Guitar Center nightmare

Too many of these stores hide behind their anonymity. If I don't get results in a very timely manner, they get named and details are always made public including the department manager, store manager and his direct supervisor. I made the comment a couple of months ago about getting loud and this is the way I prefer to do it. It gets a lot of attention though out their ranks and yields results. I usually don't get burned, but a little over a year ago GC bit off more than they were able to chew, lol.

Dennis
 
The Old Hyde said:
The real kicker in all of this is who is the idiot that owned that kit first, and let it get messed up like that? Talk about not respecting your gear. I know it may be snare rash on the tom but even the bass hoop looks horrible. like they yanked off the pedeal each time without loosening it first. Thats not a cheap bang around kit, why would you let it get that way?
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My sentiments exactly. I'd be willing to bet he/she didn't buy them with their own money.
 
yeah it's tough to buy a used kit unseen, especially from GC. the pics and descriptions are very bad and would probably be on our joke craigslist thread.

BTW I was in a new local GC here and saw a 5pc Red Lacquer DW Performance series on the top shelf with a sign that read. PDP by DW X7 red maple drumset $800.

I grabbed a salesman who was stalking me and asked him to let me look at one of the toms and the snare. He gets a ladder takes em down and starts his whole salesman speech of how he loves red drums, and I am making a great choice because Pdp is just as good as DW just the name is different, blah blah blah. I read the badge which clearly States DW perfromance series made in the USA. So I tell him I will take it right now and he says great I will ring it up.

He sets the sanre up and says you can play the snare here while I start the paper work. Of course he comes back 10 minutes later with the bad news that this kit actually costs $2250 and he is very sorry. he said if the sign said DW performance series for $800 he would have to honor it but becauseit said pdp x7 that he could not.

I did not make a big deal since I was being sort of dishonest myself so I laughed and said no problem thanks anyway..

So Close.....LOL
 
agent8 said:
I did ask for pictures and what I got was 2 tiny blurry pictures of 1 tom from some sales persons cell phone. That was after I sent a proper email from the product page and got nothing for a week. That should have been a warning sign but oh well. My pdp set came last night to my surprise so in the end, I'm happy.
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OK - I guess I'd be pretty pissed about that too. I've never bought drums that I haven't been able to see and try in person. I probably would do it with a new set - but not used.

And about GC in general: I'm really happy with the store and most of the employees I've dealt with in my area. Even if they don't know specifics about what you're asking for, they'll go out of their way to help you get it. They must have a good training program or some incentives in place here. Of course, there's always the goofball kid or two behind a counter, but they're becoming more the exception than the norm here.
 
I don't know how someone in good (or any) conscience could pack those drums up for shipment to a customer. This is a travesty.

Fortunately when I bought my PDP X-7 kit, it was used but only about a year old. It was purchased at GC by a guy who supplied it to the drummer of his band, but the drummer quit soon after. So the drums were hardly used, and in perfect condition. I bought the kit from him for about half what GC charges. I just had to drive about an hour to the guy's house, but then again I got to see the condition and play the drums to make sure I knew what I was getting. I saw the kit advertised on Craigslist.
 
I saw those pics and laughed.. no offense though. That is just wrong for GC to treat a customer like that, with a buyer beware " we don't care just pay us" attitude. And not even post a "real" picture with disclosure?!? They are the big guys on the block big box store, and this type of disrespect can damage their reputation. And what the heck happened to that kit?!? Even gigged heavily without cases that is pure abuse! Someone knowingly sold you a trashed kit and let you walk out with it. That is unacceptable. Especially for a chain like GC. This is why I love mom and pop music stores like the Memphis Drum Shop. When I lived there they helped me out when I first started and fixed a snare drum I accidentally wrecked. And charged me nothing except for the parts I replaced. It was a cheap import beginner steel snare and they treated it like it was priceless to me, plus showed exactly what I did wrong and how to tune it and maintain it. They were awesome, and still are.

I used to shop at the Fairfax, Va GC store outside DC. I'd go with my brother, and he is a pro about guitars. He could have worked there and given even the guitar manager a run for his money! He'd laugh and show me used guitars hanging on the wall over priced for their condition. Some were downright worthless and almost unplayable even as a "project". We saw an old Ibanez Bob Wier signature. The natural laquer had turned a weird shade and the gold hardware was bright green with oxidation and mold. It was gonzo to say the least. None of them displayed were even shined with guitar polish. Did they not have any for store use at GC? wow.. Never saw too many used drums. But the drum folks there and at my new GC in Portland, ME seem like good guys who know their stuff. Yes, they want to make a sale, but I would trust them. But this story casts doubt bit too.
 
That sucks, man. Sorry to hear it. I have had pretty good success with my local GC here in Buffalo, but each location is different. You could call a lawyer, trust me ...it works. Have a lawyer send a nasty letter. That's typically all they do anyway..lol. Try to get a young lawyer just starting out, they'll usually do this kind of stuff for free, just to get exposure into the law world.
 
Thats weird...I have had nothing but good times at guitar center(atleast here in Colorado)...Well actually ive had some similar issues with a guitar center in Georgia..
 
I use to work at the local GC shop here in Jackson MS in the drum department. The general manager gave me a book if memory serves me right called The Art Of Influence. I wasn't there to long after that. It was strange working there. Reminded me of a car lot not a music store. The employees would talk sales strategies instead of musician talk. Hell half the people there didn't even play an instrument.

