My Guitar Center stolen guitar nightmare story

[njguitarist]

~This happened over a month ago at this point, but I figured I'd share it anyway...Last month when Guitar Center had the Gibson LP Standards in Desert Burst at $1,299, I ordered one that was in stock at one of the locations near me. My order was placed at 9:00am. My order went through and I even got a call from the store manager at around 2:30 in the afternoon telling me that it was ready to pick up. I told him I would pick it up that night.

 

When I got to the store around 8:00 pm, I was told that someone had already picked up the guitar around 6:00 pm, apparently posing as me. I was told that whoever picked it up had a driver's license with my name and address and he also had a receipt. (Anyone who has ever picked up something from GC knows that that is all they require.) They showed me their checkout sheet with some illegible squiggly lines in the spot where my signature should have been. The front checkout guy also told me that the serial number was even printed on the thief's receipt. This was very suspicious to me, because nothing that Guitar Center emailed to me about the guitar included the serial number, not even my receipt listed the serial number. So that sounded like BS to me. I was surprised to learn that they did not have any security cameras at that location.

 

I told the manager that he should call the police because, if what he was saying was true, someone just stole a guitar from his store. He did not call the police and basically told me it was my problem to deal with. At that point I demanded that he take the charge off my credit card and he complied.

 

This whole situation sounded very suspicious to me, so I called the police department myself. An officer questioned the manager and the front checkout guy in the sales office. I do not know all that was said, but I heard them say they were "just following procedures". I gave the officer my information and I left.

 

For their story to be true, the thief had to have hacked into my email account and prepared a fake ID and gone to Guitar Center to get the guitar in the span of about 3 hours. This seems preposterous to me, especially since I have never before and never since had any issues with identity theft and I'm very careful with my private information. A more likely explanation is that at least one of the employees had one of their buddies come to pick up the guitar. This particular Guitar Center conveniently does not have security cameras. I did not know there were no cameras, but obviously an employee would know this.

 

Guitar Center as a company should obviously have better controls in place to make sure someone doesn't walk out of their stores with a guitar that someone else paid for. If they would have asked for my credit card, the guy would not have been able to produce it. (I picked something up at Best Buy recently, and they asked for the credit card I used to make the purchase.) Or, they have my phone number on file - they easily could have called the number to verify it was me. Is Guitar Center as an organization too stupid to realize they need better procedures? I emailed them explaining the situation and, of course, never received a response. Lousy company.

 

According to the police report, the serial number of the guitar is 115130473. If you recently bought a "like new" Gibson LP Standard with this serial number, you purchased stolen property. That is, of course, assuming the store manager gave the correct number to the police officer.

[Floyd Rosenbomb]

So, did you get your money back??

[njguitarist]

So' date=' did you get your money back??[/quote']

 

Yes, thankfully.

[steve_man]

yup, our store here in Austin does not even have a person that checks receipts at the door anymore... crazy...

[Steve2112]

You missed at least one detail:

 

So the Dl looked just like you?

 

Hmmm.....

 

And you SURE the store doesn't have any cameras?

 

I didn't know you could "order one in stock" from a store location. You dont' "order" one if it's there...you just go get it.

 

I am basically a skeptical person and this is no exception. Your facts don't entirely add up. Also....even though you paid for it, rreally not yours...possesion 9/10 of law. Doesn't give warm fuzzies I know...but you got your money back. So go buy another guitar.

 

One more thing...this comment sounds funny too:

 

"(Anyone who has ever picked up something from GC knows that that is all they require.)"

 

You say that like a bad thing...what else do you think they should require? Sperm sample?

 

 

This is the first time I've ever heard of somoen faking a legit receipt, a driver's license, detailed pickup time, the exact guitar...and no cameras at a place of business? The "faked driver's license" is the critical evidenced. Come on! you're pulling our legs.

[billybilly]

I'm pretty sure my buddy just bought a Les Paul Std with that exact serial number and he's dodgy by nature, I'll be following it up!

 

His is desert burst, brand new too.

[wankdeplank]

Obviously an inside job. I thought that mob mentality hijack stuff was over but apparently not. GC definitely dropped the ball with their lack of security and heads should roll. And although yes the guitar was stolen, it ended up being stolen from GC by their own incompetence and not from you.

 

I should note that GC has always treated me right when it came to purchases and recently reimbursed a full purchase price after close to a year due to the extra coverage I purchased.

