KOUGA GUITARS GOSPORT HELP

prowla

krameree said:

Looks like they have closed...never got the body back even though I was promised it many times...the chap we ran the place was Andrew Wheeler, I would avoid doing business with him or anyone associated with Kouga guitars...thanks for the update @prowla

That's a shame.

mark123

krameree said:

Cheers Munckee, I left it years ago but live up in Surrey so not been down. I personally wouldnt recomend using Kouga for anything. Happy to go into detail if anyone needs further info just PM me..

"you left it years ago" 
I'm sorry but you only have yourself to blame for not chasing it up after a few weeks .
After 6 months the shop will have probably used it or sold it ,yes they should have contacted you but also you should have been chasing it up.

guitarjack66

bobeffect said:

Well you'll be pleased to know @krameree they were open today day when I went past about 1 p.m. I saw one of the female employees outside sucking on a fag. 

Sounds like they are a totally different business nowadays.

krameree

@Mark123 I chased it many times and was promised it many times...I went to collect it and they had closed early even though I had spoken with Andy and he knew I was coming...so yeah I'm to blame...thanks for the constructive comment 

bobeffect

@kramere - I walked in and straight back out about a month ago. Full of utter crap stock as always and it looked like a scene from a disaster movie.

bobeffect

@krameree ..... sorry ..worn out fingers

Dave_Mc

krameree said:

@Mark123 I chased it many times and was promised it many times...I went to collect it and they had closed early even though I had spoken with Andy and he knew I was coming...so yeah I'm to blame...thanks for the constructive comment 

Yeah that was some quality victim-blaming right there... not to mention assuming- incorrectly!- what actually happened.

Sorry to hear you didn't eventually get it

krameree

@Dave_Mc I thought the same, not sure how I get the blame for this. What is annoying is I actually had some good work done there pre COVID and was trusting I would get it back...luckily its only a guitar body from guitarbuild so not out of pocket too much..

Dave_Mc

krameree said:

@Dave_Mc I thought the same, not sure how I get the blame for this. What is annoying is I actually had some good work done there pre COVID and was trusting I would get it back...luckily its only a guitar body from guitarbuild so not out of pocket too much..

Yeah I guess that's the best way to look at it, just so you don't get too annoyed. It's still a pain though and it'd have been better if you got it back

munckee

Missus munckee saw a Facebook post on a local page earlier today saying why it had closed down. I can’t say what it insinuated without knowing if it’s true but safe to say it’s pretty much as bad as it could get. 

The post has been removed since by the page admins. 

tadpole

munckee said:

Missus munckee saw a Facebook post on a local page earlier today saying why it had closed down. I can’t say what it insinuated without knowing if it’s true but safe to say it’s pretty much as bad as it could get. 

The post has been removed since by the page admins. 

There were rumours for a couple of years. As you say - its bad.

Incidentally Kouga wrecked a guitar of mine which I got back after months of excuses, lies, being screamed at, abused, threatened and intimidated.  

Thankfully, the shop is already long gone now.  Technically the business was dissolved in 2021 but it continued to trade illegally until June of this year. The shop was run into the ground due to failing to complete repair works and letting untrained staff attempt guitar mods and customisation. Not to mention some terrible customer service detailed on google reviews.

krameree

Excuses and lies appear to be common from Andy Wheeler and the Kouga staff. I never recieved any abuse or threats just many sob stories. What got me is I had a guitar refinished and refretted and they did a great job. It was also done in the timelines they gave me...If anyone comes across Andy Wheeler I would strongly advise avoiding doing business with him

tadpole

Agreed, although the previous good work I had done on my guitars is still tainted by the bad experience I later had. Those never ending sob stories were tired excuses for not delivering the work.  Its disappointing that such a convenient and promising local business has been closed. But way before the unsavoury behaviours of the owner became apparent he was already failing by not managing his bi polar issues, the business, accounts customer relations and more. 

I have been told many things by mutual associates and musician friends about the owners issues, "self medication", living in the shop, trading during lockdown, plus the stuff that doesn't bear repeating until it becomes public knowledge. The last time I saw the owner he was hiding round the corner of Elmhurst road, poking his head out looking down stoke road towards the shop. It seemed almost comical at the time. But since then I was told he had been in Portsmouth crown court and had moved out of the area, pending further legal actions/sentencing.

I will say the staff were always trying to mend customer relations in my experience and seemed far more committed to the business than the owner. In fact I feel genuinely sorry for those who have lost their jobs. That said a couple were clearly not able to deliver professional repair/mod/luthier work in my opinion. I did hear that Keith has plans to open a musical instrument shop in Fareham. I wish him luck as I understand he had invested some of his inheritance in starting up Kouga as a proper store fronted business. That money is almost certainly lost now.

Sights

Ugh Andy Wheeler, although half a year has gone by I can gladly add to this. Possibly the worst guitar shop I had ever been to, who had an absolute hash out of a pick up replacement on one of my Jackson Customs. 

A very simple soldering job that I waited 4 weeks for, they reluctantly did it, scratched the guitar and in the end I was told ‘I told you mate, we aim to keep our customers happy’ but for me it was the excuses:- if Andy had just been upfront and said ‘we are snowed under, take it elsewhere’ I would of done gladly. Instead it was…‘I promise you in 72 hours… I promise another 24 hours.. and on and on and on ’ I feel sorry for the other blokes who worked there - must of been spending all their day complaint handling on his behalf. 

It doesn’t surprise me at all RE the court case. That store theft situation sounded very suspicious to begin with and I’m just grateful I was not one of the victims. When I went to collect my guitar, he was arguing with one of the victims. Refused to pay for any of damamges so I heard! 

Two words for him - Wheeler Dealer.  

Massive shame because there was so much potential there.