Guitar Center

I purchased a defective product from a distributor, Guitar Center, who uses a manufacturer, Avid Technologies, Inc. Upon receiving the defective product, we called our bank to reverse the charges and asked that Guitar Center accept our dissatisfaction. Guitar Center "passed the buck" to Avid Technologies, Inc. Avid Technologies refused to return. We sent the package via FedEx, gave the tracking number to our bank, and sent the defective product to the place we picked it up, Guitar Center, Pasadena, CA. We refuse to deal with business that engages in deceptive, false, and bad faith practices. In all our years of being a corporation, we have never purchased items that were non-returnable. This was not on the website when we ordered the product. Somehow, after our complaints, the webpage was miraculously updated and now includes the non-returnable note.

On Saturday, February 04, 2012 at the Louisville, KY Guitar Center (GC), I went to purchase the Mitchell MD 100S12 guitar that I found on their website. I have been looking at purchasing this guitar for some time now and what sent me over the edge, so to speak, is the advertisement on their website (February 03 and February 04) for 12% off of a single item $149 or more. I had to sign up for it and they emailed me the coupon. I received the coupon and I carefully read the fine print of the coupon (twice) to make sure this item would be eligible and I found nothing from the manufacturer or anything in fine print from GC that would exclude this item from being 12% off the maximum discounted price as stated in the coupon.

On their website, the maximum guaranteed lowest price for this guitar is $199.00. Using my zip code I insured this particular guitar was at my local GC and it was. When I arrived at my local GC in Louisville, I found the Mitchell MD100S12 but quickly noticed there was a different price tag on it. They had it marked at $249.00 and not $199.00 as advertised on their website (that should have been a red-flag for me). Note: as of February 5, 2012 (Sunday) and before this date, this particular item was not a clearance item on the GC website! I spoke to the sales associate about it and she checked the website and apologized. She said she didn't know why it was like that but she could honor the lowest price as advertised on the website. No problem, so I thought.

I wanted to have the strings changed to Elixirs and she assisted me with finding Elixir 12 strings and then we proceeded to speak with the gentleman who would be changing the strings and tuning the instrument for me. He informed me that he was backed up and it probably would not be ready until next Tuesday which wasn't a big deal for me. So I proceeded to pay for the guitar and sign the ticket to have him change the strings and tune it. In addition, I would have bought a stand and probably a case for it and I talked to the sales associate about eventually buying an electric guitar and amp from GC.

As we approached the counter to check out, I informed the sales associate that I also had a 12% off coupon and that's when the trouble began. She informed me that she didn't think she could give me the 12% off because she was matching the online price and she left to go and speak to I suppose a manager. Another associate approached me while I was waiting at the counter and asked if he could help me and I explained to him what was going on and he said it shouldn't be a problem and got on the computer and then hesitated and said that he wasn't sure. He gave his apologies, too, because he said the system was confusing and flawed. I'm not sure what they were seeing on the computer because as of 02/05/12 (and before this date) this item is not marked as a clearance item nor is it a used item which would disqualify it according to the coupon terms and it is displayed at the guaranteed lowest price on the website.

The lady returned with another younger gentleman (I guess he was a manager) and he explained they could only honor one or the other, whichever was the cheapest of the two. From what I could understand, since they were marking down the displayed price of $249.00 in their store to match the online price, they could not honor the coupon. The in-store price should have been $199.00 to begin with so that is nothing more than the typical used-car salesman bait-and-switch tactic used in the 70s. I didn't think businesses relied on such tactics in this day and age but I guess I'm wrong.

The lady who originally worked with me apologized to me again (clearly she could see the flaw and unethical tactics being used), so I just walked out promising to never to return again. What I feel the manager should have done (what I would have done being a leader) is to say, "You know what, there's something not right here on our part and to keep your business I'm going to go ahead and honor the coupon too. Is there anything else I can help you with?" No, instead I got an arrogant attitude. That's okay, though .I should have known when I first saw the inflated price on the instrument that this was a typical bait-and-switch scam, but like I said I didn't think these tactics were still being used today.

So, I did not buy the 12-string Mitchell guitar, a stand and case from GC nor will I be buying my electric guitar and amp from GC. In fact, I will not ever buy a darn thing from GC ever again not even a guitar pick! I hope saving the 12% (or $23.88) was worth losing a longtime potential customer because in opinion, it wasn't a good deal on GC's end, especially when I would have spent exceptionally more than that in equipment and lessons in the future. Oh well, I'll stick with locally owned stores that care about their customers and keeping them for the long-haul. To heck with this company. Just Google them and read the complaints from their own employees and that should tell you something. I just wish I had done that before I had wasted my gas and time going there yesterday!

