What I would do is stop shopping at GC. Period.
Hi everyone, first off I hope you all had a great Christmas!
Anyways, I'm in a bit of a situation again. Here is the story:
Some of you may know from my older thread that I was looking for a new kit. Well, I did quite a lot of shopping and thanks to your guy's help, I was able to find a used Starclassic 5 piece for only $499 (not including shipping + tax) at a GC. I went to my local GC and put the kit on layaway to give me some time to sell my current set, and everything seemed to have been going fine and dandy.
I kept checking for 3-5 days to see if the kit was pulled down from the site, which oddly it wasn't. I called up the guy at the store to ask if the kit was ever put on layaway, and after he had asked a few other people to double check, he said that it was not on layaway, and it was available for purchase. I then told him that I had gone into my local store to put that kit on layaway a few days ago.
He confirmed that I had indeed put it on layaway by pulling up my info, and saw that my local GC transferred money to his store under my name for the kit. He said he would speak to his manager and get back to me asap. Hours pass, and I end up calling him back. He says that he spoke with the manager and that everything was taken care of and it was put on layaway. Satisfied with the response, I rested easy knowing that it was finally on layaway. I wish I had remembered the name of that dude.
I noticed that the kit remained on listed on the site for another week and a half, but I just thought to myself that it was probably a glitch in the system, or it was just taking a while for it to come down. So around 12 days later, the kit was finally taken off.
Fast forward to the layaway deadline: I didn't sell my kit, and I was unable to come up with the full amount.
Not sweating it, I talked to multiple people from GC (including a person from the drum department at the exact GC my kit was supposed to be at) to ask if I could put it on layaway for another 2 weeks. Everyone I spoke with said it would be fine and that I shouldn't have a problem doing that.
On the day that layaway deadline was going to expire, I went into my local GC to extend the deadline.
Now here is the kicker:
The sales guy at my store (a cool dude), calls up the store that (supposedly) has the starclassic on layaway. After he inquired and talked with people at that store, he tells me that they can't find the kit, and that the manager over there was looking into it to see what happened to the kit.
A few minutes later, he gets a call from the manager and tells me that the kit had somehow never been put on layaway, and had been sold to someone else just a week after I had put it on layaway.
The sales rep and manager at my store apologized a lot for what had happened, and promised to make this right.
I called him up 2 days later and we both tried to find a replacement kit that might work. I pointed out a few kits, and he called up that store to get a better deal on it (a deal close to the $500 I originally only intended to spend).
All the deals were okay, but nothing special and I would still end up spending more money. So I told him I would think things through and get back to him soon.
So right now I'm back to square 1. Any ideas on what I should do? Should I get aggressive and and contact corporate to resolve this? Give up and resort to beating on some cardboard? Spend another month or three scouring the GC used page for a better deal? What are your thoughts?
Thanks for letting me vent. It helps me get rid of some stress, and provides an opportunity for others to express their opinions on my situation. I apologize for my incoherent way of writing things too, that seems to happen a lot when I write things like these.
-DR
-DrumRookie
-Gear-Birch Tama Starclassic 22", 14", 12", 10" - 14"x5" Black Panther Steel Snare - Iron Cobra Hi-Hat Stand - Zildjian 20" A Vintage ride - Sabian HH 16" Crash - Sabian AAX 18" Studio Crash - Agazarian 10" Splash - Sabian XS20 14" Medium Hats - ProMark Shira Kashi Oak 5A - Various sticks & percussion - CP Bongos
What I would do is stop shopping at GC. Period.
Talk about BS man. I have heard a few bad stories from people who dealt with GC and then I heard good things so it is a 50/50 thing. Once companies get big the PR deteriorates cause their name is made. I hope you find another kit somewhere else. Good luck.
Sounds like someone isn't doing their job. Big surprise there! I think you can get a better deal on E-Bay anyways. It's a buyers market right now with the bad economy and people are selling their stuff to make ends meet.
Custom Classic Pro Maple 6
8",10",12",13" Mounted Toms
(2)14",16" Floor Toms
22" x 18" Kick
6",8",10" Roto Toms
14" x 6.5" Mapex Black Panther Snare
13" x 3" Pearl Piccolo Snare
Sabian: 13" Paragon Hats
14" HH X Hats
22" Paragon Ride
(2) 16" Paragon Crashes
20" Paragon Crash
18" Paragon Crash
20" Paragon Small Flange China
19" Paragon China
Wuhan:20"with gingles
8",10" Splash
Roc N Soc Lunar
DW 8002B Pedals
Tambourine
Cowbell
Sabian Squad
C C Militia
That's so messed up. They SHOULD get the kit back from whoever they sold it to...
