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Author
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Topic: This made me mad, then sad
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Russ Young
Member From: Seattle, Washington, USA
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posted 15 December 2005 01:12 PM
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quote:
I doubt any real friend of mine would have had a similar casual attitude if I had sent him the money and never received the goods.
Uhh ... well ... ummm ... you're right -- I only considered keeping your MayBell when it was originally shipped to me! So I guess I'm still a real friend?  I have shipped seven or eight (maybe nine?) guitars to Steinar over the past couple of years -- all by USPS, as I recall -- and they have all made it safely to his doorstep. So I'm having a hard time buying Eric Brown's story ...[This message was edited by Russ Young on 15 December 2005 at 01:14 PM.] |
Terry VunCannon
Member From: Randleman, North Carolina, USA
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posted 15 December 2005 01:13 PM
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I just got off the phone with Jackson Browne's people & they just asked me to email them the link to the newspaper article. It sounds like they are interested in all this!!!------------------
'49 & '51 National Dynamics, Harmos Model One, Lazy River Weissenborn, Mesa Boogie DC-3, SRV Strat.
http://community.webshots.com/user/keefriff
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Russ Young
Member From: Seattle, Washington, USA
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posted 15 December 2005 01:17 PM
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That kinda makes you wonder about the story of Sheryl Crow and her guitar, doesn't it? |
Rick Alexander
Member From: Florida, USA
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posted 15 December 2005 01:35 PM
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I can't find any mention anywhere (Google Search etc) of Vincent Star Guitars in Manhattan where Sheryl Crow was supposed to have purchased the guitar.That doesn't mean it doesn't exist, it just means there's no mention of it anywhere . .
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HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 15 December 2005 01:37 PM
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Ok, I'll call her and see if I can uncover something....  |
Russ Young
Member From: Seattle, Washington, USA
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posted 15 December 2005 01:44 PM
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Howard, when was the last time you were awarded a rimshot? |
Mike D
Member From: Phx, Az
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posted 15 December 2005 01:46 PM
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Howard tell her Mike D. said 'Hey' and that I'm sorry about that night but that towel rack should have been built better than that! ------------------
Half-assed bottleneck and lap slide player. Full-assed Builder of resonator instruments.
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Steinar Gregertsen
Member From: Arendal, Norway
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posted 15 December 2005 04:30 PM
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This guys just diggin a deeper hole isn't he?
Sure is. It is now 28 hours since my latest email to him, where I asked him to have the receipts scanned and emailed to me, and if there's no reply in my mailbox by the time I get up tomorrow he'll effectively have removed the last shred of doubt about what's been going on here. Steinar ------------------
www.gregertsen.com
[This message was edited by Steinar Gregertsen on 15 December 2005 at 05:05 PM.]
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Rick Alexander
Member From: Florida, USA
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posted 15 December 2005 07:39 PM
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That's Eric Brown on the right cutting the neck for Steinar's guitar that he paid in advance for but has never received.
Or maybe it's a different guitar.
I wonder if it will be paid for in advance and never delivered. |
Bill Hatcher
Member From: Atlanta Ga. USA
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posted 15 December 2005 09:16 PM
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My friend Peter Stroud works with S. Crow. He is the tall guitar player on all her concerts. Steinar if you will Email me, I will give you his email address if you need to know about the Crow guitar. You can't get to her, but Peter might can find out some info on it. |
Don Kona Woods
Member From: Vancouver, Washington, USA
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posted 15 December 2005 09:31 PM
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quote:
Randy,- if your heart is warmed, then imagine how mine feels! I am truly touched and deeply moved by all the support - this is the best freakin' birthday present I could ever get!!
