Sam Ash not abiding by their Price MAtch Policy w/credit card purchase!!!!!!
Artists Management
mine that Sam Ash wouldn't abide by their "Price Match" 60 day policy when
my student brought to them a printout of Woodwind/Brasswind and
Music123.com's price for the same Sax being $100 less than Sam Ash's price.
Ash makes a huge deal out of that they are the lowest cost in the "industry"
yet when they are challenged to it they won't abide by it.
My student financed the sax with their "no interest for 12 months" Sam Ash
card and since he got the sax on their credit card, NO DEAL with the price
match.
That is such a crock of crap as Woodwind Co. has the same 12 months no
interest so we are comparing it apples to apples. If Woodwind didn't have
the zero interest than there maybe would be an argument but since they do
have the same deal, I'm posting about the hidden scam that Sam Ash does to
it's purchasers when they use the Sam Ash Credit Card.
I'm really tempted to get a Class Action Lawsuit going against the company
as that to me is really slimy.
They will NEVER, EVER get my business, nor a student of mine's business
again for instruments.
David Blumberg
www.TopTempo.com
david{nospam]@mytempo.[no spam]com
Greg D
dunk as I have been turned down by them 50% of the time. And they're free
shipping is another thing - order PA mons and see how free their shipping
is - same for MF. They don't really hide it as you see the charge before
the final total.
Wanna know something else? Sam Ash sent me a DOA Roland VGA-5 amp - all
on their 12 month, no interest, no payment promtion (it really is a nice
plan). When I said I wanted them to send a will call ticket for UPS they
asked me if I wanted a replacement. I told them no at this time as I had
zero confidence in the Roland VGA-5 amp. They refused to pay for shipping
back. I shipped the amp back on my $30 and then wrote them a long letter
saying essentially that to make friends, I expect a $30 credit on my
card. Never received a reply. In fact, they are the only company to which
I have written a real letter - whether in praise or for customer support
that has never sent back an acknowledgement of some kind.
I haven't bought anything from them since (except for a $60 drum for my
son's drum teacher as SA is the only place on the planet with that brass
snare for that price - and I only did it for him). But I won't even be
doing that anymore.
So to save $30 when they would have spent twice that sending me a new amp
and stick to some internal policy, SA has lost my business in which time
I have purchased 4 guitars - one new locally, two used, and one new from
MF. Let's not forget a top of the line MFX pedal from MF that SA also
had. I even refused to use their 15 month deal and bought the pedal from
MF with whom I am satisfied as an olnine dealer. And let's not forget a
bass for the son and a six string starter package for the daughter bought
since Sept - all from MF, not SA.
I used to visit SA all the time looking for deals and racking up orders.
I don't even go to their site anymore.
ZZounds really does ship for free, though, when they have that promotion
and another thing- Zzounds has teh *best* return process of any online
vendor. If they have free shipping they don't charge return shipping if
the item is arrived broken. If you want to return it, they don't or at
least haven't tached on the orig shipping when it was bought with their
free ship promotion.
Music123 (WWandBW"s online site) is decent, but they hosed me on an
archtop order almost 2 years ago - sloppiness on their part - canceled my
order by accident and I didn't know it for 30 days and by then the deal
was off. THey offered to reinstate, but by then they had changed to using
a new credit company and they didn't want to offer the same long term, no
int financing. I haven't written them off like I have SA, but I don't buy
much from them and they are the last place I look.
GReg
Pat Smith
Go to the mom and pop music store and support them. You can't have low
price and great service, that's why nobody at Guitar Center has a clue.
We aren't that far from the day when Sam Ash or Guitar Center are the
only choices left.
Jack A. Zucker
are pitiful. I won't go to them anymore.
--
web: http://www.jazguitar.com
Soundclips: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/2/jackzuckermusic.htm
"Pat Smith" <pj...@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:frvrb.5918$0_3....@newssvr25.news.prodigy.com...
Unknown
3 cheers for this sentiment. I buy gear from a store here in Dayton
(Hauer Music), and I have been shopping there since my dad bought my
first guitar from them for $25.00 in 1967.
Build a relationship with your local store and you will get all the
service you need. The little bit of money you save through the mail
just isn't worth the hassles in the long run.