That's not really fair to that person though, if I were to walk in, find a steal on a kit like that, buy it, and then for them to ask for it back? That's not right. It's not right that he got a raw deal because some moron wasn't doing their job either. GC should make it right regardless, I would definitely take it to corporate DrumRookie, the worst they can do is nothing.
Dw | Zildjian | Pro-Mark | Evans
I really wonder about the guitar center's drum dept's. I have only had bad experienses with the one that is close to me. Palm Beach. They never have anything in stock. I mean come on, Ambassador heads. 1 1/4 inch tension rods, tom muffler. They had none the first time I went in there and none the second time I went there 3 months later, and the mgr was a rude know it all. So I see some hot rods in a bin on sale and decide to buy a pair. When I paid at the register it was almost twice what the price was on the bin sign they were in. When I said they were cheaper and told him how much, he said to show him. When I showed him the sign with the price on it he ripped down the sign and said, those were the back to school sale prices. Guess that price sign had been there a while. I asked him where the pro's in the area went to get there drum gear, that I needed to go there, and left..
I should have gone over his head to the general mgr. and made them give me the price on the sign that was advertiseing those rods. That is how not to manage a dept. in a music store. He should have got off his lazy butt and had the correct prices on things. I don't waste my time to go in there anymore.
Ludwig Classic Maple vintage 1980 Silver Sparkle
Ludwig Classic Maple vintage 1960 Gold Sparkle
Ludwig Classic Maple vintage 1968 Champagne Sparkle
Premier Resonators vintage 70's Polychromatic Red
Slingerland 60's Vintage. Vintage Sky Blue Pearl
Slingerland 1972 "Avante" Red
Camco Chanute vintage. 1973 Silver Sparkle
Gretsch Catalina Jazz. Blue Pearl
Sonor Safari. Black Galaxy
Rogers Londoner V vintage. 1977 Silver Mist
Rogers Script Badge 9/72 1972 Black Nitro
Beverley of England 4 piece vintage. Red
Stewart 1966 Black Diamond Pearl MIJ
Vintage Paiste 2002
Vintage Avedis Zildjian
bad news.
i guess im lucky, my local GC 10 miles away greets me by name when i walk in, i can play a kit while i wait, ive jammed with the drum manager a few times on 2 kits and they give me fair deals. if i had the same experience you had at your GC id walk in a heartbeat.
i can buy a drumset anywhere around here.
i would go tomorrow and speak in person to the manager and get a full explanation, they "should" get you your Starclassic for the price agreed upon and likely they will.
Be calm and have your claim down-pat.
They are a big company and lines get crossed, they have your money spent in the computer, they will refund it to you and you can walk, trust me, they dont want that rep and corporate wont allow it.
take a deep breath and stay two moves ahead of GC when you strike
Last edited by kyle102565; 12-30-2012 at 08:40 AM.
You still have your old kit? If so just keep going with it until something good comes around.
Yes I would go to corporate. thats BS
Dang, im glad i have one of the few competent gc stores in existance. I have been to some and the guys are just clueless about what im talking about. Dude you should get aggressive and call corporate, but do it for the store that sold the set. I would not stop shopping at gc because if gc works for you then shop there. I hate to hear stories like this cause then all the gc haters come out and leave there criticsm, fact is some gc stores are really good and others suck, and some are just ok. But for the fact that you did get screwed over is why you should call corporate and go after the store that sold the kit. you also need to be aggressive when speaking with them and tell them that you had the kit on a layaway, and you need to nicely demand that they give you a nicer kit for the price that you were gonna pay for the tama, even if you have to get the kit from another gc. or at least see if they can give you a comparable kit but have them throw in a free cymbal and stand or a free head upgrade, or some kind of free upgrade to your set, cymbals, hardware, ect, to compensate you for your troubles.
DW Remo Vic Firth Zidljian
You have to be careful when dealing with GC, that's all, GC's have a mixture of knowledgeable employees and part time and entry-level kids. And it's a big business environment. they're about making money.
They were of value to me in getting the price down when ordering my DW Exotic Collectors kit via a bidding war with my local drum shop.
I confess I was never going to buy them from GC. I wanted the homey mom & pop (or father & son) service, knowledge, and attention available from the drum shop as well as to give them my business, but I wasn't above trying to save as close to the 40% allowed off msrp as possible.
Looks like GC won't be in business for very long if they continue to screw their name with incompetent sales people. Just a matter of time. I am glad we don't have one here in Canada. We do have some big stores that are just as bad not gonna mention any.
John W. ("J-Dub")
My Band: www.facebook.com/sundaybrave
www.youtube.com/user/durangodude01nj
6pc Tama SCM Platinum Fade
6pc Tama SCM EFX Blue Silk (shells signed by Jason Bittner)
5pc Tama B/B White Silk
5pc Tama B/B Egyptian Night Burst
7pc Tama SCP Birch Cherry veneer
5pc Tama Silverstar Satin Cherry Burst
6pc Tama classic Superstar Cherry Wine
I find it funny when people go after big chains for "trying to make money" or having incompetant employees. Ive had the same problems at many "mom and pops" along with higher prices and less selection.
