Sound Control - Re-launch

[tauzero]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='219816' date='Jun 16 2008, 01:13 PM']I'm not aware of the legalities, but i'm pretty sure you're wrong. I think some lawyer on the board even posted a message to this effect on a different thread concerning the same topic.[/quote]
I think that was subtly different - it was goods being ordered in for which someone had paid in advance, and which would turn out never to be supplied. In this case, the item was physically present.

Given that I am not a lawyer, I can't recall the exact stages of a purchase - it's something like:

Invitation to treat - goods are there with a price tag
Offer - buyer offers an amount
Acceptance - seller accepts amount to be paid. At this point, a contract has been entered.
Payment - buyer supplies the money
Supply of good - seller hands over the item

I'd argue that this went all the way through the sale process, and SC were allowing sam88 to temporarily store his amplifier on their premises. So if it was removed and sold, that was theft, and should be reported as such, especially if getting a crime number would allow sam88 to start an insurance claim on his household insurance.

[sam88]

thats a good point, i brought this up directly with Deloitte who were/are handling the administration process and explained carefully the situation of the amp being in the branch etc etc and i was informed that they are within their legal rights to not hand it over even though technically it is mine. I imagine its long gone now anyway.
Also i dont have any insurance damn.

[cheddatom]

You didn't buy it on a credit card? That might be insured.

[sam88]

unfortunately not, i always though credit cards would be an easy way to get into debt and lose money, how ironic.

[grapevinebass]

I came across a website - www.turnkey.co.uk - that seems to be linked in some way to Sound Control. It certainly lists what stores are being retained and what are closed. Has lots of stuff for sale at cut prices - but then tells you that you can't buy them over the web while Sound Control is in Administration.

Looks like if you are near one of the stores that is still open, you may get the prices quoted on the site.

[ednaplate]

Spent an hour or so in Sound Control/PMT in Salford this afternoon. The main reason I went was because I wanted to know if I could still use some SC vouchers I was bought a couple of months ago. They said they would be happy to honour them and would be honouring any outstanding deals as they had bought up all the SC stock. So that chappie who believes he has lost £600 on his Ashdown may find it worthwhile persuing his amp. The stock is still a little limited but having spoken to the manager of the store it would appear many good things should happen with the company in the next six weeks or so including a big relaunch.

[sam88]

so do you think it is worthwhile me going down to the salford branch n seeing whats what?

[bassicinstinct]

So this is effectively the Arbiter Group selling the ex Sound Control stock they bought for next to nothing, discounted by a mere 20% and probably still returning them several hundred % gross margin?

Aint capitalism a wonderful thing?

[ednaplate]

Absolutely. They seem eager to build up a good rapport with SCs customer base. I don't know where you have to travel from but £600 is serious money in my opinion. My view is that they have purchased SCs stock so SCs assets are now their assets. By paying you have entered into a contract in good faith and goodwill is vital to any company especially in such a volatile market. I'm sure if you are successful it will generate far more than £600 worth of business for PMT from users of this site alone. I think I've read that you've already got an Ampeg setup since you were let down. Whatever, I'm sure you could move the Ashdown on minimising your costs. I'd even be tempted to ask for a refund/credit note should you gas for anything in the future. Let us know how you get on as it may affect where our next purchases come from.

[cheddatom]

Sam - you must have been in contact with someone at SC to beleive your money has gone? I assumed you had already been down there, demanded your amp, and been refused?

[sam88]

id been doing it over the phone and Deloitte told me the amp was there but i would never get it and i might get my money back, they put me on "the list" of about 1000 people they owed money to. I then got an impersonal letter saying iwas getting nout.
However! Ashdown were really nice when i emailed them and were the first people to actually have a sympathetic nature. after a few emails the guy there said he would see what he could do, later he also advised i go to the sound control at salford, which i did today.
Long story short the drone behind the counter was as helpful as one would expect but i heard the managers were at the branch my amp was at, shifting the gear to the salford store. I raced over and managed to speak to a manager there and he was actually really nice, after showing my receipt he said to come back to the salford branch tomorrow and he would help me out, see what he can do etc. Im almost hopefull of getting something out of this maybe. If so then its definitely looking good for the guys taking over sound control!

Edited June 19, 2008 by sam88

[BigRedX]

That sounds like good news. Keep us posted with the outcome.

[NJE]

Hello all,

Firstly very sorry to hear about the amp, but hopefully they will get something for you when you go back.

Secondly does anyone know what kind of bass gear they have in the stores that have been taken over as reverb? i am thinking about heading down to the bristol branch at the weekend to see if they have anything good and cheap but dont want to waste a jnourney. I will of course give them a call but was wondering if anyone had been in to any? any nice ashdown stuff or ampeg?

