Muscian's Friend? Really??

[dbsfgyd1]

Dern, if this isn’t biggest bag of cow puckey... Good for you for sending it back. I’d take a pick and contact a manager at Muscians and explain what you just went through is a classic case of bait and switch and unless a brand new Mark Bass doesn’t show up on your door step like now, you are filing a criminal complaint.

Did you get your money back?

 

[Joecooch]

Sure, I would say "Open Box" is the new "Call for price". All are used for sure.

Back in the day an "Open Box" was usually from a music store that took one back within a few days for whatever reason. Now, it's the biggest catch all on sites like eBay and Reverb. Someone buys a new piece of gear, plays it for month, or 2, or 3, decides he doesn't like it, lays it in the box and takes a picture. Magically it's now an open box. Some unsuspecting knucklehead buys it thinking he's getting an almost new piece of gear. It arrives with no books, no warranty cards, in a non factory box. In reality possibly months old and well played.

I bought a Lakland Bass on Reverb, advertised as an open box by a mom & pop shop in the mid-west. Messaged the seller and asked all the right question. It arrives. It looked great. I was playing it, took it off to put on a stand and the light hit the back in just the right angle. Swirls! This bass has been buffed. I took off the back plate. Polishing compound!! Flipped it over and looked at the frets. I could see tiny hairline scratches following the frets. Someone had tried to clean up the frets with a fret eraser or something similar. I pulled the strings back around "C" on the "A" string and there it was. Fret wear. Minor but still there. To me it looked like about a years worth of play time that someone tried to cover up. Poorly I might add. I called Lakland in Chicago and based on the serial number the bass was 2 years old. I messaged the seller. No reply x3. What a surprise, right? Thank god for PayPal. I photographed everything and emailed it to them. It took about 3 weeks but they got me every dime back, plus the seller had to pay return shipping. Don't get me wrong. It was a nice used bass, just not what I paid for and not what it was advertised as. So beware on "open box" deals. They may not be a deal at all.

 

[dponbass]

Back in the day an "Open Box" was usually from a music store that took one back within a few days for whatever reason. Now, it's the biggest catch all on sites like eBay and Reverb. Someone buys a new piece of gear, plays it for month, or 2, or 3, decides he doesn't like it, lays it in the box and takes a picture. Magically it's now an open box. Some unsuspecting knucklehead buys it thinking he's getting an almost new piece of gear. It arrives with no books, no warranty cards, in a non factory box. In reality possibly months old and well played.

I bought a Lakland Bass on Reverb, advertised as an open box by a mom & pop shop in the mid-west. Messaged the seller and asked all the right question. It arrives. It looked great. I was playing it, took it off to put on a stand and the light hit the back in just the right angle. Swirls! This bass has been buffed. I took off the back plate. Polishing compound!! Flipped it over and looked at the frets. I could see tiny hairline scratches following the frets. Someone had tried to clean up the frets with a fret eraser or something similar. I pulled the strings back around "C" on the "A" string and there it was. Fret wear. Minor but still there. To me it looked like about a years worth of play time that someone tried to cover up. Poorly I might add. I called Lakland in Chicago and based on the serial number the bass was 2 years old. I messaged the seller. No reply x3. What a surprise, right? Thank god for PayPal. I photographed everything and emailed it to them. It took about 3 weeks but they got me every dime back, plus the seller had to pay return shipping. Don't get me wrong. It was a nice used bass, just not what I paid for and not what it was advertised as. So beware on "open box" deals. They may not be a deal at all.

Yeah, that too. I see more open box/demo labels applied to show room gear to sell below MAP but certainly it can work both ways. The "open box" bag I got was new, still in the factory wrapping and not opened. But, I totally see where sellers come from the other end and try to make up ground on something far less than just an open box.