I've bought numerous guitars and equipment from GC. Recently I bought a Gibson les Paul and a takamine 12 string. Each time I go in, I have trouble finding anyone to help me. I usually run down someone who is either too busy or is just not too interested to help. Maybe I don't look like a rock star or sit by a huge amplifier and wail away on a stratocaster at full volume, making sounds that make me and other customers want to pull our hair out. However, I do and have spent lots of money at guitar center and not once have I gotten a simple "thank you".

The sales manager, Ken, at Fayetteville is a complete failure at his job. Without saying bad words, he needs some training on people skills, especially with guys like me who pays his salary, and to show a little bit of respect. Even his own salespeople don't like him, as one of them told me the other day "I cringe when I see him coming in the door." Before Christmas I opened an account with you and I thought I was a "preferred customer". If the treatment I get at Guitar Center keeps up, I will be forced to take my money and business elsewhere to someone who values me as a customer.

I've had no problems with your online service at all. In fact, it's great! I do though have great concern for your Fayetteville store. It's the only guitar store around me, and I was so happy when guitar center opened in Fayetteville. Finally, I thought it's a place to go to buy guitars! But my happiness has turned to sadness. All I want is to be able to go in the door and someone, anyone to come up and say "Can I help you sir?" I do believe that Guitar Center owes me an apology and maybe a discount to my charge account or money back or something. I feel like my business was not appreciated and Ken was just there to take my money. So, please respond to me either by email or phone. Thanks for your time.

After I documented several Attorney General complaints for Guitar Center fraud (failure to honor discount coupons, misrepresentation of product, failure to provide tracking for paid shipping, etc) Guitar Center's customer service manager, Jeremy ** at corporate banned me from doing business with Guitar Center and its affiliates in Dec 2010. Mr. ** is not an officer of the company nor is he their legal counsel. His certified letter was not notarized nor clearly signed by an officer of the company or by legal counsel. By May 2011, I was buying again until Sept 2011 when I received a defective pedal.

I attempted a return to a local GC and was bluntly told by North Olmsted, OH store manager, Dana **, that he was told by his management not to talk to me. He refused the return in violation of GC's documented and advertised procedures. The Nashville store that sold me the pedal refused to pay for return shipping, again in violation of GC procedures. My wife attempted to use three gift cards totaling $60 at the Columbus, OH store via online. GC canceled her orders and my orders and invalidated the $60 gift cards.

I purchased a new Taylor 810-S guitar from Guitar Center in Ft. Lauderdale.

This guitar was supposed to come with the 5-ply hand-made case form Taylor Guitars but instead, the salesman switched it out for a plastic SKB case that normally comes with the lower-end Taylors.

This is a common practice and they do it so that they can re-sell the more expensive case to someone else, making and extra couple of hundred dollars in the process. Shame on me for letting them get away with it!

I have called and emailed Guitar Center a few times and have not gotten a response to date.

These guys are crooks or con artists! I wanted a lace pick-up to electrify my resonator acoustic. The Guitar Center was the only outlet that carried it. The said cheats in Reno told me that it was back-ordered, but if I gave them my credit card information, they wouldn't charge me until it was shipped. Guess what? They lied! They stole my $100, and now they won't return my calls or emails.

A display sign advertised a "Drumathom" stating that all Pearl drums and accessories were 50% off. The price that was marked was $174.50. There was no signage that indicated that the $174.50 was the discounted price and I was expecting to receive a 50% discount at the register. I was told at the register that the $174.50 was the discounted price. I feel the advertising was misleading and false. The sale price should be clearly indicated so the consumer will be well informed.

On July 6th 2010, I ordered a Fender Standard Stratocaster Left Handed Candy Apple Red with a Maple neck from Guitar Center.com. Due to circumstances beyond my control concerning UPS, my street address and security reasons, I had the guitar shipped to the Guitar Center Store # 825 in Cherry Hill NJ, a place that I've frequented for a few years now and enjoy dealing with.

