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This Tonewood supplier from India has ripped me off I just wanted to let the community know not to do business with him. I orderd $400 worth of product and no communication and nothing but b.s. and lies. About delays. its been over 10 weeks Do not do business with this ripoff artist His info is below

Name: CHIRAG GORADIA
Address: 19/A/303, GIRNAR, LOKHANDWALA, ANDHERI-WEST
CITY: MUMBAI
COUNTRY: INDIA
TEL: 0091-9004095889
EMAIL : gwpc2001@gmail.com

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https://www.instagram.com/fostinoguitars/
https://www.facebook.com/PuraVidaUkuleles/

I hate it when something like that happens

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

How did you find them?

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Pat

I noticed that a relatively known and established luthier had posted that he had a positive transaction with the seller on FB.

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https://www.instagram.com/fostinoguitars/
https://www.facebook.com/PuraVidaUkuleles/

A quick search revealed he has a FB page, and apparently I have a mutual friend, who is a well established guitar maker.
Small world indeed.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

He was on my friend list until today, after seeing the post shared by Bob C on Facebook. I did the unfreiend thing immediately. He has lots of "guitarmaker" friends that I recognized or he wouldn't have been on my list.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

If you paid by paypal, can't they mess with his account until a receipt of goods?

Normally, if I call someone a cheat (by name, out loud, on a forum) the material arrives the next day.

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https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008907949110

Another buyer has come forth and stated he did the same thing to them. It was through FB........ so the recourse is to let evryone know. It is amazing though after posting this all over the interent but mainly on FB how quickly he has changed his tune. Even Ken Mckay is taking back an endorsement he gave the guy. The beauty about the interent is everyone is accountable now to a certain degree,

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https://www.instagram.com/fostinoguitars/
https://www.facebook.com/PuraVidaUkuleles/

I know this doesn't really apply, but I like, and always use, the Pay After Delivery option through PayPal/eBay. Gives me an added feeling of confidence when purchasing.
Hopefully this guy uses his better judgement and gets your wood to you WITH apology!

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Wake up and smell the rosewood!

Sorry to hear that this happened to you.

I have stopped purchasing from anyone but the traditional suppliers. Even here on the OLF, I have had mixed experiences with stuff that I bought (including some from sponsors at the time). Some have been very good, but there was also "quartersawn" wood that was rift sawn at best, and a couple that had not been properly dried and turned into crazy warped potato chips. (An entire thread about some quartersawn/riftsawn western red cedar was inexplicably deleted, so you don't always hear about these stories when they happen.) While the bad experiences were the minority, I lost enough on those apples to more than offset my savings from those who offered truly good wood at great prices. Penny wise, pound foolish.

So, for many years I've either resawn myself from lumber I acquired at local hardwood stores or I bought from the 2 big luthier suppliers. I would never send money to some unknown stranger in India simply because another luthier facebook friended them. But that's just me.

If you paid by Paypal they will open a grievance for you. They will freeze the $$$ in the sellers account. Takes a couple of weeks, but unless the seller can show proof of delivery your $$$ comes back. Paypal is on the buyers side on these issues.
Unfortunately I know this works, by experience. Also works on items that are misrepresented.
The plus is it also notifies Paypal and will help others having problems with the same seller.
Hopefully you didn't pay by friends and family.
Good Luck and thanks for the heads up. Thankfully I am past the buying wood stage.

Tim

Did you pay with PayPal?

UPDATE..... Chirag has sent 75% of the order however he still shorted me 10 pieces of Ebony fingerboard.

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https://www.facebook.com/PuraVidaUkuleles/