Ordering online - The landscape is changing

[buldog5151bass]

Not all retail stores suck, but the stories from the good ones aren't as entertaining. Milford Music Studio was run by two brothers - one was a great professional bassist bassist. Back in the 80s, they had Bag End, Genz Benz and similar amps, all sorts of basses - Fender Pedulla, etc. A great place to buy, get information, get lessons, or just hang out.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Back in the 80s, they had Bag End, Genz Benz and similar amps, all sorts of basses - Fender Pedulla, etc. A great place to buy, get information, get lessons, or just hang out.

Sounds like the old Guitar Center of yore.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Sounds like the old Guitar Center of yore.

Also the East Coast Music Mall, in Danbury.

 

[Alik]

Never used Sweetwater.
Never will.

 

[Diamond_Dave]

my husband and i were treated to a 21 year old sales guy trying to show us how much more he knew than we did about guitars, so we didn't stay long.

 

[tripp2k]

The buyer paying return shipping is likely due to the YouTube jockeys out there who want to record their generally lame demo of their purchase and then return the item because they've accomplished their mission. This is abuse.

There is one retailer who has reported an 80% return rate. They also happen to have the lowest prices on the market for things like pedals. The offenders yell and scream about the change in policy and I just laugh at these a&)holes.

I own and operate a small business and an 80% return rate would kill my business both in time and money. To all you YouTube demo guys who created this problem, <#}|| off.

 

[tripp2k]

Everything at my local GC is an 'open box'.
I asked for a discount on some things because they showed signs of use,
either from being on display or having been bought and returned, and the response was
"We can't do it, because then we'd have to do it on everything in the store".

Musician's Friend (and everyone else under the Guitar Center umbrella) ship from the same warehouse of misfit toys as the mothership. If you're going to buy used, buy from another musician and get a better deal.

 

[soulman969]

BTW - their policies basically state no hassle returns. This implies the policy is for ppl to test drive

I disagree completely. It simply means you have the right to return the item.

I doesn't mean there will be no cost involved doing it or that it should be seen as an encouragement to take things for a "test drive". Even GC will eventually restrict those who abuse their return privilege and in reality it is a privilege not an open ended Constitutional guarantee.

 

[CallMeAl]

I've never been much for online shopping. I'll buy little stuff from MF and the like; strings, tuners, parts, etc.... but prefer to get amps and guitars in person. (Bought 1 amp online last year, GC used, and I love it! Ordered my first mail order bass this week; reverb as- is, so no return for me!)

I'll probably be spending more time in local shops now.

I hope this is true for a lot of us. With online retail destroying local economies, I'd like to think the scales are tipping back a little. I've recently moved to a smaller town, with a smaller guitar shop, and I really like to support them whenever possible.

 

[Thumpr]

Even GC will eventually restrict those who abuse their return privilege and in reality it is a privilege not an open ended Constitutional guarantee.

^This^
It's a music store, not Zappos.
Actually just read that language almost verbatim on the GC site as I am contemplating what to do about a used item I bought from them online last week that was somewhat misrepresented and has some unexpected issues.

 

[Vinnie Boombatz]

So again, here's the challenge. I desire an item Has great reviews etc. However it's something local retailers don't carry. I receive it, and it's nothing like the reviews. I should just eat the purchase? Again I'm not objecting to paying to return, I'm objecting to me paying for something they are calling "free" (the cost to ship to me)

And as far as whining about it being advertised as free shipping and then having to cover return shipping if you don't like it, let's be real here. Pretty much all of these retailers have it expressly written that they cover free shipping to you, and if you don't like it for any reason other than a manufacturing issue, you're on the hook for the return shipping, and in some cases they will ALSO charge you for the cost of shipping it to you as well. Read the retailers' policies regarding shipping and returns, and if you're not happy with their policies(s) go elsewhere and stop the whining and complaining.

 

[AboutSweetSue]

It never dawned upon me that people use MF/SW as a platform for test runs.