STEINAR, MAYBE THIS IS WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT. A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY PRESENT, A SPECIAL MEANING OF WHAT FRIENDSHIPS CAN BE - "LIFE". JUST A BUNCH OF CARING STEELERS!!!  Aloha,
Don P.S. I was the second poster on your thread, and it did not seem your post was going anywhere then. I left for a couple of days and came back and WOW at the response that took place. It was very gratifying to see the troops rally. [This message was edited by Don Kona Woods on 15 December 2005 at 09:32 PM.] |
Jon Zimmerman
Member From: California, USA
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posted 15 December 2005 10:30 PM
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If I may, I'd add that Brown isn't the ONLY one making Tele Bender guitars--Just Google search JOE GLASER--and see all about a REAL Double Bender guitar, out now for many years, starting back in the mid-90's. It's just effrontery and shameless audacity in his claims, plain and simple, IMHO. ~JZ~ |
Rick Alexander
Member From: Florida, USA
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posted 16 December 2005 07:42 AM
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Steinar asked me to call Joyce Grondin, editor of Capital Weekly/Courier Publications to get verbal confirmation of what he already knew - that the false statements in the reprinted article by Douglas Watts came directly from Eric Brown and not from Steinar's web site or any other source. She was kind enough to return my call and she confirmed this very clearly.She is going to print Steinar's email in the paper as a retraction to the false information in the article. Normally they only publish such letters in the paper and not on their web site, but in this case she is going to make an exception and post it on their site as well. She is also going to email me the URL when this is done.
She was surprised that the article was still on their site and asked me to send her the URL. She is going to remove the article promptly . .
She told me that she knows Eric Brown personally, and that he seems like a nice guy and she is surprised that he would conduct his business in this way. However, she did not express any doubt about what I was telling her. She was very communicative and pleasant, and expressed concern when I told her the whole story. I also sent her the URL to this thread.
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Bill McCloskey
Member From:
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posted 16 December 2005 07:50 AM
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The surprising thing to me in this whole thing is that Eric has let the thing spiral out of control without doing any kind of damage control. He is either the most sheltered human being on the planet or the worst business man I've ever seen. |
Steinar Gregertsen
Member From: Arendal, Norway
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posted 16 December 2005 09:14 AM
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Bill H - thanks so much for your offer, I appreciate it. Now that the article will be removed I don't see much point in following up on the 'S Crow lead' though...Don - Jon - if you read what he writes on his website you will find several 'disputable' claims.. Rick - you've got mail. Thanks!! Bill MC - some people react like that when things get a too hot. Close their eyes, fingers in their ears, going la-di-la-di-la-di-daa, hoping it will go away all by itself.
Too bad, because his instruments are nice and he IS a nice guy when talking on the phone.. I have not heard any more from him, so by now I can only assume that there is no shipping receipts, and he's just waiting it out, thinking it'll cool off..... Steinar ------------------
www.gregertsen.com
[This message was edited by Steinar Gregertsen on 16 December 2005 at 09:15 AM.]
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John Ummel
Member From: Arlington, WA.
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posted 16 December 2005 09:16 AM
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He's crossed off my Christmas list. And I'm letting all the pickers I know to avoid doing business with him. |
David Siegler
Member From: Mill Valley, CA USA
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posted 16 December 2005 10:17 AM
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Eric makes strange choices! He built a guitar for me at the same time as Steinar's. Both basically the same based on Steinar's suggestion after he liked his first guitar so much. Steinar prepaid and I did not. Eric finished mine while Steinar's was being "road tested" so to speak. In hindsight I can't understand why he didn't send the one I got to Steinar (as he had prepaid and had referred me to Eric) and kept me waiting until he got the other one back. I assume it was to get some more cash. In my case I sent him the money when the guitar was finished and he did send me the guitar pretty quickly after that though almost a year later than promised. It had a gouge in the edge of one of the wood trim pieces and on the body near the PU switches. It's pretty clear that he slipped with a screw driver while tightening a screw. The fretboard had come unglued and was only being held in place by string tension at the nut. The tuners and tele bridge plate were scratched and looked used. Also, the PUs were wired out of phase. Eric offered to fix the problems if I wanted to ship it back to him. Guess what I decided to do? He did send me another trim piece to replace the one that was dinged. Eric did refer to these guitars as "prototypes" and that we were getting