How do you think the McDonalds, WalMarts and Guitar Centers of the world started out? Single family run stores that had a better business plan than the others.
Agreed. I've never had a problem with my GC when I lived in OKC. And now that I live in a smaller town, the ONE music store we have here that carries drums/percussion gear is crazy overpriced and zero selection. They want $14 for a pair of sticks! All the kits and cymbals they carry are entry-level quality, and the mark up is almost double for what you can buy these kits for online. Not only that, but they only carry 2 brands. I even inquired about placing a special order through one of these companies and they couldn't tell me the process.
I'll continue to shop online, or at my GC when I'm down in the city.
DW - PEARL - PDP - ZILDJIAN - EVANS - VIC FIRTH
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DW Collector's Series - Blue Glass - 10, 12, 14, 16, 23
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I dont shop online either lol. I shop at a familly owned store, but its a good one.
All Im saying that the size or the name on the door doesnt make a good store. Its the people on the frontline. GC doesnt control who the local franchises hire.
Then you are lucky haha. I would love a local family owned store that knew how to do business.
DW - PEARL - PDP - ZILDJIAN - EVANS - VIC FIRTH
Click for Gear Pics!
DW Collector's Series - Blue Glass - 10, 12, 14, 16, 23
Pearl Session Custom - Green Burst - 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 22
PDP CX Maple - Red Glass - 12, 14, 16, 24
Big chain, mom and pop, heck kijiji or CL dont care as long as I can get a balance of price/service/selection thats where I'll spend my dollars.
Online I dont do for a couple of reasons, 1. I refuse to spend money without trying/seeing the product first. 2. I like to support my local economy. But hey Im not preaching, Im a capitalist, spend YOUR money where it works best for YOU.
I agree when it comes to big items, but when it comes to stuff like hardware, sticks, odds and ends ill shop online all day long. When it's kits and pies I want to play them first if possible. The only time I've bought drums without trying them first was when I got good deals on eBay haha. Luddy Acro and the like.
Now where I live I'm just as far away from OKC as I am from Tulsa. And I hear that there's a family owned drums only shop in Tulsa...I need to go pay them a visit soon
DW - PEARL - PDP - ZILDJIAN - EVANS - VIC FIRTH
Click for Gear Pics!
DW Collector's Series - Blue Glass - 10, 12, 14, 16, 23
Pearl Session Custom - Green Burst - 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 22
PDP CX Maple - Red Glass - 12, 14, 16, 24
Before somebody tries to argue that shopping at WalMart doesnt support my local economy, answer this question who works there? Your friends family and neighbours.
How big is Tulsa?
DW - PEARL - PDP - ZILDJIAN - EVANS - VIC FIRTH
Click for Gear Pics!
DW Collector's Series - Blue Glass - 10, 12, 14, 16, 23
Pearl Session Custom - Green Burst - 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 22
PDP CX Maple - Red Glass - 12, 14, 16, 24
Yeah a little bigger than were I am 350K. We have 3 shops, 2 Mom and Pop, one sucks one is terrific and one national chain. Its pretty good, used to be a mom and pop, national chain bought it kept the same employees.
Exactly. i hate going to mom and pop places for this exact reason, half the time they don't know as much, and they have very little selection in any of there products. and they'll generally only carry whats popular to the area. i used to have a store like that here, before the gc came. But whenever i wanted something this store would never have it. For example i wanted remo ebony heads, but because clear ambos and pinstripes were all most people used in this area, thats all they carried. This store didn't even carry half the brand of sticks that gc carried, nor did they ever have more than 4 sets on hand, half of which were beginner. Im sorry but all my bad or unpleasant experiences all came from mom and pop stores. for the exact reason that northern redneck said. I only go to gc here now because when i walk in people know me by name, i have had no screw ups at that store since i've been going there the last few years, and the guys know even more then i do when it comes to asking them about anything from drums to sound equipment. Part of the reason for my good experience there is because the employees there do treat there store in the way that we all stereotype ma and pa places to be. It may be a corporate store, but some of these stores are treated like "mom and pop" places. the unfortunate thing is in some of these stores(like all stores) you have the screw up employee(s) that make shopping there a bad experience. What i find even more sad though is sometimes customers will give the employees there a hard time just because they heard gc is a bad store, so they wanna jump in on the band wagon and have a bad experience themselves, so they make up a bad experience and blame it on the employee. But thats another story for another time.
Last edited by groovearteest; 12-29-2012 at 01:05 PM.
DW Remo Vic Firth Zidljian
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