As good as it is to buy the actual bass you are trying out, in my experience buying a Squier CV 60's P at GC it was better to demo the bass and then ask for a new one in a box to take home.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Bought a bass from Guitar Center and....
- Thread starter Kusabi
- Start date
Well I just got back from Guitar Center and I'm even more aggravated than before.
After telling the door person that I wanted to return the bass they directed me to guitars where I talked to a lady that I had made returns to before. Shortly after explaining my problems with the instrument to her the manager I had bought the bass from last night came over to see why I was back.
After explaining to him why I was returning the bass, he told me that "the transaction probably hadn't gone through yet" to which I informed him I had checked my bank account this morning and it had indeed gone through. He then told me that it would be impossible to do a return today without the general manager being present. Now, like I said earlier, I had made returns to the girl behind the desk before with no general manager present so I'm not sure if this guy was giving me the runaround or if policies changed. So after being informed of this I asked when the GM would be in and I was told "we're not really sure, you'll have to stop in some other time." I then asked if I could leave my number and be notified when the GM came in to which I was told "We don't know when he'll be in, probably monday."
So it's been two days in a row that I've driven the 40 minutes to guitar center and it's about to become a third. At this point I'm not even interested in another bass, I just want my money.
After telling the door person that I wanted to return the bass they directed me to guitars where I talked to a lady that I had made returns to before. Shortly after explaining my problems with the instrument to her the manager I had bought the bass from last night came over to see why I was back.
After explaining to him why I was returning the bass, he told me that "the transaction probably hadn't gone through yet" to which I informed him I had checked my bank account this morning and it had indeed gone through. He then told me that it would be impossible to do a return today without the general manager being present. Now, like I said earlier, I had made returns to the girl behind the desk before with no general manager present so I'm not sure if this guy was giving me the runaround or if policies changed. So after being informed of this I asked when the GM would be in and I was told "we're not really sure, you'll have to stop in some other time." I then asked if I could leave my number and be notified when the GM came in to which I was told "We don't know when he'll be in, probably monday."
So it's been two days in a row that I've driven the 40 minutes to guitar center and it's about to become a third. At this point I'm not even interested in another bass, I just want my money.
Well I just got back from Guitar Center and I'm even more aggravated than before.
After telling the door person that I wanted to return the bass they directed me to guitars where I talked to a lady that I had made returns to before. Shortly after explaining my problems with the instrument to her the manager I had bought the bass from last night came over to see why I was back.
After explaining to him why I was returning the bass, he told me that "the transaction probably hadn't gone through yet" to which I informed him I had checked my bank account this morning and it had indeed gone through. He then told me that it would be impossible to do a return today without the general manager being present. Now, like I said earlier, I had made returns to the girl behind the desk before with no general manager present so I'm not sure if this guy was giving me the runaround or if policies changed. So after being informed of this I asked when the GM would be in and I was told "we're not really sure, you'll have to stop in some other time." I then asked if I could leave my number and be notified when the GM came in to which I was told "We don't know when he'll be in, probably monday."
So it's been two days in a row that I've driven the 40 minutes to guitar center and it's about to become a third. At this point I'm not even interested in another bass, I just want my money.
It's Saturday...the GM should be there...all store managers have the same schedule...off Sunday & Monday...
I'm sending you a PM
So it's been two days in a row that I've driven the 40 minutes to guitar center and it's about to become a third. At this point I'm not even interested in another bass, I just want my money.
Well hope you paid with a card, if not then you'll be waiting a month or so for the check in the mail. Even if you used a card if the rep wants to be a dick or lazy then you might still wait. Normally they can put it right back on the card. Funny though, my bank account can't wait for me to make a purchase. But the second I make a return they take their sweet ass time giving me my money back.
I did indeed pay with a card. The last time I made a return, the associate I returned to offered to refund it to my card or cut me a check, I opted for the check and had my money back about 10 minutes later after cashing it.
