Just thought I'd like to share a poor service experience with whoever might have an interest.
I ordered a bunch of Wurlitzer and Rhodes parts ($165 worth) from Chris Carroll, Vintage Vibe in Wharton, NJ (http://www.vintagevibe.com). Shipping options where $140 with UPS and $35 with USPS. Chris Carroll was very adament that shipment by normal post would be at my own risk and that he would refuse to help me with any insurance claims, should anything happen to the package on its way. Still, I opted for normal post anyway, given the unreal parts vs. UPS shipping prices ratio.
After a few days the package arrived and I picked it up from the post office. The cardboard box itself was in perfect condition, hadn't been opened and had clearly not been mishandled in any way. When I opened it though, it turned out that the two wultizer speakers I'd ordered were facing in the same direction, leaning up against each other and that the magnet of the 'front' one therefor had squashed the cardboard membrane of the 'back' one. The speakers were both set quite solidly in paper wrapping.
I then contacted Chris Carroll, including photos of the speakers 'in situ' (see attachment) as well as of the broken one. Here's his reply:
\"Hi Fleming,
Sorry to hear that. The problem is with the carrier, they obviously opened
the box for inspection at some point and went thru it and never tied the
speakers back up. (The post office just does not care, it's all part of
their right to open packages and inspect them randomly, and it's their right
to do so.) We have seen this before. Let me say this one time, we have never
shipped out speakers without them being tied together by all 4 holes and
then surrounded by either bubble wrap or heavy packing paper. We have never
and would never ship speakers out this way as you described. It is
impossible. We have shipped hundreds of pairs of these and we do each pair
the same way always. Sorry once again, Chris\"
Now, to me this was definitely NOT how it happened. Including pictures of all 4 sides of the clearly not previously opened and not dropped or mishandled box, I replied:
\"Hi Chris
This is simply not the case, the white piece of paper on the top of the box where you'd written my address hadn't been tampered with and neither has any of the other potential openings of the box. Three straps (two blue and one green) are lying in the bottom of the box an have obviously not been tied properly, they have come undone all of them. They have not been cut open, though their ends have been cut off which I take it was done at your end.
This is definitely not a carrier issue. It's a case of too hasty packing. Or bad straps, but that doesn't explain why both speakers were facing the same direction. Let me reitterate: The box has clearly NOT been opened since leaving you, and it hasn't had any sort of mis-treatment. I understand that you do not appreciate this way of shipping, but that hasn't got anything to do with this case. There's no way I can make any claims against any carrier when the box is fine and they haven't had it opened. Pics below. This is on your side. Sorry.
Also, I need an invoice. I have asked you for one three times now, please send me one immediately.
Fl.\"
Chris Carroll chose to reply in this manner:
\"Hi Flemming,
I am sorry again, if this package was not opened by the post office, then it
was tossed around enough or dropped that it caused the speakers to split
apart.
With Fed Ex your package does not get thrown around like the post office.
The post office takes weeks to deliver and packages get tossed around the
entire time it is en route.
This situation is out of our hands. If you had chosen FED EX like everyone
else does this would not be an issue. You understood the liability when you
choose the cheaper way of shipping. You agreed to our shipping policy before
you choose to go the cheap route. (We did tie the speakers together as
always.) There was no defect in our tying the speakers together; the fact is
they were dropped severely to cause them to break the ties and rip apart.
If you want to pay for another speaker and shipping that's fine. If you
want to return everything you purchased for a refund that's fine. But we
will not send you another for free. We stress to everyone including you that
we do not cover ANY PACKAGE shipped thru the post office. This is
why!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Regards Chris
PS. We do not send invoices, you payment receipt is your invoice\"
I find this lack of service and lack of admittance to poor packaging quite appalling. I'm also surprised about his refusal to send me a proper invoice. The payment receipt is only a paypal transfer receipt and doesn't say anything about the type of goods etc. In another email he suggests that I just specify the goods myself. How's that for an invoice?!
My suggestion if you need piano parts: Stay FAR away from Chris Carroll and his Vintage Vibe company. Interestingly, after having told him that I would post this on the internet, he has threatened me with legal actions! Well, let's just say that he's very very welcome.
If anyone cares to see the pictures, feel free to PM me here. Also, do feel free to spread this story.
Flemming Bloch
Mindless Studio
Aarhus, Denmark
PS. As a interesting addition, I just got this email from him:
\"It's not our fault, that's what you do not understand, we tied them wrapped
them and shipped them, end of story, they were dropped hard. Please do not
be such a cry baby and own up to responsibility on your end. Send the
products back and we will refund your money. Plain and simple, if you choose
not to return them, that is your problem. But if you do not choose to send
the products back you have no right to say anything.
PS. Even if it was our fault, let's say. We still are not responsible for
your package because it was shipped thru the \"post office\". It says this in
the shipping policy. Try and understand.\"
It's not our fault, but if it was it still wouldn't be our fault. Duh.
