Maybe he learned not to listen to me,lol. I was the first to chime in and say pounce. So while I didn't actually make ardrummer buy, I did lend serious encouragement.
No problem...this was no big deal even though a couple posters definitely tried to make it one Walking
Anyone on this forum [or off it for that matter] will try to "take advantage" of a mistake on the part of a seller - maybe offer a little more than asking price but certainly not the true value. We've all seen it countless times. I have never seen anyone say "he posted the Rogers kit for $100.00 but I gave him the $1700.00 it was really worth." Never. And in this instance you were dealing with a store and a chain-store at that! Not a poor widow as you pointed out...In short, I'm with you, ardrummer.Mitch
I beg to differ with you. Not "anyone on this forum" as you stated. I don't care if its a huge corporation or a little mom & pop store or some widow selling on craigslist. Its not in my style to try and take advantage of something like that just to try & get the deal of the century. If its super cheap I always ask questions, especially if its a private sale. Its called being ethical. Its also called Karma. Eventually it will bite you in the behind if you keep "scoring those super deals" by taking advantage of people, be it a small mom & pop store, and individual, and yes.......even the big corporate chain store like GC.
I'd like to think I'm not in the minority on this one here, but maybe I am by the sounds of it. Sad how the world has changed so much.
Cooked EggCoffee Break2
One thing I'd like to say on the subject of Guitar Center in general. While no, I am not a fan of the place in general, it does serve its purpose to us as a drumming community at times. I use them for deals on sticks and heads when they have them on sale. I've also used them for various pieces of hardware from time to time.
Yes, I'd rather support the local mom & pop store rather than the "evil empire", but sometimes mom & pop can't compete. Do I dislike the fact that every time I go in they practically bombard me with "dude" and "bro" comments asking if I need help? Absolutely. However, knowing how these guys earn their living there, this is how it has to be. They get paid a tiny base pay slightly above minimum wage and the rest is made with a commission on whatever they sell. If they don't sell, they don't eat! If you made what they make, you wouldn't be so knowledgeable either. They pay so little, this is why you get young, inexperienced people.
Where I'm going with this is that while I dislike GC as a whole, I don't try to pull the wool over their eyes to get the deal of the century because the people that work there, guys like you & me sometimes, have to eat too.
They listed a ZBT cymbal, you got a ZBT cymbal. Clearly you paid to much for it in this case, but they offered the refund to you just the same. Yes, someone inexperienced posted the wrong picture or just got plain lazy and posted a picture of any cymbal, so you ASSUMED you would get what was pictured, when clearly that cymbal was long sold probably for what it was worth, rather than asking questions to be sure about what you would receive. Now they have to give you that refund and that commission pay to whoever that salesman was is now gone out of their pocket. So by attempting to score the deal of the century on an old A Zildjian that was really a ZBT, complaining to them about them sending the wrong cymbal when in fact they sent you the cymbal that was advertised, and getting a refund for it, you have essentially cost that person a tank of gas for the week, or a couple of sandwiches, or whathaveyou.
Ask yourself the next time you try to "score a great deal" at someone else's expense, who would I really be screwing over?
Karma's a ***** dude.
Soap Box
My drum flipping neighbor buys cymbals from GC all the time to resell here on Craigslist.
He scored a Turkish made old stamp K that was labeled as a ZBT! LOL Granted it's a heavy 14'' but still. Point is GC kids sometimes don't know what they are listing and that's not the only mistaken cymbal he has gotten for the better. Just have to watch used GC like a hawk and scoop deals, they are very inconsistent nationally...
