Complaint Review: Ralph Paul - Internet

Mr, Paul,

You are either Esteban under a new guise, or you are Esteban's brother. Esteban's real name is Stephen Paul. How are you related? While your products may be okay for teaching people the most minimal information about the guitar, it is how you represent yourself that is a concern. You claim to be "America's best guitar teacher!" No one in the music or guitar industry seems to have known you before your DVD's appeared for sale. If you are the best guitar teacher, surely you have taught some famous players. Can you provide some references?

Those who are complaining about Ralph Paul's ordering system really shows how bad the state of our country is in, when regular folk cannot even read or comprehend what is presented in front of them.

I understood clearly how to order just the basic course with the bonus CD. If one takes the time to READ FIRST, I doubt there would be these kinds of complaints.

His ordering system allows you to order any of the extra DVD's, each for $19.95, if you want. He presents each one so that the customer can read all the pertinent information about the DVD before making an informed decision.

Addressing the second complaint, I have ordered other systems, including those from the great Julio Inglese, and his DVD's are a ripoff because he can't teach worth any amount paid for his DVD's. He's a great player, yes. But he cannot break down how he plays in simple enough terms to learn.

For example, he shows how to play the cords for the House of the Rising Sun. Then when he plays it, instead of strumming like you expect, he's playing like he was in concert. How can you learn to play like him when he does not show you?

I found Ralph Paul's methods very refreshing. He not only shows you, but explains why it is important and how each technique will be used to create other great sounds. After all, are you looking to learn to play guitar, or just learn enough to play songs?

I already knew how to play guitar, but I was in the latter group. I had friends teach me enough to play a song we were jamming, but I never knew why the techniques I was being taught could be used to make all kinds of different sounds, only to be limited upon my imagination.

Ralph Paul has successfully taken a complex subject - learning to play the guitar, and broke it down into simple, easy to learn principles, that you can apply to any situation or song you desire to. Maybe many feel it is to simplistic, but if you bother to practice and experiment, you might not only sound good, but you will have a much better understanding why the techniques you learned work or don't work.

My hats are off to Ralph Paul for breaking down playing the guitar into simple components, and building on these to teach more complex playing techniques that you would never get trying to follow the 15 or 20 DVD set from Julio Inglese.

You may know how to play the guitar (experts across the Internet seem to disagree) but your TV commercial and the customerstatus.com people are a joke and a scam.  The customerstatus.com reps lie when they say they can't find the order.  They continue saying it up to the last minute when they claim nothing can be done because it has already shipped.

In my case I initially called and spoke to them within 15 minutes of placing an order about mistakes that required correction.  I repeatedly discussed the matter with them by phone and email over the next 72 hours.  Repeatedly I was told, by phone calls and emails, they could not find the order up to the moment it supposedly shipped and then it was too late.

What started as a $39 plus S&H turned into a $119 ripoff.  You are a conman more so than a supposed guitarist.  What a joke!!!

I cannot speak for the experience of others; but in my case the product came within a week or so even though I did NOT choose expedited shipping and it was the Christmas season.  The product is well done with high production values; excellently packaged and appears to be well thought out and presented.

I am NOT even an amaeteur musician, and, in fact, just purchased my first guitar and I am finding the lessons to be easy to follow and I have high hopes of achieving something in my retirement that I always wanted to do during my working years but never found the time.

I hope this helps others who may be considering getting the product.

×

1 / 0

❮ ❯

Call the CFO Ed at 914 332-7878

I had the same problem and got nowhere with customer service. Their corporate customer service manager Glenda is confrontational and abusive. The CFO Ed said he would resolve the issue but remains a supportive fan of Glendas.  To date I have not received any product and the issues remain unresolved, but if you want to at least be heard call Ed. If you get the automated  answer recording dial #1 to get the dial by name directory, otherwise just ask for him by name.

Good Luck!

I am the teacher of this series of videos. If anyone really wants to learn guitar then my videos will help them to play quickly and easily. I have over 40 years of teaching experience. There are 8-yes 8- videos for a mere 39.95 with a 30 day return if not happy. In them you will learn chords, reading, styles, strumming. This is NOT a ripoff as you suggest. Thank You. Ralph Paul