OH NO! Not Again!

hucklelele

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You may have seen my thread a few weeks back about the "23" Minstrel" uke that arrived and proved to be a standard 21" soprano- and even clearly labled on the outside of the box- the vendor there eventually changed the description-

Now I've just had this delivered:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sky-25-New-...ltDomain_0&hash=item27d7561ac5#ht_5562wt_1018

an otherwise pretty nice uke uke at a pretty darn good price otherwise-

but AGAIN the dimensions were mis-represented-

even Photoshopped right on the pictures in the ad-
I THOUGHT I was ordering an otherwise tenor sized uke-
25" in length
and labled 64cm x24.5 cm in the photo

what the item is actually is pretty much just standard concert size
23.5"- including peak of pegboard
and I measure it 60cm x 20.5

so my ebay buying experiences are not good at this point

I ALREADY have another concert sized uke
and I'm left debating what to do now with this one
after going through a LOT of frustrations over trying to find out if the thing was in stock or had shipped- even though the ad still says 3 more available

I ordered this on 10/1 which I guess isn't unreasonable time from China, but they kept telling me the item wasn't in stock and t it didn't ship until the 14th. Before that I was offered a refund, which I tried to accept a few days later, only to be told the uke had shipped, and then it was days and days after before tracking info appeared

If this was more tenor sized as described, I'd be ecstatic with it because it's a very nice instrument otherwise, even with just 12 to the neck, the inlay and appearance are superb-

for a concert sized uke, it blows the usual landscape away for the money at least, but now I'm that much farther away from a tenor sized model, and just really disappointed by the experience of another uke size mis-reprentation-

this one even more blatant than the last- clearly mismarked on the photo

I gave them negative feedback, which I don't like to do- but it's clearly misrepresented- so I don't have what I wanted, and after a lot of hassle and speculation.

so Caveat Emptor "Let the buyer beware"

Wouldn't it be great if some dealer stateside just bought a bunch of these goods and sold them at near China prices? - at least a return wouldn't have to go back halfway around the world,

there wouldn't be any language proiblems

or trust issues in a paranoid hostile world always at odds with itself
 
Stop buying cheap no-name items from China?

The ad also said that the package includes "1 X Guitar", so I guess you should be happy you at least got a ukulele.
 
I'm sorry you've had two disappointing purchases.
I recommend you get your next uke from Uke Republic or Mim's Ukes. Both are UU members, and either one of them is a lot of fun to do business with (talk on the phone to make sure you're getting what you want), and they're super about quality. You'll be certain that you're getting the size you ordered, plus you'll know it's been set up properly.
 
The first uke was 80 miles away in Daytona,

this one is actualy really a nice uke- the cost iis the same as the cheapest concert avaialble-
and it has die cast chrome tuners-

and REAL inlay on the fretboard-
white binding at the edges-
similar features retail here would be twice the cost This is really a piece of work you couldn't find locally for 50 dollars-

The sapelle wood looks genuine- and beautiful unfinished texture for a great sound- the strings are decent quality nylgut of some type-
the back is ARCHED-

but I recently bought a Cordoba concert uke, and it's not the size the ad shows
so now what? I may put the cordoba up for sell, and come out ahead actually, but haven't decided.
I think I actually like the sound quality of the natural sapelle wood over the laminate mahogany top of the Cordoba
which may have more volume but a harsher sound.

I've been now in touch with the vendor and said pretty much the same-
so it'll be interesting to see if they change the ad-

the only other thing was- they also had now added some strap pegs- at the body base and on the neck-
not pictured in the photos
and which i'm not particularly fond of

the model number on the inner lable says "uk- 24G"
like it is meant to be a 24" perhaps- although the total length actually measures 23 5/8"
while the Cordoba measures 24 1/8"- the most difference being the 12 fret to body vs. 14 fret to body scale length

I thought I was going to get a uke an inch and a half longer with a 4 cm or so wider body

but if you want a nice little concert uke- with inlay- I would recommend it. I'd make sure they can ship right away though. There was some confusion about what was in stock
 
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totally within your rights for a full refund. the item is clearly not as described.

I make it a point to NEVER buy instruments from ebay. Buy direct from an experienced luthier or reputable vendor who will setup the instrument and provide you with follow up advice and support. Ebay is a crap shoot. Many fine folks on the UU here who are quality, honest and knowledgeable operators.
 
I think you need to concentrate on the scale length your looking for, instead of overall length and number of frets to the body.
 
Honestly, I'd be happy a direct from overseas $50 ebay ukulele was playable. But you are absolutely correct that it was misrepresented and are entitled to a full refund. I imagine it will cost more to ship it back then the actual refund though.

When I buy from ebay I always count the frets, especially if there may be a language barrier.

Good luck.
 
Honestly, I'd be happy a direct from overseas $50 ebay ukulele was playable. But you are absolutely correct that it was misrepresented and are entitled to a full refund. I imagine it will cost more to ship it back then the actual refund though.

When I buy from ebay I always count the frets, especially if there may be a language barrier.

Good luck.

Counting frets won't tell you the scale length. My Kamaka Concert and Soprano ukes both have 16 frets, my Martin Soprano has 17, and a Makala Dolphin soprano has 12
 
"Wouldn't it be great if some dealer stateside just bought a bunch of these goods and sold them at near China prices? - at least a return wouldn't have to go back halfway around the world"



No, it wouldn't.
 
Sort of a hack, and play classical guitar with 12 to the neck
so I don't care that much about the number of frets- this one has 17 anyway


Anyway I just read that the average rent for apartments of all sizes in San Francisco is now $3000

So, yes, I like it when entrepeneurs import cheap goods to distribute them here
corporate america is always most interested in selling gasoline and extracting more labor from a weary and purposely agitated populace
who can't keep up with the rents
 
Check out Uke Republic's Makai ukes. They're really economical and attractive, and Mike sets them up perfectly.
They ship from the Atlanta area.
 
The last three ukes I bought on eBay were from stores in Missouri and Brooklyn, NY, a blem and open box marked down from over $350 to below $150, and the blemishes were almost imperceptible.

I've also ordered preamp parts directly from China that were exactly as listed, and less than half the price of name brands (in fact, in a couple of cases they are the name brands without the labels). They do take longer to ship, but I know that and just wait it out.

I'm considering ordering a uke too, but I'll be sure to contact the seller to verify that it is as listed.
 
honestly if you are looking for a tenor, you should look at an actual uke dealer. I know two have already been mentioned and I can't not mention them either www.ukerepublic.com and www.mimsukes.com there is also HMS (www.theukulelesite.com ?)

I'd be happy if I ordered directly from China and got a uke that was playable. Even if it was the wrong size.
I do think you have a complaint though but is it worth the heartburn? Maybe, maybe not.
 
Sort of a hack, and play classical guitar with 12 to the neck
so I don't care that much about the number of frets- this one has 17 anyway


Anyway I just read that the average rent for apartments of all sizes in San Francisco is now $3000

So, yes, I like it when entrepeneurs import cheap goods to distribute them here
corporate america is always most interested in selling gasoline and extracting more labor from a weary and purposely agitated populace
who can't keep up with the rents
You live in Florida right? What does the cost of rent in California have to do with anything?

And the US pays far less for gas than Europeans.

There are reputable dealers. If you choose to purchase from others, then it is a roll of the dice.
 
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