One thing I'd like to say on the subject of Guitar Center in general. While no, I am not a fan of the place in general, it does serve its purpose to us as a drumming community at times. I use them for deals on sticks and heads when they have them on sale. I've also used them for various pieces of hardware from time to time. Yes, I'd rather support the local mom & pop store rather than the "evil empire", but sometimes mom & pop can't compete. Do I dislike the fact that every time I go in they practically bombard me with "dude" and "bro" comments asking if I need help? Absolutely. However, knowing how these guys earn their living there, this is how it has to be. They get paid a tiny base pay slightly above minimum wage and the rest is made with a commission on whatever they sell. If they don't sell, they don't eat! If you made what they make, you wouldn't be so knowledgeable either. They pay so little, this is why you get young, inexperienced people. Where I'm going with this is that while I dislike GC as a whole, I don't try to pull the wool over their eyes to get the deal of the century because the people that work there, guys like you & me sometimes, have to eat too. They listed a ZBT cymbal, you got a ZBT cymbal. Clearly you paid to much for it in this case, but they offered the refund to you just the same. Yes, someone inexperienced posted the wrong picture or just got plain lazy and posted a picture of any cymbal, so you ASSUMED you would get what was pictured, when clearly that cymbal was long sold probably for what it was worth, rather than asking questions to be sure about what you would receive. Now they have to give you that refund and that commission pay to whoever that salesman was is now gone out of their pocket. So by attempting to score the deal of the century on an old A Zildjian that was really a ZBT, complaining to them about them sending the wrong cymbal when in fact they sent you the cymbal that was advertised, and getting a refund for it, you have essentially cost that person a tank of gas for the week, or a couple of sandwiches, or whathaveyou. Ask yourself the next time you try to "score a great deal" at someone else's expense, who would I really be screwing over?Karma's a ***** dude. Soap Box
Just so everyone knows, I want to say that I respect everyone's opinion, even one's that don't agree with me. The reason I didn't feel like I was taking advantage is because...from my knowledge, when GC gets a used cymbal, it is one that they either got from a trade or bought from someone that brought it in. I figured they didn't know what it was and therefore bought or gave trade in value for what they had it listed as "ZBT". So, they were asking a price that was in accordance to what they gave for the cymbal. Regarding "costing someone a tank of gas or a couple sandwiched"...to my knowledge, there is no commission on online sales but I could be wrong. So I didn't think about an individual losing money/commission on the returned cymbal.
First of all, I want to say I respect everyone's opinion even one's that don't agree with me :) The reason I didn't feel like I was taking advantage is because...from my knowledge, when GC gets a used cymbal, it is one that they either got from a trade or bought from someone that brought it in. I figured they didn't know what it was and therefore bought or gave trade in value for what they had it listed as "ZBT". So, they were asking a price that was in accordance to what they gave for the cymbal. Regarding "costing someone a tank of gas or a couple sandwiched"...to my knowledge, there is no commission on online sales but I could be wrong. So I didn't think about someone/person losing money on the returned cymbal.
This I do know......the manager of the department at the store level is the one who authorizes trade in values and purchases from individuals and they are supposed to know their product. They briefly research values of what the particular item is online with what market dictates, a "blue book value" if you will, using ebay as a guide if they can't find something similar in their own sales data base. Then they figure what they give vs what they need to make on it for resale and a final price is put on the item once they can legally resell it. There is a waiting period they have to put on items before they can resell them to make sure they are not someone else's stolen property, same things pawn shops do. It's to protect them in the end. So your statement that you figured someone there didn't know what they had and just listed it as a ZBT kind of falls short.
As far as internet sales go, yes, there is someone who makes a commission on every item sold online. I believe it's split with the person who took in the trade at the store level and with the person that handles internet sales. There is a person that does that you know. It doesn't just get handled magically by the internet fairy.
You do what you want and think what you like, and you have a right to disagree with me, but the whole thing was just unethical. You knew very well what you were trying to do, and clearly posted on here in your original post as such. Now you are back tracking to make yourself look better in the eyes of this forum and seem to be mildly upset that a few of us have called you out on it. Honestly, what really did you expect out of the whole thing? You got what you paid for and didn't like that it didn't go the way you planned it and in the end you got your refund, yet still basically said that Guitar Center sucks because they are idiots that don't know what they are selling.
Who did it harm you ask? Those of us that still have honor, integrity, and good ethics in the first place. Oh, and the guy that works for peanuts at Guitar Center that ended up losing out on the minor commission he got from the cymbal sale in the first place.
What this whole long multi-page topic tells me now is who not to do business with on the forum and who I can trust to do business with on the forum. Count yourself in the former rather than the later in my book.
Coffee Break2
yet still basically said that Guitar Center sucks because they are idiots that don't know what they are selling.Coffee Break2
You placing words in my mouth like the above quote is real "ethical". I never called anybody an idiot and never said guitar center "sucks"....other posters may have, but I have not. Also, I created this thread before I got my refund. Once I got the refund I stated that and did not bad mouth Guitar Center. If the ADMINISTRATION can delete this thread...please do!
Some days, things just don't go like you think they should.
You placing words in my mouth like the above quote is real "ethical". I never called anybody an idiot and never said guitar center "sucks"....other posters may have, but I have not. Also, I created this thread before I got my refund. Once I got the refund I stated that and did not bad mouth Guitar Center. If the ADMINISTRATION can delete this thread...please do!
While you may not have actually said it, it was implied by the tone of your posts throughout this thread, stating that GC put the blame on "new staff in the warehouse & store" sure sounds like a type of bashing of the staff to me.
No one is to blame but yourself. You tried to pull a fast one on GC and lost, even though they refunded you.
I sincerely hope the Admins do NOT delete the thread as it shows what happens when you try to take advantage of others, be it a big corporation or a little old lady widow selling off her late husband's gear.
:2Cents:
