Looking for suggestions

[ChanMan]

well I did inform Gibson of the situation and ask them if they have had other complaints about this luthier. I'll pass along any response I get.

 

The main reason I hesitated was that this guy has been in business for a long time and has a solid reputation. With that in mind' date=' I can't help but think that maybe it was a mistake that when he got caught up in and then didn't want to admit his error in front of the other customers. I don't know, but as a business owner myself, I can't see him doing this and risking his reputation for what a couple of hours of work? It's just strange.

 

jaykay73 your baby is safe..... I guess.[/quote']

 

 

Nicely done sir! You should be proud of yourself. It wasn't the mistake that drove me to urge you to report it... it was the lack of character and business acumen in trying to cover it up by lying to you. Straight to your face.

 

Remember: Character is what you do when no one is looking. Lack of honor is a disease of the heart.

[brundaddy]

Well here's an update. I wish I had listened to my own advice' date=' and some of you guys advice, and waited a couple of "cooling down" days but......

 

As time went on yesterday I just got more upset, so after supper I decided to make a ride to his shop because I know that his shop is open to 9pm. So I get there and can't believe how many people are there. I'm thinking this may get interesting.

 

I walk in and Darrell (business owner) says "back already?" I calmly said "yeah I thought I'd come back to pick up my strings that I gave you when I dropped off my LP for the setup". He states "they are on the guitar what are you talking about". I said well, that brings up the second issue, because from what I could tell he hadn't done anything to the guitar other than holding it for 2 weeks and charging me $50 for storage, and I'd appreciate my money back in addition to the strings.

 

By this time I'm getting the customers attention and they are all observing this with great interest. He says "don't you come into my shop and accuse me of something like that", in an elevated voice I said "Darrell, I've got the guitar in my car I'll be glad to bring it in and let you tell me that there are new strings on it", and he says "you could have put old strings on it just to get your money back". As I go out to get the guitar two of the customers walk out also and tell me they are glad I came in when I did, because they won''t do business with someone like that.

 

I get the guitar and start back towards the shop and I hear a car coming into the drive, I turn and look to see a police car! I think this jerk actually called the law? Hell I haven't done anything yet! So I wait until the police car parks and out gets an old high school buddy that I used to jam with about every day. Turns out that he is now the Assistant Police Chief now. Yeah this is getting good now! I explain whats going on to him. He isn't pleased to learn this and said he would just wait to see how Darrell handles this before he gives him any more work.

 

We walk in and I lay the case on the counter, and Darrell hands me $50 and says he would prefer to just give me back my money and move on. I laughed a little and said that he had brought my integrity into question so I would prefer him examine the guitar that he did a string change and a setup on, and tell me that I am wrong. I noticed that about every customer had moved up closer to the counter to get their own view of my guitar and the work he performed. He says let me get your work order and I'll look it over. As he comes back out front he says you didn't get a string change didn't ask for one. This is when one of the other customers speaks up and says "Darrell you told him a few minutes ago that they were on his guitar, what the hell are you saying? Did you do it or not?"

 

I guess Darrell is seeing this is going to hurt his reputation so he says "look if you aren't happy I'll be happy to make it right." I said "Darrell that tells me all I needed to hear, you didn't do the job you claimed you had done and then charged me for it. I'll take my business elsewhere from now on". My friend chimes in at this point and ask me if I'd like to file charges? I think he did that just to scare Darrell and boy did it work! I wish I could have got a picture of his face just to post here! I said no I won't press charges but if I ever hear of him doing it again I'll gladly get involved.

 

As I walked out my friend and 1 other customer left with me. When we got outside my friend says "Greg you've mellowed since high school, back then you would have just walked in and started swinging." I said well I didn't want my old friend to have to arrest me.

 

When I got home I placed an order at Stew-Mac for the necessary tools and a DVD. Also a few books from Amazon!

 

I'm happy now![/quote']

 

THAT's what I'm talking about! These 'luthiers' are frequently akin to used car salesmen... they figure you're a rube and take you for a ride. Total serendipity to have your cop buddy on the scene. And anyhow, tinkering with your guitars is a great hobby in itself. Glad it worked out for you, those shysters count on people being sheep & when they aren't, then they talk down to people just like he tried to do with you.