Another damaged cymbal from Musiciansfriend/Music 123/Guitar Center

[Strangelove]

Just got a Paiste 2002 medium crash in the mail this morning, from musiciansfriend. It had slid through the box and one edge of the cymbal showed sharp abrasions, like it had been dragged across concrete. This was in exchange for another cymbal I had sent back for a dent on the edge of it. Apparently this place cannot pack cymbals to protect them in transit. It's ashame that a beautiful expensive cymbal gets destroyed by incompetent employees.

[razorx]

Just got a Paiste 2002 medium crash in the mail this morning, from musiciansfriend. It had slid through the box and one edge of the cymbal showed sharp abrasions, like it had been dragged across concrete. This was in exchange for another cymbal I had sent back for a dent on the edge of it. Apparently this place cannot pack cymbals to protect them in transit. It's ashame that a beautiful expensive cymbal gets destroyed by incompetent employees.

wow that really stinks. I hope you can get another one. they are great cymbals btw.

[Steamer]

Sorry to hear that. Another example of extremely poor cymbal packaging.

[Strangelove]

I lstened to it a couple times before packing it back up again. It sounded better than I had expected. The 2002 medium crash is an absolute masterpiece. It's just a shame they have neanderthals and baboons packing their cymbals. Abrasions like that would have resulted in a crack for sure.

[XAydMary]

I don't know about music123 and guitarcenter. I've ordered from musiciansfriend.com and have been shocked at how shoddy cymbals are packaged. I've ordered cymbals from massmusic.net, interstatemusic.net, WWBW.com, and even EBAY and have gotten well packaged cymbals.

[kgrubb]

Well recently i ordered a PST 5 thin crash from musicians friend when i recieved it it had like 3 or 4 probably medium sized dents around the edge like it had something repetedly dropped on it so apparently they don't discriminate with there shoddy packing.

[Strangelove]

Well I really gave them a piece of my mind and told them they had a cymbal packaging problem there that could cost them a fortune. If the next one they send me is in similar shape, I am asking for a refund if they will grant it.

[trkdrmr]

Make me leery of them. Both MF and 123 have contracts with UPS. When they package, they are supposed to pack everything to UPS standards. That means, the packed item must be protected from a 4 foot fall. If you can prove the packaging was poor, they owe you a replacement from MF/123.

[shoedaddy]

This is a common theme that I've seen discussed elsewhere. It's a shame about the poor packaging. There's got to be a cost-benefit analysis by which they've figured it's cheaper to damage some cymbals (or get customers to take damaged cymbals) than to properly pack them, but I can't figure it out. I've had the exact same thing happen with one of them the last time I ordered from them. There was literally nothing protecting the cymbals, and they had slid out of the box. The good news with the mega-companies (I'm not even sure that they're not the same company) is they will return your money. They asked me if I wanted a discount on a dented cymbal, but I declined, and they returned my money as soon as I shipped it back to them. Of the big companies, the best seems to be Sam Ash for packaging. One place where I've had no trouble at all is www.cymbalsonly.com. They deal mostly with higher-end cymbals, but the owner, Tony, ensures that they are very well packed, plus you can listen to samples of the exact cymbal you're buying on his website.

[guidrummer]

On the East Coast, I've ordered cymbals from Fork's Drum Closet in Nashville, TN and Atlanta Pro Percussion and both of the 5-star drum shops have a done an excellent job with their packaging.

I ordered a Paiste Ride from Musicians Friend and got luck because yes, it was just put in a box with some crumpled up paper.

[Strangelove]

This is a common theme that I've seen discussed elsewhere. It's a shame about the poor packaging. There's got to be a cost-benefit analysis by which they've figured it's cheaper to damage some cymbals (or get customers to take damaged cymbals) than to properly pack them, but I can't figure it out. I've had the exact same thing happen with one of them the last time I ordered from them. There was literally nothing protecting the cymbals, and they had slid out of the box. The good news with the mega-companies (I'm not even sure that they're not the same company) is they will return your money. They asked me if I wanted a discount on a dented cymbal, but I declined, and they returned my money as soon as I shipped it back to them. Of the big companies, the best seems to be Sam Ash for packaging. One place where I've had no trouble at all is www.cymbalsonly.com. They deal mostly with higher-end cymbals, but the owner, Tony, ensures that they are very well packed, plus you can listen to samples of the exact cymbal you're buying on his website.

OK this time, I returned it on condition that it be properly packaged, with adequate edge protection on the next one. The CS person I talked to wrote those down as notes to their shipping department. I noticed from UPS tracking that they received my return this morning. So I shall find out probably Monday or Tuesday whether this next one was done properly. If I return that one, that's it - I'm getting a refund and ordering from elsewhere. I did check out Cymbals Only, but did not see any 2002's there.

[mikeg]

OK this time, I returned it on condition that it be properly packaged, with adequate edge protection on the next one. The CS person I talked to wrote those down as notes to their shipping department. I noticed from UPS tracking that they received my return this morning. So I shall find out probably Monday or Tuesday whether this next one was done properly. If I return that one, that's it - I'm getting a refund and ordering from elsewhere. I did check out Cymbals Only, but did not see any 2002's there.

Are you having to pay the shipping cost of sending the damaged item back? How are they handling that?

