GAK sell me a second hand bass !

[artisan]

so i just took delivery of my "brand new" Yamaha bass from GAK via Fedex.
i was a little worried that it arrived in a Squire box.
upon opening the box i find my bass wrapped in white plastic sheeting with just a little cardboard shoved in each end of the box - not a good start.
when i unwrapped the bass i find the volume knob has fallen off,the bass absolutely covered in dirty fingerprints,the neck has a back bow & the strings are knackered !
this bass has had some serious playing hammer in the shop,
i'm certainly not a happy camper.
i phoned to complain,but there is nobody in that i can deal with today,so as i bought it through V12 finance i have now logged a full complaint via them.

GAK i am not inpressed.
especially as i paid £20 extra for a saturday delivery
i work 6 days a week & now won't get chance to be home to receive another delivery for 2 weeks.

Edited October 29, 2016 by artisan

[Lozz196]

[quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1477735965' post='3164109']
That is rotten! I've only had good luck with GAK, so I'm sure they will put it right.
[/quote]

Same here, they`ve been very helpful with me over the years.

[Trueno]

Just a thought... I had a bass delivered to my place of work once, but it obviously depends on where you work. It may help with having a replacement delivered more quickly.
Like others say, I've never had any problems with GAK and I'm sure they'll rise to the occasion. It's still crap when something like that happens, though.
Best of luck with all that and hope you're sorted soon.

[artisan]

Thanks guys.
I'm sure they will I'm just pissed off after waiting all week for it to arrive.

I can't get it delivered to work as it's a finance order so they'll only deliver to the registered address.
Oh well

[Cuzzie]

Man, that is majorly poor, sorry to hear that.

All good things come to those who wait, if I were you I would be pushing for a sneaky set of extra strings or something.

Fingers crossed it pans out and can't wait for the real photos

[gjones]

I bought a Fender TV15 combo from them a few years ago. It was about £100 off the normal price so I thought I'd got a bargain. when it arrived it was clear that it was a demo model, as there was marks on the tweed covering. I was philosophical about it, as I had paid £600 for a £700 amp, the marks were superficial and it worked fine, so I didn't bother returning it.
The problem I had with GAK, was that they hadn't made me aware that the amp was B stock on their web page. I would have been well within my rights to return it and ask for a new amp - if I felt inclined.
Ever since that time I have been very wary of using GAK to buy new gear. I'd much prefer to use Thomann, as their customer service is excellent.

Edited October 29, 2016 by gjones

[Number6]

Not cool. I've only ever had good experiences with GAK and i am hopeful that they sort this issue out for you ASAP.

[Luulox]

Obviously the staff couldn't give a flying ! (#&/ about what they are sending out and are happy to just pack any old rubbish they can get their hands on. Makes you think that the company ethos is not one of high customer care standards.

[machinehead]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1477742611' post='3164175']
I bought a Fender TV15 combo from them a few years ago. It was about £100 off the normal price so I thought I'd got a bargain. when it arrived it was clear that it was a demo model, as there was marks on the tweed covering. I was philosophical about it, as I had paid £600 for a £700 amp, the marks were superficial and it worked fine, so I didn't bother returning it.
The problem I had with GAK, was that they hadn't made me aware that the amp was B stock on their web page. I would have been well within my rights to return it and ask for a new amp - if I felt inclined.
Ever since that time I have been very wary of using GAK to buy new gear.[i][b] I'd much prefer to use Thomann, as their customer service is excellent.[/b][/i]

[/quote]

I agree that Thomann customer service is excellent but I received an amp from them earlier this year that was clearly used or ex-demo. To be fair they replaced it without question and paid for the postage.

Artisan, I hope you get sorted. That must be very annoying.

Frank.

[Quilly]

I paid €1300 for a Sandberg bass from session.de. When it arrived there were definitely signs of player wear. Not much mind and the plastic scratchplate film was still intact. So I wasn't denied the pleasure of removing that baby

[M@23]

[quote name='Quilly' timestamp='1477858546' post='3164907']
I paid €1300 for a Sandberg bass from session.de. When it arrived there were definitely signs of player wear. Not much mind and the plastic scratchplate film was still intact. So I wasn't denied the pleasure of removing that baby
[/quote]

Same here, but from Thomann it was obviously played, or had taken a ding somewhere along the line, only minor and I got a few quid back. But it's annoying.

Hope GAK sort this ASAP.

[Quilly]

On the other hand I did buy an SVT clone by bugera from thomann that was marked ex Demo when in fact it seemed perfectly new. It was a great amp to be fair but I got rid of her Before it caught fire and/or I got a hernia lifting it.

Edited October 30, 2016 by Quilly

[darkandrew]

Back before the days of the internet, you'd go into a music shop that might have a dozen or so basses on the wall for anyone off the street to play. If, having played the bass (or guitar, etc) you liked it, you would buy it (most music shops only carried one item of any particilar model, so invariably all the guitars and basses you bought were ex-demo to some extent). It's a tough one; music shops may only be able to carry a limited stock, and most of that is displayed on the shop floor, and the margins are cut so fine that they can't always afford to offer a substantial discount for ex-demo equipment but as customers we want to be able to try them out and when it comes to parting with our cash, get a shiny brand new one straight out of its box.

