Ordering online - The landscape is changing

[Dr_Benway]

Could never take the Sweetwater "sales engineers" or whatever they call them.

 

[MasterG]

I order from Sweetwater because my rep has never refused me at least a 15% discount,sometimes 20%,on anything Ive bought and as long as I order by noon,being in Ohio,its on my doorstep the next day. Out of the 1,000's Ive spent with them the only time I ever had a return was on a Charvel that the fret ends were like razor wire. They had a new one out the next day and the hand slicer picked up same time. On top of that if you want a big big ticket item you cant beat the 48mo 0% finacing specials they run 4 or 5 times a year.

 

[Cliff Colton]

How much discount do I get for promoting MF and bashing Sweetwater?

 

[SBassman]

Pound for pound, I Do think Sweetwater is currently the best online retailer. No nonsense, good prices, good selection, great service.

 

[Tommyc]

Never have I had a problem with a return with something off on an item from Musician's Friend. I also have avoided Sweetwater as I don't want something handled and "set up." Set up to whose specifications and handled by whom? Moreover I don't want "my guy" calling and asking me about my purchase or if I need strings. And really, I can buy my own Tootsie Rolls.

 

[pcake]

Thanks. That's very helpful info. I'd always just waited until GC sent me a 15% off coupon, and even that is not usable for a lot of name brands. I'll have to check out Backstage Pass. Woohoo!

often if you phone GC, MF or sam ash, they can give you the discount on the excluded brands. sam ash did it for me in live chat recently.

Yeah so allowing you access to their discounted shipping cost, allows you to return the bass for an incredibly low shipping price. Indeed, this indirectly means you are paying $30 to test out an instrument in your own home with all of your own gear. but......that's pretty amazing and worth $30. Especially when you consider the often very poor experience of testing instruments at Guitar Center (poor setups, out of tune, ambient noise, etc). or the fact that a relatively better, but probably smaller music store will only have a couple of handfuls of basses on hand. Unless you are lucky and have a local, bass specific shop. But those are rare and Seattle lost BassNW so.....

i just paid $16 to return a bass i got to try for hours and hours. it was well worth it.

 

[Kipp Harrington]

I always liked Sweetwater and other online vehicles for ordering online but, it seems like the landscape is changing for two reasons. One, they are now collecting sales tax for NY orders. The other, is if you return you have to pay for that "Free Shipping" that got the item to you.

It's understood, they're not at fault here because they are collecting tax according to law, and it's probably becoming a loser for them to accept returns. My challenge as a consumer though is it makes it difficult to try out instruments. I ordered an inexpensive ABG, now I'm returning it and it's going to cost me $25-30 to have checked it out. I'll probably be spending more time in local shops now. Challenge there is they don't have the product selection online does

What's a bass player to do?

So happy I'm 90 minutes from Sweetwater. Don't have to worry about sales tax and shipping implications. Plus, it's such a fantastic place to visit.

 

[buldog5151bass]

What confounds me is that people think a return policy is there for them to do test drives, it's not!! You return, you should have to pay for it, period end of story. Abuse of these policies is what drives prices up.

Agreed. Thank you for pointing this out.

If you return something that's not defective, you SHOULD have to pay for return shipping. The people who do this are the same people who complain when there is a smudge on the instrument they bought.

 

[JoeWPgh]

Something that needs to be noted is that if you return an item after a 'test drive' the seller takes another loss when it can only be sold as an 'open box'

 

[Hounddog409]

Because they gave me the worst service of any online vendor of anything ever. Pretty simple, no? View attachment 3325743

Personally, I can't see buying a bass or guitar without having it in my hands first. Different strokes.

I have never bought a bass site unseen before this week. Played a Thunderbird vintage pro at my local sam ash. Really likedit. But it was burst. I have a fender burst, and wanted one in black. They had only this one in stock.

Went on their web site and ordered one in black, got $120 off, and having it shipped to their store. So saved me a bit, like free case.

Yes, there is a chance I do not like this particular one, but if not I leave it there. No muss no fuss.

 

[wraub]

What bothers me is a store having a broad online inventory, but only stocking one brand (usually the house brand) at the store.
This actually prevented me from taking a trip to GC recently after a payday... they had what I wanted online, but not at the store, so a trip for cables that might have generated a bigger sale never happened. Just one example...

 

[faulknersj]

I always liked Sweetwater and other online vehicles for ordering online but, it seems like the landscape is changing for two reasons. One, they are now collecting sales tax for NY orders. The other, is if you return you have to pay for that "Free Shipping" that got the item to you.

It's understood, they're not at fault here because they are collecting tax according to law, and it's probably becoming a loser for them to accept returns. My challenge as a consumer though is it makes it difficult to try out instruments. I ordered an inexpensive ABG, now I'm returning it and it's going to cost me $25-30 to have checked it out. I'll probably be spending more time in local shops now. Challenge there is they don't have the product selection online does

What's a bass player to do?