Tim
http://timberens.com
A Website for Guitarists
Learn something...Have some fun
timb at erinet dot com
Jack A. Zucker
store in the Cleveland (Richmond Hts) area that has botched and bungled
every special order I've made over the last couple years including pedals,
picks, speakers, strings and the real killer - A guitar that was supposed to
be sent back to Tacoma that they forgot about and just left sitting behind
the counter for 3 weeks. I even called them about it after 10 days and was
told that Tacoma had it...
Additionally, I bought a Roland guitar synth last year. After a couple
weeks, I called them and told them I wasn't happy and asked if I could
return it. They told me they'd sell it on consignment for a 20% fee. Had I
bought it from Guitar Center, I could have returned it for a full refund, no
questions asked...
I've bought over $10,000 worth of gear from the in the last 10 years
including $2000 this year alone. Repeatedly, they've given me poor service.
Ironically, I constantly hear them whining about losing service to the big
chains. Well, they've lost me as a customer.
When I go into guitar center, half a dozen guys welcome me and I always get
prices lower than what they advertise.
Jaz
Pat Smith
great. I can name two that I know to be good
The Guitar Works in Evanston Il
and Rondinelli Music in Dubuque IA
I too often go to Center and appreciate the 30 day refund. Of course
thay HAVE to have the 30 days since you can't actually hear to try
anything at the Center near my house.
If Center makes you happy then go there and enjoy. Why go anywhere you
don't like. Life is too short for bad service
Jack A. Zucker
> For goodness sake nobody is saying that all mom and pop stores are
> great.
I think the implication was that the chains are big, evil conglomerates (to
which I don't disagree) and that the mom and pop shops are the do-gooders of
the music business. My experience with mom and pop shops is that their
prices are high, their service is poor and the salespeople are
uninformed...In other words, no different than the chains.
The diff is that the chains have lower and more consistent prices and a MB
guarantee. The GC in my area is great. Great service, great prices.
Maybe it's different in the big cities but in Cleveland that's the way it
was. DC wasn't much different either.
Pt
I usually only go there for strings.
I hate that place.
It is always loaded with teenagers making noise.
I mean noise, not music, and when you multiply noise times 30
teenagers it is overbearing.
I can't wait to get out of there.
Pt
Max Leggett
As Jack has mentioned, there are ma and pa stores that haven't a clue.
On the other hand I just found a small local store and I am knocked
out by it. They actually stock TI strings and D'Adario chromes, which
the chains don't do here in Podunk-by-the-Sea. Even have a D'Aquisto
on the wall for five thou. Sounds nice, too. The owner works there
with one assistant, and they are two knowledgeable cats. He did a fret
job and setup for me, and he knows his stuff. Chains and ma and pa
stores are alike in that some are good and sme suck, and caveat
emptor.
Jurupari
>On the other hand I just found a small local store and I am knocked
>out by it.
If you look around you can occasionally find a smaller store that has
experience with and will work with pros. We have a locally owned store,
Acoustic Music Revival that's very good in this respect. They can't compete
straight down the line with the chains, but you'll still make out well, get any
repairs or lessons in the same place and actually get some items at better
prices. I had a store like that when I lived in North Carolina, but they're
the exception, I think. I've seen some really malevolent pirates attached to
privately owned stores - credit scams and the whole nefarious deal.
Clif
JohnQPublic
to the effect of a guy not frequenting these music store anymore because of
the 'god awful sh..' he heard while in them. A guy wrote back saying:
"Was God Awful Sh.. playing? I haven't heard them in years." I thought it
was pretty funny.
Jay Vyas
> >On the other hand I just found a small local store and I am knocked
> >out by it.
>
I guess we're somewhat lucky in the San Francisco Bay Area - there are
some excellent independent stores - Gelb Music in Redwood City,
Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto, Blue Note Music in
Berkeley, etc. All have prices darn close (and often better) than
the big chains on the stuff they carry, and my experiences have been
extremely positive at all of them.
If you must do mail order, I'd suggest Chuck Levin's Washington Music
Center. Brian Meader in the guitar dept has always done right by me,
and I've done special orders that have come out perfectly and the
price was also the lowest I could get.