a really good price... thus the used parts and sloppy finish I guess. Between the gouge (maybe only 1/2" long) on the front of the guitar, the fretboard not sticking to the oil finish and the sloppy visible glue line on the back of the guitar I decided to completely re-sand and refinish the whole guitar. Not what I would expect to have to do to a "new" guitar. That said, I really like the guitar. It plays easy and one of the PUs sounds really good. Though with the long wait, assorted "promises" made and not kept, the long emails betweeen Steinar and I and the time refinishing it the guitar was way overpriced. I figure we should both have gotten our guitars and $800 each for the headaches along the way. I will admit that the opportunity to get to know Steinar better was worth the price of the guitar though I would have rather have done it with a visit, some playing and some beer! One of these days. |
HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 16 December 2005 10:47 AM
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Whew! All of those things are unacceptable in my book!I've worked with several builders, Carroll Benoit, Mike D., Rick Aiello, Sage Harmos, Bill Rudolph (Williams), Herb Remington, and they are all top notch in terms of both quality and integrity. Makes me want to appreciate all of the good guys that much more. [This message was edited by HowardR on 16 December 2005 at 10:50 AM.] |
Terry VunCannon
Member From: Randleman, North Carolina, USA
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posted 16 December 2005 11:05 AM
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Howard...good point...I also have some custom instruments & would never expect to be treated this way by a custom builder. I would like to say thanks to Rance White, Sage Harmos, James Baecker & Rick Turner for the fine work they do & the great instruments that they make. It is really such a pleasure to play a fine instrument.------------------
'49 & '51 National Dynamics, Harmos Model One, Lazy River Weissenborn, Mesa Boogie DC-3, SRV Strat.
http://community.webshots.com/user/keefriff
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Michael Johnstone
Member From: Sylmar,Ca. USA
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posted 16 December 2005 11:33 AM
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The whole Jackson Browne thing is amusing to me because I was the official documentary videographer hired by my old buddy and the producer of "Enjoy Every Sandwich", Jorge Calderon - on behalf of Artemis Records. I was personally present for the sessions and have them on videotape in great detail.The CD was cut at a variety of studios including Billy Bob Thornton's home studio and two cuts were culled from live concerts(Dylan and Springsteen)but "Poor Poor Pitiful Me","Werewolves","Studebaker","Monkey Wash Donkey Rinse","Keep Me In Your Heart" and "Searching For A Heart" were cut at Jackson's personal studio - Groove Masters in Santa Monica in July/Aug 2004. On "Poor Poor Pitiful Me",the rhythm section plus Jackson's vocal was cut first - Rick Marotta played a DW drum kit,Jorge played a Fender Bass direct and Waddy Wachtel played a Fender Tele thru an amp. Then the overdubs were: Jorge playing maracas,Jamaica Rafael on fiddle,guitar licks on Waddy's Tele,harmony vocals by Bonnie Raitt,Benmont Tench playing a baby grand piano and then Bonnie played slide on a Fender Strat. That's about it. No lap steel on that tune or any tune on the CD - and if there were to have been any steel,it would likely have been David Lindley on a Bakelite Ricky.
-MJ- |
Charles Dempsey
Member From: The Cradle of the Stars.
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posted 16 December 2005 11:35 AM
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It has been 48 hours since Mr. Brown became aware of the mess he's in. I don't believe he intends to accept responsibility for (at least) two reasons: 1. His reply to Rick in post 14 December 2005 06:00 PM; quote:
I am willing to follow up with this matter to confirm my statement.
He will confirm his statement, whatever that means. 2. From Steinar's post of 15 December 2005 07:44 AM
quote:
I sent copies to the USPS in Portland to find or confirm it's location. I still am not sure what more I could have done or what you would like for me to do. Sorry for any problems this caused.
I have dealt with the PO for lost and overdue packages, and I have never been asked to send anything anywhere. You go to the post office and fill out multiple forms. They take care of it and report back to you.I don't believe the man sent anything to Steinar, nor does he intend to. If this is not resolved by noon tomorrow I feel it is my duty to report this seller to the local musicians. Charlie |
Randy Reeves
Member From: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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posted 16 December 2005 11:55 AM
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my emails continue to bounce back to me.
I would bet his mailbox is overloaded and his computer melted.no sympathy here.
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Steinar Gregertsen
Member From: Arendal, Norway
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posted 16 December 2005 12:07 PM
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and if there were to have been any steel,it would likely have been David Lindley on a Bakelite Ricky
Yeah, the &#%¤!&%¤, he gets all the good jobs, doesn't he...... Steinar ------------------
www.gregertsen.com
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Charles Dempsey
Member From: The Cradle of the Stars.
