rock_and_roll_camera
Well-known member
Hey guys, I don't know how many of you saw my original post about me buying a new uke only to find it was busted but it can be found here:
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?25755-Bought-new-uke-having-problems
Well, here's the update... Basically I bought the Lanikai LU 21CE which I was well impressed with until it started buzzing like mad, fretted, unfretted, strummed, whatever. Well anyway, to follow on from my previous post I returned to the shop after work on Monday, a train ride away this shop is, and tried to take the uke back for an exchange or refund or whatever. Well I get there and I'm left standing at the counter for 10 minutes before I'm seen to, the store was empty btw. So anyway, the little old lady that owns the store tells me that the boy who deals with the ukes isn't in but if I go to the back of the shop one of the guitar guys will help me out...
GREAT! I thought, just what I need, especially after all the stuff I've read on here about guitar guys thinking they're a pro on every stringed instrument. So anyways, I explain what the problem is with the buzz and he grabs it and starts plucking it saying "I can't hear a buzz?" Bearing in mind that there is heavy metal blearing out at full volume. So I ask him to take it into the soundproof room and try it but he turns the music off instead and trys again, but there is still alot of shop noise. He still can't hear anything. Then he starts playing this stupid lil "Hey, look at me I'm a rock star" 2-string riff looking really smug, saying it was probably my shirt button vibrating against the back of the uke. I pointed out I was wearing a plain t-shirt at the time and he continues "Well you're going to get buzz anyway, it's not an electric guitar y'know!? How much did you pay for tis £124?" At this point he goes and gets a £350 uke and starts strumming it really hard making it buzz and says "You see, this is an expensive uke and it buzzes alot so you're lucky that your cheap one doesn't sound this bad!" The cheek! I pointed out that I had a cheap £25 no name uke at home that didn't buzz and that was about the end of the conversation. He told me there was nothing he could do for me.
So I get all the way home, start playing it and BUZZ! I'm really annoyed now so I decide to plug it in and see how bad it sounds. Guess what... nothing! The pick-up doesn't work! So I have to go back the next day now. So go back and this time manage to see the uke guy. Pretty much the same the deal. He siad he couldn't hear it. I argued the fact with him and he gave me the same "Well you expect that from a uke" deal. So then I move onto the pick-up and he's stumped. "Might be the battery?" No, I tried that but he checks it anyway... changes the battery, turns it round, tries it in every posible direction but nothing so then he agrees theres a problem.
On the way to the counter the arse from the day before sees me and the uke back again and pipes up "Oh I had a look at that yesterday, theres nothing up with it". The uke guy tells him that the P/U is dead and he replies really smugly "Oh, that makes it buzz then does it?" Honestly, cocks the lot of 'em! So I ask for a refund and they refuse as it's against company policy. I state my rights and they refuse saying they will send it away to be looked at so I'm without my uke and without my money to buy a new one!
Well spoke to Consumer Direct and they advised me I was entilted to a refund yada yada yada so I call the store and tell them not to send my uke for repair, that I don't want that and I don't want it back, I want my money... They said that they couldn't do that until their supplier had given them the credit for the instrument to refund me, and they wouldn't do that until they'd inspected the instrument. Well, long story short they keep refusing until I bombard them with that much consumer law and threats to go to Trading Standards that they strike a deal with me... They will replace my Lanikia LU 21CE with a brand new, Kala KA CE, with a couple of extra sets of strings and bits. Sounds good to me so I'm axxepting it. What do you guys think? I can't really find much on the Kala, but it's pretty much the same instrument except made from mahogany instead of Nato.
What do you guys think?
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?25755-Bought-new-uke-having-problems
Well, here's the update... Basically I bought the Lanikai LU 21CE which I was well impressed with until it started buzzing like mad, fretted, unfretted, strummed, whatever. Well anyway, to follow on from my previous post I returned to the shop after work on Monday, a train ride away this shop is, and tried to take the uke back for an exchange or refund or whatever. Well I get there and I'm left standing at the counter for 10 minutes before I'm seen to, the store was empty btw. So anyway, the little old lady that owns the store tells me that the boy who deals with the ukes isn't in but if I go to the back of the shop one of the guitar guys will help me out...
GREAT! I thought, just what I need, especially after all the stuff I've read on here about guitar guys thinking they're a pro on every stringed instrument. So anyways, I explain what the problem is with the buzz and he grabs it and starts plucking it saying "I can't hear a buzz?" Bearing in mind that there is heavy metal blearing out at full volume. So I ask him to take it into the soundproof room and try it but he turns the music off instead and trys again, but there is still alot of shop noise. He still can't hear anything. Then he starts playing this stupid lil "Hey, look at me I'm a rock star" 2-string riff looking really smug, saying it was probably my shirt button vibrating against the back of the uke. I pointed out I was wearing a plain t-shirt at the time and he continues "Well you're going to get buzz anyway, it's not an electric guitar y'know!? How much did you pay for tis £124?" At this point he goes and gets a £350 uke and starts strumming it really hard making it buzz and says "You see, this is an expensive uke and it buzzes alot so you're lucky that your cheap one doesn't sound this bad!" The cheek! I pointed out that I had a cheap £25 no name uke at home that didn't buzz and that was about the end of the conversation. He told me there was nothing he could do for me.
So I get all the way home, start playing it and BUZZ! I'm really annoyed now so I decide to plug it in and see how bad it sounds. Guess what... nothing! The pick-up doesn't work! So I have to go back the next day now. So go back and this time manage to see the uke guy. Pretty much the same the deal. He siad he couldn't hear it. I argued the fact with him and he gave me the same "Well you expect that from a uke" deal. So then I move onto the pick-up and he's stumped. "Might be the battery?" No, I tried that but he checks it anyway... changes the battery, turns it round, tries it in every posible direction but nothing so then he agrees theres a problem.
On the way to the counter the arse from the day before sees me and the uke back again and pipes up "Oh I had a look at that yesterday, theres nothing up with it". The uke guy tells him that the P/U is dead and he replies really smugly "Oh, that makes it buzz then does it?" Honestly, cocks the lot of 'em! So I ask for a refund and they refuse as it's against company policy. I state my rights and they refuse saying they will send it away to be looked at so I'm without my uke and without my money to buy a new one!
Well spoke to Consumer Direct and they advised me I was entilted to a refund yada yada yada so I call the store and tell them not to send my uke for repair, that I don't want that and I don't want it back, I want my money... They said that they couldn't do that until their supplier had given them the credit for the instrument to refund me, and they wouldn't do that until they'd inspected the instrument. Well, long story short they keep refusing until I bombard them with that much consumer law and threats to go to Trading Standards that they strike a deal with me... They will replace my Lanikia LU 21CE with a brand new, Kala KA CE, with a couple of extra sets of strings and bits. Sounds good to me so I'm axxepting it. What do you guys think? I can't really find much on the Kala, but it's pretty much the same instrument except made from mahogany instead of Nato.
What do you guys think?