Just to clarify I'm not bashing Guitar Center as a whole as this is my first bad experience with them in the 3 or 4 years I've been going there.
hmmn, I like my local GC. I have bought stuff and taken it back with no questions asked. I have traded stuff and got decent deals and they have a much better selection to choose from than some of the other local mom and pop stores.
I also like some of the local mom and pop stores but have never liked the fact that they mark the price of their basses above retail price and then act like they are giving you a discount when they offer to sell it at normal retail prices???
I also like some of the local mom and pop stores but have never liked the fact that they mark the price of their basses above retail price and then act like they are giving you a discount when they offer to sell it at normal retail prices???
Sent this to Kubasi in a PM, just to clarify what happened w/ the returning part. Since he was in when the computers were down, this happens, it just sounds like the salesperson he dealt with just didn't word it properly
This is guitar center. They have every intention of ripping you off with every trick in the book.
To our resident GC employee, do they know about these threads? Do they care? Not trying to be a smart aleck, just wondering.
it's all about who you deal with,just visited one upstate(Clackamas/Portland zone),man!,no dif. than the local one with a salesperson telling a first time bass buyer`i wouldn't spend any less than this'instead of ACTUALLY helping the guy/making a customer for life out of him
,,then as i wandered around i found a couple dif people who said they'd take care of me,meaning=
it's the same way down here,couple people i'm sure would do whatever for you,the other 12 seem to give you the bums rush that's why i do a quick pass thru and if the one or two nice guys walk up and start talking i ask questions otherwise it's online for me,like buying a set of strings online they're xxxx walk in is 25% more?
ok i'll quit bashing GC,it's a candy store for sure i just wish they'd train employess to run a `can-do' attitude becuase they have def. kept me from buying on several occaisions,good luck man and next time come over and dwink with me
we'll jam
,,then as i wandered around i found a couple dif people who said they'd take care of me,meaning=it's the same way down here,couple people i'm sure would do whatever for you,the other 12 seem to give you the bums rush that's why i do a quick pass thru and if the one or two nice guys walk up and start talking i ask questions otherwise it's online for me,like buying a set of strings online they're xxxx walk in is 25% more?
ok i'll quit bashing GC,it's a candy store for sure i just wish they'd train employess to run a `can-do' attitude becuase they have def. kept me from buying on several occaisions,good luck man and next time come over and dwink with me
we'll jam
False. Yes, you are being a smart aleck, but, they actually do care what their customers think of GC and what happens. Want to know how many customer service calls I've listened to regarding my store directly? Both good and bad? A LOT.
I've had nothing but good experiences with the North Houston GC. Multiple purchases & a trade & all went well. All instruments have been pristine. Just throwing that in
Would like to hear the outcome of this. Sure sounds like they are giving you the runaround.
You might want to call the credit card company and cite something for this transaction.
A few other things:
1. People citing out-of-box failures and then blaming GC - I don't think that's fair. An out-of-box failure is the fault of the manufacturer.
2. If it's an off-the-shelf buy, you gotta, gotta examine the bass carefully.
3. Statistically, I think the best odds these days for getting a winner are to - buy from one of the good online dealers with plentiful stock. They all have easy return policies.
You might want to call the credit card company and cite something for this transaction.
A few other things:
1. People citing out-of-box failures and then blaming GC - I don't think that's fair. An out-of-box failure is the fault of the manufacturer.
2. If it's an off-the-shelf buy, you gotta, gotta examine the bass carefully.
3. Statistically, I think the best odds these days for getting a winner are to - buy from one of the good online dealers with plentiful stock. They all have easy return policies.
upon reflection my dissatisfaction would probably best be directed at epiphone for the faulty wiring on my girlfriend's sg, however venting on some poor guitar center employee might make me feel a little better temporarily
I just wanted to give you props for going well above and beyond the call of duty here. It says a lot about your character in general that you would be willing to 1) show your affiliation with GC here, and 2) to try and be a friendly faced rep for them in an otherwise rather suspicious, and demanding community. I count myself as one of those as well, so don't anyone get all worked up.
