Fight Back! - Worst Music Store Service - Your Vote!

Slaine01 · #1 11-13-2005, 10:00 PM

Its time us toothless tigers actually sent a message (or a link to this post) to the VERY small minority of Music Shops that treat us, the people that buy gear from them and so pay their wages, badly.
This includes annoying sales people, WRONG advice, dodgy repairs, pushing their own products... the list goes on......
Its important for the younger players and out of towners to know which shops to steer away from, and as an added bonus, the ones definately to do business with.
Stand by for a Mega Thread

Kael · #2 11-13-2005, 10:03 PM

Avoid Guitar Center. I don't have enough time to relate all the negative experiences I've had with them.

Slaine01 · #3 11-13-2005, 10:08 PM

Please at least name the City/State. as some of us ain't locals, with your posts.

Nick man · #4 11-13-2005, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kael

Avoid Guitar Center. I don't have enough time to relate all the negative experiences I've had with them.

Yeah, dont bad mouth the whole chain and all its sales people.

I honestly believe that the vast majority of my coworkers and I are honest, good salespeople. Not all Guitar Centers are bad.

**cheezewiz** · #5 11-13-2005, 10:13 PM

GC is what it is. If you walk in educated, know what you want, and know what you are willing to pay, great deals can be had.

seansbrew · #6 11-13-2005, 10:18 PM

What you are reallly talking about is individual people, not stores. I have received both excellent service and awful service at GC. The same goes for restaurants, car washes, markets, and any other kind of people oriented service. If the rude behavior one person turns you off to the whole chain than so be it. I just ask for another salesperson if I do not like the way I am being treated.

Kael · #7 11-13-2005, 10:44 PM

I thought that the Oklahoma City location listed for my profile in the upper right was sufficient, but ok. Avoid the OKC GC. I know what I want, yet still have had predominantly negative experiences with getting anything out of them that is not already at this particular store.

OK, I'll give a couple examples....

1) When I was looking to purchase my Warwick Streamer LX 6, I wanted a wideneck. Wasn't one in the GC system at the time, so I asked how much to special order it from Dana B Goods. No reponse. Went back to store repeatedly. With checkbook in hand. Asked them to order the bass. No reponse. Tried to pay them to order the bass. No reponse. Offered to waive any return option on my part in case they were worried about me returning it and them being stuck with something they considered unsellable. No response. Went to Norman Music and purchased said bass from a local dealer. Might have payed a tad more, but I felt better dealing with them.

2) Due to an unfortunate beverage incident, my Digital Performer manual was "compromised". Now I know that it is available online, but it would have been worth it to me to pay a few bucks to get a new one instead of either a) dealing with the pdf window b) rigging a ghetto homebrew notebook manual or c) keep trying to deal with the partial manual I had left. Popped into GC and asked if they could order an actual manual (not one of the 3rd party texts). Their answer, sure no problem twenty bucks. 14 months later, after calling them at least once a month and going into the store on three occasions for the sole purpose of seeing if it had arrived, I was told that IT HAD NOT EVEN BEEN ORDERED. Got a lot of sidestepping about why I had not have been told so that I could make other arrangements earlier. It was not as if I had just given them money then disappeared. Then they gave me flack about receiving a refund. Finally had to settle for store credit.

I have had a few of other bad experiences also. Result, I will try to shop everywhere else for whatever I need before giving them any of my money. I'm sure that there are plenty of decent people who work there. I've just encountered a high incidence of imbecility in my dealings with that company.

My $.02

Kael · #8 11-13-2005, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seansbrew

What you are reallly talking about is individual people, not stores. I have received both excellent service and awful service at GC. The same goes for restaurants, car washes, markets, and any other kind of people oriented service. If the rude behavior one person turns you off to the whole chain than so be it. I just ask for another salesperson if I do not like the way I am being treated.

Yes, but a company lives and dies on the quality of its associates. If they don't care enough to motivate their employees so that they actually are helpful (via pay most likely), then that is a flawed business. I can get the same goods elsewhere minus the hassle.

