Metalhead28 Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 I've had someone request their PRS style vibrato bridge for an upcoming build, and even though the site is online and accepting orders, I can't get a response by e-mail or phone. Anybody know what's up with them? I may be looking to get my money back! http://www.mannmadeusa.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 (edited) Odd. How long have you been trying to contact them? You might look into paypal's buyer protection if it's been longer than a week, and at least open a case. If they don't respond to that, you can send the case to Paypal and they'll look into it and refund your money if they find something's up. I've had this problem before(with another company), but then the item appeared in the mail without me ever receiving word from the company so I closed the case. Edited March 23, 2009 by Keegan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalhead28 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 It's been 9 days with no response yet. I'm not sure where my cut off point is, but I'm going to have to do something soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 I've had someone request their PRS style vibrato bridge for an upcoming build, and even though the site is online and accepting orders, I can't get a response by e-mail or phone. Anybody know what's up with them? I may be looking to get my money back! http://www.mannmadeusa.com/ I get a dead link. Submit it to PayPal ASAP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anderekel Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Link works fine for me. Looks like nice stuff too, not much in the way of a website though. I gotta agree though, submit to paypal asap, 9 days is way too long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalhead28 Posted March 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 (edited) So the guy won't respond to an e-mail or voice mail, but he immediately responds to the Paypal dispute that I opened just minutes ago. He says he was ready to ship my bridge today (imagine that)- but now he won't ship it until I close the dispute which will allow him to withdraw the money I sent him. The thing is, if I close the dispute - I can't reopen it if he doesn't ship me the bridge. Arrrghhh, this is annoying! Edited March 24, 2009 by Metalhead28 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 If you could not get a reply by phone,you should not trust him until the package is at your door. Express your concerns to him...is he a verified member of paypal?I have never heard of this type of bridge...looks nice though. He should ship the bridge,then when it arrives you close the dispute.If he can not do that after 9 days of no contact,then at least you are not out the money I don't trust him...other businesses would ship immediately just to get the dispute closed...those are expensive bridges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalhead28 Posted March 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Yeah, I don't trust him at all now. I told him I wouldn't close the dispute until the item arrived. We'll see if I have a fight on my hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Well, it can take up to two weeks for the package to reach him from Hong Kong, then a few extra days for him to ship the package to you. Seriously, there is no indication whatsoever that this company actually makes these parts. There's nothing at all to indicate that they are in any way different from any other similarly manufactured part coming from any one of a number of Chinese factories. And the fact that he didn't respond promptly (it's not like he'd be receiving hundreds of orders every day...unless he's actually responding from the office in Guangdong) and only after launching a dispute-and then is trying to hold you hostage before he'll finally ship the part-- pretty much tells you what you need to know. Do not end the dispute until you have received the part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t_hamill Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 (edited) I've a mannmade trem on a custom build and they are great. Search birdsandmoons (PRS) form and there are a few threads with regards to wait times. As far as I know its a one man shop working part time so there can be delays, although the products are worth the wait. Edited March 24, 2009 by t_hamill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalhead28 Posted March 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 That may be true, but his business practices are somewhat suspect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfink Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Seriously, there is no indication whatsoever that this company actually makes these parts. What, there's tons of info on Mannmade bridges, quite apart from the PRS tie up. It's also well documented that he is a one man band (no pun intended) and that his delivery dates are slow but well worth the wait. Remember he's the same as any one man operation - the more time he spends answering people chasing him every 5 minete's the less time he has to get on with making what you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalhead28 Posted March 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 But I wasn't chasing him around asking questions, I placed an order, sent him a payment, and I wanted some form of acknowledgement. I wanted to know that the guy even existed, you know? If he had time to respond to the Paypal dispute, he had time to respond to my e-mail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 What, there's tons of info on Mannmade bridges, I couldn't find any info on his site, other than that the company's name changed. Unless his site only works with IE? I didn't bother to use google, so I don't know what other people are saying. I guess his web site fits in with his lack of communications skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfink Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Metalhead - i wasn't implying you'd been hassling him, sorry i perhaps didn't word it very well. What i was implying is that he has a reputation for being somewhat late