- STORE REVIEWS
- PRODUCT REVIEWS
2022-09-02
1/5
Deceptive at best, fraud at worst.
"Short story: There are infinitely better music suppliers out there. Beware any order you place labelled as "new" might end up you receiving pre-owned, damaged, or floor model equipment.
My story: I find a Sterling bass guitar has gone on a slight sale. I had been eyeing it for awhile, so I went ahead and pulled the trigger. The website *clearly* noted that it was a new item as they list options below it for "opened" box with lower prices if you prefer an open or used item. I wait on UPS ground to ship the item and receive it about four days later. It took Musician's Friend three business days just to process the order and send it, plus about four days of shipping. That is poor business practice #1 that an item can't be processed within a day or two, given how huge they're supposed to be.
The item arrives and it is 100% an opened, used, or floor model guitar. All of the protective plastic has been removed, scuff marks are visible, one tuning knob is broken completely off (and not due to any noticeable shipping damage). Disappointed but not angry at this point, I call customer service. It takes an hour just to get a representative, have them email me a return label, then place a new order. The representative I spoke with *GUARANTEED* me the next item would be sourced "directly from" the warehouse which means from manufacturer to warehouse to consumer. I feel comfortable with this at least. I return the first guitar and pay extra for them to 2-day ship me the second one, assuming less time being handled should avoid any possible shipping damage.
I wait on guitar #2 that was "guaranteed" to be factory new. It arrives exactly as seen in the photos below. All of the factory tape was already cut (and coated in dust/dirt), a huge gaping hole in the box. It was hastily resealed with about two strips of new packing tape and sent to me like that. Now I am angry, but I figure let me check the guitar inside the gig bag and check. Perhaps it really is new. Nope. Again, plastic protective pieces have been removed, it was clearly open and used and reshipped to me. In no way possibly could anyone ever consider this new. Further, the representative either outright lied to me about the condition of the guitars in their warehouse or were simply ignorant to the practices of their warehouse. Each of those options is equally unacceptable for a business.
So I once again take a full hour to call customer support, wait for a representative, discuss my problem, receive a return label. This time, the rep says they're sorry, they have exactly one of these guitars left in the warehouse. The rep suggests they don't ship this one, as it is most likely damaged or opened. But they have no idea what condition it is. Again, this is unacceptable that the customer service reps have exactly zero idea what condition the gear is that they're selling. How can a business operate like this?
Nevermind that, the rep suggests they backorder one so that way it is sourced directly from the manufacturer. Only problem is that the backorder will take around five months and they have no guarantee that the manufacturer will even make this product again. That I can understand. Regardless, as a backup option while I wait to source this guitar from elsewhere, I say go ahead and backorder. They agree to put in an order for backorder explicitly. What happens the next day? That last warehouse guitar is shipped to me! So I will have to return a third guitar that I didn't even ask for them to ship to me this time.
What do I get after all of that? The rep offers me a pack of strings for free. Absurd.
Here's what happens the next day. I source the guitar from another national retailer. A 10 minute phone call confirms all their guitars are factory sealed that they would send my way. Free two day shipping. Order is placed and shipped out same day at no additional charge.
I will never place a single order with Musician's Friend ever again. Be warned that they are owned by Guitar Center, which is owned by Ares Management. So they are one in the same. I questioned the rep why or how they could possibly sell equipment listed as "new" having absolutely no idea as to the actual condition. I was told that it's simply how they operate and they admitted that they do occasionally pull floor models from Guitar Centers and ship them if they aren't in stock in a warehouse. This is massively deceptive or outright fraud.
Do yourself a favor and find any other musical retailer that isn't owned by Guitar Center or their ilk. Buy local. Buy from anywhere else."
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