Yeah, it's more trustworthy to buy used from someone on talkbass than it is to buy new online!
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Musician's Friend has become the WORST!
- Thread starter jjbb123
- Start date
I wonder how many times this same bass has been sent to a customer and then returned? That can quickly add up to a lot of money wasted on shipping. No wonder they are struggling.
Here's the worst part: I just contacted them AGAIN for a refund. They made me send them tracking for the bass that is already returned to them and a screen shot!
And THEN he told me they have 1 in stock now all of a sudden! I'm sure MY return that's defective!
He said "well, we don't know that on our end. We just know we have one in stock" so they would've sent me the defective one back!! This place is a mess!!
It used to have good experiences. Bought a ton of stuff, instruments, Aguilar rigs, etc. and was all good. For me this has been in the last few years.
JazznFunk
Supporting Member
I have been a loyal Musician's Friend customer since I started playing and recording in 1997. Not once have I ever had a problem with a purchase that was their fault directly... usually it was UPS or FedEx that screwed something up, and MF did their best to make it right as much as was in their control. The last bass I bought from them was last year, a new Sterling StingRay with a roasted maple neck. It shipped to me from a local Guitar Center just an hour down the road, so it got here FAST. The bass was in great shape and perfectly set up. Was it a floor model? I have no idea. But the experience was good. That being said, inventory is paltry right now compared with a year ago at this same time, so they're probably doing the best they can.... but your experience is unacceptable, and anyone else's experience who bought a NEW bass and got something that was.... not at all new. At this point, if I needed a bass, I'd buy directly from the manufacturer.... who knows what the warehouses are like with pretty much any online retailer... even Sweetwater. Amps seem to be a safe bet with Musician's Friend still.... I bought 2 from them in the past 2 years and all is well.
This happened to me with GC. I bought a new Markbass head a while back and they sent me a clearly used floor demo tossed in a generic cardboard box with no paperwork. I returned it to the local GC and won't purchase anything of actual value from them anymore. Straps, cords, and other nickel-and-dime items...that's about it. And I swear my blood pressure goes up at least 30 points trying to get any actual human to assist me in person at my local GC....but that's another rant.
"...This just in: Musician's Friend changes its name to Musician's Enemy...details at 11..."
With Friends like that, who needs predatory lenders…?
I still buy things from Musician's Friend, and they get here fast because I live in Missouri. Even with tax I end up paying less than the other company mentioned most often. My guy actually returns my emails fast; not so the other company. I can't buy something if they ignore my email. I've been waiting since yesterday for an answer to a question about an item MF doesn't carry. I still wouldn't order a guitar from Musician's Friend or Guitar Center. For that, I'd stick with the other company.
So I contacted sales via the chat to ask if they had a serial number for that model they have in stock suddenly. Just to be safe. Since it's been out for a week and a half.
sales said they have NO way of knowing serial numbers of any of their stuff. But would be happy to sell me the bass.
then when I told them I just returned a defective one that they KNOW is defective and wanted to make sure it wasn't that one….no response. Twice.
sales said they have NO way of knowing serial numbers of any of their stuff. But would be happy to sell me the bass.
then when I told them I just returned a defective one that they KNOW is defective and wanted to make sure it wasn't that one….no response. Twice.
Oh, c'mon, that's a bit harsh. How about "Musician's Frenemy"? ..."...This just in: Musician's Friend changes its name to Musician's Enemy...details at 11..."
Guitar Center entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 2020.
They've since exited bankruptcy, but their finances are still a mess.
I've purchased items that were "on sale" from Musicians Friend and Guitar Center previously.
I tried to buy a new Ashdown amp that seemed like a really good deal though Musicians Friend. The product said it was in stock, but they called me to say it had been discontinued. I contacted Ashdown and Mark Gooday responded to me saying that the item was indeed not discontinued. So it seems they just weren't honoring their sale prices.
I tried to order another item on sale from guitar center. A DigiTech cabdryVR cab simulator. It was priced about 75 percent off usual price, and I ordered it online because it said it was in stock. My order was cancelled without any contact from guitar center. The sale was still going on at that point, and the item still said in stock, so I ordered it again and the order was cancelled again.
At this point I don't trust either company to honor their sales prices, and I only ever buy from the guitar center used section, and only if I find something priced well below market value. Even then I expect to potentially return things because of undisclosed damage or general misrepresentation of the product.
They have pretty crappy business practices, but sometimes one of their uniformed employees buys an instrument from an uniformed customer and if you catch the online posting early enough you can get a guitar worth $1000 for only $400.
I tried to buy a new Ashdown amp that seemed like a really good deal though Musicians Friend. The product said it was in stock, but they called me to say it had been discontinued. I contacted Ashdown and Mark Gooday responded to me saying that the item was indeed not discontinued. So it seems they just weren't honoring their sale prices.
I tried to order another item on sale from guitar center. A DigiTech cabdryVR cab simulator. It was priced about 75 percent off usual price, and I ordered it online because it said it was in stock. My order was cancelled without any contact from guitar center. The sale was still going on at that point, and the item still said in stock, so I ordered it again and the order was cancelled again.
At this point I don't trust either company to honor their sales prices, and I only ever buy from the guitar center used section, and only if I find something priced well below market value. Even then I expect to potentially return things because of undisclosed damage or general misrepresentation of the product.
They have pretty crappy business practices, but sometimes one of their uniformed employees buys an instrument from an uniformed customer and if you catch the online posting early enough you can get a guitar worth $1000 for only $400.
The best is how today the guy was gonna try and sell me the defective one I just sent back to them! As brand new! Again. Such a mess!
Probably the best deal you're going to get from them in all honesty. A refund seems like the only option at this point. I've had them try to force me into eating shipping costs before too.
Well, I've definitely learned my lesson…that I should've learned the first time they were so shady!
