Showrooming

[mellowinman]

Wow. Stuff like this is what sours healthy conversations. WE can do better. Im not going to resolve to derogatory ignorant assumptions like you just did. Let's be adults. Is that too much to ask?
FF

So it was a HEALTHY conversation while posters were making moral judgments on other posters, but now that I mentioned it, the conversation has soured. Good to know. What "ignorant assumption" did I make? And how is accusing me of making "ignorant assumptions" a healthy conversation? Seems more like you lashing out at me. "Let's be adults" is an insult where you say to me, "you're not being an adult." And "is that too much to ask" is passive aggressive.

I'm pretty happy with the comment you were commenting on in this post, and offer no apology to anyone. I also do not believe I have trolled anyone, been overly confrontational, or violated any TOS. Do you honestly assess your post to me the same way?

 

[FlatwoundFunk]

So it was a HEALTHY conversation while posters were making moral judgments on other posters, but now that I mentioned it, the conversation has soured. Good to know. What "ignorant assumption" did I make? And how is accusing me of making "ignorant assumptions" a healthy conversation? Seems more like you lashing out at me. "Let's be adults" is an insult where you say to me, "you're not being an adult." And "is that too much to ask" is passive aggressive.

I'm pretty happy with the comment you were commenting on in this post, and offer no apology to anyone. I also do not believe I have trolled anyone, been overly confrontational, or violated any TOS. Do you honestly assess your post to me the same way?

What's with this troll word? 2nd time in 4 days I'm seeing this.

The posts in this thread as with most all threads are based on personal opinions. The OP's statement asked for opinions. When opinions are given you call them, "BOYSCOTTS" and then make claim that, "THEY DO 10 WORSE THINGS". Your words Bro. And that my friend is a statement based from a lack of knowledge of the individuals that you were passing judgement on. I don't people passing judgement here. I see people stating what they BELIEVE to be right or wrong about "Showrooming".

Furthermore, whether I agree with a person's opinion or not, neither they or I are right. It's just what we believe. I'm glad you stand by what you say. I respect people like that (not that my respect is worth anything). It just opinions. There's no need for anybody to get worked up. And notice, I said, "WE can do better"? When we start the name calling and generalizations, it always get worse.
FF

 

[Bass Viking]

Nothing wrong with people test driving instruments in stores. Even if they don't buy it they may well tell others about it and it gets exposure.


Whoooops! I just realized "exposure" is a dirty word around here, especially in Band Management!

 

[FlatwoundFunk]

Probably stems from the fact that GC is a large, faceless retail behemoth similar to Walmart or Target or what have you. It's a different dynamic because you're never facing the stake owners of the store in question. The top 10 principals of GC probably live in palaces behind brick walls or in gated communities that have monthly mortgage statements that look like phone numbers.

GC also doesn't care about missing out on a sale, firstly because the sale they lose from you will be made up for by the soccer moms that come in every day to buy their offspring gear before they go to the bar at the country club and bitch about it on Facebook. Secondly, if a guy goes in there and tries every Markbass rig in the store and buys it from Musician's Friend, it's still the same company anyway, and many high-ticket item buyers know this.

I only buy a bag of picks every financial quarter at GC, but I wouldn't really showroom GC out of principle. Not much I want there bass-wise anyway.

Thanks for that explanation.

One thing I don't get is with all of the "showrooming", purchases and returns that they do, how can they classify an item as "new"? Especially if it has been purchased and returned after say 14+ days of usage? That's another challenge I have.
FF

 

[20db pad]

Thanks for that explanation.

One thing I don't get is with all of the "showrooming", purchases and returns that they do, how can they classify an item as "new"? Especially if it has been purchased and returned after say 14+ days of usage? That's another challenge I have.
FF

That's deep retail intel that really occurred after my time in retail. There have to be some legal loopholes, maybe some wording like returns need to be in "as new" condition or something. It seems that some returns do get too beat up to pass as new in the Musician's Friend world, because they do have "open box" items on occasion.

I'd bet a lot of returns at the local level at GC are thrown back up on the wall as new if it's feasible to get away with it. I've known a few cats that literally use GC as a gear library of sorts.

 

[CORBS]

You going in there is you being forced to see all of their products and be inundated with their advertisements and sales. So if you play a bass there, and then can get it cheaper elsewhere, do it!

 

[electracoyote]

No need to get feisty. You asked the question.
FF

That was feisty? And more anonymous petty scolding is in order?

Maybe another layer of skin is what you really need, and perhaps a better cause for your crusade.

Seriously, the complaint about "showrooming" makes about as much sense as taking someone to task for throwing an apple core out the car window. It's a non-issue.

 

[FlatwoundFunk]

That was feisty? And more anonymous scolding is in order?

Maybe another layer of skin is what you really need, and perhaps a better cause for your crusade.

Now this is the 2nd time in 4 days I've been accused of having some form of crusading cause. Maybe some day I'll get it . I just was making reference to your last sentence. And that makes me need thicker skin? Ok Bro. I'll let you have it.
FF

 

[blue4]

You are talking about service and return policies. I am not. I am talking about buying an instrument I play first, because individual basses are often very different from each other. This is not a myth. Yeah you can send it back. I have. But it's a pain and only once was I satisfied, a MM Stingray.

I've been satisfied every time.

If I get a bass I check for flaws or defects. If I find none I can set it up to play nicely. Never had a bass that varied so wildly I couldn't set it up to play well. If its dead, or the neck is twisted, you'll know fast enough.