Vintique: Excitement, Anger and Astonishment!! The FIVE YEAR Telecaster...

[tpaul]

I think I would have said something like this: Either refund my money, or send me $2,000 worth of something I can sell (guitar bodies, necks, pickups, whatever) right now. I'll hold the stuff (since we know they weren't going to return the money) until the deadline, if my guitar and case arrive by then I'll return the stuff, otherwise, I sell it on Ebay and call it day (actually, half a decade).

I've been ripped off for $100 and, though I consider myself patient, I had to restrain myself from going over to the guy's house with a ball bat. For $1,800 I think I would have had a lot of trouble with the restraint part.

Anyway, I hope it turns out right and if so, then you can tell the world the guy's back in business.

[zane]

Originally Posted by Frankie

You must be talking about Barden, no Hamel, no wait its Vintique...

Its the ole I've been gone, had some problems, so sorry to everyone I screwed, but I'm back and I promise not to do it again. Just send me money.

Sorry folks it's bullcrap.. There is no excuse.. Everyone has problems, but there are so many ways of making contact to customers, that not answering the phone, email, letters or what ever is just plain bullcrap.. There is not a product anywhere that is worth being treated the way these folks have treated people.

Danny best of luck, the man has had $1,800 that your family could of used, and then has the nerve to tell you. “if I fu#@ed with him, nobody would get nothing!”. Then has a "new" business partner call and make things right. There are posts all over this site with good folks telling of sending this guy hundreds of dollars and not getting their product for many many years. Jay should be in jail for the things he has done.

Modern day Snake oil salesmen... Again my opinion...

Amen preach it brother!!!
The guy is lower than a cockroach!
And just the kind of wuss to not contact you personaly...
He cussed you over the phone then doesn't have the cahones to call & apologize himself....
BIG TIME SLEAZE BALL!
I sure wouldn't come on here talking about "How he's back" and all that...
for the simple fact that someone might read this ,& acctually order something from him....
AND GET RIPPED OFF!!!
HE DOES NOT DESERVE TO EVER SELL ANYTHING EVER AGAIN !!!

[Dan R]

Danny, I hope you get your guitar and it is to your liking. I remember some stormy posts here years ago about Vintique. I can tell you this, I will never do business with Vintique under any circumstances. What they have done is inexcusable.

Dan R

[Alleycaster]

Good for you , ... for now , .. IF you should get your axe after 5 years , ... I tried to contact VINTIQUE and Jay , ... via eMails and via telephone , .. to no avail, ... to purchase items , ... BOY am I lucky that I got NO RESPONSES , ... because I would lose my hard earned $$$ and get absolutely nothing for it , ... VINTIQUE and Jay Monterose , .... should be on EVERYONE's BLACK LIST , .... as far as I am concerned , .... a leopard don't change its spots , ... so why should VINTIQUE change theirs ? .... STAY AWAY and patronize some of the other great companies , ... the HELL with VINTIQUE !!!!!!

[Colo Springs E]

....Vintique has never been a JD Powers & Associates recipient?

[stantheman]

After reading this horror story I'll always - make that ALWAYS be an "off the rack guy". As bad as Danny's situation with this piece of work Monterose is I'm hopeful that the new business partner makes it right to The Folks who got BEAT.
Lesson learned; NEVER give money "up front" to A-N-Y contractor regardless
of their business or reputation.
This REALLY infuriates Me because someone whose work I greatly admire and whose name I will not mention in ANY post involving this SKUNK will probably get hurt secondhandedly due to this punk's conduct.
Jay Monterose is like a DREAM come true for Fender's legal team, I mean think about it; Who'd want to work with an "independent" after becoming cognizant of the nightmare two very righteous Musicians are going through?

[FWesley]

Originally Posted by Fatocaster

Yay, I'm back!

Danny - Welcome back!!! I hope that wedding present is getting played alot - must be worth a small fortune by now!
Wish you the best of luck on getting a guitar out of the stiff, I'm sure it won't come close to Mandy and your blackguard. - Frank

[CharlieO]

I get the feeling that Chihoe Hahn is either as big a crook as Jay Monterose, or he was sucked in by the "Vintique mystique", and will very soon be regretting that he got involved in this mess. I hope that he hasn't invested a lot of money in this venture.

