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Topic: PSA - Beware musictoyz.com website |
Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 24 Feb 2022 10:02 am |
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https://www.musictoyz.com is primarily a purveyor of guitar pedals. I just disputed a CC charge with him and something is definitely not right here.
I ordered a Mad Professor Twimble on February 1, 2022. It is still "Awaiting Fulfillment" and I have not been able to get ahold of this guy for the last 24 days. I've tried all 3 phone numbers (only one, marked 'Cell', seems to be working), email, his contact page, many mutliple times, never anything but an automated response from contact page stating that they'll be in touch shortly.
His website still takes orders for this pedal - I just checked this again today:
https://musictoyz.com/mad-professor-twimble-overdrive-and-predrive-guitar-pedal/
I obviously should have more carefully read reviews - e.g.,
https://www.yelp.com/biz/music-toyz-com-falmouth
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.musictoyz.com
https://www.resellerratings.com/store/Music_Toyz
https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/music-toyz-stay-far-far-away.1918327/
https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/anyone-order-from-musictoyz-com.1603253/
https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/musictoyz-com-anyone-home.1408991/
https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/issues-with-musictoyz-com-delayed-shipment-and-communication.1581779/
Comments range from 10-12 years ago to last month.
If the guy had simply responded with information, I would have been very patient. I know a few of you have used him in the past, but I can't find anything on this forum about him since about 2004.
I notice that he has a presence on reverb.com - perhaps he is not using his website to sell stuff anymore. But he definitely takes money on the website! I confirmed the CC charge two weeks ago. |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 24 Feb 2022 11:47 am
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It has been years since I hit them up, on my browsing rounds. I can't remember if I dropped them because of reading stories .... or what. I very vaguely think I recall some hints of 'taint'.
It's unfortunate to read of your issue. I've got a few go-to sources and this place is not about to rejoin that list. |
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ajm
From:
Los Angeles
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Posted 25 Feb 2022 8:40 am
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Dave: What really bothers me about the whole thing here is........
The Twimble is supposedly a Dumble style pedal.
I mean really, why not just buy a real Dumble?
(Assuming that you don't already have one. Or two. Or three.)
;>))
Back to reality..............
Try Googling whatever phone numbers or addresses you have. (You've probably done this already.)
My similar story:
I searched the web last November for a Tele pickguard with some kind of Waylon or Willie or Buck picture on if for a friend for Christmas.
I found one and ordered it.
After the initial confirmation e-mails and 5-6 weeks, I went to see how things were going.
The tracking mechanism said that it was delivered to an address in North Carolina. Um, I'm in California. And I've never been to North Carolina.
You know where this is going. ;>))
After snooping and Googling, this "company" ordered out of China.
There were several Google reviews that came up right away that were scam related.
The end address/phone were linked to a small town in northeast Wyoming whose name happens to be the last name of my future wife (that would be Upton, as in Kate).
(Ok, snap out of it, wake up, back to reality.....)
The address was a building that was supposed to be an insurance company.
I tried calling the number a couple of times but got a recording and never left a message.
Long story short............
I called Mastercard, gave them the info, they investigated, and after a couple of days they re-credited my account.
Yes, it was only $33.00, but that's really not the point.
Good luck with your MusicToyz situation. |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 25 Feb 2022 11:45 am
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| Quote: |
Dave: What really bothers me about the whole thing here is........
The Twimble is supposedly a Dumble style pedal.
I mean really, why not just buy a real Dumble?
(Assuming that you don't already have one. Or two. Or three.)
;>)) |
Ha! Actually, I have played a couple of Dumbles. Sounded like a good Twin Reverb, with the hot channel sounding like a good overdrive. Very good amps. Guess what. I have a pile of old Fender amps and with a Simble preamped by a good compressor (I'm using an Origin Effects Slide Rig Compact Deluxe), they get me in the ballpark. The rest of it is up to me and my fingers, slide, or bar.
I've been using a Simble since they first came out in 2014. I heard this demo by Olli Haavisto and that was it for me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=req2Rawz700
When I finally realized that MP had discontinued both the Simble and Twimble, I looked around for a Simble and it looked like I could get a Twimble for around the same dough, so I made this order. Mistake! A week ago or so, I just got a second Simble from a guy in Nashville off reverb.com for a couple of C notes. Like brand new, great. Got it 2-3 days after I ordered. With a pedal on a domestic-US to domestic-US transaction, there is absolutely no reason it should ever take longer than a week to get it - that is if they actually have the pedal and intend to honor the purchase.