I've had MF *not* honor their low price guarantee - even when they and
I both looked at a competitors web site - so I've stopped even
considering that in my shopping decisions.
-- Jay
Greg D
> On Sun, 09 Nov 2003 18:11:23 GMT, Pat Smith <pj...@pacbell.net> wrote:
>
> >It's too bad you got ripped off. My recommendation would be buy locally.
> >Go to the mom and pop music store and support them. You can't have low
> >price and great service, that's why nobody at Guitar Center has a clue.
> >We aren't that far from the day when Sam Ash or Guitar Center are the
> >only choices left.
> >
>
> 3 cheers for this sentiment. I buy gear from a store here in Dayton
> (Hauer Music), and I have been shopping there since my dad bought my
> first guitar from them for $25.00 in 1967.
>
> Build a relationship with your local store and you will get all the
> service you need. The little bit of money you save through the mail
> just isn't worth the hassles in the long run.
>
> Tim
I have found this to be true. I deal with a local shop - Alpha Music
in VAB and have always gotten good service. I see the same faces year
after year and they actually recognize me, though they don't know me
by name. Compare that to MARS where faces changed every couple of
months.
I also buy when I can from Alpha even if it means spending 10-15% more
than I would online. I love their guitar service (even if they did
lose Mike when he struck out on his own, but Walter is just fine by
me) and the fact that if there is a problem, I don't worry about the
fix (unless of course it disfigures the gutiar with an extra hole or
two). In fact, one of my boxes is in there now for a factory warranted
item. I'll be waiting to see what the fix is for it before i mention
what it is here.
Greg
Pat Smith
Martino will be there next Monday
MBR
I guess it varies. Here in brewtown we have a couple of homegrown
shops that have mushroomed into chain-type stores. Big, sterile boxes
with very unskilled people managing them. They really stink. We had a
Mars too and it was the worst music store I've ever stepped foot in.
Man, I just hate music stores where the staff is clueless. On the
other hand we have several mom and pops and most, but not all, are
quite good... and the people are knowledgable too.
-Mark R.
-Mark R.
Artists Management
making good on
the price match. They couldn't understand why the local
store wouldn't match it as it to him was a comparable offer as well so he is
making it right.
I'm glad that they do care - and did the right thing!!!!
Thanks guys!
David Blumberg
"Artists Management" <musicarti...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:hKOdneKt1qj...@comcast.com...
Artists Management
"Pat Smith" <pj...@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:frvrb.5918$0_3....@newssvr25.news.prodigy.com...
pmfan57
> Update: Just got a call from Sam Ash Corporate (President) and they are
> making good on
> the price match. They couldn't understand why the local
> store wouldn't match it as it to him was a comparable offer as well so he is
> making it right.
>
> I'm glad that they do care - and did the right thing!!!!
>
> Thanks guys!
>
> David Blumberg
Allright everybody, turn around. Back to Sam Ash.
I guess Emily Litella had it right. Never Mind.
Artists Management
capacity.
I'm glad that they realized that they were making a bad error in not helping
the guy out.
"Greg D" <oas...@atcoxdot.net> wrote in message
news:Xns942E7F60636...@68.1.17.6...
Jack A. Zucker
> > on their 12 month, no interest, no payment promtion
I don't remember hearing about that amp. You holding out on us?!? :-)
Greg D
It arrived DOA. I sent it back immediately - the next day, in fact. I
didn't see a reason to mention it; just looked like a good deal for $399. I
did take off the baffle - really cheap chipboard cab like used in the TM60.
Really crappy looking Chinese made speaker.
GReg
pmfan57
maybe you should announce in this thread that Sam Ash met the price.
No one appears to have read your disclaimer thread. It's not really
fair to keep bashing Sam Ash without people knowing what ended up
happening.
Artists Management
making good on
the price match. They couldn't understand why the local
store wouldn't match it as it to him was a comparable offer as well so he is
making it right.
I'm glad that they do care - and did the right thing!!!!
Thanks guys!
David Blumberg
"Artists Management" <musicarti...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:hKOdneKt1qj...@comcast.com...