Another GC rant

[grimjim]

I play in a cover band that does private parties, small clubs.... We've even played an art gallery and a poetry reading. Big jump from my death metal project. LOL

Anyway, I don't need my 8X10 Ampeg rig, so I started looking at combos. I liked the Markbass Marcus Miller 2X10 combo, so I ordered one from GC.

After several attempts on line it finally went through. I never got any kind of notice, until I got an email from a "gear specialist" two days later asking if I had any questions about the amp. I asked for an order number and contacted the store directly. They said they would try to get it shipped out that day or the next, 3-5 business days. Apparently it was the only one in the system.

After two more days they said it shipped out on the day they originally said it would and to contact my local store for updates. They had no idea what I was talking about.

So I called the original store and the manager said he found it in the warehouse and didn't know why it hadn't shipped, though my card was charged for it.

In total it took 12 days to get the amp, which I needed for a gig 4 days before that but that's another story.

I was looking forward to finally be able to play with it at the next rehearsal. Plug it in and IT DOESN'T WORK! Clipping light goes on if I juice the gain but there's no sound. I unplugged the speaker jack and it arced. Somehow there's power going through the speaker cable.

I am so done with them after all the lying and stalling. I sent them a pretty scathing email and asked how they thought they could make it right. I guess we'll see. I don't think just cancelling my order and refunding the money is enough at this point.

 

[grimjim]

Okay he new amp is on it's way. I wrote a scathing email to a customer service rep.

It isn't the 2x10 combo but the 1x12 combo with a 1x15 extension cab for almost the same price. They didn't have a 1x12 cab or I would have gotten that.

I'm going to see how I like it when it shows up. I'm already thinking about returning the cab and looking for a used 1x12, as I'm anal about little details like matching speakers.

I'm gonna look for a thread right now about mixing speaker sizes. I seem to remember seeing one. If anyone wants to comment anyway, feel free.

 

[grimjim]

Wow, that's a rabbit hole I think I'll stay away from. LOL

 

[buldog5151bass]

Just a thought. While I realize you kinda got hosed, a "scathing email" will just be ignored. Get on the phone and talk to someone.

 

[Lance Bunyon]

I leave all my reviews both good and bad on Google maps. The particular store in question should be called to task for others in that area.

 

[turf3]

OK, so if I understand this correctly, you ordered something that wasn't in stock at the local store, it finally came in, they took the box with the amp in it, put a new shipping label on it, and shipped it to you. Upon opening the box you found the amp's defective.

I grant you, the lack of updates and failure to ship the thing when it showed up are annoying, but I can't see how the local store, whose involvement consisted of typing in the order to the central warehouse and printing a new shipping label for your address, has anything at all to do with the defective-as-received product. Seems to me you've got a minor beef with the store and your major beef is with the manufacturer. Are you not "scathing" to the manufacturer because they're harder to get at? Is the local Guitar Center catching all the wrath just because they happen to be standing there?

 

[Spidey2112]

With a high powered leaf blower, poo can also go uphill. It defies normal physics, but it's true.

 

[MrLenny1]

GC seems to have a staff that doesn't seem to care.
I was looking at a used combo listed online. It was filthy
and listed in great condition. When I remarked about this I was told that
all gear gets thouroghly cleaned before shipping. Odd way to sell gear.

 

[NC_Rob]

Oh I have a good one. They had a decently priced Rick so I called the store to get all of the info and some pics that weren't on their site. I decided to pull the trigger since they have that nice 45 day no questions return policy. I purchased it on Thursday and the person I spoke to said they would get it shipped the same day or Friday. Sounds good. Friday comes, no tracking. Saturday, no tracking. I called on Sunday and they said UPS didn't come Friday so it will go out on Monday. Monday comes and goes, no tracking. I call on Tuesday and ask for the manager to find out what the &*^# is going on...

The manager tells me - I kid you not - they ran out of bubble wrap on Thursday. I had planned to blast him but I looked at my phone stupidly in astonishment. I asked him if he was serious and he said yes, that is why they couldn't ship anything for six days. I told him to cancel my order. He asked why and was I sure. Seriously? Spend almost $2k and not even a courtesy call? An apology? Walk across the &*^*&^% street and buy some bubble wrap at Staples? Yeah, cancel the order.

 

[grimjim]

OK, so if I understand this correctly, you ordered something that wasn't in stock at the local store, it finally came in, they took the box with the amp in it, put a new shipping label on it, and shipped it to you. Upon opening the box you found the amp's defective.
They shipped it from Utah to a local store.

I grant you, the lack of updates and failure to ship the thing when it showed up are annoying, but I can't see how the local store, whose involvement consisted of typing in the order to the central warehouse and printing a new shipping label for your address, has anything at all to do with the defective-as-received product.
I dealt with corporate.
Seems to me you've got a minor beef with the store
The only beef I had with the local store was the girl that put me on hold for 58 minutes.
and your major beef is with the manufacturer.
Are you not "scathing" to the manufacturer because they're harder to get at?
The manufacturer was never involved.
Is the local Guitar Center catching all the wrath just because they happen to be standing there?
No, corporate is and to their credit, they took pretty good care of the situation.