[Steve2112]

Obviously an inside job. I thought that mob mentality hijack stuff was over but apparently not. GC definitely dropped the ball with their lack of security and heads should roll. And although yes the guitar was stolen, it ended up being stolen from GC by their own incompetence and not from you.

 

I should note that GC has always treated me right when it came to purchases and recently reimbursed a full purchase price after close to a year due to the extra coverage I purchased.

 

Okay...so more than one person in on it? How'd they get a DI? They only SAID it was?

 

Edit: so what stores are these? Name names.

[njguitarist]

You missed at least one detail:

 

So the Dl looked just like you?

 

Hmmm.....

 

And you SURE the store doesn't have any cameras?

 

I didn't know you could "order one in stock" from a store location. You dont' "order" one if it's there...you just go get it.

 

I am basically a skeptical person and this is no exception. Your facts don't entirely add up. Also....even though you paid for it, rreally not yours...possesion 9/10 of law. Doesn't give warm fuzzies I know...but you got your money back. So go buy another guitar.

 

One more thing...this comment sounds funny too:

 

"(Anyone who has ever picked up something from GC knows that that is all they require.)"

 

You say that like a bad thing...what else do you think they should require? Sperm sample?

 

 

This is the first time I've ever heard of somoen faking a legit receipt, a driver's license, detailed pickup time, the exact guitar...and no cameras at a place of business? The "faked driver's license" is the critical evidenced. Come on! you're pulling our legs.

 

1) I was told the DL picture was the guy, but the license had my name.

 

2) You can check on the Guitar Center web site which guitars are in stock at which stores and then order a specific one when it says "available in stores". For example, I can see that the Guitar Center in Canton Michigan has a 2013 LP Standard Honeyburst in stock right now - the only one in any of their stores.. You just have to know how to do it.

 

3) Possession is 9/10's of the law is not the law. I paid for it. It was my guitar. They were obligated to keep it safe for me until I took possession.

 

4) What else should they require when something is picked up? Like I stated later in the post, they should require the credit card to be shown like Best Buy does. I guess you didn't read that far.

 

5) I wish I was pulling your leg, but that's what happened.

 

[A_Gitarman]

Most definitely an inside job, and it's highly unlikely that it went down like they told you. I'd bet that some unscrupulous employee printed out an extra copy of your receipt, had a friend pose as you, pretended to check his ID, and sent him out the door with your guitar.

 

This all reminds me of an experience I had ages ago when I was managing Pizza Huts in Austin. We had a centralized call center that would take order and electronically send them out to their respective stores. I started noticing regular (almost daily) delivery orders to the back door of the nearest Whataburger; always using a different credit card. I instructed my driver to make sure and ask to see the credit card (but not to push the matter), and, of course, the 'customer' couldn't produce it. After that, I called the local PD and was eventually called back by a detective specializing in credit fraud. After some digging, he found that a couple of the Whataburger employees were stealing credit card #'s from their customers, ordering pizzas from our call ctr, then selling the pies out of the back door of the Whataburger. Those morons probably got felony fraud charges just to make a few measly bucks selling pizzas!

[Floyd Rosenbomb]

meh

[WRGKMC]

Most definitely an inside job' date=' and it's highly unlikely that it went down like they told you. I'd bet that some unscrupulous employee printed out an extra copy of your receipt, had a friend pose as you, pretended to check his ID, and sent him out the door with your guitar. [/quote']

 

Sounds like the most plausible explanation to me. I me how would someone know you even bought a guitar? You got some black ops following you around then they whip up a license when they find you made a purchase, then they know when it was supposed to come in and showed up before you did with a receipt ????

 

Man they aren't even that good in Hollywood when they cook up ridiculous crime stories. If there was someone that smart they should be robbing wall street not some guitar store.

 

I will say this. "Most" robberies with musicians occur from someone very close to you, like some band member or groupie. If you were going around telling everyone you know that you have gear coming in, and they did have access to your wallet, then maybe they might have the balls to pull it off. I've been robbed by other musician before and all at takes to figure out who it is, is to close your eyes and think about who you know. Its usually the guy who used to be tight and suddenly quits calling, and when you do talk to them they are distant from you. Guilt is not something you can ever forget and that guy will try and forget about you as quickly as possible in hopes you forget about him.

[Steve2112]

 

1) I was told the DL picture was the guy, but the license had my name.

