Side LEDs are too dim

[redtiger]

Mica,
 
Seems to be no progress even now.
It's been more than four months since I sent my bass to you, and I'm tired out of this problem for now.
I guess it's high time for me to make up my mind that I'll take you up on your offer that you'll reimburse me all the costs including round trip freight plus import duty. I guess that's the best resolution for me and you.
If you give me the thumbs-up, I'll go for it.
 
Shoji

[redtiger]

Mica,
 
Back for more, but who said it cost $9500 any way?
I believe that's the reason for the second import duty arose.
You should have told them that warranty repair labor cost $0, huh?
 
Shoji

[mica]

If you look at the invoice, the value of the repair was $0. The value for insurance was also stated. Can you imagine if the bass was damaged or lost on the return trip?  
 
I received a message from the Tokyo Customs office. Here is what they said:
-------------------------------------------
Dear Mica Wickersham Thomas,
 
Thank you for your e-mail.
 
When goods are imported into Japan, a Customs duty as well as 5% of consumption tax will be imposed even if it is a repaired good.
 
However, there are two possible procedures for refund or reduction.
 
One of the procedures is Procedure for requesting tax refunds for those import goods to be re-exported or destroyed due to breach of transaction contract.
 
Procedures for the refund can be obtained from
 
http://www.customs.go.jp/english/c-answer_e/imtsukan/1604_e.htm
 
Other procedure is Reduction for goods exported for processing or repair
 
In order to use the procedure, it is necessary to submit T1050 at the time of export and T1060 at the time of re-import.
 
Procedures for the refund can be obtained from
 
http://www.customs.go.jp/english/c-answer_e/extsukan/5005_e.htm
 
If your customer exports goods without aforementioned procedures, the goods are subject to taxation. He has to pay the import duty again, I am afraid.
------------------------------------------
 
It took many phone calls, but UPS can change the billing for the freight, so that I am billed directly for it, and we will initiate that today. But you will have to pay the import duty. You can send me the receipt when you have access to a scanner or camera again and I will reimburse you half of it. I suggest you actually send it by email to not reveal your personal information to the world. You will need to include relevant banking details as well that should also not be publicly posted.  
 
I will email you when the freight billing issue with UPS is resolved so you know when you are free to collect your bass.

[dluxe]

If your customer exports goods without aforementioned procedures, the goods are subject to taxation. He has to pay the import duty again, I am afraid.
 
Sounds like this is why the second import duty arose.  I'm thinking you should be thanking Mica for offering to pay half of your import duty when you could have avoided it totally by doing some research. (that she ended up doing)

[redtiger]

Mica,
 
You mean you make me pay half of the import duty, huh? How dare you say that?
 
Remember the problem was caused by a factory defect, not by my fault. That's why I'm still asking you to pay all the costs including round trip freight plus import duty.
 
I know it's not covered by warranty, but I still insist it should be covered by you.
As you sow, so shall you reap. I believe the thought is universal from a humanitarian view point regardless of countries.
 
Shoji

[FC Bass]

It says: When you ship something out of the country, it has to go with the right paperwork.  
So I think it's not Alembic, but the company that took care of the shipping to Alembic that made a mistake here.
To me it seems you should contact them and try to get them to pay 100%

[the_jester]

All of this... over a LED light too dim?
 
Kinda hard to imagine why this could not had been fixed locally. Heck, all the resistors are right there to test and replace if necessary.
 
Then after Alembic received the bass, they couldn't duplicate the problem...  
 
What happens in this business case, when the customer receives and test his/her bass, and the light is still too dim?
 
If it was my bass, and something as minor as LED's, no way -- would I be compelled to send my bass back for something this minor.
 
Also, with this custom double taxation, for repairs is clearly excessive and wrong.
 
Oh brother... what a mess!

[redtiger]

Mica,
 
One more thing, thanks for the explanation on aforementioned procedures.
But you should have told me that prior to the shipment back to Alembic.
I just exported my bass as directed by you without such explanation.
 
Shoji

[cozmik_cowboy]

Shoji,
Mica clearly has marvelous superpowers, but I doubt changing your country's import taxes is among them; nor can I understand why you would expect her to know Japanese law better than or your shipping company.  I think it's time to thank Mica for all she's done on this, apologize for getting so snippy about something completely out of her control, and pay the tax your government wants to give you your bass back.
 
Peter

[the_jester]

YES Peter!
 
All of this was UN-necessary BS.  
 
You know what...
 