[Bickert Fan]

Wow! Are you kidding me? I just read this post again. And earlier there is a quote from the idiot's website saying that payment must be made in full at the time of ordering. And then, when the guy feels like it, he'll complete the order? What kind of BS is that? The guy I bought "herb" from when I was in High School actually had better business practices than this guy!

Any business that wants you to pay up front for a service that has not yet been rendered without any guarentee of when it will be rendered, is just pure bs. Moreover, this guy wants to be paid with a Money Order only. This means he wants a payment that can not be refused or returned, as is the case with a Credit Card payment where you can call your CC compnay and have the charge reversed.

Don't forget, this "Jay" guy did NOT contact our friend out of good faith, he was cought by accident. If he never contacted this man's wife, none of this "good faith and integrity" would be happening. He'd still be out his money.

Also, remember, the majority of that 1800.00 is LABOR. The cost of materials is very small relative to the total amount. ...How many of you get paychecks for weeks you haven't worked yet? ...Exactly.

One last testimony to Jay's stupidity, is he should have filed bankruptcy if he really went under. By keeping his name alive he leaves himself open to legal action. And people should call the BBB and do it. Also, what the heck is the point of sticking with a name like "Vintique?" If it was "Ford" or "Gibson" I might understand, those company names have a reputation and a history behind them. "Vintique" does nothing but instill a sense of anger in the minds of people who are familiar with it. Where's the point on keeping a company name that is synonimous with failure and shoddy work?

And what's the point of making sure you go out and sing this mornon's praises? So other people, people who were f*cked over by this guy all of the sudden change their minds? What's he going to do for all the other people he stole from? In order to make it right, he needs to settle-up with everyone he screwed over in the past. This "Jay" is an idiot who obviously made some poor financial choices in his life, maybe he shot it all in his arm, who knows? But the fact of the matter is, he made mistakes and tried to get unsuspecting customers to bail him out by selling them a product when he knew full-well he never planned on delivering.

Mandy, I hope you get what you paid for. If not, be sure to conact the Better Business Bureau. They work wonders and if they can't get you're money back they will surely make life Hell for this guy.

And secondly, looks like your first attempt at telling the world that Jay's back and now has integrity is a complete and utter failrure. This guys has such a bad reputation that I wonder if he can do anything to repair it. The man's a theif and a criminal. And his legacy is nothing more than that. The only people who would willingly and knowingly deal with such a soory excuse for a business are those that simply don't know his history.

[maestrovert]

Originally Posted by stantheman

After reading this horror story I'll always - make that ALWAYS be an "off the rack guy".
...../.....
Lesson learned; NEVER give money "up front" to A-N-Y contractor regardless
of their business or reputation.

Don't be discouraged about ordering a custom guitar ! There are good luthiers/people such as Gary Stroup, who's policy(click the link) is no money up front whatsoever, but some very reputable people will -and have a right to- ask for a deposit on custom work....but a demand for payment in full when placing the order for a custom guitar, with no time frame given (or in Vintique's case even a guarantee of completion) is a HUUUUGE Red Flag !!!!

Originally Posted by CharlieO

I get the feeling that Chihoe Hahn is either as big a crook as Jay Monterose, or he was sucked in by the "Vintique mystique", and will very soon be regretting that he got involved in this mess. I hope that he hasn't invested a lot of money in this venture.

+1

[Big Tony]

Thanks for that amazing story, Danny!

I will not comment on the obvious...

Just want to say that it's probably the most beautiful grain I've ever seen on a Telecaster body!

Hope you will have a great birthday.

Oh, and welcome back!

/ Tony

[darkgable]

Originally Posted by Ed Bickert

Wow! Are you kidding me? I just read this post again. And earlier there is a quote from the idiot's website saying that payment must be made in full at the time of ordering. And then, when the guy feels like it, he'll complete the order? What kind of BS is that? The guy I bought "herb" from when I was in High School actually had better business practices than this guy!