 

2) You can check on the Guitar Center web site which guitars are in stock at which stores and then order a specific one when it says "available in stores". For example, I can see that the Guitar Center in Canton Michigan has a 2013 LP Standard Honeyburst in stock right now - the only one in any of their stores.. You just have to know how to do it.

 

3) Possession is 9/10's of the law is not the law. I paid for it. It was my guitar. They were obligated to keep it safe for me until I took possession.

 

4) What else should they require when something is picked up? Like I stated later in the post, they should require the credit card to be shown like Best Buy does. I guess you didn't read that far.

 

5) I wish I was pulling your leg, but that's what happened.

 

Whoa there partner...no need to get nasty...I was just asking you some questions.....if you don't want to discuss it, maybe not post about it. Do you just want shoulders to cry on or what?

 

Look...sorry you didn't get your guitar. I am still confused about the Driver's License. What do you mean "the DL picture was the guy"...WHAT guy? The guy that wasn't you? The guy who's face should not have matched the picture (unless they faked the picture too?). How do you get a DI with even your NAME on it? That's what the DI is for.....matching the face to the name.

 

I also still would dispute the no camera thing. Sounds like a lie. Either the store or the parking lot has cameras, likely both. I would press that matter if I were you.

 

 

I would think you would be more understanding to any individuals for which this is an odd story. And even though I question the details...you can still have a good cry on my shoulders!

[Floyd Rosenbomb]

double meh

 

 

 

 

.

[njguitarist]

 

Whoa there partner...no need to get nasty...I was just asking you some questions.....if you don't want to discuss it, maybe not post about it. Do you just want shoulders to cry on or what?

 

Look...sorry you didn't get your guitar. I am still confused about the Driver's License. What do you mean "the DL picture was the guy"...WHAT guy? The guy that wasn't you? The guy who's face should not have matched the picture (unless they faked the picture too?). How do you get a DI with even your NAME on it? That's what the DI is for.....matching the face to the name.

 

I also still would dispute the no camera thing. Sounds like a lie. Either the store or the parking lot has cameras, likely both. I would press that matter if I were you.

 

 

I would think you would be more understanding to any individuals for which this is an odd story. And even though I question the details...you can still have a good cry on my shoulders!

 

 

I apologize - I was not intending to be nasty. I was just trying to clarify what happened.

 

Anyway, if you are still interested, I might have a resolution to this because I posted the same story on the mylespaul.com forum. Someone claimed he got that guitar due to a mistake by Guitar Center.

[Steve2112]

 

 

I apologize - I was not intending to be nasty. I was just trying to clarify what happened.

 

Anyway, if you are still interested, I might have a resolution to this because I posted the same story on the mylespaul.com forum. Someone claimed he got that guitar due to a mistake by Guitar Center.

 

It's good bro~! Now I see why you posted! Wouldn't that be great if you were able to still get the guitar you wanted, based on internet forums? And here I thought no good came from them!

[DaveAronow]

Doubt it went down like they told you. Either they effed up and accidentally sold your already purchased by you, guitar, or one of the employees fell in love with it after your purchase or had previously been eying it, or maybe one of their friends asked them to try to hold it for them till they could pay for it. They saw your sale, and then quickly purchased the guitar for thselves, really doubt they stole it, they paid for it, but then created the cockamaimie story to cover their ass, which was way worse than iff they just admitted they effed up and either acvidentally, or on purpose, sold "your" guitar out fr under you. Either way, it was definitely an inside kob, and the store definitely got their money for it, or they would have heen WAY more aggressive with getting the police involved. My guess, either an employee bought it for himself, or he let one of his friends buy it before you could get down there and pick it up. The cover up story they told you sounds like complete b.s. to me. Doubt any of that psrt of it ever even happened. They didn't actually show you the fake I.d. did they? Probably because there never was one.

[Steve2112]

Dave...I fully expected some jokester clown post from you....but you said PRECISELY what I wished I had said. You have it spot on...imho.

 

Kinda weird OP bought it all.

 

Even though OP doubts my ability to actually purchase on the internet...I "ordered" a Guitar Center Tele. I've posted it here a couple times. Found it in Sarasota and had it transferred to Clearwater. A couple employees did remark how cool it looked. Picked it up with no problem and this guitar has become one of my very favorites.

 

I am not sure where the thing went wrong for the OP...but I do suspect he was quite naive. Not that it would have helped him get his guitar...but come one..."someone with my ID (DRIVER'S LICENSE!) and my receipt picked up my guitar"..