I'm sure I would had my Toma_Hawk bass before Christmas if Shoji had not wasted and halted time and operations on this BS, and I'm pretty sure sure everyone would agree with this... and I am pretty sure, other guitars would had been done by now as well.
 
Let's remember what Mica reported and work outlined: they'd completely removed the ebony fingerboard, reassembled, and sprayed again and still nothing was found wrong with the LED's!!!
 
I am pissed off over this BS.
 
Like I said, this problem could had been easily resolved by a dumb ass person like me running on 1 hour of sleep, and drunk...  
 
A $25.00 job for parts and labor... to have someone trouble shoot and replace a dumb resistor, or to make sure the switches had a better contact -- or if just a simple ass switch replacement.  
 
Cost would had been simply honored by Alembic...
 
It's stuff like this, raise cost of future projects. Shoji, you are wrong man.
 
May the Sun shine wisdom to you my friend.
 
Hal-

[tbrannon]

Hal,
 
Personally if I had a custom bass built and had problems with the LED's while it was in my possession, I too would have asked for troubleshooting help (which Shoji did).  He followed the instructions by Mica and Ron, provided pictures and took measurements. That failed- at that point  then I too would have sent it back to the factory for repair.  Replacing a single LED in the neck wasn't the problem and I doubt very seriously that any old person locally would be qualified to repair the problem.
 
The difficulty here is over shipping/import/export.  
 
As to your displeasure about him wasting Alembic's time- I'm sure there are quite a few people still waiting for their basses (Flip for one) that were started long before your custom body shape series I was built, calibrated and picked up.  Alembic works at their own pace and on the instruments that they feel are necessary to build/repair.
 
Mica has always stated that warranty repairs take precedence.  Alembic stands behind their instruments- if something they've made previously isn't working, they fix it.

[sonicus]

At this time and point I wish to hail Mica , Ron , Susan , Mary. James and everyone else at ALEMBIC. I think that Mica is displaying amazing and exemplary grace and composure over this whole affair and a very generous offer of sincerity . Let us hear a big hand of applause for ALEMBIC !  I do not think that you would get this kind of sincere care any where else!!!!  Three cheers for ALEMBIC !!!( I mean this as serious as a heart beat my  friends !!!!!)

[artswork99]

Personally I do not believe that this should be a public discussion.  More so once people start casting stones, insults and trying to offend.
 
IMO, Mica (all of Alembic for that matter) try their hardest to do what's right.

[the_jester]

LOL!!!
 
Alembic could not duplicate the problem...
 
I am not going try to boil the ocean here...
 
I said what I said, and if it was my LED, I would had done it differently... Starting with weighing the financial risks of customs and potential damage or losses that comes with shipping.  
 
I would had allowed a trained guitar repair shop review and validate my experiences (with me standing there while they look and perform testing...) Shoji didn't do this, and if he did, his case would had only strengthened, if the problem could not be found.
 
After the testing was performed, I would had a much better understanding as to the source of the problem, or nothing at all -- and I could had communicated these findings with Alembic of those steps I defined and outlined to conclude facts in my presentation.
 
I would had also asked: if the repairs were non-invasive enough for the guitar shop to resolve the problem, could they perform the solution?
 
Clearly, this is what I would had done, to certify my research, and opinions before sending my bass back through the grind mills of shipping.
 
So if you had followed Shoji's protocol, then I would be directing my same comments to you as well.
 
Alembic is a small successfully owned family shop, so it's only common sense that Shoji's bass taken priorities (and rightfully so...) but I feel, he should had done more on his side before saying that his bass LEDs didn't work properly. Anybody can say this!!!  
 
Should he first provided proof from an established guitar shop recognizing the problems and testing only to support his discoveries; before claiming the Repair card?
 
This is the wisdom I am speaking from... I would had done more before shipping my bass.
 
Again I credit Alembic for blindly accepting their customers word, without validation from a third party. Shoji didn't even know the uniqueness of these special qualities of a company are almost extinct.  
 
Peace and Love,
 
Hal-
 
(Message edited by the_jester on March 06, 2010)

[jacko]

Hal.  
On dec 30th in Austin's classico FTC thread you wrote...
Personalty, I believe the whole matter is completely private, and between Alembic, and their customer(s).  
 
However from the bumping -- it's as if, members who participated, had a stake in the progress of the bass.  
 
Excuse me, but just how many people purchased this bass anyway?  
 
If there's only one buyer, then for the rest of us, Mica is not required to explain anything.  
 
Perhaps you should follow your own good advice and leave this discussion to Mica and Shoji.
 
Graeme