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Guitar Center at it again

#43
I'm done trying to buy at GC. Called them when I saw a T-40 I wanted bad, told they guy hold it I will be there in 2 hours.

on the way to the store guy calls me and says its been sold online. Well that's just great.

then another time I go to GC to buy a bass. spend about an hour figuring which one I wanted, took it up to the counter only to be told "sorry sir, this just came in on trade and you can't get it for 2 weeks."...again....greeeat.

I give up with them. IMO if its in the shop on floor I should be able to walk out with it.
 
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#45
It would be interesting to call and see if they have it available. I wonder if the salesperson wanted the bass for himself? It would bum me out to have a bass taken away as I wanted to buy it. Sounds like my luck bidding on Ebay.. You win some and lose some I guess.
 
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#48
Guitar Center has not failed me, yet. My local one happens to be reasonable, thus far, and my expectations are low.
That is one of many places where I go and presume to be treated like dirt. As a matter of corporate policy, customer service in giant retail chains is largely dead.

For instance, try walking into any Auto Zone in the country and getting a parts counter employee to grab a part from the back. There is a near 100% chance that the phone will ring and they will answer it either before they get to you, or in the middle of looking up your part. If you're lucky, they will put it the call on hold, but 50% chance says they will go to another computer and look up an entire list of parts for that phone call. You, someone who took the time to drive all the way to the store and waited in line because you intend to buy a part, take a backseat to some lazy dipstick who is sitting at home and can't figure out how to use the internet. Their mistake is assuming a customer in the store is already a certain sale, and that I won't walk out as soon as they choose to ignore me and answer that phone. Well, there is another red auto parts store across the street, and a blue one just down the road. See ya. /rant
 
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#49
Rib 13 said:
OK, try this one:

A few years ago I bought an Acoustic 2X10 combo from them. On the very first day I got it, I was loading it into the band equipment van and the tolex snagged on a raised screwhead of one of the PA cabinets and tore off a piece about two inches. Bummer, but that was my fault - just sucked that it happened on the first day I got it but I am working player (bass is my job) so such is life.

Anyway, the amp started farting out about a month-and-a-half later (EDIT - the first time it happened was at a job, and i wound up having to patch my bass through my vocal monitor for the rest of the night). I talked to GC about it, who said they couldnt do anything about it because I hadnt purchased their extended warranty. OK ( I get this, as this is their policy, but they made no attempt at my displeasure - just a "nothing we can do about it" and a cold-shoulder. This actually pissed me off, because - regardless of buying their warranty or not - they did nothing to try and make a customer happy. They could have at least provided me with a number to call for Acoustic or make some kind of suggestion what to do...I got none of this)...but, wait, there's more:

So I called Acoustic on my own. They heard my issue, and I further explained that I was a working player that needed a working amp. They asked me when the purchase was, in which I told them. Acoustic said that they will call the GC that I got the amp from, verify purchase date, and tell them to exchange it for a working one. (For the Record: THIS is Customer Service --- I have nothing but HIGH RESPECT and PRAISE for the way Acoustic handled this). There were no conditions or anything involved: They verified my purchase and apologized for the malfunctioning amp

So I bring the amp to the GC where I got it from.....The manager looks my amp over and sees the hole tore into the tolex.... The guy picks up the phone, calls Acoustic and attempts to thwart the arrangements I made directly with Acoustic: He tattle tales about the hole in the tolex ( which absolutely had nothing to do with anything) and asks Acoustic if I had told them about it and should they proceed with the exchange? REALLY? You wouldnt help me witrh a malfunctioning amp - I make arrangements with Acoustic directly and, now, you are going to try and throw me under the bus about a rip in the fukkin tolex that has absolutely nothing to do with anything?

GC can go F* Themselves
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I'm not sure I understand. Are you trying to talk me out of liking GC?
 
#51
Bodeanly said:
I'm not sure I understand. Are you trying to talk me out of liking GC?
Click to expand...

nope, not at all......Like them or not, GC does have a bad reputation and I knew that before I experienced my own ordeal. As a company, you think they would try to alleviate their reputation but apparently they don't care to do so and that, at least to me, speaks volumes....Relaying my Acoustic amp experience to you is just a warning: "When walking in a snake pit, Tread carefully" :)
 
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#52
I would never buy an instrument from them other than a new boxed product from Roland or Yamaha, etc.

But, this year I wanted to finish my studio so I shopped & shopped online because I wanted to package things to get a bundle deal. So I ended up with GC.

They're online info isn't the same as they see on their network and the guys in the store had to replicate my 'cart' all over again. They couldn't even print it out and the network was dog slow - they say it always is. Anyway I ended doing most the work for them and had to watch them like a hawk cause the screwed up everything, every step of the way.

If you're the largest MI retailer you ought to invest in a decent IT dept.
 
#55
Rib 13 said:
nope, not at all......Like them or not, GC does have a bad reputation and I knew that before I experienced my own ordeal.....Relaying the Acoustic amp experience to you is just a warning: "When walking in a snake pit, Tread carefully" :)
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Sorry you had a bad experience. I've been going to GC for years and the only bad experience I've ever had is reading these threads.
 
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#58
Jeff Scott said:
I may be the only to feel this way, but, the in-store customer should take precedence over the on-line customer. The OP was on his way to pay for the instrument, so the seller should have emailed the on-line guy and said, "Sorry, I wuz mistaken, the bass is already sold".
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Which would be a lie. If you are able to purchase it online it is yours. Most intelligent people would see through the lie because if its already sold the system won't let a second person also purchase it. So what do you do? Lie to someone and then reverse their transaction? What about opportunity cost? What if they passed by another deal because of this one? I think your approach is underhanded and disrespectful of the person who already put their money down.
 
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#59
Have you guys been to the Chicago Music Exchange? In fact, there are about 3 stores selling bass in the general vicinity of Evanston, IL and they all have a good general selection. The Chicago Music Exchange had what I wanted 2 years ago. The others have some nice basses too. Just gotta check them out!
 

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