in his deliveries and short in his customer service 10 seconds on google confirmed that) so he's probably got more than a few individuals and probably one or two companies chasing him so he locks down even more. Over the past twenty years in my day work i have dealt with a number of small scale racing car manufacturers and small scale precision engineering companies and to be honest probably half of them were just the same - inspired and intelligent people who were just so wrapped up in what they were doing the outside world didn't seem to even exist let alone matter - so perhaps i'm more used to dealing with such people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalhead28 Posted March 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 No worries. Yeah, my own searching uncovered at least a few people who claimed that he took their money and they never heard from him - or if he did speak to them, he was still giving them the run around after several months or even years. I'd like to sympathize, but I guess I just don't have the patience. If the guy is going to take my money - he needs to communicate. I'd still love to buy the bridge from him - but it's yet to be seen if he's going to send me one. He told me it was all ready to ship, so we'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfink Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 I don't think the guys a crook - just totally disorganised. One positive is it seems most people who manage to get hold of one of his bridges...eventually...recon it's the best bridge of it's type. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 Over the past twenty years in my day work i have dealt with a number of small scale racing car manufacturers and small scale precision engineering companies and to be honest probably half of them were just the same - inspired and intelligent people who were just so wrapped up in what they were doing the outside world didn't seem to even exist let alone matter - so perhaps i'm more used to dealing with such people. To be honest... I get this way too. People want pictures, to talk on the phone, ask a million email questions, etc. This is really hard to keep up on when trying to produce class A work. What happens is I will so engrossed with what I'm doing that I sort of fall off the grid for a few days at a time. However, I always make it a point to acknowledge any transactions immediately, and apologize for any delay in responding to questions. Always, always, always I send at least a brief THANK YOU message no matter how busy I am!! My point here is that not responding at all is just plain and simple terrible business practice!! Horrible! If I did that, and someone opened a dispute or wanted their money back, well how could I blame them? Good grief. We all live in a world of crooks and scams. As a customer myself, I just want acknowledgment that the vendor knows I exist and that they received the cash I gave them. In my opinion here, you have every right to get cold feet. Some business transactions are not worth the baggage that you have to carry with it. Just my 2 cents... it struck a nerve, sorry if it's a rant. -Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAI6 Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 I agree Doug. I'm not sure how many people are familiar with Patrick Sims and his painting business. He seemed to believe in the "I'm so busy, and my work is so great, that you just have to deal with not knowing when you are getting your guitar back" approach to business. It's very simple. If you know that it will take a long time to get your merchandise out, specify that. You don't have to tell people that it's because you're disorganized, but at least they'll know it might be a while. And personally I don't care about the whining, saying "I'm so busy! I work in the shop from dawn till dusk. I just don't have time spending hours on the phone and e-mail".... Should have thought about that before starting a business. A huge part of a business is the customer, and customer service. If you don't have the latter, sooner or later you won't have the former.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalhead28 Posted March 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 I got on the phone with him and had a much better experience. He does seem like a pretty genuine guy, so I'm not going to pass any judgements just yet. I'll let you guys know how everything goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 Well, at the risk of riling feathers, what's so special about the guy's bridges? I mean, why are they so much better than anything that, say, Gotoh makes? Are there design differences that make the part interesting (like a Trem King, for example, where the guy clearly spent a lot of time redesigning the wheel). Is this another overhyped voodoo product or what? Just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalhead28 Posted March 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 He is the guy who designed the original tremolo for PRS, and by all accounts his own version is the best of that sort that one can get. I've read plenty of stellar reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 They LOOK very nice...to my trained eye it appears to be high quality metal alloys used,and very cleanly machined...all stuff that I look for in a piece of hardware for a guitar. If I were in the market for a vintage-esque bridge,I think I might go that rout.... Gotoh has not always impressed me with their metals...though the machining is very good indeed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalhead28 Posted April 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 I received the bridge today and it really is a nice piece. Quite heavy and nicely machined, I expect it to work and sound great. The guy definitely spooked me at first, but this turned out well. I wouldn't steer anybody away from him, I'd just say be patient and try to get the guy on the phone before you place an order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 glad it worked out for you... they are supposed to be very good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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