 

[Killing Floor]

Your profile says “Chicago”.

If you are ever again in the market for a bass amp I know about 2 dozen great shops in the metro.

 

[P. Aaron]

Just a thought. While I realize you kinda got hosed, a "scathing email" will just be ignored. Get on the phone and talk to someone.

Even the person on the phone isn't where the criticism needs to be leveled. Personnel for any business (or any other entity) IS policy. Management, HR, who ever does screening & hiring is where your choice invective needs to be leveled but, because of how these things are structured, your most heated of commentary will miss 'em by a country mile.

To who ever gets leveled by your most masterful grammar will relate the story to others over BEER later as just another rump-hole rant.

Bad personnel performance is usually created by lax management.

But, I get it. You're on the job and your new gear fails? THAT's some A-1 gargantuan suckage right there.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I had a similar experience with GC buying a small used guitar amp (Valve Junior). it got lost in their system and bounced around between stores for weeks. After issuing a refund, I got a call telling me it had appeared at a store a full 1.5 hour drive away, they eventually sent it to a closer store, and they threw-in a pack of guitar strings for my trouble. It’s a disfunctional company with poorly paid, poorly trained staff. I visit my local store once or twice a year just to check out new basses, and literally never see the same employee twice. Same old story, but their imminent demise has been breathlessly predicted so many times on TB I kind of ignore it now.

 

[turf3]

"The manufacturer was never involved"?

Wait, you're telling me that an amp that was defective out of the box, the manufacturer's box, that no Guitar Center entity ever did anything with except label it for shipping, somehow the manufacturer is "never involved" and a manufacturing defect in something that you received in an unopened box that was sealed at the factory, is somehow purely Guitar-Center's responsibility?

Am I misunderstanding something here?

 

[Marko 1]

The manager tells me - I kid you not - they ran out of bubble wrap on Thursday. I had planned to blast him but I looked at my phone stupidly in astonishment. I asked him if he was serious and he said yes, that is why they couldn't ship anything for six days. I told him to cancel my order. He asked why and was I sure. Seriously? Spend almost $2k and not even a courtesy call? An apology? Walk across the &*^*&^% street and buy some bubble wrap at Staples? Yeah, cancel the order.

I don't think an employee has the authority to go across the street and buy bubble wrap with GC money, not to mention an amount to wrap the many more items that might have needed bubble wrap.

If it arrived on time but damaged and you found out it's because they'd run out of bubble wrap, would you have said "Dammit, I'd rather have waited a couple more days than have a damaged instrument!".

As for not getting something used shipped in the timeline suggested, that's something I've learned not to count on. I can tell you a story that would make you cry right now regarding that, and GC Used specifically, but I'm not gonna go off 'cause stuff happens.

I think your temper might have screwed you on this one.

 

[Marko 1]

As for not getting something used shipped in the timeline suggested, that's something I've learned not to count on. I can tell you a story that would make you cry right now regarding that, and GC Used specifically, but I'm not gonna go off 'cause stuff happens.

Since I'm here, I'll share my only negative (of many positive) experience with GC Used.

I bought a large bass cab on July 13 from another state to be shipped to my local GC.

I was finally informed July 26th that it had arrived.

The freight company dropped off the wrong item, and off my cab went, supposedly headed for Texas (I'm in Ohio).

The local guys were great, manager very sympathetic and kept me informed with there was any news, and had various agencies in the company on the case.

Just a few days ago I was informed it would be shipped back from Texas, and I'd have it next week (fingers crossed).

Three outside gigs I could have used it on (one tomorrow), and no more such gigs on the calendar this year where I can use it, as I'm not wheeling a tall purple 4x12 cab into a bar/club

Yeah, I'm disappointed, and I don't even know if the cab is all it's supposed to be yet!

But imma be cool and shake it all off, 'cause stuff happens.

 

[NC_Rob]

I don't think an employee has the authority to go across the street and buy bubble wrap with GC money, not to mention an amount to wrap the many more items that might have needed bubble wrap.

If it arrived on time but damaged and you found out it's because they'd run out of bubble wrap, would you have said "Dammit, I'd rather have waited a couple more days than have a damaged instrument!".

As for not getting something used shipped in the timeline suggested, that's something I've learned not to count on. I can tell you a story that would make you cry right now regarding that, and GC Used specifically, but I'm not gonna go off 'cause stuff happens.

I think your temper might have screwed you on this one.

Not worried at all since there are always other basses waiting to be bought. I didn't lose a thing. And I've had a lot of good experiences with GC, this is one of the bad ones which is not the norm.

And had someone let me know when I was on one of the multiple calls with them getting a status (which they lied about the reason) that they were waiting on supplies I would have been fine with waiting. Sucks to be them, I'll get one from one of the great people here.