Bad Ric dealer in Northern California
Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2001 2:38 pm
This is a reprint of an email I sent John Hall, and posted on the Ric ng.
Hello John Hall,
First off, I'd like to thank you for making the best electric guitars in the world. Thanks!
Secondly, I wanted to relate a really bad dealer experience to you pertaining to custom ordering a Ric. Rickenbacker is in no way at fault for any of this, but I thought you might be interested in knowing what a terrible job this place is doing.
The dealer is Music Unlimited in Dublin California. I first placed the order in late February. About a week later I had them put it on hold while a debated which Ric I actually wanted, and ultimately went through with the order sometime in March. I was assured that the order had been placed, all of this was done in person. I called the Rickenbacker factory a couple of weeks later, and they had received no order from Music Unlimited--in fact, Music Unlimited had no pending or recent orders. I went back to the shop, and they claimed they had placed the order. I told them that Ric hadn't received the order, and told them they needed to make sure the order was placed. I checked back with them two weeks later, again in person, and they assured me it had been placed, along with details of having spoken to someone at length, etc.
Two weeks ago I called Ric again, and guess what? No order.
I finally went back and confronted them with this fact. *Now* the story was that Ric had been asking for 50% of the dealer cost of the guitar down (I am left handed and apparently this is Ric policy), and that the owner had been out of the country and he was the only one authorized to write Rickenbacker a check.
Of course, I was infuriated, not a Ric for the policy--I'm sure there are good reasons for it--but at these idiots for sitting on my order for two months! There is, I understand, a 6 month + backlog on ordering Rics, and it is well worth the wait--I love my 330, and an looking forward to this new guitar, which was to have been a 650 F--but this kind of stupidity on the dealer's part is really bad. Not to mention the way they were discouraging me from getting a Ric in the first place, and pushing me towards Gibsons (which I *don't* want!) and generally badmouthing Ric's way of doing business. Also, Music Unlimited has exactly one Ric in stock, a 660 Tom Petty they want $3500.00 for. Not exactly a big supporter of our favorite guitar maker.
Anyway, John, I just thought you ought to know. I don't think these guys are worthy. I'll be reordering through Mike Parks in North Carolina most likely, and I'm now debating 650 vs. 660. Being left handed is rough--I sure wish I could try 'em first!
Best wishes and continued success,
Jon Rhein
Hello John Hall,
First off, I'd like to thank you for making the best electric guitars in the world. Thanks!
Secondly, I wanted to relate a really bad dealer experience to you pertaining to custom ordering a Ric. Rickenbacker is in no way at fault for any of this, but I thought you might be interested in knowing what a terrible job this place is doing.
The dealer is Music Unlimited in Dublin California. I first placed the order in late February. About a week later I had them put it on hold while a debated which Ric I actually wanted, and ultimately went through with the order sometime in March. I was assured that the order had been placed, all of this was done in person. I called the Rickenbacker factory a couple of weeks later, and they had received no order from Music Unlimited--in fact, Music Unlimited had no pending or recent orders. I went back to the shop, and they claimed they had placed the order. I told them that Ric hadn't received the order, and told them they needed to make sure the order was placed. I checked back with them two weeks later, again in person, and they assured me it had been placed, along with details of having spoken to someone at length, etc.
Two weeks ago I called Ric again, and guess what? No order.
I finally went back and confronted them with this fact. *Now* the story was that Ric had been asking for 50% of the dealer cost of the guitar down (I am left handed and apparently this is Ric policy), and that the owner had been out of the country and he was the only one authorized to write Rickenbacker a check.
Of course, I was infuriated, not a Ric for the policy--I'm sure there are good reasons for it--but at these idiots for sitting on my order for two months! There is, I understand, a 6 month + backlog on ordering Rics, and it is well worth the wait--I love my 330, and an looking forward to this new guitar, which was to have been a 650 F--but this kind of stupidity on the dealer's part is really bad. Not to mention the way they were discouraging me from getting a Ric in the first place, and pushing me towards Gibsons (which I *don't* want!) and generally badmouthing Ric's way of doing business. Also, Music Unlimited has exactly one Ric in stock, a 660 Tom Petty they want $3500.00 for. Not exactly a big supporter of our favorite guitar maker.
Anyway, John, I just thought you ought to know. I don't think these guys are worthy. I'll be reordering through Mike Parks in North Carolina most likely, and I'm now debating 650 vs. 660. Being left handed is rough--I sure wish I could try 'em first!
Best wishes and continued success,
Jon Rhein