GC serves its purpose and has some good deals but if you can avoid them do it. I only go there if there is no other option. The locally owned music store called Morrison Bros Music is where I Do most of my shopping
 
That is horrible and I'm glad your letting us know..It seems to me at GC to be a management issue..they let kids that have very little knowledge list these used items. I once bought a "cast steel snare" that had a seam that was very visible...the only thing cast were the hoops. I called and comp;ained and was told the salesperson that listed it made the mistake.
 
agent8, i'm in ontario and i seen that kit at the s.b. store. jeepers...what a beater kit. that's the kinda kit i would buy to fix and flip.

i did a stint working at a g.c. and i'm not surprised that they had it for sale as i'm sure it was taken in trade (and real cheap), but surprised for the price it was at.

i've seen better condition kits in the local i.e. craigslist. sure, your looking for something spacific, but keep your eyes peeled on the site. tons of good deals.

also, my friend pat McGrath works at the g.c. in rancho cucamonga. he's a cool cat, drum teacher and monster player. if you find your way over there look for him.
 
I had a very similar experience. The picture was blurry. Looked like it was taken from a Walmart tracfone or something. So I called the store and the salesperson hardly let me speak. He just went on and on about how many people have called about it and how he couldn't believe nobody has purchased it yet. How I wouldn't regret it and there was just typical bass drum rash and the worst of the cosmetic damage was on the floor Tom. So I ordered it and requested the next best shipping, just like you, but received economy. Just like you. I called and complained and argued for an hour until they finally changed it. When I received it I was disgusted. Everything was heavily damaged and packaged very well!? the strangest thing was that the floor tom was the least damaged! WTF!? They're only interested in commission and sales. Not so much the satisfaction of customers. Never again. Lesson learned.
 
This is the closest thread I could find, save starting a new one.

Wow, I cannot believe just what happened to me at Guitar Center. I was in the neighborhood of one of the Guitar Centers and thought I'd go in and browse any possible early black Friday deals and check out what they have in E-Kits and even acoustics.

I noticed they set up several new E-kit setups and the Alesis caught my attention. They had it all ready to go with demo sticks and the amp turned on. I sit down, adjust the kick and the hi-hat pedal and begin to play one groove and test the variety of module kits. There was just a hint of sound coming out of the monitor. So to hear anything, I turned it up. And I mean just so I could hear the various pad and cymbal sounds.

Suddenly, the drum salesman came up behind me, bent down and turned the monitor back down to it's no sound level. Mumbling something about needing to turn it down. Quickly walking away in one motion.

WTF

I was actually stunned. I looked around like I was on Candid Camera. This is a joke, right? I wasn't sitting at the kit more than 3 minutes.

What was that all about? Testing them out was now, was completely useless.

Talk about leaving a sour taste in my mouth with that little action. I've read stories about GC sales people, but this is my first experience with seeing rudeness first hand at the store.
 
At least there was a sales guy in the drum department. I used to love going to GC, chatting up the guys there that actually knew about drums, trying things out, and occasionally getting random free things (because you know, as a girl in the drum department that's usually how it goes...)

The past 3 times I've gone to buy something (because it was useless to wait a week to order it from someplace online) I had to go to the front desk to ask for someone to come sell me something. It's ridiculous.

You've been put on notice GC of Totowa NJ.
 
This really sucks man. To me, this almost reflects more poorly on the individual who built the return into the system as anything better than "poor" than it does Guitar Center itself. That's just a lame move to begin with...

That being said, there's no way in Sam(ash)'s hell that I'd spend that kind of money with out covering my bases. If I got lame blurry phone pictures, I'd call them back, tell them that those didn't cut it, and demand more until I knew what I was spending $600+ on. I'd also cut open the box when I came to the store to pick it up and make sure everything is square.
 
...and everyone gives me a hard time for not wanting to buy things online...

I get most of my sticks online as I know what those are going to be like, but I never buy drums or cymbals online; I'm always worried that I'll get a beat up pile of crap.
 
tcspears said:
...and everyone gives me a hard time for not wanting to buy things online...

I get most of my sticks online as I know what those are going to be like, but I never buy drums or cymbals online; I'm always worried that I'll get a beat up pile of crap.
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thing is though. for every story like this there are millions with no issues.. i have bought all of mu drum gear online without 1 problem..
 
For the most part my used GC online purchases have been spot on.

In store used ,well...

I put a Tama ImperialStar snare (mid 80's 1 piece spun shell,die cast hoops) on layaway because it was on used hold status.
Came by to pick it up a few weeks later,the sales guy brings it out and I a notice a rattle when I pick it up.
They had busted the tone control so that it was no longer usable while it sat on the layaway shelf.
So I get a refund ,come back a few days later,and I notice it's back on the shelf marked up another $5 bucks(and still busted).
 
greenstar323 said:
At least there was a sales guy in the drum department. I used to love going to GC, chatting up the guys there that actually knew about drums, trying things out, and occasionally getting random free things (because you know, as a girl in the drum department that's usually how it goes...)

The past 3 times I've gone to buy something (because it was useless to wait a week to order it from someplace online) I had to go to the front desk to ask for someone to come sell me something. It's ridiculous.

You've been put on notice GC of Totowa NJ.
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Ever notice that GC is about 99.99% male?
 
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