Is this even legal in the US?
I ordered a bunch of Wurlitzer and Rhodes parts ($165 worth) from Chris Carroll, Vintage Vibe in Wharton, NJ (http://www.vintagevibe.com). Shipping options where $140 with UPS and $35 with USPS. Chris Carroll was very adament that shipment by normal post would be at my own risk and that he would refuse to help me with any insurance claims, should anything happen to the package on its way. Still, I opted for normal post anyway, given the unreal parts vs. UPS shipping prices ratio.
After a few days the package arrived and I picked it up from the post office. The cardboard box itself was in perfect condition, hadn't been opened and had clearly not been mishandled in any way. When I opened it though, it turned out that the two wultizer speakers I'd ordered were facing in the same direction, leaning up against each other and that the magnet of the 'front' one therefor had squashed the cardboard membrane of the 'back' one. The speakers were both set quite solidly in paper wrapping.
I then contacted Chris Carroll, including photos of the speakers 'in situ' (see attachment) as well as of the broken one. Here's his reply:
\"Hi Fleming,
Sorry to hear that. The problem is with the carrier, they obviously opened
the box for inspection at some point and went thru it and never tied the
speakers back up. (The post office just does not care, it's all part of
their right to open packages and inspect them randomly, and it's their right
to do so.) We have seen this before. Let me say this one time, we have never
shipped out speakers without them being tied together by all 4 holes and
then surrounded by either bubble wrap or heavy packing paper. We have never
and would never ship speakers out this way as you described. It is
impossible. We have shipped hundreds of pairs of these and we do each pair
the same way always. Sorry once again, Chris\"
Now, to me this was definitely NOT how it happened. Including pictures of all 4 sides of the clearly not previously opened and not dropped or mishandled box, I replied:
\"Hi Chris
This is simply not the case, the white piece of paper on the top of the box where you'd written my address hadn't been tampered with and neither has any of the other potential openings of the box. Three straps (two blue and one green) are lying in the bottom of the box an have obviously not been tied properly, they have come undone all of them. They have not been cut open, though their ends have been cut off which I take it was done at your end.
This is definitely not a carrier issue. It's a case of too hasty packing. Or bad straps, but that doesn't explain why both speakers were facing the same direction. Let me reitterate: The box has clearly NOT been opened since leaving you, and it hasn't had any sort of mis-treatment. I understand that you do not appreciate this way of shipping, but that hasn't got anything to do with this case. There's no way I can make any claims against any carrier when the box is fine and they haven't had it opened. Pics below. This is on your side. Sorry.
Also, I need an invoice. I have asked you for one three times now, please send me one immediately.
Fl.\"
Chris Carroll chose to reply in this manner:
\"Hi Flemming,
I am sorry again, if this package was not opened by the post office, then it
was tossed around enough or dropped that it caused the speakers to split
apart.
With Fed Ex your package does not get thrown around like the post office.
The post office takes weeks to deliver and packages get tossed around the
entire time it is en route.
This situation is out of our hands. If you had chosen FED EX like everyone
else does this would not be an issue. You understood the liability when you
choose the cheaper way of shipping. You agreed to our shipping policy before
you choose to go the cheap route. (We did tie the speakers together as
always.) There was no defect in our tying the speakers together; the fact is
they were dropped severely to cause them to break the ties and rip apart.
If you want to pay for another speaker and shipping that's fine. If you
want to return everything you purchased for a refund that's fine. But we
will not send you another for free. We stress to everyone including you that
we do not cover ANY PACKAGE shipped thru the post office. This is
why!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Regards Chris
PS. We do not send invoices, you payment receipt is your invoice\"
I find this lack of service and lack of admittance to poor packaging quite appalling. I'm also surprised about his refusal to send me a proper invoice. The payment receipt is only a paypal transfer receipt and doesn't say anything about the type of goods etc. In another email he suggests that I just specify the goods myself. How's that for an invoice?!
My suggestion if you need piano parts: Stay FAR away from Chris Carroll and his Vintage Vibe company. Interestingly, after having told him that I would post this on the internet, he has threatened me with legal actions! Well, let's just say that he's very very welcome.
If anyone cares to see the pictures, feel free to PM me here. Also, do feel free to spread this story.
Flemming Bloch
Mindless Studio
Aarhus, Denmark
PS. As a interesting addition, I just got this email from him:
\"It's not our fault, that's what you do not understand, we tied them wrapped
them and shipped them, end of story, they were dropped hard. Please do not
be such a cry baby and own up to responsibility on your end. Send the
products back and we will refund your money. Plain and simple, if you choose
not to return them, that is your problem. But if you do not choose to send
the products back you have no right to say anything.
PS. Even if it was our fault, let's say. We still are not responsible for
your package because it was shipped thru the \"post office\". It says this in
the shipping policy. Try and understand.\"
It's not our fault, but if it was it still wouldn't be our fault. Duh.
Is this even legal in the US?