Musician's Friend Bashing

[dgatwood]

...ordinarily, I'm too easygoing myself, and might have let it slide....but I've worked around consumer electronics for too long not to know that game...and if I were somebody who didn't know any better, I never would have questioned it.....so was it a mistake, or are they just playing the odds game that the majority of folks either wouldn't know the difference, or be too lazy to return it for new stock, or what? Sure, it could have been a mistake, but the response felt a bit too polished and automatic....left a bad taste, and I had always held a higher opion of Sweetwater than that....

Considering that Sweetwater regularly sells refurbs and "open box" returns at a discount (which they wouldn't do if they just silently restocked them), it seems likely that some minimum wage worker at the warehouse just grabbed the box off the wrong pile. Either that or it was returned and they didn't notice that it had been opened and put it in the wrong pile. Either way, I'd be very surprised it it weren't an honest mistake.

The response of "we can't do anything until tomorrow/Monday" was probably because the agent looked at his/her watch. Most mail order houses have a particular time of day (usually 3:00 wherever they are located) after which they can't guarantee that they can ship anything out that day. (Once the trailer of outgoing packages leaves bound for UPS or FedEx or whatever, that's it....)

 

[whyseye]

Considering that Sweetwater regularly sells refurbs and "open box" returns at a discount (which they wouldn't do if they just silently restocked them), it seems likely that some minimum wage worker at the warehouse just grabbed the box off the wrong pile. Either that or it was returned and they didn't notice that it had been opened and put it in the wrong pile. Either way, I'd be very surprised it it weren't an honest mistake.

The response of "we can't do anything until tomorrow/Monday" was probably because the agent looked at his/her watch. Most mail order houses have a particular time of day (usually 3:00 wherever they are located) after which they can't guarantee that they can ship anything out that day. (Once the trailer of outgoing packages leaves bound for UPS or FedEx or whatever, that's it....)

I'm actually hopeful that was the case here.....but my cynicism alarm is still beeping....

 

[kojdogg]

Considering that Sweetwater regularly sells refurbs and "open box" returns at a discount (which they wouldn't do if they just silently restocked them), it seems likely that some minimum wage worker at the warehouse just grabbed the box off the wrong pile. Either that or it was returned and they didn't notice that it had been opened and put it in the wrong pile. Either way, I'd be very surprised it it weren't an honest mistake.

I dunno-- an honest mistake that might have been prevented with better quality control/oversight in their returns department. As I was telling Whyseye in another thread, I had the same thing happen to me when I ordered some stuff (a reasonably large order) from Sweetwater early in '06. Part of the order was an ART MPA Gold that was an obvious return and that I paid full price for.

 

[bigwillz24]

I got a Musiciansfriend Card and I try to use it every now and then. My latest purchase from them was an Echo Audiofire 12. Granted I had to jump through a few hoops to get them to honor there "lowest price guarantee". Because they absolutely are never the lowest price. When ever they start bitchin I just put my card up and order from the other guy. I told one of the reps on the phone that they have lost about 90% of my business because I didn't feel like jumping through hoops to purchase something through them. Didn't seem to phase him but I'm pretty much stuck wwith them until GC or some other online store gives me a card.

 

[whyseye]

I'm actually hopeful that was the case here.....but my cynicism alarm is still beeping....

What bothers me about it is that virtually every other dealer was backordered on the unit, but they had them available ...... which suggests to my jaded sensibilities that somebody figured that in the best case scenario, it wouldn't be noticed, and in the worst case scenario, it bought them some time to get in the new units, while still holding onto my money.....
.....I hate to think that way, but I've seen it happen too many times......as I say - I hope it was an honest error, and that it's quickly rectified....time will tell...