Harold R. S.
HARMONICLAND. Really bad experience.
HARMONICLAND. Really bad experience. iT shipped damaged product and would not accept exchange. On August 1,2022, I ordered their Hohner CX12 Harmonica, paying $360.29 purchase price with my credit card. I received the harp on August 6. A few days later, I unboxed it to find the first two holes in the first position (specifically notes C, D, and F) were unresponsive or defective when I was able to get a sound. I went to You-Tube to find specific cleaning instructions for this harp from my fellow harpists and tried for four or five days to cure the problem by effective cleaning. When this did not work, about nine days after receipt of the defective instrument, I e-mailed Reverb for instructions on returning the defective instrument and having it replaced. On August 16, I was advised by Reverb that seller (Harmonicaland) rejected my request "since the 7-day time for exchange had expired." For some three days by e-mail and online chats with 3 different “customer service reps”, I tried to explain that by seller’s own instructions, the 7 day refund period applies only to non damaged products and specifically says “except for damaged or defective products”. Further, no company can void the implied warranties of merchantability set forth in the Uniform Commercial Code, which specifically requires a workable product fit for its in tended purpose. Only a “reasonable time” for discovery of the defect and return of the product is required, and certainly 9 days from receipt and 7 days from discovery of the defect is reasonable. When in successive order, each of 3 "customer service" dismissed me with the same comment. CONTINUED LETTERS AND E-MAILS TO HARMONICALAND HAVE GONE UNANASWERED. All I want is to exchange a defective product for a non-defective product, not too much to ask from a reputable company, one would think. UPDATE October 27: Wow. What a indictive and childish posting. Response of Company to my refusal to remove posting is to attack the victim!!! Here is the last e-mail received from the company after I went to Vancouver BBB and Washington Atty Gen. Damage by purchaser? All I did was run water over harmonica a time ore two in an attempt to see if there might be dust or foreign matter in shipping causing the problem. AS TO KNOWING IF THE NOTES WERE DECECTIVE AS LATER ADMITTED, I AM NO PROFESSIONAL, BUT I HAVE PLAYED FOR YEARS AND HAVE 5 HARPS. YES. I KNOW WHEN THE NOTES ARE DEFECTIVE. ALL I WANTED WAS A SIMPLE EXCHANGE. You make up your own minds about this episode. E-mail from Harmonicaland dated SEPT 22. 2022 as follows: "Hi Harold, My technician just checked the harmonica you returned and it was in fact defective So I do owe you an apology 99% of the time customers who return harmonicas say there is a problem and all claim to be professional players but they actually play with improper embouchure which creates choked notes or muted notes This one is a very very rare exception in 20 years of business and hundred of thousands of harmonicas sold To be honest this is the second defective Hohner chromatic we got back in so many years. We will contact them and send it back for them to fix it. I processed your refund on Reverb so it should show up on your account shortly. Thank you Steve UPDATE OF Oct 31, 2022: TO AVOID TOTAL CONFUSION, I must explain that the above October edited posting was in response to Harmonicland's very childish and vindictive personal responsive posting October 21? of attack on me which they took down today. Among many other things, they said that the harp was not defective, that I did not know how to play, and that I had "damaged the product" (by washing it?), even though they had already admitted in their e-mail that it was defective from the manufacturer and was being returned to Germany for correction. Shame, Shame. Anyway, I am glad they took that lengthy post down today, and that chose now simply post that they eventually made the refund. I hope this very unpleasant and unwarranted experience is over for both of us.
Response from HarmonicalandOct 26, 2022
Mr Harold R Smith the lawyer purchased one of our harmonicas on Reverb. Reverb has a 7 day return policy. After 10 days he contacted Reverb claiming his item was defective and asked for a return. Reverb refused since their return policy is 7 day. Harmonicaland accepted the return outside Reverb window and refunded him in full.