Perspective: It’s not EBMM’s fault that wood expands and contracts with heat, cold and humidity. The original guitar was shipped by a big box store. Where a lot of manufacturers won’t ship in extreme weather, the big box stores aren’t known to be too particular. Probably because they’ll eventually charge the damaged guitar back to the manufacturer.
I’ve shipped hundreds of guitars. I won’t ship via ground in the winter if the weather is extreme between here and the destination. Even with careful planning, I’ve lost a Montana Flatiron mandolin to a collapsed top and a hollow body archtop guitar that checked like a broken mirror - which I actually thought was pretty cool. (However, the buyer didn’t...) This sounds like expansion in the neck pocket where something had to give - and it was the finish.
PS: relics continue to be the Fender Custom Shop’s best sellers.
...Hmmm ... EBMM could have at-least gotten involved to the point of applying pressure on the distributor, on-behalf of the customer, to take the instrument back. Since it's Sam Ash's fault. "..shipping in crap weather" (if that Was the cause).
We have dumped distributors who screw around the customer. It's the customer who will complain if treated unfairly after all, and they will have a point.. Screw the distributor then, for taking a torch to the customer/EB's reputation..
But that isn't quite what happened (it seems).
In this case, the customer reached out the EBMM looking for a little help.. Ernie Ball said "Nope!" ..and "Blaaaaaaah" ...that all I take away from this. That issue being the customer being told that the warranty clock had run out, before the customer's purchase.
???? ...What's the point in EB advertising a warranty to the customer, if it runs out before the customer receives the instrument? ...That's madness.
Taken from Sam Ash Website:
"
Warranty Info: Ernie Ball, Inc. (hereafter “EB”) warrants for one (1) year from date of purchase by the initial retail purchaser that this product shall be free from defects in material and workmanship. Any material or workmanship determined defective by EB within the one (1) year term shall be repaired or replaced without charge for parts and labor provided the unit is returned, transportation costs prepaid, to Ernie Ball, Inc., 151 Suburban Road, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, or to such other service facility authorized by EB. EB will pay shipping costs to return the unit to its owner."
Now.. I'm no rocket scientist, - or even English major, ;0) ..but, then, I don't really need to be to see the games EB were playing, since a person could EASILY argue that the neck pocket was too tight, if the finish cracked in transit due to temp or humidity.
For craftsmen of the caliber found at EB, It would have been easy to repair the finish. If it was the finish that was cracked.
Just sounds like, between Sam Ash and EB, they Both tried to avoid taking responsibility for the damage.
Hey. Let them fight among themselves who's to blame.
...But while those guys are bickering among themselves about who is gonna take the hit, they Both should have treated the guy shelling out thousands of dollars for an heirloom instrument a little more fairly than this.