GC never more!

LiveeviL2000

LiveeviL2000

Ambassador of Pentagonal Pentatonics
Country flag
As some of you may know. Today I was going to pick up my new King V at GC.
They called me and said it arrived. When I got there, they brought out a guitar box that looked like it had been used as a tackling dummy. The bottom was really smashed in good.
I had them unbox it and when they pulled it out a good chunk of the lower point of the V was snapped off. I didn’t even bother looking at the rest.
Their immediate response was, “if you still want it we will take 10% off”

I have a couple of major problems with this whole thing.
1) if they saw the box in that condition, wouldn’t it prompt them to look inside before calling the customer? I mean I only wasted over an hour to get there from work.
2) the thing is damaged. Wouldn’t the correct course of action be saying, “sorry we will get another one in for you” and maybe to make the customer feel better, have it expedited? Not try to recoup losses by asking if a miserable 10% discount will entice somebody to take it.

I canceled the order. Told them to refund me. Which seems like a simple request, but the runaround they attempted was crazy. They finally refunded me and from now on GC will not see another dime out of me.

They are not about customer service, they are only concerned with sales.

Screw that place.
I will wait until another store has my guitar.
 
LiveeviL2000 said:
As some of you may know. Today I was going to pick up my new King V at GC.
They called me and said it arrived. When I got there, they brought out a guitar box that looked like it had been used as a tackling dummy. The bottom was really smashed in good.
I had them unbox it and when they pulled it out a good chunk of the lower point of the V was snapped off. I didn’t even bother looking at the rest.
Their immediate response was, “if you still want it we will take 10% off”

I have a couple of major problems with this whole thing.
1) if they saw the box in that condition, wouldn’t it prompt them to look inside before calling the customer? I mean I only wasted over an hour to get there from work.
2) the thing is damaged. Wouldn’t the correct course of action be saying, “sorry we will get another one in for you” and maybe to make the customer feel better, have it expedited? Not try to recoup losses by asking if a miserable 10% discount will entice somebody to take it.

I canceled the order. Told them to refund me. Which seems like a simple request, but the runaround they attempted was crazy. They finally refunded me and from now on GC will not see another dime out of me.

They are not about customer service, they are only concerned with sales.

Screw that place.
I will wait until another store has my guitar.
Click to expand...
F$!% that store for that: that kinda stuff pisses me off. They saw it was beat to hell and still figured they'd off load it on some poor sap who wouldn't have the guts to tell them where to stuff it. Good for you walking and sticking it to them. Sorry you're hunt continues though
 
LiveeviL2000 said:
As some of you may know. Today I was going to pick up my new King V at GC.
They called me and said it arrived. When I got there, they brought out a guitar box that looked like it had been used as a tackling dummy. The bottom was really smashed in good.
I had them unbox it and when they pulled it out a good chunk of the lower point of the V was snapped off. I didn’t even bother looking at the rest.
Their immediate response was, “if you still want it we will take 10% off”

I have a couple of major problems with this whole thing.
1) if they saw the box in that condition, wouldn’t it prompt them to look inside before calling the customer? I mean I only wasted over an hour to get there from work.
2) the thing is damaged. Wouldn’t the correct course of action be saying, “sorry we will get another one in for you” and maybe to make the customer feel better, have it expedited? Not try to recoup losses by asking if a miserable 10% discount will entice somebody to take it.

I canceled the order. Told them to refund me. Which seems like a simple request, but the runaround they attempted was crazy. They finally refunded me and from now on GC will not see another dime out of me.

They are not about customer service, they are only concerned with sales.

Screw that place.
I will wait until another store has my guitar.
Click to expand...

Their Custome Service has never been much good. Most of them have young kids on their first jobs.

The only great one I've been in is the original one in Hollywood. The one in Torrance is not bad, but the rest are not worth the trouble.

I only use the local one to return online purchases that had issues...
 
