what goes on. Shortly after I launched Wolfram, a 'legitimate' UK retailer - online and with a long-established storefront - started selling counterfeits of my Precision : Crystal nail files. They lifted the description text verbatim from my website, and even after I got legal advice and issued a cease and desist, they continued gaming the search engines to make it appear they were selling the genuine article (it was deliberate and calculated - no simple mistake). It's resolved now, but did me a lot of damage.

Cheers,
David

[HHP]

Originally Posted by RussL30

People fake a $7 pack of strings? Wow

Its the perfect thing to counterfeit. High margin, high volume and almost zero chance of getting caught.Not many victims will raise a stink over a $6-$7 item, they'll just figure "not for me" and get some other strings. Fake a $5000 guitar and a victim won't just let it go.

Same concept as counterfeiting currency, you stick to lower denomination bills as they don't get the scrutiny of larger bills.

[Silly Moustache]

Just once again, this is NOT about counterfeited strings via eBay, this s about the reduced quality of D'addario ten pack packaging.

I will be contacting D'addario UK.
.

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Just once again, this is NOT about counterfeited strings via eBay, this s about the reduced quality of D'addario ten pack packaging.

I will be contacting D'addario UK.
.

It's just packaging Andy; the strings aren't going to go off like mouldy cheese.

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

...and as they have told me that strings go off after abut two years...

I've seen you post that before and no doubt they told you that, but I don't buy it. As long as the strings are well stored in dry (non corrosive conditions) there's no real reason they would "go off" after such a short period. I've used strings a decade old, and probably more, that seemed to perform just as well as new ones.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

It's just packaging Andy; the strings aren't going to go off like mouldy cheese.

Hi Andy, I'm afraid they do!
I was once advised by a representative from D'addario that strings start to lose their quality as soon as they are wound. They expect them to have lost most of their quality after about 18 months - therefore the hermetically sealed envelopes are rather important. If it is compromised in any way - and we never know how old strings already are when we buy them, then it is entirely possible that we are buying compromised stock.

This "new" cheap packing is, according to the dealer, less than six months old.

I have to clarify - my main beef is with the box into which they squeeze ten envelopes and damage their own packaging in the process. It is my "impression" that the envelopes are also thinner material.

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Hi Andy, I'm afraid they do!
I was once advised by a representative from D'addario that strings start to lose their quality as soon as they are wound. They expect them to have lost most of their quality after about 18 months - therefore the hermetically sealed envelopes are rather important. If it is compromised in any way - and we never know how old strings already are when we buy them, then it is entirely possible that we are buying compromised stock.

This "new" cheap packing is, according to the dealer, less than six months old.

I have to clarify - my main beef is with the box into which they squeeze ten envelopes and damage their own packaging in the process. It is my "impression" that the envelopes are also thinner material.

Sounds like your typical sales rep Andy, giving you the 'don't buy anything else' schpiel. It's rubbish. Metal doesn't 'go off'; there is nothing to go off. Plain strings might rust eventually which is why I use Elixirs-their plain strings are galvanized. In any case I have some ancient Martin wound singles which I use in an emergency if Elixirs aren't to hand, some of which must be at least 10 years old. They sound just like new Martin strings, frankly.

[jhmulkey]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

Sounds like your typical sales rep Andy, giving you the 'don't buy anything else' schpiel.

If the sales rep told him their strings start to lose their quality as soon as they are wound, that doesn't exactly sound like he's stating an exclusive feature

The only thing I can imagine they are trying to do is discourage stockpiling and encourage more frequent string purchases.

But I agree with you and Todd, Andrew, that properly stored strings should last indefinitely.

[menhir]

Originally Posted by dhalbert

D'Addario has a detailed pamphlet on detecting counterfeits:
http://www.daddario.com/upload/DABR_...wRes_12587.pdf

Also try typing in the string codes (should be on the plastic bags):
https://playreal.daddario.com/playreal/Default.aspx
https://daddario.com/PlayReal.Page

Just do this first. :-) Easy enough...There is no point at all in railing against D'addario unless you can verify the strings are not counterfeit first.

They wouldn't have gone through the trouble of making the web page and verification system if there was no counterfeiting. It happens. There's no end to slimy people and what they'll do to cheat an innocent person, even for small change.

I usually order my EJ16's in three-packs. For reference, the last box I received was just fine...The same packaging as usual. I also verified their authenticity upon receipt.