Another Guitar Center Fiasco

[PWRL]

I got my Markbass rig at GC. I'm very happy with it, even though it cost what for me is pretty much a fortune. Their selection in basses has always been rather lacking. Not even any G&Ls.
But the last time I went back there was the worst; they had all the decent gear in "The Vault" where they put all the instruments that are worth your time. You need to ask for special permission and assistance to enter "The Vault". Someone has to hold your hand while you look at instruments. And now, they won't even come down on their prices, which 99% of the time I can beat by going down the road to my local store.
Very bad business policy.

 

[Woofenstein]

Here is something else to add to the list of complaints:

I hear a new radio commercial for the GC "Sale of the century" every week....yet every time I go in for these sales, NOTHING (at least what I'm looking at) is priced differently...so - why would I go in for a sale when it appears that the prices never change?

 

[The Tyler]

Here is something else to add to the list of complaints:

I hear a new radio commercial for the GC "Sale of the century" every week....yet every time I go in for these sales, NOTHING (at least what I'm looking at) is priced differently...so - why would I go in for a sale when it appears that the prices never change?

I know it seems like we have a "GC bashing thread of the week" around here, but I've certainly noticed a lot of consistency in the complaints coming from a large variety of places; i've even experienced a good deal of the problems people express for myself.
I wonder how on earth they're able to turn a profit/stay in business...

 

[Xanthyr]

I know it seems like we have a "GC bashing thread of the week" around here, but I've certainly noticed a lot of consistency in the complaints coming from a large variety of places; i've even experienced a good deal of the problems people express for myself.
I wonder how on earth they're able to turn a profit/stay in business...

It is all about the rich yuppies/mama's boys who want to learn "Smoke on the Water", and in order to learn, they need $10,000 in total gear. Whoever gets those commissions I'm sure is loving life.

I've never had too much of a problem with Guitar Center, just the people tend to be real jerks a lot of the time. The people in in the acoustic room or drum sections are really nice. The bass amps are two inches away from guitar amps so you can't hear yourself to save your life. Everyone knows you have to Spinal Tap those volume levels to see if you're in tune.

 

[Hobobob74]

Went in to buy the GK 2-10 combo, they had it for 499 where MF had it for 469, and they still wouldn' t do it, they said they could only throw in some strings, and they he kept riding me about it after i said no, so I said thats it, I got few more Gift cards from Christmas to use and then after that, im done...

 

[baalroo]

I know it seems like we have a "GC bashing thread of the week" around here, but I've certainly noticed a lot of consistency in the complaints coming from a large variety of places; i've even experienced a good deal of the problems people express for myself.
I wonder how on earth they're able to turn a profit/stay in business...

There's always new 14 yr olds and their moms to rip off.

 

[vegas532]

My local GC had a used Tribute L2000 for (get this) $1100. When I told that particular store manager that you can get them new with case for about $600, he rolled his eyes, said "like you know what your talking about", and walked away.

He has since been promoted to a regional...go figure!

 

[GBGLJE]

It's a McDonalds that sells music gear.

 

[jmcgliss]

This story happened more than once, with witnesses. Before buying my Eden rig a few years ago I asked a GC staffer (for fun) about Eden heads and was told "Eden went out of business. But we have GK and Ampeg."

Fast forward two years and I'm in a different GC store on the way to Lakland's 10th anniversary festivities. GC guys gives me the same BS story. What made it fun is I had Eden's rep. standing next to me. Busted!

Is telling customers that companies are out of business part of their official sales training? It's too much of a coincidence....two stores, two years apart? I read that someone else got this ******** answer more recently.

 

[steve21]

You guys should drive down to Sherman Oaks.

 

[D.Don]

It's a McDonalds that sells music gear.

That's a good slogan for GC, "Would you buy a used item at McDonalds?"...

hehehe



D.Don

 

[Rudyboy98]

These stories are funny as heck..

