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  #31  
Old 02-17-2018, 09:32 AM
Nailpicker Nailpicker is offline
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Originally Posted by Zigeuner View Post
My only complaint with Stew Mac is their prices. They have nice quality items, but their prices are high.
Apparently their prices reflect what the market will bear. High quality usually reflects high prices in my experience.
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  #32  
Old 02-17-2018, 09:52 AM
printer2 printer2 is offline
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For the things that are specialized I don't have too much of a problem with their prices. If you want to complain, try the shipping charges to Canada.
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  #33  
Old 02-17-2018, 02:20 PM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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Originally Posted by printer2 View Post
....If you want to complain, try the shipping charges to Canada.....
Or to Alaska when I used to live there -- no such thing as ground delivery. UPS Blue Label (second day air) was the only option, and the shipping was often more than the item itself. I would often ask for US Snail, but many stores are only set up to use UPS or FedEx.
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  #34  
Old 02-17-2018, 02:25 PM
LouieAtienza LouieAtienza is offline
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I don't have a problem with StewMac's prices either, though if I find something as good for cheaper I do what I have to do. Their customer service has been great for me. Last issue, I bought some .020" x .100" plastic purfling for a Tele build, and they sent me .25" height. When I called, they sent me the .100" height and said I could keep the .25" purfling. Quick, and no hassles.

Usually, I generally side with the consumer as it is the responsibility of the merchant to give great customer service. Had you called beforehand to clarify the issue BEFORE purchasing, I may be more sympathetic. But since you apparently just buy stuff without reading the description, I can't say I feel for you. To make a stink about it afterwards, then come here to slam the company, is probably not the adult way to handle things.

Aircraft grade Sitka spruce spar stock runs about $10/bf. So to pay a 1200% premium for the torrefaction process is probably something I wouldn't do. But consider someone has the overhead of something like an autoclave to bake the wood in an oxygen-free environment, then mill it to size and stock them, and the room to stock them... Now consider that someone has to print an order ticket, someone has to pull the item out of stock and bring it to shipping, someone has to package and weigh the product...

Also, I don't know the customer service rep, but not all customer service reps for luthier supply companies are aspiring luthiers, or maybe even guitar players. And it's not like the highest-paying job in the world. There are too many horrible things going on right now that are way more important than a stick of cooked spruce. I live through each day with a heavy heart for things that happened 22 years ago, but I don't take it out on everyone, though the community here has been very supportive. Heck, I'll even spend the $20 and cut the billet to your specs and send it to you if we can end this crusade.
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  #35  
Old 02-17-2018, 02:42 PM
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fazool fazool is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LouieAtienza View Post
... Had you called beforehand to clarify the issue BEFORE purchasing, I may be more sympathetic. But since you apparently just buy stuff without reading the description, I can't say I feel for you. To make a stink about it afterwards, then come here to slam the company, is probably not the adult way to handle things..
I couldn't have called beforehand because I didn't have the issue before buying it, so that makes no sense. If I had known it was a misleading description or known I was confused I would have inquired and not bought it.

By the way, what everyone is ignoring is that I complimented their excellent second customer service reaction and they agreed with me and corrected the name of the product.....soooooo....I wasn't wrong.

As I said before, this isn't about the purchase, the $20 or even the wrong item (I only said that twice already), this was about their horrid customer service and their "don't bug me" attitude.

