Musician's Friend Disappointment

[wildbill]

If you browse the new and used inventory of both stores, you'll find they're the same.

I bought a snare drum not too long ago from MF.
They located a GC store that had 3 of them in stock, and the one I got was shipped from that store rather than a warehouse.

They also have different promotions, sales, specials, and points (cash back for future purchases) systems.
I get hooked into MF for large purchases because those points can add up.
The downside is that you've got to use the points before they expire, and that can sometimes lead to impulsive purchases.

 

[Otto]

Its interesting to see so much sympathy for MF selling used like it is new.

Not so sure I find theft empathizable.

 

[Stroman]

Its interesting to see so much sympathy for MF selling used like it is new.

Not so sure I find theft empathizable.

Yeah, I don't get it, really. The funny thing is, they had a few for sale as "Open Box" at a reduced price, but that was not what I ordered. The software license is part of the purchase price, so basically I was ripped off.

At least they finally made good. Well, I hope so, anyway. I shipped it back, but the money hasn't hit my account yet. (I'm not worried about it. Yet.)

 

[wildbill]

Its interesting to see so much sympathy for MF selling used like it is new.

Not so sure I find theft empathizable.

No sympathy here. You order new, you damn well better get new.

 

[JoeVermont]

........ Music and Arts, a company I already disliked for buying out and ruining a favorite local store back east.

That wouldn't be Advance Music in Burlington, VT by any chance, would it?
Advance was my "Go to" until about 4 years ago. Now that it's Music and Arts it's very unremarkable. Sad.

 

[Smoke]

Its interesting to see so much sympathy for MF selling used like it is new.

Not so sure I find theft empathizable.

I totally understand, and offer no sympathy, but I'll allow any company a mistake - once.

When poor service becomes pervasive, I'm out.

 

[GetAgrippa]

I wonder if it’s just impossible to compete with Amazon- so they join forces in hopes of surviving. I was in Burlington Vermont sometime in late 80s visiting Living Systems Vascular instruments and I don’t remember a music store but I can see me missing it or not remembering. I try to support local music stores.

 

[bongoman]

I wonder if it’s just impossible to compete with Amazon- so they join forces in hopes of surviving.

As I understand it that was the idea behind “Five Star drum stores”, a network of independent shops that banded together financially to be able to compete with the big online outlets. Unfortunately all the examples mentioned in this thread were not like that; instead they were entities with too much debt being sucked up by others with enough credit to absorb those debts.

 

[Stroman]

That wouldn't be Advance Music in Burlington, VT by any chance, would it?
Advance was my "Go to" until about 4 years ago. Now that it's Music and Arts it's very unremarkable. Sad.

No, it wasn't. It was B&B Music in Delaware. It was family owned for longer than I've been alive. When I was in high school, I was in school band (and a rock band) with the owner's son. Then, the son took over, and he's the one who ended up selling to Music and Arts.

On the bright side, when they took over, any items in inventory that they didn't normally carry, they marked at a price of something "similar." I ended up getting a Pearl Aluminum Sensitone for less than half the true price. I think I paid $150 for it, brand new. The tag said it was some other Pearl snare. I pointed out the discrepancy, and said, if you're selling it at that price, I'll take it. They knew it wasn't the right item, but that's how they dealt with the inventory they didn't normally carry. So I got a good deal and escaped with a clean conscience.

Otherwise, I consider it a sad tale.