I do not bother buying from GC. Even their accessories sales people ignore you if you're not pulling out a wad of bills out of your pocket to buy higher priced items behind their counter. I tried buying some strings and a cable. As soon as a customer came up to the associate and inquired about a couple of pedals and said he was paying cash..the sales person ignored me completely. (He was obviously more concerned with a higher dollar sale!)

I moved on to another sales person, who took his time with his current customer. It was obvious he could have closed the sale in three minutes, but proceeded to chit chat until I raised my concern out loud.

Customer Service no longer exists in most places. If you're a paying customer, most sales people figure they're doing you a favor... That's just not ethical!

 

[el_yoni]

I own an active bass and when the battery ran out I couldn’t take off the lid to replace the battery. I tried different things to take the lid off but I just couldn’t and since it was the first time the battery ran out I had no idea how to take it off. I didn’t wanted to scratch or damage my bass so I took my bass to GC to see if they could take it off... when I got there the guy was all confident that he could take the lid off but obviously he couldn’t and when he was running out of patience he tried to take the lid off with a knife and in one of the tries his hand slipped and he scratched my bass with the knife!!! there was a big dent on my bass and I was pissed I started pushing the guy and I told him that the reason that I took my bass was because I didn’t wanted to damage my bass and that’s the first thing he did. I told him that if he was going to pay for the damages and he told me that he wasn’t responsible and then when I was about to beat the hell out of him the guys that work there grabbed me and they told me that they were going to call the cops if I didn’t left the store so I took my bass and I left the store but I waited for the guy outside the parking lot and later the cops came and told me to leave... a couple of days later I went to see if the guy was there but they said that he didn’t work there anymore and I talked to the manager and explained what happen and they only gave me a stupid discount for my next purchase which I didn’t used because I never went back. So next time when I need to fix my bass ill just do it my self even if I damage it but at least I did the damage.

 

[kjpollo]

I live pretty close to both a Sam Ash and a GC. I've been more of a customer at Ash just because they're a little closer to me but my guitar player used to work at GC and he kept suggesting I go there and check it out.

I was shopping for an amp and. believe it or not, the salesman actually guided me AWAY from a 700 watt Peavey head and toward a less-expensive GK. I was going to go back and get the GK but I ended up ordering a custom 4-string instead so now I'll have to live with my amp GAS until summer at the earliest. However, I plan to give GC first shot with a GK rig.
They were also very good about letting my 10 year old daughter and 8 year old son play around with some gear. (keyboards for my daughter and a g****r for my son).

I just wish I had more access to mom-and-pop places. There arent very many here in CT and a couple of them are serious profit-mongers to the extent that you have to count your fingers if you shake hands with someone!!

 

[B-NoteCowboy]

You will continue to see GC discount what we call "aging" Used gear. If you see something in a store for 6 months + (at least one of my stores) we will be ready to let it go. We are working harder to price it right the first time, and sell it fast. In my territory, we are also being proactive about repricing our used gear on a monthly/bi-monthly basis. Although we have become more disciplined to our price protection policy, we are not stupid, we will still agressivley price aging used gear and other gear that we are discontinuing out of our system or gear vendors have discontinued. I would venture to say there are hundreds of people out here who have scored incredible deals on basses becase the color has been discontinued or something like that and this will continue.
jh

For what it's worth, My band is based out of Tulsa in your region and I've never had a problem with GC. Good selection, competative pricing. My only issue is that it's had a WalMart effect on several mom and pop guitar stores who were my clients and are now out of business... but that hasn't kept me from shopping there.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

You will continue to see GC discount what we call "aging" Used gear. If you see something in a store for 6 months + (at least one of my stores) we will be ready to let it go. We are working harder to price it right the first time, and sell it fast. In my territory, we are also being proactive about repricing our used gear on a monthly/bi-monthly basis. Although we have become more disciplined to our price protection policy, we are not stupid, we will still agressivley price aging used gear and other gear that we are discontinuing out of our system or gear vendors have discontinued. I would venture to say there are hundreds of people out here who have scored incredible deals on basses becase the color has been discontinued or something like that and this will continue.
jh

+1, I think you have to know your local GC. I think the store in Fairview Heights, Illinois (outside of St. Louis) is well run, and since they know me, I get very good deals. Recently I got a practically new USA Cirrus four with the case and candy for well under $700 tax included. That said another GC in South St. Louis County was selling a used Cirrus Six that was completely missing a tuner and had a couple of replacement tuner for $899, firm. I examined the bass, and it was clear that it had taken a very hard fall. Given its level of damage, it was worth $500 at most.

