Side cracks on vintage instrument just arrived today - what to do?

[Marinero]

FRAUD: the use of intentional deception for monetary or personal gain. ... Fraud always includes a false statement, misrepresentation or deceitful conduct. The purpose is to gain something of value, usually money, by misleading or deceiving someone into believing something that the perpetrator knows to be false.

1. false statement: no cracks
2. misrepresentation of the physical condition of the instrument before shipping
3. deceitful conduct--UPS dropped the box . . . not my fault/ didn't see cracks when he held the guitar in his hands.


The court decides whether a "reasonable man" would conclude the conduct was misleading or deceitful for personal gain. However, no one wins when you go to court unless big dollars are involved and this is what disreputable merchants count on in their transactions. Things are better today than in my generation since a merchant's reputation can be seriously damaged by bad reviews.
Marinero

[omphalopsychos]

I understand there are different definitions in different contexts. My day job is in machine learning for payments, risk, and fraud lol. I've been at Block/Cash App for 7 years. Trust me I know what fraud is.

I understand there's a definition of fraud for the court room, but nobody is going to bother with small claims for a case like this. I'm talking about credit card network rules. Trust me if you want your money back, use your credit card company not court.

[omphalopsychos]

This could have been a page from a Dale Carnegie book. Well done!

In regards to the last sentence. Why bother? It won't change them and you'll just end up staying in that space/zone/vibe for longer than you need to, when you could be paying your new axe. Just do a thread on them here so the Internet can find it although if they have the right guitar at the right price, who's going to research the sellers?
You're likely not the first.

Yeah 100% agree. I am not the kind of person to try to punish. Retribution is an attribute of war, not justice.

[Marinero]

Yeah 100% agree. I am not the kind of person to try to punish. Retribution is an attribute of war, not justice.

Hi, O,
Interested in a beachfront Condo in Brazil?
Marinero

P.S. Just kidding. Good luck in your journey!

[omphalopsychos]

Just wanted to share the happy ending of the story.

I got an inspection mirror and looked inside. The crack as already repaired! That's good since I don't need to take it for repair. I showed Carter the pic of the inside of the guitar and they gave me a partial refund due to their omission.

And it's a great sounding guitar. I've been leaning more and more toward acoustic archtops with floating pickups and using bronze strings to get a blended acoustic/electric sound. As a lot of you know, vintage dearmond pickups (the fhc and the 1000) balance fine with 80/20. I was really happy to find that the tk smith one does too if you raise the pole pieces under the wound strings. Not only that, but the TK smith floating pickup is probably one of the best sounding pickups I've played. Reminds me a lot of my dearmond fhc but a little clearer and brighter.

My next step is to get a pickguard and have a luthier mount the pickup directly onto that with volume and tone control.

[JSanta]

The guitar obviously compliments your playing wonderfully! Congrats on everything working out for you!

[AKA]

O,

I’m glad this problem was resolved in your favor. I am curious how a crack this obvious was not seen in detailed photos of the instrument you must have viewed as part of your decision to purchase the guitar.

AKA

[omphalopsychos]

O,

I’m glad this problem was resolved in your favor. I am curious how a crack this obvious was not seen in detailed photos of the instrument you must have viewed as part of your decision to purchase the guitar.

AKA

They strategically omitted any perspective from which the cracks would be visible.

[wintermoon]

they repaired them w/out closing them?

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

they repaired them w/out closing them?

I guess they ran out of Silly Putty

[Jabberwocky]

I thought Carter's Vintage was a reputable shop...I would be so upset to buy any instrument and receive something like that. Even the most miniscule of defects must be disclosed, not to mention one of that magnitude. It may be player's grade but it must still be disclosed.