Finally, I made a point to not come here and slam the company. In fact I went out of my way to *NOT* indicate what company it was. Someone else dragged their name into it. So you are completely wrong to accuse me of slamming the company.
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  #36  
Old 02-18-2018, 07:54 PM
Mr Fingers Mr Fingers is offline
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Back to the OP. What you rec'd was "brace stock" or "brace wood," not "braces," unfinished, finished, whatever. It's just bad copy writing. You are right to be baffled by the unresponsive customer service. A rational response would have been to acknowledge the discrepancy and offer a return and refund of shipping. This stuff happens with online ordering all the time because most companies and customers are a bit sloppy. As for the larger situation -- an instrument supplies company with employees who clearly lack knowledge of the stuff their employer markets -- well, it's America. Many workplaces hire low-paid, inexpert help. Not great for the customer; good for profit margin. I often make an issue of this stuff, and it used to be that most merchants were interested because they wanted to do well and have good service, but it's generally a waste of time these days. I just return stuff. But to be fair, on small items I often explain that the item has virtually no value, while my time is in fac quite valuable, so can I please just get a refund without having to ship back a defective hunk of whatever? This is frequently OK'd. Note: I would never do this for something I intended to keep and use. In those cases, I explain my view and pay for the item!
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  #37  
Old 02-18-2018, 08:45 PM
LouieAtienza LouieAtienza is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fazool View Post
I couldn't have called beforehand because I didn't have the issue before buying it, so that makes no sense. If I had known it was a misleading description or known I was confused I would have inquired and not bought it.
First off, you read the product title or product name. The DESCRIPTION is the product description within the link that clearly states what you were getting. This is what I have a problem with. This is like buying a box that says guitar braces, but not asking what's inside the box, and then complaining about the contents when you receive it.

Quote:
As I said before, this isn't about the purchase, the $20 or even the wrong item (I only said that twice already), this was about their horrid customer service and their "don't bug me" attitude.
So it went bad initially for you, but they rectified it and made good. That should be it! One employee does not the whole company make.

Quote:
Finally, I made a point to not come here and slam the company. In fact I went out of my way to *NOT* indicate what company it was. Someone else dragged their name into it. So you are completely wrong to accuse me of slamming the company.
You didn't think that people here would google "torrified sitka spruce uncarved braces" and find the StewMac listing? Because if not then there was really no point to this thread. I usually appreciate and agree with your input here, but this is stuff I used to see on the General section, and one reason I never visit there.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Fingers
As for the larger situation -- an instrument supplies company with employees who clearly lack knowledge of the stuff their employer markets -- well, it's America. Many workplaces hire low-paid, inexpert help. Not great for the customer; good for profit margin. I often make an issue of this stuff, and it used to be that most merchants were interested because they wanted to do well and have good service, but it's generally a waste of time these days. I just return stuff. But to be fair, on small items I often explain that the item has virtually no value, while my time is in fact quite valuable, so can I please just get a refund without having to ship back a defective hunk of whatever? This is frequently OK'd. Note: I would never do this for something I intended to keep and use. In those cases, I explain my view and pay for the item!"
I guess companies are not allowed to make profits then? And who's to judge what is excessive profit? Heck, people come to me and try to haggle a lower price, and in my earlier years I may have done it. And I didn't have as many employees as StewMac that depended on me for a livelihood.

Like I said, my experieces with StewMac for such small items is that they sent me a replacement and let me keep the wrong item. Even sending back stuff, the package has to be opened and inspected, the item has to be added to the stock counts, and then re-inventoried.

Let's say StewMac went and hired aspiring luthiers to do customer service. I think aspiring luthiers would rather build than be on the phone. So they have to hire laymen to do it. And maybe the guy needs a little more OJT. Or maybe he had a bad day, or a family member passed away. Maybe he's trying to make ends meet like a lot of us. We don't know, so why judge?
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  #38  
Old 02-18-2018, 08:55 PM
LouieAtienza LouieAtienza is offline
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If any normal human being reads this, and tells me that they think they're getting cut braces, I'll gladly eat my words:
[IMG]StewMac by Louie Atienza, on Flickr[/IMG]
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  #39  
Old 02-19-2018, 03:51 PM
Nailpicker Nailpicker is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Fingers View Post
... Many workplaces hire low-paid, inexpert help...
I think the reason for this is because most consumers don't really want to pay the extra wage costs that would be passed on by having better trained, more expert customer service reps/order takers. But as I've said in another of these recent multiple customer service threads, life is short. Perhaps the OP and others (including me) should get on with it, get over it Over and out.
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  #40  
Old 02-19-2018, 04:11 PM
charles Tauber charles Tauber is offline
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Originally Posted by LouieAtienza View Post
If any normal human being reads this, and tells me that they think they're getting cut braces, I'll gladly eat my words:
Whether or not I'm "normal" is debatable, but the original description is clearly misleading and open to misinterpretation.