 

[davec]

I Just trade a bass and picked up some recording gear. I have always had good luck, however I must admit, last to trips are like the old days (Milwaukee Ave) when I stopped shopping at GC.

 

[Modo74]

I own an active bass and when the battery ran out I couldn’t take off the lid to replace the battery. I tried different things to take the lid off but I just couldn’t and since it was the first time the battery ran out I had no idea how to take it off. I didn’t wanted to scratch or damage my bass so I took my bass to GC to see if they could take it off... when I got there the guy was all confident that he could take the lid off but obviously he couldn’t and when he was running out of patience he tried to take the lid off with a knife and in one of the tries his hand slipped and he scratched my bass with the knife!!! there was a big dent on my bass and I was pissed I started pushing the guy and I told him that the reason that I took my bass was because I didn’t wanted to damage my bass and that’s the first thing he did. I told him that if he was going to pay for the damages and he told me that he wasn’t responsible and then when I was about to beat the hell out of him the guys that work there grabbed me and they told me that they were going to call the cops if I didn’t left the store so I took my bass and I left the store but I waited for the guy outside the parking lot and later the cops came and told me to leave... a couple of days later I went to see if the guy was there but they said that he didn’t work there anymore and I talked to the manager and explained what happen and they only gave me a stupid discount for my next purchase which I didn’t used because I never went back. So next time when I need to fix my bass ill just do it my self even if I damage it but at least I did the damage.

I really hope this is a joke, or at least a wild exaggeration.

The best way to complain is calmly and rationally. As soon as you raise your hands, you're outside the law and they have every right to remove you from the store.

And as for waiting for the guy outside the store... . What did you think was going to happen?

 

[baalroo]

I own an active bass and when the battery ran out I couldnt take off the lid to replace the battery. I tried different things to take the lid off but I just couldnt and since it was the first time the battery ran out I had no idea how to take it off. I didnt wanted to scratch or damage my bass so I took my bass to GC to see if they could take it off... when I got there the guy was all confident that he could take the lid off but obviously he couldnt and when he was running out of patience he tried to take the lid off with a knife and in one of the tries his hand slipped and he scratched my bass with the knife!!! there was a big dent on my bass and I was pissed I started pushing the guy and I told him that the reason that I took my bass was because I didnt wanted to damage my bass and thats the first thing he did. I told him that if he was going to pay for the damages and he told me that he wasnt responsible and then when I was about to beat the hell out of him the guys that work there grabbed me and they told me that they were going to call the cops if I didnt left the store so I took my bass and I left the store but I waited for the guy outside the parking lot and later the cops came and told me to leave... a couple of days later I went to see if the guy was there but they said that he didnt work there anymore and I talked to the manager and explained what happen and they only gave me a stupid discount for my next purchase which I didnt used because I never went back. So next time when I need to fix my bass ill just do it my self even if I damage it but at least I did the damage.

If you're serious then you are an idiot and will hopefully/probably end up in jail for your temper. good riddance.

 

[mellowgerman]

I was checking out six string guitars in GC awhile back and came across two used instruments of the same model. The salesman took me aside and said " I just want to warn you, Don't buy that Black one because it has a hairline crack running the full length of the head stock. I'm not supposed to tell anyone but I can't knowingly sell that to somebody in good conscience."
I thought that was very cool of him. I didn't buy either instrument anyway.

hm so i'm officially never buying anything from guitar center ever again.