 

[MordBass]

Back in the day an "Open Box" was usually from a music store that took one back within a few days for whatever reason. Now, it's the biggest catch all on sites like eBay and Reverb. Someone buys a new piece of gear, plays it for month, or 2, or 3, decides he doesn't like it, lays it in the box and takes a picture. Magically it's now an open box. Some unsuspecting knucklehead buys it thinking he's getting an almost new piece of gear. It arrives with no books, no warranty cards, in a non factory box. In reality possibly months old and well played.

I bought a Lakland Bass on Reverb, advertised as an open box by a mom & pop shop in the mid-west. Messaged the seller and asked all the right question. It arrives. It looked great. I was playing it, took it off to put on a stand and the light hit the back in just the right angle. Swirls! This bass has been buffed. I took off the back plate. Polishing compound!! Flipped it over and looked at the frets. I could see tiny hairline scratches following the frets. Someone had tried to clean up the frets with a fret eraser or something similar. I pulled the strings back around "C" on the "A" string and there it was. Fret wear. Minor but still there. To me it looked like about a years worth of play time that someone tried to cover up. Poorly I might add. I called Lakland in Chicago and based on the serial number the bass was 2 years old. I messaged the seller. No reply x3. What a surprise, right? Thank god for PayPal. I photographed everything and emailed it to them. It took about 3 weeks but they got me every dime back, plus the seller had to pay return shipping. Don't get me wrong. It was a nice used bass, just not what I paid for and not what it was advertised as. So beware on "open box" deals. They may not be a deal at all.

Yea, I know it's been argued to death here and there but the "used vs demo vs new vs open" thing is still very present.
I remember laughing at SamAsh when I was looking at a PRS and they wanted full price for it since it was "new". Swirl marks on the back, fret wear, small chip on the headstock, and the serial dictated it was 4 years old.

The worst part to me is that people want to play the actual instrument they're getting because they all feel different. So basically, the industry is being rewarded for having poor consistency.

 

[labeledbass]

This is the same situation with Cabela's Sporting Goods and Bass Pro, I just ordered something from BP and the return address is Cabela's. I have bought, a open box bass even, from Musician's Friend and it worked out very well, albeit 4 years ago but nonetheless. I haven't read all the comments but I hope you get what you're looking for

 

[HarveyRobertson]

So last week I ordered a new Markbass Little Mark 250 Blackline amp head through Musician's "Friend." I was really looking forward to the amp head and even dusted off a place for it (I never dust). Today, I get a plain, brown cardboard box from Guitar Center (#217, Dublin California). "What's this?" I say, as I had not ordered anything from Guitar Center (#217, Dublin California).

I opened the box to find a clearly used, unboxed, dinged up, Markbass Little Mark 250 Blackline amp head. No paperwork. No invoice. Nothing but bubblewrap and a 'scratch and dent' Markbass head covered in fingerprints from Guitar Center ......#217...... Dublin, California.

I called Musicians "Friend" and was told that they partner with Guitar Center and that there have been issues with Guitar Center sending floor demos and used items out as new. Wow. I get that I'm not Phil Lesh or Marcus Miller; that I'm just one of the 'unwashed masses' but seriously Musicians "Friend" and Guitar Center (#217, Dublin California) this ain't right.

So instead of irritating the wife with mediocre bass playing at full volume through my new Markbass amp head, I am wrapping this paperweight back up in its bubble wrap, putting it back in its brown cardboard box and sending it on its way.

Musicians "Friend" ain't getting any more coin from this guy. I'll stick with Sweetwater, where I have had really good products and service.

Seriously, I get that a lot of musicians like their guitars and basses to have the relic treatment, but I don't expect a brand new piece of electronic equipment to be relic'd as well. The yellow font on Markbass is bad enough...

Same thing happened to me 3 weeks ago. Amp was purchased as new but when I received it, the box was taped up and the staples were not there just the holes for the staples. When I unboxed it and looked at it, the cover of the amp was about an 1/8" opened at the top. I immediately returned for a replacement. The GC representative apologized for it. But they got my money when I ordered and I had to wait 9 days for the return to process before they shipped another.. I'll never buy again through GC.