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Octopus Wood Supplier
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estebanana
Posts: 9016
Joined: Oct. 16 2009
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 Octopus Wood Supplier
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Regrettably post this to apprise all of the poor service received from Octopus wood dealers.
In August 2019 I ordered over 3400 € worth of goods and still have not received the most important part of my order, a large quantity of Spanish Cedar neck blanks. The order for spruce tops for guitars and violas was received about two weeks after ordering, which is normal, but the shipment did not include the necks I ordered, for which a substantial payment was made. I wrote immediately to ask why the necks were not included and that this dissatisfied me greatly and the response was that I had a bad attitude as a customer for asking about this, and that my 30 kilogram limit for shipping was met.
I thought about canceling then, but wrote back asking that necks please be shipped as soon as possible, and was promised they would be shipped within days with the added gift of a snakewood fingerboard. The tracking information was not forthcoming. I waited a month, knowing how the guitar business can be slow moving, asked again. Was told there was an oversight and that my necks would be processed and shipped in one week without fail.
The same thing has happened twice since October after sending a gentle reminder. I’m still waiting for necks. The last time I was told they would be shipped before Christmas, as if that really matters, but this deadline has again passed with no word of contact about tracking or shipment. I sent an email to Octopus asking for the neck payment to be returned immediately, and that I’ll never do business with them again.
It’s on this Foro where I got such assurance that Octopus was a reliable, but slightly quirky vendor. Quirky is one thing, but being lied to four times about the shipment date of goods paid for is different, there’s another term for that, incompetence. I wished I had simply continued to do business with LMI, Allied, International Violin, or even Madinter. Or given the money to the private wood cutter I know in Austria, or Florett.
The goods I did receive were ok, but didn’t think the quality was there in the #1 grade tops, half of them were marred by either very difficult to work around pitch pockets or twisted grain turnaround that should never ever be given a first grade rating. If LMI had send me materials like that I would have returned them.
So I’m deeply unsatisfied by the experience and the stress of wondering if I’ll ever see either necks or my hard earned money from making instruments.
And I thought you all should know it’s not a good organization as far as my experience. I would never have been treated like this by any suppliers I have relationships with and I regret not ordering from them as usual.
_____________________________
https://www.stephenfaulkguitars.com
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Dec. 28 2019 4:33:16
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RobF
Posts: 1425
Joined: Aug. 24 2017
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RE: Octopus Wood Supplier (in reply to estebanana)
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I dealt with Octopus a number of years ago had an almost identical experience as you did concerning the delayed shipping time. Thing is, I was sent a photo of the prepared shipment within days of placing the order, so I’m not sure where the hold-up was. It’s possible the delay was at the post office. All I know is after a couple of months I indicated I had to open up a PayPal request for refund before the deadline ran out and one week later the material arrived, postmarked just about the day after I indicated I’d be filing the refund request.
On a positive note, and in their defence, the wood I received was OK, it was pretty freshly cut but once aged it was good. It was also priced very fairly for what it was, so I have no complaints about the product itself, save that some of the dimensions were so tight I had pretty well zero wiggle room in how it could be used.
Hopefully they’ve upped their game in the years since. I don’t wish ill on anyone and like to give the benefit of the doubt, but fairness has to run both ways.
That being said, I wouldn’t be happy if I was sent pre-scarfed necks, I’d want either my money back or a substantial discount. In general, I don’t like it when wood is overly processed by the seller, although I do understand the need to be reasonable and to have some degree of flexibility. But things like cutting backs or tops into “coffin” shapes, pre-thicknessing to the absolute minimum usable dimension, calling anything from 45 degrees or up an acceptable definition of quarter, what you experienced with the scarf jointed necks, shorting dimensions, the list goes on, none of that stuff is acceptable unless it’s pictured and disclosed up front. It’s almost always a transparent attempt by the supplier to squeeze a bit more profit out of the raw materials, but it’s at the expense of usability for the customer, who is essentially robbed of their discretion. It sucks. I’ve experienced everything I just listed and more (except the pre-scarfed necks). It’s hair-pullingly frustrating at times.
As an aside to the non-makers who are wondering why this stuff is an issue…
When buying across borders the purchaser is pretty well at the mercy of the honesty, conscientiousness, and skill of the supplier. If the product doesn’t meet expectations the customer is disadvantaged not only in the ability to return or negotiate a discount, but in how (or even if) they can use the materials in crafting the end product. I’ve had numerous bad experiences when purchasing wood across borders (with the company referred to in this thread being responsible for only one of them).
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Oct. 4 2022 0:08:07
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