Online guitar stores affiliated

[Justaguyin_nc]

If anyone been reading the forums... Musiciansfriend lost me as a customer..

I had some bad experience with them the last 3 orders I placed.. then elsewhere I mentioned a Customer service manager "team leader" called me to settle the difference and ask me back as a customer.

Well Brian Tadel? Pedal? something at ext. 801-501-8862 assured me that broken items would be shipped for replacement and that a $50.00 gift certificate would be issued for online orders.

I have not recieved the certificate and to top that I have been billed for the two Items I have returned. (which I am not paying for twice!!) Very poor service is going on here.

here is some reference numbers: p5043437, ra1115873rc53 if anyone wants to help out by calling Brian and explaining if they are going to appologize for bad services, they should follow through with the offers. I have since left 3-4 messages to Brian with no return calls..

So I did a $50.00 at music123..which worked fine, then yesterday just made another order for around $150.00.. small change.. but it adds up.. I placed this order with Music123.com and was just going to let it go that MusiciansFriend is not my "friend"...

Music123 showed items in stock.. took my money.. and now have sent me an email to let me know it will be around 10 days before they can ship it.. due to relocation of warehouse.. Guess what..they are part of MusiciansFriend!! I didn't know that!!

So...what other places are part of MusiciansFriend so I can totally avoid them? No matter how good the price is... the hassle is not worth it..

And if you been using them for 20 years or so... Call Brian and ask him why other customers can't get good service!

[Tone2TheBone]

I noticed today they reduced the prices on some items that were higher on Monday. Maybe they're in trouble. I also heard that some company bought Guitar Center and I know GC is affiliated with MF.

[Tim]

I heard that GC sends all there non-selling and slightly damaged items to MF to sell.

Sounds like a story -> Musicians friends go the Guitar Center for on the go Music 123.

Ok, we need a blues songs about Justa's dirty deal with the musical conglomerate. Where Frank when we need him?

[Justaguyin_nc]

Ok, so I can boycott
Musiciansfriend
Music123
GuitarCenter

who else?


is zzounds.com part of them?
I know they have pretty close pricing?

SamAsh is on their own to correct?

Hard to pass the prices I know.. but it's no deal when your frustrated by time you recieve your Items..

[WackyT]

I haven't had any problems with Music123. I've ordered 3 guitars (2 electric and 1 acoustic) plus multiple small items. The $30 acoustic was broken when I received it, they sent me a FedEx label to ship it back and sent me a nonbroken one, double boxed this time, in no time flat.

The only thing I've ordered from MF is a $30 tube preamp that's backordered til who knows when. But I'm in no rush. I'll definitely check it over fully when I do finally receive it.

[Plank_Spanker]

I've done tons ($$$$) of business with MF with zero complaints. Everything arrived as promised and in good shape. I've also done tons of business with GC, again, with zero complaints. I don't believe for a minute that MF is selling GC's seconds.

Music 123 has also treated me quite well.

[Justaguyin_nc]

Someone here must have called that Brian... I just got off the phone with him and he confirmed those 3 with Guitar Center owning them are the same..

He also appologized for missing my previous calls and missing the Credit to account and double bills sent out.. Suppose to be there now and bills cancelled.. I guess it will be there when I cool off in a few months too..

He says its the warehouse move... Might make sense.. but is none the less frustrating. but mine started before then.. and the biggest gripe I got is when something needs to be exchanged.. it always does not go smoothly.. like alot of things in life.

I am just venting frustrations and giving an opinion on online stores.. there are a few here that stick with local stores and thats probably the best bet.

I think some here might have thought I didn't have problems and was just causing one..so the number to Brian is there for the calling...

My suggestions..avoid those three for the next few months if you want something " Now " or prepare to wait for it as I am...

Dagnabit..now its wait on music123.. to finish pedal board wiring.. sigh..

[duhvoodooman***]

I've had all good luck with MF, and only a couple of minor glitches with M123 that were both resolved to my satisfaction. BTW, I got that same 10-day shipping delay notification today on an order I placed last week. The irony was that I had specifically ordered from M123 to avoid the expected shipping delay--probably due to the same warehouse consolidation process--that MF had posted a warning about on their website! Guess they had me comin' or goin'! But, like WackyT, it's stuff that I'm not in any special rush to get....

I've ordered a couple times from Zzounds and had no problems there, either. Some old girlfriend put a curse on you or sumthin', Justa??