This is, of course, just my opinion.

barkatozz · #9 11-14-2005, 12:51 AM

Sam Ash Music....Cherry Hill, NJ
Went there on a Tuesday looking for a cab....keep in mind the upcoming Friday they had a 15% off $399 deal......found one I liked, asked if I could get the 15% off that day...they told me to come back Friday when the sale started rather than making a deal that night......needless to say I went to GC the next day(it's actually in the same shopping center a few hundred feet away) & got a different cab......I guess the idiots at Sam Ash want to lose their jobs when Sam Ash buckles under to GC.

jackmurray · #10 11-14-2005, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kael

Went back to store repeatedly. With checkbook in hand. Asked them to order the bass. No reponse.

What does no response mean? Did they just stand there and look at the ground while you waved your checkbook in their face?

And shouldn't this go in the "miscellaneous" forum?

Rimas · #11 11-14-2005, 01:44 AM

bass nw. ego-central. if your young, they wont pull anything off the wall that is over 2 grand. the only reason i go there anymore is to buy individual flat wound strings, on the chance that i break one of mine. That store is crap.

Nick man · #12 11-14-2005, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kael

I thought that the Oklahoma City location listed for my profile in the upper right was sufficient, but ok. Avoid the OKC GC. I know what I want, yet still have had predominantly negative experiences with getting anything out of them that is not already at this particular store.

OK, I'll give a couple examples....

1) When I was looking to purchase my Warwick Streamer LX 6, I wanted a wideneck. Wasn't one in the GC system at the time, so I asked how much to special order it from Dana B Goods. No reponse. Went back to store repeatedly. With checkbook in hand. Asked them to order the bass. No reponse. Tried to pay them to order the bass. No reponse. Offered to waive any return option on my part in case they were worried about me returning it and them being stuck with something they considered unsellable. No response. Went to Norman Music and purchased said bass from a local dealer. Might have payed a tad more, but I felt better dealing with them.

2) Due to an unfortunate beverage incident, my Digital Performer manual was "compromised". Now I know that it is available online, but it would have been worth it to me to pay a few bucks to get a new one instead of either a) dealing with the pdf window b) rigging a ghetto homebrew notebook manual or c) keep trying to deal with the partial manual I had left. Popped into GC and asked if they could order an actual manual (not one of the 3rd party texts). Their answer, sure no problem twenty bucks. 14 months later, after calling them at least once a month and going into the store on three occasions for the sole purpose of seeing if it had arrived, I was told that IT HAD NOT EVEN BEEN ORDERED. Got a lot of sidestepping about why I had not have been told so that I could make other arrangements earlier. It was not as if I had just given them money then disappeared. Then they gave me flack about receiving a refund. Finally had to settle for store credit.

I have had a few of other bad experiences also. Result, I will try to shop everywhere else for whatever I need before giving them any of my money. I'm sure that there are plenty of decent people who work there. I've just encountered a high incidence of imbecility in my dealings with that company.

My $.02

Next time you need something from Guitar Center, let me know and I'll get it for you, sent to your door.

I understand that they may have had some difficulty finding a price on the Warwick for you that day if you came in on a weekend, but they should have taken your name and number and called you back by Wednesday with at least an estimate and how much down payment was required. For refrence, special order items such as that one are not eligible for return according to official policy though in some special circumstances exceptions may be made at the discretion of GC with manager aproval, prior to ordering.

The manual should have gotten to you within a month. I know that when I've had to order missing manuals, warranty cards, and other literature that should have come with gear, that it normally invoves:

1. A call to the manufacturer to verify that what is needed is available, and at what cost.
2. A fax to the manufacturer with shipping info and what is needed.
3. Calling you when it arrives. Normally at no cost or just small shipping costs.

I'll PM you my phone number so you can let me know if there is anything you need.

Baryonyx · #13 11-14-2005, 03:52 AM

It's not something which people here will have to "avoid", but I thought you all might like to know, my experiences with a bad shop.

I'm from Newcastle, in England. There is a store here called "Windows" in Central Arcade, Newcastle, whihc is known for being very, very bad.

They stock almost all "starter" guitars and basses, all of which are hideously over priced (an Epihone Les Paul which would sell for £300 at Sound Control would go for around £450 at Windows). They over charge on everything, and often push their hideously overpriced products on new buyers. I've seen people come in, pick up a bass and amp to learn to play with, and be fleeced for huge amounts of cash for things like strings, videos, dvd's, books, all that kind of thing.