MY LAST GC experience in Lakeland was when I waited .... 2016 I WANTED a Tribute "T" les paul... had CASH IN HAND -- took weeks for them to get one ---- one day I call " yep we have one " ......................
1641948365367.png
HELL I d STILL LIKE ONE (its gorgeous right?!?!?) -- but after weeks of waiting for my LOCAL GC to get one --- I drove across town --went in and asked to try one.....

I AM NOT KIDDING the one they handed me ....(now this is a "brand new model in 2016") -- had a missing switch knob......the bridge pup was loose and banging around in the cavity .....the pots WERE SCRATCHY and the strings RUSTY ---I strummed it twice.... looked at it in disgust said "this is NEW???"
"its a FLOOR MODEL" -- the fetus with long purple hair and WAY to many piercings in his head "shot back"
and my response was "well leave it on the floor cause its a pile of :poo:"
and I left
 
LiveeviL2000 said:
As some of you may know. Today I was going to pick up my new King V at GC.
They called me and said it arrived. When I got there, they brought out a guitar box that looked like it had been used as a tackling dummy. The bottom was really smashed in good.
I had them unbox it and when they pulled it out a good chunk of the lower point of the V was snapped off. I didn’t even bother looking at the rest.
Their immediate response was, “if you still want it we will take 10% off”

I have a couple of major problems with this whole thing.
1) if they saw the box in that condition, wouldn’t it prompt them to look inside before calling the customer? I mean I only wasted over an hour to get there from work.
2) the thing is damaged. Wouldn’t the correct course of action be saying, “sorry we will get another one in for you” and maybe to make the customer feel better, have it expedited? Not try to recoup losses by asking if a miserable 10% discount will entice somebody to take it.

I canceled the order. Told them to refund me. Which seems like a simple request, but the runaround they attempted was crazy. They finally refunded me and from now on GC will not see another dime out of me.

They are not about customer service, they are only concerned with sales.

Screw that place.
I will wait until another store has my guitar.
Click to expand...


Its sad! But i believe you said and done the right thing in this situation. I would have done the same thing as you did. Any guitar shop or store who does this shouldn't be in business. And definately doesn't deserve yours. And I can gurantee you they wouldn't get mine!
 
Too bad to hear. Too many of these stories/experiences over the years.

I had truly exceptional customer service at the one in Lawndale/South Bay Los Angeles. But its probably the only one!

Edit: oh wait. I visited the GC down here in San Diego (La Mesa, actually) and it was not only the nicest one I have ever been in but the people there were very cool, friendly and seemingly knowledgeable. And...wait for it...they were fully stocked and not a thing seemed too pawed at. I have not bought a guitar there, but I do think I would.
 
Last edited:
eSGEe said:
MY LAST GC experience in Lakeland was when I waited .... 2016 I WANTED a Tribute "T" les paul... had CASH IN HAND -- took weeks for them to get one ---- one day I call " yep we have one " ......................
View attachment 78715
HELL I d STILL LIKE ONE (its gorgeous right?!?!?) -- but after weeks of waiting for my LOCAL GC to get one --- I drove across town --went in and asked to try one.....

I AM NOT KIDDING the one they handed me ....(now this is a "brand new model in 2016") -- had a missing switch knob......the bridge pup was loose and banging around in the cavity .....the pots WERE SCRATCHY and the strings RUSTY ---I strummed it twice.... looked at it in disgust said "this is NEW???"
"its a FLOOR MODEL" -- the fetus with long purple hair and WAY to many piercings in his head "shot back"
and my response was "well leave it on the floor cause its a pile of :poo:"
and I left
Click to expand...
Hahaha hell yeah!
 
Sorry to hear it didn't come through, but glad to hear you could pry a refund from them.

They are not a favorite of mine. I live in an area that still has many independent music stores. You'd think they would up their game at the local GCs to ward off the competition? No, not even close. They actually have a Coral Pink Player's Strat to match the paint job my wife is doing on our bungalow. I thought I would check it out. The fret ends are sharp as a razor, and the neck was as bowed as a banana. There are several local shops that will set the guitar up before hanging it on the shelf that I could go to first, and still always will. Unless I can not get it anywhere else, is when I finally go to GC.
 