Any business that wants you to pay up front for a service that has not yet been rendered without any guarentee of when it will be rendered, is just pure bs. Moreover, this guy wants to be paid with a Money Order only. This means he wants a payment that can not be refused or returned, as is the case with a Credit Card payment where you can call your CC compnay and have the charge reversed.

Don't forget, this "Jay" guy did NOT contact our friend out of good faith, he was cought by accident. If he never contacted this man's wife, none of this "good faith and integrity" would be happening. He'd still be out his money.

Also, remember, the majority of that 1800.00 is LABOR. The cost of materials is very small relative to the total amount. ...How many of you get paychecks for weeks you haven't worked yet? ...Exactly.

One last testimony to Jay's stupidity, is he should have filed bankruptcy if he really went under. By keeping his name alive he leaves himself open to legal action. And people should call the BBB and do it. Also, what the heck is the point of sticking with a name like "Vintique?" If it was "Ford" or "Gibson" I might understand, those company names have a reputation and a history behind them. "Vintique" does nothing but instill a sense of anger in the minds of people who are familiar with it. Where's the point on keeping a company name that is synonimous with failure and shoddy work?

And what's the point of making sure you go out and sing this mornon's praises? So other people, people who were f*cked over by this guy all of the sudden change their minds? What's he going to do for all the other people he stole from? In order to make it right, he needs to settle-up with everyone he screwed over in the past. This "Jay" is an idiot who obviously made some poor financial choices in his life, maybe he shot it all in his arm, who knows? But the fact of the matter is, he made mistakes and tried to get unsuspecting customers to bail him out by selling them a product when he knew full-well he never planned on delivering.

Mandy, I hope you get what you paid for. If not, be sure to conact the Better Business Bureau. They work wonders and if they can't get you're money back they will surely make life Hell for this guy.

And secondly, looks like your first attempt at telling the world that Jay's back and now has integrity is a complete and utter failrure. This guys has such a bad reputation that I wonder if he can do anything to repair it. The man's a theif and a criminal. And his legacy is nothing more than that. The only people who would willingly and knowingly deal with such a soory excuse for a business are those that simply don't know his history.

Why not just tell us how you really feel?

[tbp0701]

I have to say, the story was interesting, but the end is just hard to believe. If it's legitimate, you are far more willing to deal with people with bad business practices than I would be. I especially don't understand your comment that "He wants people to know that Jay and Vintique are back in business and it’s a company that people can trust and a product that is unbeatable." Sure, you're repeating what this guy says, but it's pushing an endorsement. Yeah, maybe you just want to finally get your guitar back. But there's no way I would have done that, or let him keep the guitar and money for all this time.

I hope it works out for you, but I hope that no one else risks dealing with someone like that over your odd praise.

[Fatocaster]

Hi to all that have commented... I clearly see everyone's point and except the opinions posted, but in short... I just want my stuff! Money, Guitar...something besides a whole lotta nuttin'. Maybe I was a bit over zealuos in my initial post, and I do deserve some of the "shots", but really I could care less if Vintique stays in business or goes under. I just want what's coming to me.
I never assumed this post would fire up anyones enthusiasm about ordering from Vintaque... in fact, it's probably going to hurt more than boost their image to any perspective new clients. But somewhere in that deep, dark, cold, black heart of Jay Monterose... he felt the need to keep my parts. and why would he do that? Keeping my name written in the body, keeping my name/address tag on the thermometer case? Like I said, he may be a snake, but there was something in him that wouldn't let him sell or destroy the items I bought and sent to him... that's encouraging to me, not becasue I want YOU to buy his product, but becasue I want my guitar... or Money. and I agree that I probably should get more compensation that just what I had initially ordered, but I'll be happy with what I can get.

Thanks again - Danny

[TeleOfMine]

Yep, it's a sleazy way of doing business for sure. He should have contacted every single customer who was owed something and given them some sort of expanation, that's if the guy actually HAD A SET of course.

