Don't get me wrong, I agree with you for sure. Most of my "new" purchases have arrived as opened but flawless.
Maybe someone who sells new gear online can chime in as to their perspective on the whole thing.
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New means NEW .... right?
- Thread starter TheBlueFalcon
- Start date
Don't get me wrong, I agree with you for sure. Most of my "new" purchases have arrived as opened but flawless.
Maybe someone who sells new gear online can chime in as to their perspective on the whole thing.
In my mind- display=new.
Especially in a smaller store.
I used to think otherwise and get wound up if a cab had tiny marks etc...
But life is too short.
Especially in a smaller store.
I used to think otherwise and get wound up if a cab had tiny marks etc...
But life is too short.
Sweetwater removes (most/many) guitars/basses for photos of the actual instrument + a setup. OP also mentioned he’s in the UK ordering stateside here in the US. Have you checked to see if customs is opening up the box/case?
My wife has sent envelopes with crafty little googly eyes on a card or a souvenir penny in them from US—Canada that get torn open and inspected by customs, and most boxes (books etc) at Xmas do too. The package always make it, but they never go unscathed.
If wood species is an issue or customs/clearance needs to check out other stuff (see if there’s more than listed in the box), this may be why you’re getting an open box or it looks like the instrument has been handled each time you order... this is of course if you’re not purchasing from a place that sets up/photographs actual instruments with each sale... then it’s surely opened and handled. As far as damaged, it can be a mystery if customs is involved. If not, then no definitely not customary - new is new, with exceptions.
Sorry to hear about your troubles brother.
If already solved, pls disregard.
My wife has sent envelopes with crafty little googly eyes on a card or a souvenir penny in them from US—Canada that get torn open and inspected by customs, and most boxes (books etc) at Xmas do too. The package always make it, but they never go unscathed.
If wood species is an issue or customs/clearance needs to check out other stuff (see if there’s more than listed in the box), this may be why you’re getting an open box or it looks like the instrument has been handled each time you order... this is of course if you’re not purchasing from a place that sets up/photographs actual instruments with each sale... then it’s surely opened and handled. As far as damaged, it can be a mystery if customs is involved. If not, then no definitely not customary - new is new, with exceptions.
Sorry to hear about your troubles brother.
If already solved, pls disregard.
If I am paying new price I expect it to look new and have everything with it a new one is supposed to have. Otherwise there should be some kind of applicable discount.
That sounds depressing.
Did you not ask the relevant question(s) prior to ordering?
That said; Vendors may well take the basses out of the box
1) because they have no room to store all those boxes( one place I like a lot could make this case quite convincingly)
2) to check it arrived ok
3) to give it a proper set up.
Would these three situations disqualify a bass, in your view?
Could you have gone to pick up in person to make sure as most people buying instruments , I know would do?
Good luck!
I've only bought one of my basses "new" and that is my Warwick Alien acoustic bass. It felt and played like butter when I first got it. Other than the Alien, I've bought/sold somewhere over 10 basses in between then. Having a "new" bass is an awesome feeling but I tend to trust used instruments simply because I have a used music store near me so I can actually play the instrument rather than having a Guitar Center and only playing Fender and Music Man basses.
If it's returned in new condition, tags still on, protective plastic, etc, selling it as 'new' is the price paid for a generous return policy. It's not really right, but neither is 'buying' a new bass with little or no intention of keeping it
Imagine if you went to put a warranty claim in on an instrument that you purchased as new, only to find out that the SN was registered to another person, and the manufacturer claims you bought it used.
That’s fun. Happened to my guitar player years ago.
That’s fun. Happened to my guitar player years ago.
A bit hard to check how a bass sounds and feels if it is still in its box, and I won't buy without checking those things first.
As long as the instrument is in apparently new condition and I am the first owner (after the retailer) I consider it new.
As long as the instrument is in apparently new condition and I am the first owner (after the retailer) I consider it new.
How do you know what happened to the bass before you got it?
I've been dealing with Sweetwater and they seem to be upfront about what they are selling. I bought a display p-bass V pro that was supposed to be a display model with some scratches. It was $300 off and I never did find the scratches.
I don't know if I've ever owned a truly new instrument, but I have bought two 'new' basses and several new guitars. Of the basses, one was a MM Sterling bought from the USA and the other from a local brick and mortar in Aus. Honestly I don't know if the bass from the US was ever on a wall (it looked brand new) and the one in mu local shop was definitely off the wall, which to me was totally underatandable from a small business perspective.