They don't open Customer Ordered Items for the reason that someone could say
" An Employee was f¥×ing around with my ____ and broke it "

However, I would think they would have at least attempted to let you know in advance that the outer box was in less than acceptable condition.

10% off? That's an offer like a kick in the taint!!
 
LiveeviL2000 said:
As some of you may know. Today I was going to pick up my new King V at GC.
They called me and said it arrived. When I got there, they brought out a guitar box that looked like it had been used as a tackling dummy. The bottom was really smashed in good.
I had them unbox it and when they pulled it out a good chunk of the lower point of the V was snapped off. I didn’t even bother looking at the rest.
Their immediate response was, “if you still want it we will take 10% off”

I have a couple of major problems with this whole thing.
1) if they saw the box in that condition, wouldn’t it prompt them to look inside before calling the customer? I mean I only wasted over an hour to get there from work.
2) the thing is damaged. Wouldn’t the correct course of action be saying, “sorry we will get another one in for you” and maybe to make the customer feel better, have it expedited? Not try to recoup losses by asking if a miserable 10% discount will entice somebody to take it.

I canceled the order. Told them to refund me. Which seems like a simple request, but the runaround they attempted was crazy. They finally refunded me and from now on GC will not see another dime out of me.

They are not about customer service, they are only concerned with sales.

Screw that place.
I will wait until another store has my guitar.
Click to expand...
Improperly packed guitars, but who packed it?
Another Guitar Center packed it?
I usually double box guitars in the case with lots of protection...
Not much for customer service I gather from what other people say about GC.
 
Amp Mad Scientist said:
Improperly packed guitars, but who packed it?
Another Guitar Center packed it?
I usually double box guitars in the case with lots of protection...
Not much for customer service I gather from what other people say about GC.
Click to expand...
It wasn't in a case. Lower end guitars just ship in a cardboard box and Vs are obviously exceptionally susceptible to damage this way.
 
Cadorman said:
It wasn't in a case. Lower end guitars just ship in a cardboard box and Vs are obviously exceptionally susceptible to damage this way.
Click to expand...
That’s another subject that irks me. But that is a manufacturer issue.

It’s a shame when spending $1000 is considered “lower end”
It seems spending double that breaks out of that category. My Gibson SG is the most expensive guitar I own and that came with a case.
The only guitar I have that didn’t come with a hard case was my LTD. I believe that was over the $1000 mark.
My Fender Showmaster came with a gigbag and Jackson DK2 came with a case. Both were well under the $1k mark. But that was almost 20years ago. So I don’t know what the USD was worth compared to now.
My Dean V was sub $1K and came with a case but that was not the norm for that model, the shop in Tennessee threw it into the deal.

I’m sure manufacturers could at the very least throw in a cheap gigbag when offering a guitar in the $1k+ range. But that extra would cut into the profit margin of an already inflated price point.

Sorry. I’m still a little ticked off from yesterday’s poop show.

*End of rant.
 
LiveeviL2000 said:
Totowa NJ
Click to expand...
NJ has some interesting laws about re-boxing broken / damaged / missing parts etc...
They just stick it back in the box, and resell it. No rules against it.
They don't have to tell you anything.

Other states have laws against that...

Sweetwater I know will send you the real photos, pack it properly, probably ship it free, and will inspect it before it is shipped.
They will also get you 3 easy payments (that's what hooks me every time).
Sweetwater is in business to make players happy- it's a big part of the business model to make sure every customer is happy.
They will call you, to make sure your guitar is good after you receive it.
But if I was you, I would sink another $100 into a guitar case.

It's sort of like:
Guitar Center and Sweetwater are 2 opposites.
Despite GC is in California right here close by ---I order stuff from Indiana instead.
I could just drive to Santa Barbra / Oxnard GC but I don't.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top