Remember one thing though, there is no such thing as bad publicity and his new partners goal is to get people talking (bad, good, or otherwise) about "You Know Who" and his "POS" company. Guess what, it worked!

[Jack Wells]

With all this talk about Jay, I thought we should have a picture of him. Here he is with Fred Stuart ............. Jay's on the left.

...................

[MandyMarie]

I just REALLY hope he gets the guitar...I mean I REALLY hope he gets it. When Danny got the phone call from this Chihoe fella sayin' that he still had the body and thermometer case...I didn't believe it. I swear I thought it was one of you guys playing a joke on us! Ask Danny, I really did think that hahaha!

I've talked to so many of you guys on the phone and when Danny hung up I was like "what'd this guy's voice sound like?!" - in my head I was trying to think which one of my buddies was pullin' my leg hahaha!

But when he sent Danny the pictures of the body and his case, I knew it wasn't someone jokin' with us...and I'm praying he gets this guitar on his dang birthday.

All I can say is that I rrrrrrrreally hope Danny gets this guitar and I'm going to say that about a thousand times...because the thing that stinks the most about this whole thang is that we're seriously out there doing this, ya know? It isn't like we make really good money at office jobs, have insurance and all those other nice things that come along with a real job haha!, we're loading our stuff into some dive, giving it our all, and then coming home with whatever we get. Sometimes it's good...sometimes it ain't. That $1,800 might as well have been $1,800,000 to us...we did a lot of singin' and string bendin' for that there money (actually you don't get paid for the singin' and string bendin'...you get paid for all the crap you have to do before and after the singin' and string bendin'). Every purchase we make is seriously a thought out, "okay...can we still make our rent if we get this?" - when the answer is, "yes because I'll have it paid off within X amount of gigs"...and then that never happens, it's tough.

I'm actually the one that's kind of sweet and innocent - NOT DANNY (waahahaha!) - my attitude through this whole thing has been, "Well...you live and learn...let it go...you're going to have a heart attack, you're so angry!" And Danny's been the complete opposite - I bet there hasn't been a day go by for the past five years that he hasn't thought about losing that $1,800...and I mean that sincerely because I have to hear about it all the time haha! (oh what we wives go through *wink*) ...and I just REALLY hope he gets the guitar or his money back...he deserves it.

[Dave W]

Danny,

It's your money and property at risk and your right to make the decisions about it. But your description of the proposed solution smells like extortion to me, on top of all the other allegations against him. Instead of them immediately refunding your money and returning your goods, you'll allegedly get the completed guitar in two months if you give them publicity. That's just outrageous.

How about publicizing their new email and location and Hahn's personal phone number? That way the other aggrieved parties can decide whether to contact Vintique and demand a solution, or contact the FBI and local law enforcement.

[fenderix]

Welcome back Danny! That is truly a remarkable story. I won't comment on Jays behavior - it speaks for itself. Eventually Mr Hahn probably will regret ever going into business with Jay.
I do hope you will get your Tele and that it's everything you hoped for when ordering it. The body is the best looking piece of ash I've seen in a very long time.

[Mike Rice]

Danny, you're a better man than me...I hope. Any trust or benevolence from me would've stopped a very long time ago. Despite Mr. Hahn's persuasiveness, he's really offered nothing but more promises. Seems to me you've had your fill of those. Jay and Vintique have done absolutely nothing at this point to earn any goodwill from you. The decent treatment you're getting from Mr. Hahn rignt now will never make up for the abuse you received from Jay. If the guitar turns out to be the bees knees, what of it? How could you ever endorse Jay, Chihoe, or Vintique? You don't even want to know what that $1800 would've earned in a Roth IRA over the last 5 years.

But, to me, this is really the big question; why aren't you getting your guitar till March 27th? Is this a sideline gig for these guys? Do they work day jobs? Seems to me under normal circumstances once they have the parts it should take alot less than 3 months to put them together. But in a situation like this? Again, I hope your faith in your fellow man is at least rewarded with a nice guitar.