Today's Music 1 2 3 rant

bduersch · #1 04-22-2005, 12:56 AM

Ok, so I've placed several orders with Music 1 2 3 for guitar/amp gear in the past, and always been happy with the service, prices, etc. But this time around things didn't go so hot...

My band is set to play a big outdoor gig on Monday. It's probably the best gig we'll ever get in Cincinnati.

I've got a dilemma... my amp rig, which sounds killer, was pretty much designed for use in my home studio. It's an 8-space gator rolling rack full of gear, that just won't fit into any opening in my car.

So I get an idea... I'll buy two Gator 4-space shallow racks from Music 1 2 3, divide the gear between them, and I'll be able to easily haul everything. I place the order on Monday, and of course pay extra for quicker shipping ($50).

Today the package arrives. I open it up to find two boxes. One box has a Gator 4-space rack, which is correct. The second is full of clarinet cases. WTF???

Of course, I don't discover this until after their customer service folks have gone home for the day. Best I could do was send them a nice but kinda nasty email and ask for them to next day air the second rack, which seems reasonable to me, since they totally screwed up the order on my dollar. But I probably won't get any real response until I can talk to them tomorrow when the customer service lines open. Then again, it's probably best that I have some time to cool off, because I can't remember the last time I was so PO'd.

Anyway, I'm sure I'm blowing this entirely out of proportion, but I just needed to vent. Anyone think I'm being unreasonable? Any good Music 1 2 3 horror stories to make me feel better?

--B

megadeth · #2 04-22-2005, 01:06 AM

i ordered a RG470 and order was finalized. Later I was mailed that the guitar is out of stock. Well....they STILL did not remove the guitar fro the webpages.

But i must say...this site totally rocks. Of all the online dealers i have seen, only these guys got me custom colored dimarzios. WOHOO !!

**elcid** · #3 04-22-2005, 01:15 AM

No good 123 rants but I might suggest giving sweetwater a try
they have the best customer service hands down.
When I ordered my Gibson Firebird they told me when it was back ordered, when I could expect it, all of my phone calls were returned the same day I called, I got it a few weeks earlier than I was supposed to, along with follow up emails to see how I liked it and if there were any problems AND they were about $300 cheaper than anyone else.

lyconxero · #4 04-22-2005, 01:32 AM

I've never used music 1 2 3. I generally either go with z z o u n d s or musicians friend. Z z o u n d s seems to have good customer service and are easily reached....PLUS, my new Ibanez guitar got here in perfect condition, and the setup on it was near perfect. Just needed a few minor adjustments because of weather changes. Musicians friend has faster shipping to me, though, because they're closer and their customer service isn't bad. Indeed, I've ordered so much stuff from them so far it's not even funny considering how long i've actually been playing.

fettouhi · #5 04-22-2005, 02:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bduersch

Today the package arrives. I open it up to find two boxes. One box has a Gator 4-space rack, which is correct. The second is full of clarinet cases. WTF???

Regards

André

ScottB · #6 04-22-2005, 06:56 PM

Brent, to cover your ass for the gig on Monday, you should go to GC asap and pick up the identical Gator rack you're expecting from M123. Load your gear in and test the rig over the weekend so that you won't have any surprise gremlins hit you just before the gig.

When the rack eventually arrives from M123, take it back to GC with the receipt and get a refund. It may sound a bit unethical, but GC isn't getting screwed and your butt is covered in advance. It sounds like a bit of extra work, but the extra running around would be worth it to me, just so that I didn't have to deal with the anxiety of not having the rig set up correctly, well in advance of a critical gig.

Have a beer and relax. Us string pluckers get too uptight about this kinda stuff. That's what my drummer says anyway!

**jim777** · #7 04-24-2005, 10:27 AM

Matt doesn't sell racks?

sepsis311 · #8 04-24-2005, 12:36 PM

I usually go to all these sites, find what i need at the best prices. Then print the web pages, and go to guitar center, who GUARANTEES to match the price. Works all the time. Just printed out the webpage and show it to the sales rep at GC. So much better this way. You don't have to wait for deliveries. An if GC needs to order it, at least if they **** up, you can go pay them a visit. Dont forget either, for these online stores to compete, they need to lower the price a little to allow room for shipping. They need to keep their prices to match local stores. So 80% of the time, you get discounted prices doing it this way.

**jim777** · #9 04-24-2005, 04:06 PM

If you buy from Matt you usually don't pay tax, so the shipping is a wash.

fettouhi · #10 04-24-2005, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim777

If you buy from Matt you usually don't pay tax, so the shipping is a wash.

Doesn't this apply to non-US residents too?

Regards

André

**jim777** · #11 04-24-2005, 08:31 PM

Unless you live in Massachusetts, there's no sales tax when you buy from Matt. If you call and let him know you're a Jemsiter, he'll take care of you. I guess you can buy from whomever you feel most comfortable with, but I personally like to shop at the sponsors' when I can. They support us...

bduersch · #12 04-26-2005, 12:24 PM

Well, I talked to Music 1 2 3 on Friday morning, and they were able to next-day air me the correct case. It didn't do me much good, though, since they sent it Friday and it wasn't delivered until Monday morning (after I'd left for the gig). But, all in all, they tried to make things right, and at the end of the day, that's what matters the most to me.

And, at the end fo the day, the gig went really well, so I guess I can't complain too much now that it's all over!

--B

Ralsch · #13 05-24-2005, 05:57 PM

i've never had problems with musicians friend until my last 2 orders , so this time i made sure i capitalized the specifics and i even HIGHLIGHTED i wanted 2 neck models and they gave me 2 bridges , 3 week wait too. i've had enough of that i even highlighted it i dont understand how you could miss highlighted capital letters ??!! the other order they screwed up was the mistaked size 10 gauge with size 8 gauge. am i the only one that is very disappointed with them recently.I've just finished painting and i need the pickups to get rolling, but no now i have to return 1/2 of it im tired of dealing with them ....ahh!

Allen Garrow · #14 05-24-2005, 09:33 PM

I have never had any trouble with them,,, My friend had to wait almost 2 weeks for her guitar. They were moving warehouse's so they said they had some hiccups. So hopefully that was why you got a clarinet case. I would have to laugh,, even though I would go through roof myself. It just paints a funny image. Buy a Jem, receive a Piccalo.

~A

ryanb · #15 05-24-2005, 09:47 PM

How do you capitalize and highlight things on an electronic order form? And why do you think it would be hard for a computer processing system to not see your highlighted text?

I've had a couple of incorrect shippings from MF, but nothing major. They have done a good job of making things right when they weren't. Generally I have had good luck with them. (Down right world class compared to the local GC.) They aren't perfect, but could be a lot worse.