I have also bought a couple high end guitars local and I honestly don't expect a small boutique/niche store to hold more than one $5-6000 guitar at a time.. For more mill of the run instruments I can understand wanting it fresh out of the box I suppose. It's never really bothered me to be honest.
I have also bought a couple high end guitars local and I honestly don't expect a small boutique/niche store to hold more than one $5-6000 guitar at a time.. For more mill of the run instruments I can understand wanting it fresh out of the box I suppose. It's never really bothered me to be honest.
I don't see how they stay in business.
Years ago I used to frequent another forum, and these kids were talking about how they "buy" gear online for the sole purpose of reviewing it, and then return it because the the music stores offered free shipping. They had no intention of keeping the stuff they bought, and no consideration for the music stores.
So yeah, some music stores may re-define "new" to suit their needs, but I can't say that I blame them.
Years ago I used to frequent another forum, and these kids were talking about how they "buy" gear online for the sole purpose of reviewing it, and then return it because the the music stores offered free shipping. They had no intention of keeping the stuff they bought, and no consideration for the music stores.
So yeah, some music stores may re-define "new" to suit their needs, but I can't say that I blame them.
As long as my OCD doesn't flare up too bad, I'm learning these can be greatly discounted.
Believe me... they don't want it back. They want to finalize the transaction, having you keep it. The more it's handled, the more it costs them...
... at least, for now.
I’ve gotten unopened “new in box” instruments several times from various retailers. Usually those who have restrictions on returns or charge restocking fees. Both policies go a long way towards weeding out the tire kickers and jerks. So I think a lot depends on what you’re ordering and who you’re getting it from.
If you’re ordering Fender’s latest hot new bass de jour from somebody like GC, the odds of getting a returned one go up since, as others mentioned, there’s a lot of “catch & release” types out there who are abusing return policies. I know one guy who was notorious for doing that.
Now this is a guy who can barely make his rent each month because he can never seem to hold a job very long. (And it’s always somebody else’s fault why he quit or got canned.) But despite that he’d constantly be ordering stuff and using it. And he’d always return everything within the grace period.
It finally reached the point where one of the majors shut him off, and a couple of the other big online sellers will now only do business with him on an “all sales final” basis. He was highly offended by this. Because he maintained it was their policy. And since he was “taking them at their word,” he was “behaving honorably” and therefore “wasn’t doing anything wrong.”
Last I heard he’s now trying to get some of his acquaintances to order things for him under their names. Doubt anybody’s that stupid. But you never know.
Bottom line: Play games with people and they soon start playing games with you. And all it takes is a relatively small number of beaters to get the ball rolling.
We get the world we deserve.
If you’re ordering Fender’s latest hot new bass de jour from somebody like GC, the odds of getting a returned one go up since, as others mentioned, there’s a lot of “catch & release” types out there who are abusing return policies. I know one guy who was notorious for doing that.
Now this is a guy who can barely make his rent each month because he can never seem to hold a job very long. (And it’s always somebody else’s fault why he quit or got canned.) But despite that he’d constantly be ordering stuff and using it. And he’d always return everything within the grace period.
It finally reached the point where one of the majors shut him off, and a couple of the other big online sellers will now only do business with him on an “all sales final” basis. He was highly offended by this. Because he maintained it was their policy. And since he was “taking them at their word,” he was “behaving honorably” and therefore “wasn’t doing anything wrong.”
Last I heard he’s now trying to get some of his acquaintances to order things for him under their names. Doubt anybody’s that stupid. But you never know.
Bottom line: Play games with people and they soon start playing games with you. And all it takes is a relatively small number of beaters to get the ball rolling.
We get the world we deserve.
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Most sellers (Like Sweetwater) do a setup on the bass when they get it. So the box will have been opened in most cases. Welcome to the world of bass though.
I'm in agreement here. Keeping along those same lines of thinking, when you go buy a car, it never has 0 miles on it. I think the lowest I have ever seen a new car was 40 miles (my wife's most recent car, they had just gotten it in inventory the week before). So if we go by the OP's thinking then new cars are not really new anymore either. They are all used.
I'm with Buldog, as long as it has the factory warranty, has all the stuff with it (case, tools, etc), and has no marks, then its new.