[dkerwood]

Are you having to pay the shipping cost of sending the damaged item back? How are they handling that?

Musician's Friend always handles return shipping on damaged merch, and often even provides return shipping if you simply don't like it. I've never had to pay shipping to return anything (although I've only returned three items that I can recall).

[Strangelove]

Are you having to pay the shipping cost of sending the damaged item back? How are they handling that?

No, I am not, they emailed me a prepaid UPS label and I just dropped it at the nearest UPS station. You don't have to pay shipment on faulty items, only if you wish to exchange for another item, unrelated to product defect.

[mikeg]

Musician's Friend always handles return shipping on damaged merch, and often even provides return shipping if you simply don't like it. I've never had to pay shipping to return anything (although I've only returned three items that I can recall).

That's good. I buy pretty often from MF, and so far I've been fortunate not to receive anything damaged. I do try to buy from a local dealer when I can but most in my area don't stock much for drummers (another thread completely).

[dkerwood]

That's good. I buy pretty often from MF, and so far I've been fortunate not to receive anything damaged. I do try to buy from a local dealer when I can but most in my area don't stock much for drummers (another thread completely).

I used to be terribly spoiled. I lived near a major metro, and had one fantastic drum store (fair prices, great service and all), one "typical" drum store (overpriced, but decent inventory), two "school" oriented music stores, a handful of good pawn shops ($60 for my K Custom flat ride, oh yeah), and to cap it all off, we got a Guitar Center, too.

Ah, but then I had to move after college. Now I've got an overpriced guitar shop, a WAY overpriced "school" oriented music store (that doesn't stock anything better than ZXT and a drum band called Sonix), three pawn shops that can't carry good drum gear because nobody locally can BUY it... and the closest decent drum store (a bit eccentric and overpriced for my usual needs) is more than an hour away.

So I'm getting ever closer to starting to use MF again like I did in Jr. High and high school...

[Strangelove]

Here's an update. They received my return last Thursday at 9 in the morning. They have still yet to process my return and say they are too busy with other returns. So they've had it over a week now, and still haven't sent me another.

Funny, but they didn't seem to have any trouble charging my cc during X-Mas season, when their sales volumes were alot higher than their after X-Mas returns.

[shoedaddy]

This isn't a cymbal story, but it's along the same lines. I recently ordered a snare drum from one of these conglomerates. I tracked the package and knew it would be waiting for me at home one day last week. When I arrived home, my "snare" was waiting for me in a tall, narrow box. I knew it was the wrong item, but curiosity got the best of me. I opened it and still couldn't figure out what it was. Basically, it was a wooden box with a narrow hole on the top and a large wooden bell attached like you might see on the low end of a xylophone or marimba. I checked the website and still couldn't figure out what it was. How they could have thought that was a snare is beyond me! Apparently, according to customer service, they pull things by numbers in the warehouse. Needless to say, I sent it back, and, instead of having them send the snare, cancelled the order from them and went straight to my local drum shop. I'll get my actual snare this week from a local business and feel good about it to boot.

[sticksnstonesrus]

Funny, but they didn't seem to have any trouble charging my cc during X-Mas season, when their sales volumes were alot higher than their after X-Mas returns.

This is most true. Unless specifically stated, you always end up at the back of the pack in some shluffed off pile that someone will get to eventually.


This isn't a cymbal story, but it's along the same lines. I recently ordered a snare drum from one of these conglomerates. I tracked the package and knew it would be waiting for me at home one day last week. ..... I'll get my actual snare this week from a local business and feel good about it to boot.

And you should. I love helping the local stores, if they can help me. Even if it's the local GC. I would rather buy without having to worry about the BS of shipping and everything that involves third parties...plus buying cymbals, snares, and anything online could be disappointing once received if it doesn't sound to your liking.

Although...personally, it doesn't stop me from buying cymbals from a specific Ebay source I use (x4) because the prices, experience, availability, and shipping/packaging are always excellent.

[Strangelove]

My 18" medium Crash finally made it in yesterday. It took them almost 2 weeks to process the return, however. If I had a local store to buy from I would, but living where I do, it is impossible to find anything like that within 100 miles of me (Paiste's yes - Paiste Medium crashes - no).

So I will have to chose another online vendor that is a bit more customer oriented than these guys.

[Bruce_B]

My 18" medium Crash finally made it in yesterday. It took them almost 2 weeks to process the return, however. If I had a local store to buy from I would, but living where I do, it is impossible to find anything like that within 100 miles of me (Paiste's yes - Paiste Medium crashes - no).

So I will have to chose another online vendor that is a bit more customer oriented than these guys.

http://www.americanmusical.com
http://www.zzounds.com
http://www.interstatemusic.com
http://www.massmusic.net
http://www.justdrumsonline.com

MF blows!

[gibeachhead]

I order from PF a lot. But you are right, their packing techniques are horrible.

Box, open, throw in cymbal, place brown paper on top....tape the box and ship it out.

[Strangelove]

BTW, this one was packed exactly the same as the last one (entirely oversized 2x2 box, no edge protection, brown paper arranged randomly). Miraculously, however, there was not a single scrape or dent on this one, so I kept it. It is a beautiful sounding cymbal.

Thanks for the links, Bruce!