 

[AcridSaint]

I gotta say that I'm still dumbfounded that more people aren't buying from Musiciansfriend. IT'S THE SAME EXACT INSTRUMENTS YOU'RE GETTING in these other online stores. I get passionate about this for 2 reasons.

1. I don't ever want MF to go out of business.
2. I want to help my fellow bass players.​

At Musiciansfriend you can pretty much always get 15% off (you just have to be willing to call), PLUS and additional 8% if you join their backstage pass club. That's 23% off. Now with the sales tax thing, that's another 9%!

I just bought an American Performer Mustang.

It cost me $938 at Musiciansfriend, after the 15% and 8% Backstage Pass that I'll use to get strings.

If I bought it at elsewhere it would cost me $1,308.

I would have to be a complete fool to spend $370 more.

I don't get it.

I like my Sweetwater rep, he does right by me and will always try to beat MF pricing. I don't get the points from them, but he does me deals on stuff that MF just won't budge on. They also carry some different gear. I shop at both.

 

[Edarnott]

Personaly i think you are actually out of line expecting them to refund the full price, it was free shipping to you the buyer when it shipped, you played it and dont like it. Dont see where they should supply you a new bass to try out. Pay the shipping and be glad there is not a restocking fee.

 

[Passinwind]

Personaly i think you are actually out of line expecting them to refund the full price, it was free shipping to you the buyer when it shipped, you played it and dont like it. Dont see where they should supply you a new bass to try out. Pay the shipping and be glad there is not a restocking fee.

"The large print giveth and the small print taketh away" --Tom Waits

 

[shaggy45]

I buy most of my stuff here or reverb or the gear page. I don't usually buy amps used though. When I bought my svt heritage with the matching 8x10 I talked to my sweet water rep about any discounts and he cut me a deal. I've never had problems with sweet water and they ship fast. I've also never had problems with zzsounds or musicians friend. I'm not a fan of getting calls, but at least I know they are paying attention. Also I like the fact that sweet water posts the weight. To me that saves a return right there.

 

[Pops OB]

I just steal everything. Shipping is free that way.

 

[3bc]

I gotta say that I'm still dumbfounded that more people aren't buying from Musiciansfriend. IT'S THE SAME EXACT INSTRUMENTS YOU'RE GETTING in these other online stores. I get passionate about this for 2 reasons.

1. I don't ever want MF to go out of business.
2. I want to help my fellow bass players.​

At Musiciansfriend you can pretty much always get 15% off (you just have to be willing to call), PLUS and additional 8% if you join their backstage pass club. That's 23% off. Now with the sales tax thing, that's another 9%!

I just bought an American Performer Mustang.

It cost me $938 at Musiciansfriend, after the 15% and 8% Backstage Pass that I'll use to get strings.

If I bought it at elsewhere it would cost me $1,308.

I would have to be a complete fool to spend $370 more.

I don't get it.

I discovered MFs deals this holiday season and already bought a digitakt, a Peterson strobe clip (was free from digitakt points I earned) and a mono m80 gig bag. I knew MF from back in the 90's and moved away from considering them, but they are now my go to. After I bought the digitakt a guy called me telling me he wanted to be my sales rep and he would always get me better deals than are published online. What is not to like?

 

[N4860]

i have no objection to paying the return shipping. It's that they put a value on the cost to get it to me. That they won't refund when you return.example - $250 instrument with "free shipping" - on the invoice they say the value of free is $11.25. If I return the instrument I get a credit of $239.75

It costs money to ship..I'm not sure I understand why you think that you should get free shipping to return an item. The free shipping is to get it to you. It doesn't cover unlimited shipping of the item to wherever you want to ship it in the future.

If you plan on supporting only local shops, be prepared to pay a lot more than just $11.25 (+tax) above the online retailer price. Brick and mortar shops are going to have way higher fixed costs for their shop and will have to charge customers accordingly.

 

[N4860]

I honestly can't believe anyone would expect that delivery would be free to return an item (except if it is defective).