 

And suddenly he found the dude who "accidental" received it by mistake?

 

Come on. I though t I was a dick in my original posts....but I was right. Just wish I was as eloquent and precise as you.

 

But anyway Dave...awesome post...you cut right deep dude.

[brandass]

No, the didn't show him the fake ID, not only because it doesn't exist (I generally agree with your hypothesis) but also because don't confiscate IDs. As shannanigans go it's all within the reach of an idiotic misadventure by GC toadies, the one glaring gap being the lack of security cams - that's a surprise.

[Steve2112]

No' date=' the didn't show him the fake ID, not only because it doesn't exist (I generally agree with your hypothesis) but also because don't confiscate IDs. As shannanigans go it's all within the reach of an idiotic misadventure by GC toadies, the one glaring gap being the lack of security cams - that's a surprise.[/quote']

 

I doubt there aren't any cameras. OP is a mark.

[brandass]

I doubt that, OP sounds genuine, and you don't have to buy the story for it to be effective in making the screwed give up on the guitar. Haven't checked out the other thread tho, maybe more revealing info there?

[DaveAronow]

^^ yes. And thanks for the kudos steve. Only 99% of my posts are idiotic. The other one post will usually always be something at least I believe to be useful or insightful or helpful. Your in clearwater? I live in Tampa but all my buddies work at and run the clearwater gc. You play around tge area, or you ever go check out bands? I gig all over the bay area constantly. Anyway, now back to nonesense.

[Steve2112]

I doubt that' date=' OP sounds genuine, and you don't have to buy the story for it to be effective in making the screwed give up on the guitar. Haven't checked out the other thread tho, maybe more revealing info there?[/quote']

 

Well...I do doubt some of it. What store...what business DOESN'T have cameras these days? GC's are generally in malls...parking lots have cameras. If there was genuine theft or even fraud..the police DO care and they DO get involved. Especially if there is a driver license fakery.

 

There's too many holes.

 

 

I dont' doubt OP didn't get what he paid for. Now....what I DO believe is that OP misunderstood or "bought" lies. A mark. Like you said...GC screwed up...somebody wanted to cover it up...and lied their ASS off. OP bought hook line and sinker.

 

Sam Ash Clearwater tried to sell me a Fender Rumble bass amp without casters. Chris said "they don't come with them". I saw holes for them and remarked how weird that was. Saw online and FENDER website with the casters. It was 4 trips to Sam Ash but I eventually did get my casters. No conspiracy or theft... just lies....and ignorance on my part when I bought it.

[Steve2112]

^^ yes. And thanks for the kudos steve. Only 99% of my posts are idiotic. The other one post will usually always be something at least I believe to be useful or insightful or helpful. Your in clearwater? I live in Tampa but all my buddies work at and run the clearwater gc. You play around tge area' date=' or you ever go check out bands? I gig all over the bay area constantly. Anyway, now back to nonesense.[/quote']

 

Yes dave. Can't wait to surprise you some night.

 

I've bought several things from CLW GC. I do wish the setup guy wasn't so grumpy. lol.

[njguitarist]

Dave...I fully expected some jokester clown post from you....but you said PRECISELY what I wished I had said. You have it spot on...imho.

 

Kinda weird OP bought it all.

 

Even though OP doubts my ability to actually purchase on the internet...I "ordered" a Guitar Center Tele. I've posted it here a couple times. Found it in Sarasota and had it transferred to Clearwater. A couple employees did remark how cool it looked. Picked it up with no problem and this guitar has become one of my very favorites.

 

I am not sure where the thing went wrong for the OP...but I do suspect he was quite naive. Not that it would have helped him get his guitar...but come one..."someone with my ID (DRIVER'S LICENSE!) and my receipt picked up my guitar"..

 

And suddenly he found the dude who "accidental" received it by mistake?

 

Come on. I though t I was a dick in my original posts....but I was right. Just wish I was as eloquent and precise as you.

 

But anyway Dave...awesome post...you cut right deep dude.

 

Steve, I don't know why you find the no camera part so hard to believe. I have the police report. It says "Guitar Center does not have surveillance video system and does not have a picture of the actor". They may have lied to me, but I doubt they lied to the police. I am not naive. All the things that Dave posted were things that went through my head at the time. As I mentioned in my original post, I was most suspicious of the checkout guy. And now it sounds like he's the one who screwed up (if you read the other thread).