Guitar Lair Malaysia

[Towzer]

Hi folks -long time poster here with a beef about a recent shipment from Guitar Lair in Malaysia, but just a heads up

First of all , in the last few months i have ordered 2 guitars from them
One was a Furch Cocobolo which arrived safely, albeit in a not so great cardboard box with packing and case

Yesterday i took ownership of an Avalon L1-20 cedar rosewood. I was shocked to see it show up in no box but just bubble wrapped ! No cardboard box at all for a guitar travelling thousands of miles

So i wait a few hours and open it. Low and behold i have a 4 inch crack on the back. I also noted the case was not a Hiscox. Every Avalon i have owned over they years came with a Hiscox. This came with a "stagg" case probably worth $75

So when the guitar was shipped I asked Marc to lower the value like he had done on the Furch and he said no problem . When i told him about this yesterday he brushed it off saying he cant do anything as he lowered the value and that all his guitars he ships he doesnt use cardboard boxes?

What? You ship a guitar from the other side of the world in no box? Well 100% the last Furch guitar he shipped did come in a box as i still have it. So that comment is not true. He also said his Avalons dont come with Hiscox and you have to purchase those seperately?? Huh? He even had sent me pics of the Avalon and one of the pictures showed you the build information and stated it came with a Hiscox

So needless to say Im upset as he basically told me " too bad". I have shipped over 100 guitars over the years and only 1 ever showed up damaged by UPS/ All of them were professionally packed, not just covered in bubble wrap over the case. If anyone wants a good deal on a new Avalon L1-20 check REVERB its on there now.

Bottom line if he would have told me he was shipping in Bubble wrap only i would never have bought the guitar in the first place. Not a chance.

[terahertz]

The shop Guitar Lair is in Malaysia not Singapore!!!

[JonF]

Oh man... that sucks. Can you not return the guitar rather than sell at a loss?

[Towzer]

no he said because he devalued the guitar it doesnt get insured
Basically said he cant do a thing

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by Towzer

I was shocked to see it show up in no box but just bubble wrapped ! No cardboard box at all for a guitar travelling thousands of miles

Bottom line if he would have told me he was shipping in Bubble wrap only i would never have bought the guitar in the first place. Not a chance.

Well, he lost my business right there - I had considered one of his Webbers, but that sealed the deal.

Interesting thing is, I don't think a single courier in the States would accept a "package" like that....especially a high dollar parcel.

[Dbone]

Originally Posted by Towzer

Hi folks -long time poster here with a beef about a recent shipment from Guitar Lair in Malaysia, but just a heads up

First of all , in the last few months i have ordered 2 guitars from them
One was a Furch Cocobolo which arrived safely, albeit in a not so great cardboard box with packing and case

Yesterday i took ownership of an Avalon L1-20 cedar rosewood. I was shocked to see it show up in no box but just bubble wrapped ! No cardboard box at all for a guitar travelling thousands of miles

So i wait a few hours and open it. Low and behold i have a 4 inch crack on the back. I also noted the case was not a Hiscox. Every Avalon i have owned over they years came with a Hiscox. This came with a "stagg" case probably worth $75

So when the guitar was shipped I asked Marc to lower the value like he had done on the Furch and he said no problem . When i told him about this yesterday he brushed it off saying he cant do anything as he lowered the value and that all his guitars he ships he doesnt use cardboard boxes?

What? You ship a guitar from the other side of the world in no box? Well 100% the last Furch guitar he shipped did come in a box as i still have it. So that comment is not true. He also said his Avalons dont come with Hiscox and you have to purchase those seperately?? Huh? He even had sent me pics of the Avalon and one of the pictures showed you the build information and stated it came with a Hiscox

So needless to say Im upset as he basically told me " too bad". I have shipped over 100 guitars over the years and only 1 ever showed up damaged by UPS/ All of them were professionally packed, not just covered in bubble wrap over the case. If anyone wants a good deal on a new Avalon L1-20 check REVERB its on there now.

Bottom line if he would have told me he was shipping in Bubble wrap only i would never have bought the guitar in the first place. Not a chance.

That’s pretty crazy. Looks like buddy needs a google review from ya.

Shipped in bubble wrap. That is absolutely nuts, and it says a lot about that company. Wow.

How did you pay for it? If it was on credit card perhaps you could call Visa or MasterCard or whoever and see if you have any recourse. This is pretty ridiculous.

Best of luck

[Malcolm Kindnes]

I'm curious to know why you would choose to buy guitars from so far away in the first place?

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Kindnes

I'm curious to know why you would choose to buy guitars from so far away in the first place?

Going out of business sale. I think he was moving back to Canada.

[Towzer]

Guys I got a good deal on the guitar but it wasnt as advertised
No Hiscox

And like I said double wrapped in bubble wrap in a cheap STAGG case as well!!

So now i need to pay for a repair ....its not that bad actually but the bottom line is if this came in a reg shipping box with protection im 100% sure there wouldnt be an issue

I wish he packed as well as the Fellowship of Acoustics do

Lastly he seemed as if he didnt care mentioning to be he has shipped 150 guitars in bubble wrap
Well there is no WAY i am the only person then that received a damaged guitar

Also the guitar needed a good fingerboard oil it was dried out and all the tuning pegs we so loose I could turn them with my fingers. So he didnt even adjust them before shipping and the guitar is new old stock 7 yrs old

[Towzer]

Originally Posted by Dbone

That’s pretty crazy. Looks like buddy needs a google review from ya.

Shipped in bubble wrap. That is absolutely nuts, and it says a lot about that company. Wow.

How did you pay for it? If it was on credit card perhaps you could call Visa or MasterCard or whoever and see if you have any recourse. This is pretty ridiculous.

Best of luck

yeh I paid with credit card and sent an etransfer to him

[Dbone]

Originally Posted by Towzer

yeh I paid with credit card and sent an etransfer to him

If it was credit card you might have a chance. The protections in Canada with credit card purchases is quite strong.

Best of luck

Cheers

[Brent Hutto]

Sounds like you asked him to cheat the government on the import duties so while he was at it he cheated you on the case. Shady dealings all around. The old proverb about dogs and fleas comes to mind.

[Towzer]

and the packing

Who sends a $4k guitar wrapped in bubblewrap 8000 miles
Insanity....

[Towzer]

point is

an 8000 Mile journey with a $4k guitar wrapped in bubblewrap

If he told me that upfront he wouldnt have had a sale