I must admit, sadly, I have caved in and bought something there. I bought Stuart Hamm's second video there, which was an absolute rip (I payed about the equivalent of $40 dollars for it, which is nothing compared to their Patitucci videos which are about $60/75).

The staff are very poorly informed and act in an almost predatory manner. I played a very cheap Warwick Thumb Knockoff there, called a Westfield. When I told the guy I thought it was on ok price for it (£300, I was lying to avoid a confrontation) he told me Westfield were the "budget" branch of Warwick and they could easily sell that bass for upwards of £500. I knew fine well it wasn't worth jack, but these guys were making me feel very pressurised, and I felt very uncomfortable knowing that inexperienced players might be conned by these guys, or might simply be coerced into buying some of this crap!

So in general, I avoid Windows, it is not a good place.

And thats the only "bad" guitar shop I've ever been too, everywhere else in Newcastle I see good prices and friendly staff!

Pennydreadful · #14 11-14-2005, 05:22 AM

One thing that pisses me off more than almost anything else (shop-wise) is when they try to push stuff on new/young/inexperienced players. I'm sitting there in the store trying out basses or just looking around, and I hear one of the salesmen talking to some kid about the two thousand dollar bass that he absolutely needs...bleh.

Greg Johnsen · #15 11-14-2005, 05:30 AM

hmm, I have a few of these, some online, some not.

Guitar Center Lawrenceville- I asked them if they could special order me a bass to try out, they said I would have to pay for the bass first, which meant I had to buy the bass before playing, and if I didn't like it I couldn't bring it back. I then wentr to the marietta store, asked them about it, the manager was pissed that they did that, said that they gave me wrong information, and my problem was solved, I never did get it special ordered, but next time I do, I'll know.

Instrumentpro.com-I asked them if they had a bass in stock, they said yes, I ordered it, I call back 2 weks later asking where my bas was, they said it wasn't in stock, and that someone had given me wrong information, I ask when the bass is going to be shipped, they said in late august, I call back in september, ask where my bass is, they said it's due late septemeber, then october, then november. Finally I saw screw it and order a better bass from SamAsh. problem solved.

Greg

justateenpoet · #16 11-14-2005, 07:36 AM

This is mostly for the New England guys, but I've had some bad dealings With Daddy's Junky Music, aka consistently below average trade-in values, poor customer service, etc. I've always felt like the sales guys don't pay you much attention unless you're looking at something really expensive, at which point every one of them in the store is breathing down your neck. Most of my experience has been at the Daddy's store in CT, other people have different opinions for the others.

Toasted · #17 11-14-2005, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rimas

bass nw. ego-central. if your young, they wont pull anything off the wall that is over 2 grand. the only reason i go there anymore is to buy individual flat wound strings, on the chance that i break one of mine. That store is crap.

If you can't grasp basic grammar, I wouldn't trust you with a +$2000 bass.

Whafrodamus · #18 11-14-2005, 07:57 AM

Zzounds. I returned an Alesis digital EQ (because it sounded HORRIBLE), and it took two and a half months for them to process it. I kept calling. Some of the reps said that they never recieved the package, other's said it was being processed, and some even said that I already was credited. Horrid, horrid service.

Whafrodamus · #19 11-14-2005, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justateenpoet

This is mostly for the New England guys, but I've had some bad dealings With Daddy's Junky Music, aka consistently below average trade-in values, poor customer service, etc. I've always felt like the sales guys don't pay you much attention unless you're looking at something really expensive, at which point every one of them in the store is breathing down your neck. Most of my experience has been at the Daddy's store in CT, other people have different opinions for the others.

Yuck. The daddy's guys are horrible. I've been two three, and all the stores have a poor selection. I go there for fun sometimes, and I always get harassed by a sales guy. "Hey! that's a nice bass, isn't it?"

reasonbass · #20 11-14-2005, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick man

Yeah, dont bad mouth the whole chain and all its sales people.

I honestly believe that the vast majority of my coworkers and I are honest, good salespeople. Not all Guitar Centers are bad.

I agree, Nick man has always been helfull and is a great guy as a salesman and a person. As well as the majority of the guys that work at that GC.