[Justaguyin_nc]

BTW, I got that same 10-day shipping delay notification today on an order I placed last week. The irony was that I had specifically ordered from M123 to avoid the expected shipping delay--probably due to the same warehouse consolidation process--that MF had posted a warning about on their website! Guess they had me comin' or goin'! But, like WackyT, it's stuff that I'm not in any special rush to get....

I've ordered a couple times from Zzounds and had no problems there, either. Some old girlfriend put a curse on you or sumthin', Justa??

See, I think thats as wrong as you can get... why does music123 not have the "warehouse move" statement on their site? why is there no affiliation statement someplace? and try to cancel that order..lol

I think a few old gurlfriends have cursed me.. didn't know it would hang with me..lol

Again.. this is just a heads up for the next few months.. there are other places to place orders that match the prices..

Next time, maybe they will figure how to move the right way instead of putting the delays off on the customers..

[Plank_Spanker]

I expected some shaky moments since GC was sold. I hope that the level of service that I've experienced will be at least maintained.

[guitartist]

A word of friendly advice...don't get too far behind on your payments to MF, they'll cut you off! Even if you intend to pay with a debit card rather than charge an order, their online system will not take the order if you are behind on your payments.

[TS808]

I've been waiting 2 weeks for guitar strings from Musicians Friend and got the 10-day notice email two days ago.

[Justaguyin_nc]

The on going saga continues... lol, this is real life..can't get any better then this...

Ok, As stated I made an order with Music123.. only to find they have the same warehouse problem.. I canceled that order..actually, the best they could do is say if it does arrive, return it..and account will be credited..

At that point I called Musiciansfriend to use the Credit I "thought" Brian had figured out... well, the young guy on the phone checks my account.. and tells me I have $179.99 credit... I said..not possible.. so he puts me on "hold" and goes checks things out... returns to tell me that they are taking that credit for my univibe pedal they billed me for.. now thats the second bill for the "one" pedal... which means Brian didn't fix the double bills nor added the $50.00 credit yet.. You can't blame the warehouse move on the errors billing is presenting... geezx.. I know alot of people like these guys..but this is like a bad returning scene in a B rated movie...lol

I am now waiting on Brian to return a call..
Call brian and tell him to fix it so I quit whining!! 801-501-8862

till the next chapter...

[Justaguyin_nc]

The final chapter:

Brian just got off the phone with me.. explained that young guy and manager didn't know how to add.. also said I had the $50.00 credit if I wanted it.. and with a flustered voice then preceeded in "telling me" How I should not tell others about this.. because he was a team leader stopping escalating problems. At which point, me being the uneducated retired teamster that I am.. "told" brian a few things including to stick his 50.00 offer.. hung up.. threw away my last musicians"friend" catalog from my reading(bathroom) room away.. and will now go silent about this matter..

Hey, I speak/type my mind.. if this insults anyone..sorry.. I am not a trouble causer.. just my views on them.
I can't sit quietly when people brag on a place that has done me wrong repeatedly...

[Tim]

Hey Justa - You explained your dilemma to us. We felt your pain. You made your decision. We are with you. Now it’s time for you to move on. For those Fretters who feel differently about MF, well then they have their own minds. If MF is as bad as you say, then it is just a matter of time before another Fretter experiences what you did. It’s a throw of the dice. I personally try to stay with a local establishment for a purchase. Unless of course, something can really be found cheaper on the web. If you feel good about you decision, then as you say, move on. Go back to strumming, picking, soloing and making recordings. Go have some fun brother.

[Bloozcat]

As is often the case, how good a company really is, lies in how they handle a problem that falls outside of the routine.

I've never had a problem with Musician's Friend, but my transactions with them have all been pretty routine. Even when I had to return a guitar for exchange, it all went routinely.

Most customer service reps (CSR's) in a business like this are trained in how to handle a definitive set of problems, with an appropriate response by the numbers to each problem. If customer wants to do A, then the CSR responds with B. Every request from the customer elicits a pre-programmed answer from the CSR or a question that then determines which pre-programmed answer to give. It's all very simple as long as everything falls into that set of parameters that is considered "routine".

But let the machine break down even a little, and like automatons without sufficient programming, the CSR goes into free fall. The credit department screws up a credit, a customer gets billed incorrectly, or maybe there's a mess up in shipping and receiving.

So, companies employ people like Brian, who's function it is to make sure that the wheels don't fall off the bus and turn "routine" to "disaster". Brian's explanation that the employees can't add, is an addmission of incompetence, which he should never do. It's wholly unprofessional as well. People like Brian are supposed to be there to assume the problem, or as it's called in business, take ownership of the problem. Brian is supposed to become the hero in the customer's eyes, and save the company from loosing a customer to the competition in the process. In short, Brian is where the buck stops, the guy who's empowered to make things right.