Cheers

[sam88]

well its been a very successful day. having gone to the salford sound control the new manager there was incredibly helpful and let me take away the ashdown head that had been sitting in the manchester city branch for these past few months. He could have just kept it i mean he was in his rights, so im rather pleased. Finally got my amp!! hurrah
if anyone is in that area i would recommend it!

[Dubs]

[quote name='sam88' post='223021' date='Jun 20 2008, 03:38 PM']well its been a very successful day. having gone to the salford sound control the new manager there was incredibly helpful and let me take away the ashdown head that had been sitting in the manchester city branch for these past few months. He could have just kept it i mean he was in his rights, so im rather pleased. Finally got my amp!! hurrah
if anyone is in that area i would recommend it![/quote]

good result and im really pleased for you mate

[cheddatom]

Glad to hear it!

[Kiwi]

lovely result! Otherwise I would have gone round there and stuck pins in their heads for you.

[jakenewmanbass]

phew that a relief, I can take off my knuckle dusters. I was looking at GBH for the damage I was going to inflict.

[sam88]

Cheers, its such a weight off! It seemes like a really friendly place. Was eyeing up the yamaha EUB whilst there only £1000 in the sale. ......

[BigRedX]

Good to hear that you've got a successful resolution to your amp problem.

See it was worth persevering!

It would probably be a good idea to stop calling the shop Sound Control though.
Who's taken over the Salford shop - it doesn't seem to be Reverb?

[sam88]

im not sure what the new company is called, i thought it was reverb. Its still got all the sound control sh*t up on the walls and that, probably be a few weeks before it gets up and running and has a proper (re)launch.

[Bernmeister]

Pleased to see that you've got a good result on this

[budget bassist]

[quote name='sam88' post='223021' date='Jun 20 2008, 03:38 PM']well its been a very successful day. having gone to the salford sound control the new manager there was incredibly helpful and let me take away the ashdown head that had been sitting in the manchester city branch for these past few months. He could have just kept it i mean he was in his rights, so im rather pleased. Finally got my amp!! hurrah
if anyone is in that area i would recommend it![/quote]
Just followed the thread and i'm really glad you got your amp in the end! Though to be honest, sound control or whatever it's called is somewhere i'm never going to spend large amounts of money again down to my own personal experience, their terrible customer service and other horror stories such as your own. And the fact that they won't be re-opening in nottingham, thank god. I think they should have gone down for good to be honest, i met about one good employee working for them in the three years i'd been visiting it.

[quote name='KevB' post='218270' date='Jun 13 2008, 01:02 PM']Surprised no one has come in yet for the Nottm one, there has been a music store on that site for a long time, there's no other really wide ranging music shop in the city centre apart from an overpriced and understocked place in one of the shopping centres. SC was far from perfect but had the biggest selection in the city.[/quote]
because it was sh*t and they never shifted stock.

Edited June 20, 2008 by budget bassist

[Dubs]

[quote name='budget bassist' post='223247' date='Jun 20 2008, 09:05 PM']Just followed the thread and i'm really glad you got your amp in the end! Though to be honest, sound control or whatever it's called is somewhere i'm never going to spend large amounts of money again down to my own personal experience, their terrible customer service and other horror stories such as your own. And the fact that they won't be re-opening in nottingham, thank god. I think they should have gone down for good to be honest, i met about one good employee working for them in the three years i'd been visiting it.[/quote]

Whatever company took over the Manchester/Salford branches should get some well deserved praise for dealing with this situation in the way they did though. It would have been easy for them to turn around and tell Sam to f*** off. In all honesty, the people who were responsible for sorting the amp situation out could have been ex-employees of SC and which ever company has taken over these branches could have kept on the same staff…it’s a possibility, and in which case not all SC employees give terrible customer service, quite the opposite in this case.
My own experience of SC wasn’t all bad – I haggled some good deals out of them in the last few years.

I’m not having a go at you at all though mate cos I know quite a few people who have had run ins with SC staff when customer service has been the issue. I’m just trying to make the point that the people responsible for sorting the amp out should be praised rather than slated (because they could have been old SC staff), if you know what I’m saying

[budget bassist]

Oh yeah, i realise that guy could have been a complete twat about the whole thing and in the end i'd have done the same thing, i'd have felt really bad for him. A lot of the time it's those corporate drones at the top that really couldn't give a f*** about the little guy. I know they probably had some good staff in some places, hell i wanted to work there because i was interested in that stuff and i've always enjoyed pointing people in the right direction of good gear and stuff and just being helpful in that sort of way. But pretty much everyone at my local SC apart from the bass guy (scott, who was pretty awesome) were absolute twats and couldn't organise a pissup in a brewery to be frank.