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posted 16 December 2005 12:14 PM
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Steinar, have you reported this to PayPal? It's been a long time since you sent the money but it's worth a try.If the money was charged to a credit card you should report it to the card company too. They can do wonderful things, like charge-backs . Charlie |
Steinar Gregertsen
Member From: Arendal, Norway
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posted 16 December 2005 12:20 PM
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Charles,- the thought has never entered my mind, but you may have a point there. Tomorrow it's exactly two years since I transfered the money (using my cc on payPal), so it may be too late, I don't know. How do these things work? Can I just contact PayPal, attaching the receipt, and claim that I never got the goods? Sounds a little too easy.... Steinar ------------------
www.gregertsen.com
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David Siegler
Member From: Mill Valley, CA USA
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posted 16 December 2005 12:52 PM
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Howard, yes those things are unacceptable in my book as well. I have had some great guitars built for me from builders who care. What a contrast! Unfortunately/weird is that the two lap style guitars I have had built both came with problems.In this case I really had no confidence I would ever see my money or the guitar if I returned it to Eric so I bit the bullet and made it into the guitar it should have been from the start. |
Rick Alexander
Member From: Florida, USA
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posted 16 December 2005 01:24 PM
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Can I just contact PayPal, attaching the receipt, and claim that I never got the goods?
It wouldn't hurt to ask. Maybe if you explained the situation you would get some help. I don't know if there's time limit on Paypal claims, but custom built instruments are often paid for in full long before they are delivered so the time factor can be explained. Just tell them you thought he was honest so you trusted him and waited for a long time. If nothing else, your complaint will be registered with Paypal.I wonder how much it would cost for a Skywriter plane to fly over Farmingdale Maine every day for a couple of weeks with a series of messages warning people about him . . Or how much would you have to pay a couple of kids to distribute handbills all over the region . . Or how much would it be for a special page on my web site about him - Hey, that's free! How about special Eric Brown notices on every Steel Guitar web site?? What if everybody emailed every Steeler, Guitar Picker, Bass Player etc that they know with a link to this thread?? We could even have T shirts made up . . |
Terry VunCannon
Member From: Randleman, North Carolina, USA
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posted 16 December 2005 01:33 PM
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Rick ...I love the way you think...I would love to have a T-shirt with something like "Free Steinar's Guitar" on the front & that picture of Steinar on the back with the wild look in his eyes!!!------------------
'49 & '51 National Dynamics, Harmos Model One, Lazy River Weissenborn, Mesa Boogie DC-3, SRV Strat.
http://community.webshots.com/user/keefriff
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Rick Alexander
Member From: Florida, USA
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posted 16 December 2005 03:14 PM
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We could send a few dozen Ts to the hot radio station in Farmington to give away to the locals.My wife used to live in Maine, and she was telling me about how folks are up there. Farmington is a small city where everybody knows everybody. If you tell one person something in the morning, the whole town knows about it by nightfall. They don't like dishonesty one little bit either (I live in S. Florida so I find that refreshing)
Well, a few people in that area have now been told about this. They want their T-Shirts! |
Don Kona Woods
Member From: Vancouver, Washington, USA
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posted 16 December 2005 04:08 PM
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David says: quote:
Though with the long wait, assorted "promises" made and not kept...
Between what David and Steinar says,
IT SOUNDS LIKE A PATTERN! Aloha,
Don |
Charles Dempsey
Member From: The Cradle of the Stars.
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posted 16 December 2005 04:39 PM
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Steinar, sorry about the late reply.The PayPal transaction has an ID code. If you don't have the original confirmation e-mail you can get the code from your invoices on their website. Once you find it log in, select "Resolution Center" and punch in the numbers. I've got my fingers, toes, knees and eyes crossed. Hope it works. Charlie |
Steinar Gregertsen
Member From: Arendal, Norway
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posted 16 December 2005 05:01 PM
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Charles,- I checked PayPal, all claims has to be filed within 45 days of transaction. So I guess that excludes me by 1 year, 10 months and 15 days....... Don,- indeed.. Here's a quote from a user review I found on Harmony Central, dated 5.9.00 and in regard to one of his Telecasters: quote:
Customer Support: 1
Eric never followed through on a single promise to mail replacement switches, string trees or anything. I sent him a note that I know was delivered to him by hand about th eproblems with the thinline tele and he never even bothered to try and contact me. Eric you are worthless!Overall Rating: 1
Eric could build a decent guitar if he followed through and didn't cut corners on components. I gave him $650 and have invested another $250 in repairs trying to get a decent playing tele. I got ripped off! DON'T GO THERE!!!!