CC company says I should see a credit to my account in a few days. With a lot of CCs, including this one of mine, you have only 60 days from the time the charge appears to dispute, so I didn't screw around. I figure if the SOB won't even reply to my many, many attempts to contact him over more than 3 weeks, he can go to hell. When the dust settles, I'm filing a report with the Maine Attorney General's office. I can't state this for sure - but I suspect that a lot of people have gotten stung by this guy.
Some of the reviews I linked have stated they have sent reports on this business to BBB. I went to the BBB page for this business, I saw nothing. I don't think BBB is very useful in this type of situation.
As I stated above - this guy has a reverb.com presence that I only noticed after I made this order. He may have largely or even completely abandoned his store website - no way for me to tell one way or the other. However, in my humble opinion, if he is taking orders and money from his website without any intention of filling those orders, that is fraud. And this is Maine, not China. Somebody at the AG's office needs to rattle his cage, IMHO. |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 26 Feb 2022 6:45 am
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I had an issue once (not music related) and reported the company to the BBB. They took the complaint but said that since the company was not a member of the BBB, it was pretty much a moot point.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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James Sission
From:
Sugar Land,Texas USA
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Posted 26 Feb 2022 7:19 am
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| This company won't respond to PayPal resolution either. A friend of mine waited 4 weeks and PayPal gave him his money back because this guy never bothered to respond. |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 26 Feb 2022 7:35 am
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| One thing I seem to recall was that when I'd be shopping/browsing for a pedal that was out of stock everywhere, it always seemed to be available on musictoyz. I think that was my first red flag, years ago. |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 26 Feb 2022 8:23 am
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Point taken, Jon. And I am also normally very suspicious when I see that. But at the time I ordered the Twimble, there were some other options. But not now - I guess that is another part of this that really pisses me off. I actually believe I have a case to enforce the contract that he made with me to supply me with the pedal at that price. Offer made by him, offer accepted by me, consideration taken by him. It is deeply dishonest for a seller to present a shopping cart and take money for an item that they know they don't have. Again, IMHO, that is a fraudulent business practice.
I think the reviews speak for themselves, and there are lots more on the gear page. I don't just trust any bad review - I know some forum whining is bogus. But the constant drone of problems with this guy going on for decades is not just a tiny handful of wussy whiners.
I guess I'm gonna insist that I never fail to call shops that I don't know and talk with them to get the lay of the land, check stock status, and so on, before I order anything else online. But honestly - this is the first US store with an online presence that I've dealt with that has been anything less than totally straight up. |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 26 Feb 2022 8:51 am
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| Dave Mudgett wrote: |
| Point taken, Jon. ........ |
Just to be clear, no point being made other than confirming that causes for wariness with them go back a long way (IIRC). But emphatically not "I'm so smart, you should have been more careful" or anything obnoxious like that. |
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Brooks Montgomery
From:
Idaho, USA
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Posted 26 Feb 2022 9:10 am
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The google maps picture of the business reveals a bonafide warehouse/retail building at the intersection of two highways. Someone should investigate the brick and mortar (with some brass knuckles …..or steel 😎)
_________________
A banjo, like a pet monkey, seems like a good idea at first. |
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Jim Fogarty
From:
Phila, Pa, USA
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Posted 3 Mar 2022 8:00 pm
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Dave,
There used to be a pretty active Musictoyz effects forum. Might be worth checking out and seeing if you can get some answers there.
But yeah.....in this day and age, especially, just ridiculous business practices. You wonder how some companies survive.
- Jim |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 4 Mar 2022 6:34 am
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| ajm wrote: |
My similar story:
I searched the web last November for a Tele pickguard with some kind of Waylon or Willie or Buck picture on if for a friend for Christmas.... |
If you're still looking, I can probably hook you up with someone who made a great Tele pg for me with Buddy Emmons on it...
_________________
www.JimCohen.com
www.RonstadtRevue.com
www.BeatsWalkin.com |
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