I ,too, have dealt with Dave of BaghatVinyl, and I recognize much of what have been said here.
I started buying from him even before he got his site. I would buy from him via set sales (posted on soulstrut) and his ebay auctions. I had a few cool deals in the beginning. He would grade very strict, pack up nicely, ship promptly, the prices would be fair and he would have a nice selection. So at that point, I really thought that he was a great dealer. We also did some trades, and after the first few deals I started experiencing having to wait about one month or so for packages to arrive even though it usually only takes 1-2 weeks. I have bought so many records from the US, and it is extremely rare that it takes more then one-two weeks for a package to arrive. But it was still cool. I was happy with the records received, and as long as they would show up, I could wait a month or so to receive them. This was before the web-site.
The delays started to get too much for me around the time when the web-site was set up. I still bought records, and we traded a few things too. I had two particular deals which were just major hassles for me. They were really not worth it with all the concerns I had about loosing my money(I was a poor student at the time), and all the time spend sending e-mails not getting any replies from him. It was two quite big deals with me buying/trading around 20 records both times. The first deal I had to wait around 6-8 months, and in the end, I didn't receive all the stuff that I was suppose to. He apologized and provided explinations on why the packages had not gone out before. I then did a second order, which was also quite big, and he promised to include the missing stuff from the first order. The second order was a MAJOR hassle. I would e-mail him several times and then wait weeks or months for replies. At least he admidted that the stuff had not been shipped. At some point after I had waited more than a year for the 2nd package, he informed that all my records had been mailed out, but I never received them. He then said that the packages had gone lost, and that he would find new copies of everything and mail it to me again. Then it started again, I had to e-mail him all the time asking about the status and he would take weeks and months to reply. He said that he was really sorry that I had to wait so long, and he would include some really nice free records. So in the end, he said that I could pick $100 dollars worth of records for free from his site. I picked the Rene Costy LP with Scrabble (it wasn't $100 I added a few dollars to get it). Finally, after I had waited more than a year, I started receiving a great part of the records. I also received the Rene Costy LP, which was suppose to be compensation for the long waiting.
What I never received was approximately $100 dollars worth of records. One of them was Bobbie Knight and the Universal Lady graded EX/EX priced $50. The strange thing was that I bought it for $50 via a set sale. Meanwhile I would sit and wait for it, a copy suddenly appeared on his site for $100 also graded EX/EX. $50 was a nice price for that record even 5-6 years ago, but not really when I didn't get the record.
So the Reny Costy plus three mix-cds that he send as extras were not compensation for waiting WAY TOO LONG. For me it was compensation for the stuff he didn't send to me which I had rightfully paid for and never received.
It is cool to have nice prices, high grading standards etc, but if you don't have any reliability then the impression that you leave behind is much worse than the guy with overpriced records and low grading standards.
Anyways, from writing him and checking his business online, I also got the impression that he is a nice guy with good intentions like Jonny is trying to explain. It seemed like he really wanted to do good but that something was preventing him. At one point, he explained that he had some serious family related issues, but I don't think that it could have lasted for years......
I must say that I am never coming back to buy from him again, but I wish him the best.
You're right Gameleole, Dave may be a nice guy but the way he continues to run his business in the unprofessional-like manner in which he does (i.e. not returning people's e-mails promptly & only popping his head up when he chooses to) has left a sour taste in the mouths of many people that have dealt with this guy in the past.
I told my story and people can decide what they do, but he still owes me: Bobbie Knight and the Universal Lady LP. I paid for it and never received it. So my message has to be don't do business with him!
fwiw I do have a few more Black Cat 45s. I've sold a lot of them and wholesaled at cost to Soulero, so he's been able to bring them around town (Big City and TSL come to mind), possibly elsewhere online? Not sure.
Having at this point tried my best to mediate between Soulero and Dave, I have to agree that this is messed up. I know Dave and am all too aware of his family problems; they are serious and of the type that would prevent anyone from running a successful mail order business. However, I really can't offer any excuses for the way everything with Soulero has gone down. He has every right to be furious with the way his project has been treated.
