Guitar Center 0, Me 1

[Ridvan]

I bought a guitar at Guitar Center yesterday they didn't want to sell but I made them hold to their add. It was the "Grand Opening" for a new store in Pasadena Calif. They sent an add for a new Parker guitar for a price that was half of dealer cost. I waited 2 1/2 hours to be amoung the first 40 out of 1,100 people in the store when it opened.
As soon as I went in I grabbed a salesman and asked for the guitar only to be informed that they were sold out. Now I'm amoung the first people in the store, no one is holding that type of guitar, no one walked out the door with one, so I asked "how many did you have?".
I never did receive an answer but I let the upper management and sales reps for some companies know of my displeasure. My normal calm self just lost it and I became fed up with being scammed.
End of the story.....They "found" one last guitar at another store that I bought for the sale price.

[Dances w/PURPLE]

Way to go! That sale was a hook don't ya know! Squeeky wheel gets the grease.


What kind of guitar? How much ( if you don't mind my asking )

[Ridvan]

Dances,
I knew it was a scam, I intended to hold them to it this time. I bought a Parker P-38 for $199.00. That is less than half of dealers cost. They sell new for $600 or more. I usually go for more vintage types but one can never have enough guitars. Besides, the price was right.:cheers:

[cactus jon]

Guitar Center sux !!! They tried to pull a bait and switch on me subbing a Korean made Ovation instead of an American made one. I demanded that they honor their sale price and made them order the American made model. I even stuck it to them, getting American trade value for a Korean Ovation. I have learned not to deal with the corporate brown-nosed managers or the snot-nosed kids who work at Guitar center. Much better success will be had dealing with a reputable store like Ed Roman's Guitars in Las Vegas. Besides, who wants to go into a store and hear some 14 year old attempting to play "Stairway to Heaven" on a Squire Fender guitar pluged into a 15 watt Crate amp turned up to 9?

[YESiDrum]

ugh to guitar center...but i find them very "eager" in the drum department. carlos (i think that was his name...) sold me a yamaha stage custom fusion set for basically nothing so he could get some commission. (please by it...please?)

of course i'm not complaining.

they're also full of nitwits. i was checking out a drum book with actual music in it (yah...i can read music...i'm classically and jazz trained). then the dude at the counter was like "wait...you read music?" (uh...yah) and he promptly called everyone in to look at the "amazing drummer chick that can read." (i guess it's that rare?)

then there's that guy in the guitar department that follows me everywhere...i think i should actually tell him i'm engaged to be married.

[DW Duke]

I have had the same bait and switch. Once they advertised a Les Paul for $200. I went in to buy one for my son. They produced some wierd off brand barely legal guitar (not made by Gibson or Epiphone) called a Les Paul. I told them I didn't want that Poltergiest. By the end of the afternoon they sold me a real Les Paul for such a great price that my son was in shock. Now he is a ripping dude.

Overall, they will cut the price to close to wholesale which makes them the best game in town unless you have an insider.

[kirk]

i have (had) a few friends in mgmt. at the GC-
it's $20,000 a yr.,55+ hrs/wk and more pressure than most could handle.
the crew makes $6 p/h, for what should be commission sales,
told to perform or hit the road.
they unload trucks, load sales into customer's vehicles,
wire displays, answer inane questions, sweep the floors...

everyone i know in pro audio and mgmt. has quit this past year.
the head guy left, started his own used equipment store,
which i frequent whenever possible.

hate the corporate, but have pity on the clerks.
they'd be better off asking "want some fries w/ that?"

pe a ce
kirk/zenpool

[Matt Bellamy]

I hate those Big music stores. I went into one once looking really scruffy and when the man was snooty to me i decided to show him who was boss. I turned up a keyboard full blast and played a chopin etude from memory. After that he seemed keen to serve me. I left the store.

[onslo]

WHOA! under $200 for a Parker?! those guitars are amazing. well done!

:)