Ordering online - The landscape is changing

[Thumpr]

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...

+1
The local GC here in the SoCal desert has a couple pieces of Markbass that live there year in and year out with a half dozen fender rumbles to fill out the floor, and unless you want ibby there are maybe three or four basses north of $600. (Aside: It's not a big store but it did put my good friend Randy's store, Musicians Outlet out of biz which probably contributed to his early demise... always feel funny going in there. R.I.P. bro)

 

[Bassist Jay]

One of the things I don't like about online sales is you run the risk of buying new, old stock. I bought a new bass online and when it arrived, I found out it was 4 years old and had been sitting in their warehouse. They didn't want to discount the price any more and they had no way of contacting the warehouse and requesting a new instrument from that model year be shipped to me. As a result, I now order the instruments new and the store I go to gives me 20% off and free shipping.

 

[Joe Nerve]

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

For me it would be selfish and unethical to order something to check it out and expect them to pay shipping both ways. Everybody, except me, loses in that situation. And in a number of different ways.

If someone doesnt like buying sight unseen, then they shouldn't.

 

[bombpop14]

Joe, I just want to know which color Mustang you got...

For me it would be selfish and unethical to order something to check it out and expect them to pay shipping both ways. Everybody, except me, loses in that situation, and in a number of different ways.

 

[BobKos]

$20-30 to have a bass shipped to you so you can try it out. That's cheap.

I agree 100%. I challenge anybody to ship a bass over 300 miles for less than $40. Won't happen. Take that X2 for a returned item. Plus open box depreciation, paying someone to take order, process return, ship, receive return, inspect return. THEN - resell the item over again covering many of the steps above again. Oh - and margin is HOW MUCH on sub $2000 basses? They do have to make money on the deal too...

I have no problem paying shipping or other restocking charges if I buy / return an item that is not defective.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Joe, I just want to know which color Mustang you got...

White.

My P/J is seafoam pearl. $399 at Adorama. Yes!

 

[buldog5151bass]

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

No. If you want to try something out and return it, that is EXACTLY why you pay shipping.

 

[Rojd]

I purchase a lot from Musician's Friend and have had mostly good, solid experiences. With a couple of exceptions, I haven't done well ordering instruments from them, getting basses with defects/damage(luck of the draw on my part). I returned every one of them and they gave me a free return shipping label. I've had a couple of pedals that worked fine but didn't agree with my bass, so I returned them on my dime, which is fine. Just this past week I received a pedal that was a complete dud, and they gave me a free return shipping. Seems fair.

They used to not charge sales tax here in CO, but that changed this year. So, all's even now.

 

[LT131]

I don't disagree but, how do you know if the product is to your liking without checking it out? In this case, I read extremely positive reviews but, when I got it, seemed nothing like I thought it would be. BTW - their policies basically state no hassle returns. This implies the policy is for ppl to test drive

Keep dreaming! Shipping os not free for these companies.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Use tax - Wikipedia

 

[felis]

Yes, it's an open box and has to be discounted.

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".

 

[Chrisk-K]

I'll be happy as long as MF and zZounds are in business.

 

[brianrost]

it seems like the landscape is changing for two reasons. One, they are now collecting sales tax for NY orders.

I ordered some music software from Germany and was charged MA state sales tax.

Oh yeah, starting last year I've gotten 1099s from Paypal for stuff I sold.

The free ride is ending, folks...

It is one of the reasons I like GC. If I have it shipped to the store, there is never a charge and if I don't take it, they never charge me for the return shipping.

Every time I asked my local GC about a ship to store item I was told I would had to buy it first and I couldn't get a refund if I didn't like it...***!! The only exception was getting used stuff sent from another GC here in Mass.

 

[Kmonk]

Isn't the accepted method to go to a physical store with no intention to buy when you want to check it out, then buy online?

I've never gone to store to try something and then purchased it online.

 

[vegas532]

I gotta say that I'm still dumbfounded that more people aren't buying from Musiciansfriend.
[/QUOTE

Musician's Friend is still under the umbrella as GC and seeing as I was in several situations at several locations where GC employees were openly ableist to me and management didn't care (GC San Bernardino barred me from returning for complaining to corporate in the situation, in fact), I'll spend DOUBLE anywhere else.

 

[Hambone70]

Always had stellar service from SW.

 

[Cousin Iggy]

The free ride is ending, folks...

^that

 

[Magthegrate]

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.

Isn't Musiciansfriend owned by Guitar Center? I haven't compared pricing between them, I always assumed it'd be the same.

 

[HamOnTheCob]

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.

THIS!!! SO MUCH THIS!!!

 

[Dave Leighton]

Right, wrong or indifferent we live in the microwave, cell phone, digital age. "I want it now and I don't want to pay for it". "So and so is selling it for this, so should you".
Brick and mortar stores of all types are closing due to on line shopping. As long as stores of any type allow free return shipping for any reason people will abuse it. On line or in person. Those that don't, don't.