This past spring my father decided to bite the bullet, and buy me a 1966 Martin D-35 that I had been eyeing that was being sold by Ebay Member Warpdrivemusic (also known as Cream City Music). 

The guitar was described as being vintage, but in Good condition, with no issues, and also stated that the guitar came with a genuine Martin case.  The B.I.N. price was $4,500, with numerous other offers.  I e-mailed asking if there would be any sort of payment plan option, and recieved an e-mail back saying something like, 30% down then 3 months to pay the remainder off.  I called my father, told him, and he gave me the go-ahead to call the store and speak with a salesperson.   When I called the store, I spoke with "Joe", who is apparently the "owner" of the store and this was his personal guitar (which he kept in a GIG BAG!?!?!).  When I mentioned the e-mail I had sent, and recieved back, and informed him my father wanted to purchase the instrument under such circumstance he laughed, discredited the e-mail I had recieved, and basically told me that unless we had the money upfront, he didn't want to talk to us. 

Disheartened, I called my father back and told him about my experience with Joe.  The next day apparently, my father called joe and offered him the money up front.  I didn't know that the deal had gone down until later in the day, and then told my father we didn't need to deal with people like "Joe", but apparently it had already gone down...  

We were told the guitar would be sent out the day after next, as Joe wanted his "chief luthier" (HA!) to look over the guitar, inside and out to make sure it was stable.  Shouldn't that have been done before it was put up for auction!?  

With special instructions given as to where to ship it, it was shipped (3 days later.  Apparently that's how long it takes to inspect a guitar) to the Wrong location - my parents home 6 hours away. 
I called the store, and "Joe" quickly apologized (as he should've) and said he would do a package intercept to reroute it.

3 more days later, it finally shows up. 

The guitar showed up, in what looked like a Taylor Grand Auditorium case (It was supposed to be a Martin D-sized case remember?).  The guitar had been refretted, and I believe that it was stated in the ebay auction.  So far I'm fine.  "Sometimes you have to deal with jerks" I thought.

Then, I was really mad.  The guitar had been re-paired, incorrectly, and this was NOT stated in the auction. 

The guitar needed a neck set (as most vintage martins do), which would've been fine, but someone had also apparently sanded down the bridge to compensate for it needing a neck set to lower the action.  So right now, the guitar is sitting in a local luthiers shop getting a new bridge, as well as a neck set for another $250.  As far as the case?  My father called and asked about the case, and was pretty much passed around on the phone until "Joe" came on and told him it was a Martin case and they'd be happy to accept it back (so they can sell it with something else) and they'd be willing to SELL us a REAL MARTIN D-Sized case.  It's a good thing Joe didn't try feeding me that line of crap on the phone.
I wrote an e-mail asking why the fact it needed a neckset wasn't addressed, and why the saddle being sanded down wasn't addressed.

The moron probably never noticed it needed work.

I never got a reply.

Joe, all I have to say is that when Karma comes back around, I hope it bites you good.
 
I just wonder what sorts of issues all of "joe's" vintage Fender's and Gibsons have that he's not telling anybody about.