Even if you could return it 'for free'...it's not free.

'Free delivery' is included in the price you pay...

 

[Turbo Sparky]

I always thought Guitar Center and Musicians Friend were the same company?
On-line? Sweetwater or Amazon.
Locally? There was a shop about 5 minutes from my house. It closed the end of December 2018; shopping center owner decided to re-face the old facades with a new one, and jacked the rent. After all, had to keep up with the Jones's when the '80's relic of a mall was razed for a spanking new one with a dine-in theater.
Now, drive 25 miles for a "local" shop because GC and Sam Ash just don't have the "hey, long time no see...how are the gigs...how are the kids...I remember what you said, so take a look at this/that..." community minded attitude/ambience. Usually, it's the "sorry, we don't stock that/this here, but we can get one for you in {fill in the time frame} so you can bring it back if you don't like it..."
On-line taxes: No comment.

 

[mark roberts]

I never got charged for anything I returned. Though I never returned anything unless it was damaged. I buy lots and lot and lots of stuff. I'd say about 10% of what I buy gets sent back or exchanged. The above mentioned Fender came with a dead neck pickup. I returned it, ordered another so I wouldn't have to wait, and got a complete refund on the first.

My experience with MF is that if you get something that you need to return because of their fault or even shipping damage, they will provide a prepaid shipping label. They have good clout (compared to us) with the transit companies they contract with to ensure and protect customer satisfaction. If you make a mistake, however, you will pay for return shipping unless an exception is made (and your demeanor, your interaction skills and your history with MF presented in an argument that includes questions and humility rather than accusations and threats goes a long way). Joe Nerve is spot on with MF. If you take the time, patience, reasonable persistence and have verifiable competitive information, you will be rewarded with likely the best price, free delivery and customer service for online ordering. Why? Their very existence depends on it.

 

[Passinwind]

I have never bought a bass site unseen before this week. Played a Thunderbird vintage pro at my local sam ash. Really likedit. But it was burst. I have a fender burst, and wanted one in black. They had only this one in stock.

Went on their web site and ordered one in black, got $120 off, and having it shipped to their store. So saved me a bit, like free case.

Yes, there is a chance I do not like this particular one, but if not I leave it there. No muss no fuss.

Good call, hope it pans out for you.

I played a few sweet basses at a guitar show once and eventually commissioned a fretless build of the same model. It's a killer bass and I've owned it for 15 years, but it was not exactly what I envisioned when I ordered it. Better in some ways, not so much in others. My last two I went and picked up at the luthier's shop, and he insisted that I gig with them before deciding.

One had been returned by an endorser and I was able to discuss the reasons for that with the endorser. The other one was built specifically for me, and is better than expected in every way. The chances of an online retailer topping that seem like nil, but we all do what we have to do.

 

[Kipp Harrington]

What bothers me is a store having a broad online inventory, but only stocking one brand (usually the house brand) at the store.
This actually prevented me from taking a trip to GC recently after a payday... they had what I wanted online, but not at the store, so a trip for cables that might have generated a bigger sale never happened. Just one example...

I've had too many "bad" experiences with GC. Done!

 

[Not yet]

Like you, I research before I buy, but I also buy with the understanding that if I simply "don't like" what I bought, or have buyers remorse (that never happens with me ), I'll pay return shipping. I kinda agree that on a return of a non defective instrument (or any return, if not an exchange) we should be liable for all shipping (to and from). It's the risk I take for the discount I know I'm getting by buying online.


Do you think an online company should pay shipping for you to test drive a bass?

Actually, yes

They have no overhead of local store though they do provide sales folks to help out, in case of Sweetwater top notch

I've gone into stores like BSD hellbent on buying a specific bass and walked out with something entirely different based on the fit and feel and if the instrument worked for me

This is the business model these folks have chosen and there are still admittedly old school folks like myself who with premium instruments want to try it out

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Yeah no doubt, just one question....

Is it considered gauche if you don't raise your little pinky up when holding those dainty little teacups?

Teacups in a cafe, yes, mugs in a caff, no.

 

[Turbo Sparky]

How much discount do I get for starting a TB thread with my friends promoting MF and bashing Sweetwater?

Read your comment, then went back and re-read others...sure seems that way.
I've ordered from both MF and GC, from instruments to amps... lack lustre service and even received one bass with dust on it...brand new. No thanks.
Sweetwater all day and night, twice on Sunday's. SW's business model and customer service should be emulated.

 

[Tony In Philly]

Last year I bought a Bluesound Vault 2, which is essentially a repository for all of one's CD's converted to .flac files. I had to do it due to the huge amount of CD's I have, and it retains the full audio spectrum, unlike some other formats.

So about two weeks ago I get a letter from seller saying that I had to pay sales tax on the item (it was priced at $1200). I had to add the sales tax amount to my state tax return due this coming April. I think this is a harbinger of things to come.