Whole review here.
There are also favorable reviews there... Steinar ------------------
www.gregertsen.com
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Charles Dempsey
Member From: The Cradle of the Stars.
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posted 16 December 2005 05:20 PM
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Dang!You made a prepay on an exotic custom job and PayPal's 45 day policies don't cover that. I recommend you appeal to their Customer Service Dept and at least get a clarification on their 45 day rule. Re: the Harmony Central review, this Eric guy is looking more flakey by the minute. Charlie |
Steinar Gregertsen
Member From: Arendal, Norway
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posted 16 December 2005 05:26 PM
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I'll do that. I think 45 days is an unreasonably short limit,- sometimes I've waited that long to get the goods over! Steinar ------------------
www.gregertsen.com
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Rick Alexander
Member From: Florida, USA
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posted 16 December 2005 05:34 PM
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Eric Brown, why don't you just give Steinar his money back?
It would be the right thing to do, and it could make all of this fade away. |
Steinar Gregertsen
Member From: Arendal, Norway
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posted 16 December 2005 05:41 PM
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Save your breath Rick, he has most likely stopped checking his emails and shut down the computer, you know - "If I can't see it then it's not there"...... I can hardly think he's such a masochist that he still follows this thread.I am preparing an email for him (just in case), to give him one last chance of making things right. If he doesn't reply to that during the weekend then I give up and he's all yours....... Steinar ------------------
www.gregertsen.com
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Rick Alexander
Member From: Florida, USA
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posted 16 December 2005 05:47 PM
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I was hoping you'd say that. |
Russ Young
Member From: Seattle, Washington, USA
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posted 16 December 2005 05:56 PM
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quote:
I wonder how much it would cost for a Skywriter plane to fly over Farmingdale Maine every day for a couple of weeks with a series of messages warning people about him . .Or how much would you have to pay a couple of kids to distribute handbills all over the region . .
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Steinar Gregertsen
Member From: Arendal, Norway
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posted 16 December 2005 06:24 PM
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Yikes!!!!!  Just for the record, I have now sent this email to Eric, and will try to enjoy the rest of the weekend..... ----------------------------------------- Hi Eric - I have now heard from Joyce Grondin and she claim that all info regarding the update to that story was provided by you,- which effectively mean that what you wrote to me and other members of the Steel Guitar Forum was not correct. She has promised to remove the article from the web, and print my email to them in both their printed and online version.
So I guess that means that story has been taken care of. Then there's the issue regarding the missing Lapcaster/money. I notice you have not yet emailed me any copies of the receipts......
Eric, I am asking you, for your own sake and for the last time,- come clean about what has happened here! If you have proof of shipping, then send it to me, and if you for whatever reason didn't ship it, then tell it as it is. I am a reasonable and forgiving person and will be willing to work something out. I realize we're all only humans and sometimes make mistakes, but if there's one thing I can't stand it's false excuses, half-truths, and downright lies. Speak the truth to me Eric, or there is nothing more I can (or will) do to reduce the damage that is being done to your reputation these days. I hope you realize the power of the Internet and 5000 angry steel guitarists. If I do not hear from you within noon (US east coast time), Monday Dec 19th, I will start investigating what legal actions I can take to get my $390 back. Sincerely
Steinar ---------------------------------------- Steinar ------------------
www.gregertsen.com
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Terry Robbins
Member From: Quakertown,PA,USA
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posted 16 December 2005 07:05 PM
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Based on the Harmony-Central reviews, Eric Brown is probably too busy repairing the shoddy workmanship and cheap hardware of his other customer's guitars to finish Steinar's. Can you spell ADD. Or maybe bi-polar? |
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