Edited October 31, 2016 by darkandrew

[mcnach]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1477742611' post='3164175']
I bought a Fender TV15 combo from them a few years ago. It was about £100 off the normal price so I thought I'd got a bargain. when it arrived it was clear that it was a demo model, as there was marks on the tweed covering. I was philosophical about it, as I had paid £600 for a £700 amp, the marks were superficial and it worked fine, so I didn't bother returning it.
The problem I had with GAK, was that they hadn't made me aware that the amp was B stock on their web page. I would have been well within my rights to return it and ask for a new amp - if I felt inclined.
Ever since that time I have been very wary of using GAK to buy new gear. I'd much prefer to use Thomann, as their customer service is excellent.
[/quote]

I've been put off GAK ever since I bought an Akai DPS12i hard disk multitrack recorder that came with a hard drive half the size of what was advertised. I chose them over others because of that hard drive.
I didn't bother returning as it was too much hassle... but GAK went to the bottom of my list when buying online and I don't think I've ever bought from them again.

[Musicman20]

That is awful 'luck' and I hope it's just an error they can deal with quickly.

I've had past issues with them, and equally some sales were ok (Genz Benz NX212T), but overall I prefer other stores now.

There is always the same old 'oh but they have low margins'....well, that isn't really the customers problem is it? (Please note - not making a whinge about the post above - just a general feeling I get from music retailers).

If they really did have incredibly low margins they wouldn't be in business. There are huge margins to be made on certain products...I know I've seen some trade pricing before (obviously VAT and returns are an issue). Brexit might be affecting them, but at the end of the day most manufacturers have just had a price rise to counteract.

Good old customer ay! The ones keeping the business going luck out!

Hope you get it sorted dude. I use Andertons now as they are getting better for bass gear and they are trying to out-service everyone...which is good!

Edited October 31, 2016 by Musicman20

[artisan]

Thanks guys,I appreciate your comments.
Currently I'm waiting for customer services who are supposedly phoning me first thing this morning!
We'll see what the day brings.

[ezbass]

[quote name='artisan' timestamp='1477909225' post='3165116']
Thanks guys,I appreciate your comments.
Currently I'm waiting for customer services who are supposedly phoning me first thing this morning!
We'll see what the day brings.
[/quote]Obviously for a value of 'first thing'. I hope there is eventually a happy resolution.

[artisan]

Well I just got an email back from them which I'm not to impressed with.
Basically "sorry do you want another one ordering? Or do you want to cancel the order"
That is a almost word for word too.
I guess they're not too bothered about selling me anything.
No mention of the fact I took a day of work to wait in for my delivery or that I paid extra for a Saturday delivery.

[BigRedX]

Phone them up and ask to speak to the manager. It's all too easy to be off-hand when replying to an email.

And decide exactly what you want from GAK before making the call. Are you after a replacement bass, do you want some money off if you keep this one, or do you want to send the bass back and get your money back (including the Saturday delivery excess)? Decide first and stick to what you want when you make the call.

[bassjim]

personally, although they did sort out an issue on a staff problem (whole other story: fender bass, idiot staff, nearly didn't buy,good manager steps in and rescues situation, blah blah blah) I have been back since and............just don't feel "welcome". I've never worked in a music shop so I guess there must be a high percentage of time wasting know it alls that help to create the "not really bovered" atmosphere.

But that's not my fault.

You get the same sort of vibe from McDonalds. High turn over staff that would rather be earning more else where. I know some staff are really trying but its short lived.

Big stores buy more and sell for less which pushes the smaller enthusiastic guys out. When I were a lad ect ect.

I would only use them now if it was entirely necessary or the deal was such that it made up for some predictable messing about.

[Musicman20]

The GAK website and ordering system seems so out of date. I never really know what is going on so I just don't bother. Unless they've changed it the return system is even worse.

I'd ask to speak to management; whoever sent that out needs to be dealt with.

[DrPAR]

On the bright side, it doesn't look as though they charged you an extra fiver for the box...

[Monkey Steve]

[quote name='DrPAR' timestamp='1477928129' post='3165322']
On the bright side, it doesn't look as though they charged you an extra fiver for the box...
[/quote]

[Monkey Steve]

I have to say, I've never had a problem with GAK, although I haven't used them a lot - once bought a Warwick Steramer from them on line which they had to order for me from Germany which went OK, and once went to the shop to buy a guitar and again, no problems.

But a mate of mine has them as his default go-to shop, and he's had a few issues with the on line ordering and deliveries - he's got a story about ordering a guitar that was listed as something like "purple ice" (I forget the exact term) but looked more of a sparkly pink in the flesh, which he was well aware of, and the warehouse staff kept going looking for the "purple" one, finding that they only had "pink" ones and telling him that they weren't in stock.

I seem to recall that he's also had problems when going to the shop to find that they don't have everything that's listed on the website, and if they do it'll be at a different price - more than once he's had to point out that having tried the gear and wanting to buy it, they can either sell it to him for less than they have it marked up for in the shop or he can get on his phone and order exactly the same item from their warehouse for less money which they will deliver to him the following day.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='darkandrew' timestamp='1477874698' post='3165021']
Back before the days of the internet, you'd go into a music shop that might have a dozen or so basses on the wall for anyone off the street to play. If, having played the bass (or guitar, etc) you liked it, you would buy it (most music shops only carried one item of any particilar model, so invariably all the guitars and basses you bought were ex-demo to some extent). It's a tough one; music shops may only be able to carry a limited stock, and most of that is displayed on the shop floor, and the margins are cut so fine that they can't always afford to offer a substantial discount for ex-demo equipment but as customers we want to be able to try them out and when it comes to parting with our cash, get a shiny brand new one straight out of its box.
[/quote]

I've bought all my new basses this way including ones over £1500, if I like the feel of that one enough to spend that much money on it then I want that actual one as long as it's not damaged or too mucky. Electronic items like keyboards or amps I'd probably prefer new but even then I might try it in the shop before leaving.