On July 12th, I received tracking information that the guitar was damaged and was being returned to GC.com. I nor anyone else at GC #825 or UPS claims to have seen the damaged guitar but it was returned to the Main warehouse. I contacted and spoke in person, on July 13th, with the store # 825 Manager, Eliot, and he assured me that GC would handle everything and I had to do nothing to get this guitar replaced as soon as possible. After tracking down what was actually happening, I was told differently that I had to return to the store and replace my order.

On July 20th, I visited store #825 Cherry Hill NJ out of frustration to get this order placed/replaced, although why it couldn't be done by me and how I wanted it, I haven't quite figured out. At this point, my patience is wearing thin from excuses and finger-pointing.

I simply wanted the guitar delivered to the store and not delivered to my sun-drenched front porch in a record heat wave, in a not so great neighborhood to be stolen or delivered to the wrong address which by the way is a house full of junkies. Was this asking a little too much on my part? Did I not have it shipped to the store to begin with?

Upon arrival at store # 825, I was passed off by the Manager, Eliot, to an Assistant Manager, whose name I quickly forgot (Alex, a young, thin, sallow looking, caucasian fellow with what looked like dreadlocks) and my order became the nightmare from hell. This assistant manager done the total opposite of what this customer requested after repeatedly being told what I did not want to do for approximately 25 minutes. I left this store more frustrated and now angered at the situation. It confused me to the point to which I called GC.com afterward to make sure that the order was correct.

I'm guessing that this so-called new order will get delivered to the correct address undamaged also. All I know is GC got my money very quickly and the service I received back from them totally sucked. It was slow, and very time-consuming. By the time this guitar is ever delivered to me, it will close if not over four weeks. This seems to be the only solution for me to receive this guitar which is already bought and paid for. Now, I await the "we'll overnight it to you" story. There's no such thing. It will be at least two days providing everything goes according to plan. All this ** over replacing an order either damaged by UPS or store #825. They do not have good customer service and judging from how I saw a Marshall Amp head dropped and then replaced back on its cabinet by a staff member, I'm not ruling out that this so-called damaged guitar happened through GC #825.

My plans were to purchase two (2) other guitars from GC, a Telecaster and Les Paul Studio, but I'm holding off and rethinking exactly where I should purchase these items from. I've spent a few thousand dollars at GC in the past year or so. I'm sure that a few of the other stores could use a customer like myself, my friends and family. After I receive this order, it will be highly likely my last from GC. I will not forget to tell my friends how well I was handled and just how great GC is to deal with.

I went to the store to purchase a Fender brand guitar case. Two sales personnel told me that that I'm better of with a Brand X case. Then they both walked away and left me standing for 30 minutes. I spent over $3000.00 in this location, but they will not sell me a guitar case.

They told me I should be happy that they sold it to me at a discounted rate. At no point did they tell me about the problem that makes the drums worthless. They did give me a performance guarantee which means in 2 months when it kicks in I can take the kit back and have them fix it. This may take 6 weeks to fix. So after 6 months of buying a new drum kit I might get what I paid for.

I will never shop at Guitar Center again. It cost me 1000 for the kit and many hours of phone conversations as well as going into the store itself.

I made an on-line purchase with Guitar Center on Feb.28, 2009. There was an amplifier advertized in the outlet section of the site which had a price of $139.99 plus tax and shipping. I made the purchase with my American Express card. The next day I received a receipt from Guitar Center electronically as well as an approved order status for the price advertized. I was expecting my shipment. When I did not receive the tracking info a couple of days later, I check the order status on line. It stated order complete but no shipment information.

I called customer service and they stated that the amplifier was advertized too low and they could not honor the price so they cancelled the order. I feel they need to honor my order as I have a confirmation receipt for the price advertized. I am really upset with their response to me on this issue as I have been a long standing customer of Guitar Center and I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on purchases with them. Please help.

I purchased a $800 dollar snare drum from Guitar Center. when i got it home i noticed that the shell was cracked. i took it back. i got ahold of the drum Maker Ronn D. he was happy to replace it. he sent the other drum in and i did not think i needed to check it. i got back to my work and noticed that it was not only cracked but it was in the same exact spot as the other one! When i told Ronn he came down and took a look at both drums and them started to accuse me of breaking them ! i could not beleive it. he basiclly said too bad so sad and that im out of luck ! I never touched this drum and its cracked ! now Guitar center is trying to screw me around as well. i have spent close to $30,000 in Guitar Center over the last 22 years and this is how its turning out. i would like to open up multiple lawsuits on both Ronn D. and Guitar Center both for this !