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Guitar Center just slapped me in the face!

progrmr

progrmr

Sep 3, 2008
778
30
Columbus, Ohio
#1
OMG...

So I am up there looking at 2 basses - a $659 Fender Jazz and a $279 Vintage Modified Jazz. I tell the guy - "look, I've got a 2002 MIM P-Bass, mint condition. I'm interested in trading in on one of these 2 basses..". Guy says "Bring it in" -

Now I've traded in guitars a GC before, a takamine acoustic got me $400! So I drive to my house (all this after working all day) and back with my bass. Takes me about an hour.

I get back, check the bass at the door with the guy and he says "let me go see what I can do on this, go ahead an pick which bass you want". So I go and play - I'm loving the Squire, but I really want the Fender Jazz. I'm playing and the guy comes over and guess what he says..

go ahead...guess...


"I can do $125 on your bass." - My mouth about fell to the ground...did he really just try to get my to trade my P-Bass for $125?? I immediately put the jazz back on the wall - guy must've figured I couldn't believe that low-ball because he says " but you can save 15% on this one...".

I said "no way - I can get $300 for this bass on CL, $250 at a minimum. I'll be sure to come back after I sell it."

I don't think I can shop there anymore...I mean, wow - that was a total slap in face IMO. Couldn't believe it.
 
#2
yeah guitar center makes me mad too. I live in Connecticut and all the people that work there think there better than everyone else and think there god at playing. I no what you mean though i bought an ampeg 6x10 bass amp and it between 600-800 at the time i go to sell it and the guy says o i cam give you 200 dollars. I said are you kidding me walked right out. They do it to everyone man not just you so dont worry.
 
#4
:: sigh ::

Search for some other recent threads on Guitar Center and other retailers and why it's not FINANCIALLY VIABLE for them to give top dollar or anywhere close for trades.

Essentially, they're a business in the business of making money. You're trade-in is a liability to them rather then an asset. They're not guaranteed to sell it, so they have to give bottom dollar in order to turn a profit.


.
 
#10
That's totally normal for any business taking a trade-in. It's not even about GC, and it's certainly not a slap in your face. That's just how trade-ins work in the real world. You want a better price? Sell independently. Going in to a store with a trade-in and then crying on the internet about how little money they offered you is frankly a slap in the face of normal mature business.
 
#11
sleepy_monkey said:
If they gave top $$ for used gear, you wouldn't be able to shop there next year.
Click to expand...

Exactly. What were you really expecting? That you got $400 for an acoustic means nothing unless we know the MSRP of that piece - and it could be you got lucky with a slow sales manager on duty.

Trading *anything* into a retailer is always a bad idea for you. Sell you bass here, the CL or the 'Bay and you'll get mo money - then you can buy a better bass somewhere OTHER than GC, which sucks no matter what.
 
#12
Guitar Center is hurtin as bad as everyone else in this economy. I'm not saying $125 is fair or not, but you can't sell your bass ANYWHERE for near what you could 6 months ago. It just sucks as a seller in this market.
 
#13
progrmr said:
Dude...$125 for a mint 2002 MIM P-bass? I don't know what you're smokin' but that freakin' rip-off!

Not to mention that if he gave me $300 I was going to buy the Jazz for $659! Instead they got a po'd person that might not be a customer anymore.
Click to expand...
If he gave you $300, he'd make the profit on the Jazz and then NO profit on the MIM. No point from a business standpoint as the next guy will walk in and buy the jazz for $659 and not saddle them with a bass they have to sell but won't make money on.

Mike
 
#14
progrmr said:
Dude...$125 for a mint 2002 MIM P-bass? I don't know what you're smokin' but that freakin' rip-off!

Not to mention that if he gave me $300 I was going to buy the Jazz for $659! Instead they got a po'd person that might not be a customer anymore.
Click to expand...

Market price for your bass in the most serious economic crisis of the past 50 years = $250.00 (maybe)

ANY pawn shop (and GC acts as a pawn shop on trades) pays 1/3 of the market value for anything. That'd be 84 bucks...

Sorry if that makes you mad, but these are the facts...

And no, I don't smoke, thanks...
 
#15
progrmr said:
Dude...$125 for a mint 2002 MIM P-bass? I don't know what you're smokin' but that freakin' rip-off!
Click to expand...

It's not a rip off. They gave you an offer that was in their best interest, you wanted something in your best interest and a deal wasn't made. If you know you can get more for it elsewhere, then sell it elsewhere. It's nothing personal, don't take it as such. It's business.
 

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