While not every policy explanation will go appreciated, or for that matter understood, it's pretty cool that you're actually trying.
Besides the fact that GC is a mega corporation, I've always found the individual sales people to be honest. Now, that doesn't mean that some of them aren't IGNORANT and will give you bad advice/information. And since they work on commission, some departments have reps with bad attitudes [drums for example] but overall I'd say they're like most other majors, you have to take them with a grain of salt.
That said, I still prefer to shop at my local music store [American Music here in Seattle] before dropping my coin at GC, but just like Home Depot, sometimes they are the only ones with a product I need or they're the only ones willing to take my item in on trade. I've always been told their trade in policy up front, and it's pretty much the same as my local used shop [Trading Musician] and honestly, the reps at GC are slightly less aloof than the indie shops!
Back on topic: Hopefully to the OP they haven't sold your trade in yet, as that would make things really confusing....
Edit: And frankly, what I would do is try to beat them up and get some money back....nothing makes a deal taste better than getting a BETTER deal! If you liked the bass, try and work something out, because it sounds like most of the issues are minor and repairable...in a way you have them over a barrel and often you can get them to give you a partial refund in order to keep the sale.
That said, I still prefer to shop at my local music store [American Music here in Seattle] before dropping my coin at GC, but just like Home Depot, sometimes they are the only ones with a product I need or they're the only ones willing to take my item in on trade. I've always been told their trade in policy up front, and it's pretty much the same as my local used shop [Trading Musician] and honestly, the reps at GC are slightly less aloof than the indie shops!
Back on topic: Hopefully to the OP they haven't sold your trade in yet, as that would make things really confusing....
Edit: And frankly, what I would do is try to beat them up and get some money back....nothing makes a deal taste better than getting a BETTER deal! If you liked the bass, try and work something out, because it sounds like most of the issues are minor and repairable...in a way you have them over a barrel and often you can get them to give you a partial refund in order to keep the sale.
I don't think I've ever been mistreated or cheated at any GC, but I tend towards only two spending behaviors with them:
- Small inconsequential accessories like strings or straps or whatever. It is rare that these types of items are "defective" in any way and even if they are it isn't a huge strain on my financial situation if for some bizarre reason it takes them some time to reimburse me on a return. IOW, this is "small stuff" that I just don't sweat when things go pear-shaped (as rare as that is for this class of purchase).
- Fairly big-ticket items. For this type of situation I take my time and really get the salesperson involved. With the kind of money I am spending I tend to get more focused attention and better treatment. When they look at my purchasing history with them, their attitude towards me tends to improve noticibly. Unfair, perhaps, but it's true.
I suppose it's like any other retail store, some are better than others. I have two in close proximity to me and I normally go to the one that is a little further because I've always been greeted by knowledgeable employees.
Last week I purchased a set of strap locks for my new Rick. After looking at them I decided I wanted Dunlops instead. A week later I sent back to exchange them. The guy behind the counter exchanged them without a problem and actually gave me the more expensive Dunlops for the same price of the other ones. It was only $2. but it made a very good impression on me.
Now strap locks are not a guitar so it's like comparing apples and oranges but chances are if you have a bunch of good employees that know their sh*t, chances are you'll have a better shopping experience.
Last week I purchased a set of strap locks for my new Rick. After looking at them I decided I wanted Dunlops instead. A week later I sent back to exchange them. The guy behind the counter exchanged them without a problem and actually gave me the more expensive Dunlops for the same price of the other ones. It was only $2. but it made a very good impression on me.
Now strap locks are not a guitar so it's like comparing apples and oranges but chances are if you have a bunch of good employees that know their sh*t, chances are you'll have a better shopping experience.
If he did pay with the card, wont the bank protect that purchase? You should call the bank. Listen people are different and Im sure GC's all over are different. I will admit I buy from MF and never had a problem. Many times they drop ship from the factory. I have purchased a MM Stingray5 from them, a Gibson Les Paul Classic, and a Geddy Lee and never had a issue. Im sure some will disagree and have had problems. Like I said it takes all kinds.