OK, now that I've described how things are with about 10% of the companies out there, here's how it really works with places like Musician's Friend.

It's all about volume and market share. It's all about percentages. The process is set up to "routinely" (there's that word again), service the overwhelming majority of Musician's Friends' customers. Brian is not a high dollar employee who's responsible for million dollar accounts, he's there to give the customer a plausible excuse that will hold them off until, hopefully, he can find someone to fix the problem. Brian is probably overloaded and underpaid. It fits the high volume discount model.

So, if we want to save money at the big box discount warehouses in cyberspace, we have to be willing to have the wheels fall off the bus every now and then. It's just another one of those little annoyances that life's full of...

I really do need to find more useful ways to spend my lunch hour....

[Spudman***]

The final chapter:

At which point, me being the uneducated retired teamster that I am.. "told" brian a few things including to stick his 50.00 offer.. hung up.. threw away my last musicians"friend" catalog from my reading(bathroom) room away.. and will now go silent about this matter..

What?! You have time to read? I'm never in there that long...unless I'm dowsing my head in hairspray.

Sorry about your problem. I can't complain about my connection with MF but I totally understand your frustration.

[tot_Ou_tard]

Just'a you should try sweetwater.com. I am certain that they are not affiliated with MF. You get a personal customer service rep that stays with you through years. These people are much more knowledgeable than the MF reps. An all around nice place to deal with. They have the same prices and similar guarantees. They have waaaayy more studio/recording gear than MF.

That said, I haven't had any problems with MF, other than receiving items that were clearly previously opened. I chalked that down to their return policy.

I've returned things to MF with no problem & they dealt smoothly with complicated issues and credit. I hope that things are not going downhill there.

[Bloozcat]

To add to tot's reccomendation about Sweetwater, let me relate the story about my recent first order with them.

As many of you know, I have an Epi Blues Custom 30 amp. As many of you may also be aware, the amps are not shipped with the somewhat elusive footswitch. As I was searching around the web last Friday for an online seller who might have one of these footswitches in stock, I happened upon Sweetwater. Now, I have been aware of Sweetwater for some time, but had never placed an order with them. They showed the footswitch for my amp, in stock for $22.99. A reasonable price, I thought, so I read on. It turns out that in addition to the reasonable price, Sweetwater was also offering FREE SHIPPING on this item. Not free shipping for an order of $99.00 or more - free shipping on an item that sells for only $22.99. So, I placed the order, got a verification that it was in stock and would ship shortly. Cool, I'd have my footswitch sometime the middle of the next week, I thought.

Well, this is where I was unexpectedly surprised. About thirty minutes after I placed my online order, I received a call on my cell phone from a Randy Akins from Sweetwater. Randy was just calling to thank me for my order, and to make sure that the footswitch was the right one for the amp I have. After confirming that it was the right footswitch, Randy told me that the item would ship that day, and that I should see it about Wednesday of the next week, as I had anticipated. I thanked Randy and then asked him how it was that he got my cell phone number as I had only listed my home phone on the order. Randy said that he called the number I provided and the woman who answered the phone, gave him my cell number. The woman who answered my home phone was my wife, who would normally be quite suspicious about such a call. But, apparently Randy's professional manner in which he responded to my wife assured her that the call was legit, so she gave him my cell number.

Well, when I got home from work this past Monday, there was a package on my doorstep with the name "Sweetwater" on the return address. I ordered the footswitch on Friday and it was on my doorstep the following Monday, from Indiana to Florida in what amounted to one business day. Better than not bad, utterly fantastic!

The other thing about Sweetwater that really impressed me, is how knowlegable their sales staff is. Here's a brief bio that Randy sent me in his "welcome" email:

A little about me...

It's important to understand that the difference Sweetwater offers begins with
your relationship with me, your personal sales engineer. It is my pleasure to
act as your advocate for finding the best solutions to your audio related needs.
I myself am an audio and music production professional with a background in
front-of-house live sound, sound design, and studio recording, and I studied
Audio Engineering at Columbia College in Chicago. Aside from my education, I'm
also a 20+ year professional musician who plays guitar, bass and keyboards, and
I had my own music store and commercial recording studio for seven years in
Beaufort, SC. I am absolutely certain I can help you with any needs you may
have.

Kind of a long post, but I thought you all would find it interesting....