One is not buying, and they are not selling, "uncarved guitar braces" at all. They are selling a block of wood. That block of wood could be cut up to be anything you want, almost. It could be processed into guitar braces, mandolin braces, or even a guitar neck.

"Uncarved guitar braces" suggests to me that I'm buying pre-cut, dimensioned, ready-to-glue braces for a guitar. They have not be shaped in any way, such as rounding their edges, tapering them along their length or scalloping. That's a different animal than a block of wood.

Yes, if one reads the details of the item, it should become clear that one is not buying, despite the description, individual, unshaped ("uncarved") guitar braces: one is buying a block of wood that one could further process to create guitar braces. They are selling the raw material from which guitar braces could be made.

I'm glad they changed the description to eliminate the potential for misinterpretation. A description such as "Brace Stock" might be more appropriate. If they sell other sizes aimed at specific instruments and needed to distinguish it from the others, "Guitar Brace Stock" might be appropriate.
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  #41  
Old 02-19-2018, 04:40 PM
surveyor surveyor is offline
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Default Hmmm, maybe if I,,,

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  #42  
Old 02-19-2018, 05:54 PM
ManyMartinMan ManyMartinMan is offline
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How anyone could or would complain about any company's prices is beyond me. If you don't believe their products are worth the price, don't buy there. If you want carved braces, buy braces not lumber. If you're tired of this thread, play your guitar.
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  #43  
Old 02-19-2018, 06:10 PM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LouieAtienza View Post
If any normal human being reads this, and tells me that they think they're getting cut braces, I'll gladly eat my words:
Now that you have linked the page itself or similiar that is even more interesting than before.

I originally did not understand the confusion, then through the process of people debating I finally understood what was going on.

But

Now you have linked an example of a sales page, I see no issues, the title of the page is uncarved guitar braces, that is simply a descriptive for people searching, but the actual item for sale is not uncarved guitar braces, its actually a piece of sitka spruce with a photo representing whats for sale, that is pretty self explanatory.

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  #44  
Old 02-28-2018, 08:14 AM
LeightonBankes LeightonBankes is offline
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Default he said;

The piece he got was 1"x1"x12", which is a mile from what stewmac sells. I got one in the mail yesterday and it is 2" tall and 20" long. a 12" brace is a pretty small brace. I bought some off of ebay for my first guitar, and had to turn around and buy one from stewmac because 16" wasn't long enough for an x-brace on a jumbo (not even close)
oops, he posted where he got it, must have missed the 3rd page on the list, sorry, I'm stupid, still seems like completely the wrong size though (what he claimed he got)
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Last edited by LeightonBankes; 02-28-2018 at 08:18 AM. Reason: missed a page
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  #45  
Old 02-28-2018, 09:06 AM
murrmac123 murrmac123 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fazool View Post
They have "torrified sitka spruce uncarved braces" I pay the $10 or so for these and the outrageous $9 s/h.

Now, note carefully the title of the merchandise I bought "uncarved braces", plural.

What arrived was a single piece of 1"x1" lumber 12" long.......ummmm.....what?
Are you certain that you haven't made a couple of typos there ?

1" square ??? Are you sure it wasn't 2" x 1" ?

As far as it being 12" long, are you sure it wasn't 20" long ?

It makes absolutely no sense for a luthiery supply company to sell bracewood in 12" lengths.

Assuming that you didn't make a couple of typos in the OP, and that what you received was indeed a piece of spruce which was only 1" x1" x 12", then that was obviously a massive slip-up on the part of StewMac's shipping dept but I think you should clarify the issue, and state explicitly whether they sent the wrong size, or whether you did make the typos in the OP.

That listing has 6 reviews btw, and none of them are anything less than complimentary.
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