I'm glad that there's a lot of interest in the record, because it's a great one. I hope Soulero finds an appropriate home for the project, one that can actually distribute and sell it competently. I continue to wish Dave the best and hope he is able to pick up the pieces like AWB.
Comments
Check concourse, they had it last time I checked...
I started buying from him even before he got his site. I would buy from him via set sales (posted on soulstrut) and his ebay auctions. I had a few cool deals in the beginning. He would grade very strict, pack up nicely, ship promptly, the prices would be fair and he would have a nice selection. So at that point, I really thought that he was a great dealer. We also did some trades, and after the first few deals I started experiencing having to wait about one month or so for packages to arrive even though it usually only takes 1-2 weeks. I have bought so many records from the US, and it is extremely rare that it takes more then one-two weeks for a package to arrive. But it was still cool. I was happy with the records received, and as long as they would show up, I could wait a month or so to receive them. This was before the web-site.
The delays started to get too much for me around the time when the web-site was set up. I still bought records, and we traded a few things too. I had two particular deals which were just major hassles for me. They were really not worth it with all the concerns I had about loosing my money(I was a poor student at the time), and all the time spend sending e-mails not getting any replies from him. It was two quite big deals with me buying/trading around 20 records both times. The first deal I had to wait around 6-8 months, and in the end, I didn't receive all the stuff that I was suppose to. He apologized and provided explinations on why the packages had not gone out before. I then did a second order, which was also quite big, and he promised to include the missing stuff from the first order. The second order was a MAJOR hassle. I would e-mail him several times and then wait weeks or months for replies. At least he admidted that the stuff had not been shipped. At some point after I had waited more than a year for the 2nd package, he informed that all my records had been mailed out, but I never received them. He then said that the packages had gone lost, and that he would find new copies of everything and mail it to me again. Then it started again, I had to e-mail him all the time asking about the status and he would take weeks and months to reply. He said that he was really sorry that I had to wait so long, and he would include some really nice free records. So in the end, he said that I could pick $100 dollars worth of records for free from his site. I picked the Rene Costy LP with Scrabble (it wasn't $100 I added a few dollars to get it). Finally, after I had waited more than a year, I started receiving a great part of the records. I also received the Rene Costy LP, which was suppose to be compensation for the long waiting.
What I never received was approximately $100 dollars worth of records. One of them was Bobbie Knight and the Universal Lady graded EX/EX priced $50. The strange thing was that I bought it for $50 via a set sale. Meanwhile I would sit and wait for it, a copy suddenly appeared on his site for $100 also graded EX/EX. $50 was a nice price for that record even 5-6 years ago, but not really when I didn't get the record.
So the Reny Costy plus three mix-cds that he send as extras were not compensation for waiting WAY TOO LONG. For me it was compensation for the stuff he didn't send to me which I had rightfully paid for and never received.
It is cool to have nice prices, high grading standards etc, but if you don't have any reliability then the impression that you leave behind is much worse than the guy with overpriced records and low grading standards.
Anyways, from writing him and checking his business online, I also got the impression that he is a nice guy with good intentions like Jonny is trying to explain. It seemed like he really wanted to do good but that something was preventing him. At one point, he explained that he had some serious family related issues, but I don't think that it could have lasted for years......
I must say that I am never coming back to buy from him again, but I wish him the best.
I told my story and people can decide what they do, but he still owes me: Bobbie Knight and the Universal Lady LP. I paid for it and never received it. So my message has to be don't do business with him!
Having at this point tried my best to mediate between Soulero and Dave, I have to agree that this is messed up. I know Dave and am all too aware of his family problems; they are serious and of the type that would prevent anyone from running a successful mail order business. However, I really can't offer any excuses for the way everything with Soulero has gone down. He has every right to be furious with the way his project has been treated.
I'm glad that there's a lot of interest in the record, because it's a great one. I hope Soulero finds an appropriate home for the project, one that can actually distribute and sell it competently. I continue to wish Dave the best and hope he is able to pick up the pieces like AWB.
~ the end ~