Electric Guitars

[Danhedonia]

Recently saw Hello Music advertising a US Standard Strat for $798 and pulled the trigger.  Didn't hurt that it was in the color combo I'd been wanting.  Took them two weeks to ship, and yesterday I received my ... brand new US TELECASTER.

This my third order / fourth item from Hello Music, and there have been problems with each order but one (an EHX pedal, tough to mess that up).

In order:

1. They sold me a Squier CV Tele as new.  It arrived with heavy strum marks in the pickguard plastic and dead electronics.  It's clear someone played it and killed it, and it was packaged up and sold.  Wouldn't have felt too bad if they advertised it as used (they were good about the return). 

But I thought it "iffy" that a supposedly new guitar was very clearly a guitar that had been ridden hard and put away wet.

2. Purchased a Red Witch Titan delay at the same time.  Switch was defective; popped on release.  Required my time and money to fix.

3. EHX "The Worm" pedal.   No problems.

4. American Standard Stratocaster ordered.  Sent email inquiry about shipment date two weeks later - simply had "order is confirmed" response.  Other email to previous CSR ignored.

Incorrect item shipped - US Standard Telecaster received.

Given that they tied up $800 that I had scraped together to get a Strat, during one of the better deal-making times of the year, I'm a little frustrated.  I wish I hadn't tried to save $100 by shopping from them.

However, I reflected a bit on this - no other vendor that I've ordered from has ever performed so poorly.  I should hope that my order is correct!  A cursory google search or two tells me that my experiences are, sadly, fairly typical. 

So, if you're tempted by their great pricing, I'd think twice.  Just sharing my frustration and hoping others learn from my mistakes.

[LOLRECONLOL]

Never been tempted by them before, and I don't see it happening. Guess I haven't missed much!

[Marko]

I bought a few things from them, back when they had a few actual good deals, and all went well, but then again, none were musical instruments.

I suspect that would be where the problems are, and I don’t think I’d buy a guitar from them.

[Floyd Rosenbomb]

Their insistence that I provide my personal info just to simply look at their site is enough to keep me away..

[johnnytuinals]

Their prices were better going back in early 2012 when most things were shipped for free.

What I do now is get a price match from Music123 and their 123% discount,...........JT

[Patuney]

Huh, took you four tries to give up on them, I usually quit after three.

[docjeffrey]

For the prices that they advertise, you should expect repackaged, shop worn merchandise. As long as you are OK with that, they are great. I have no problem with less than perfect merch as long as it functions perfectly and doesn't require me to shell out more cash for repairs. A guitar is eventually going to have marks on the pickguard, so if I can get one for 10-20% less than a new in box version, I'm thrilled.

Here's my experience:

Pod HD500 ($350) Brand new, perfect, factory fresh

Tannoy subwoofer TS10, ($300) Brand new, perfect, factory fresh

Aiaiai TMA1 Headphones ($200) Brand new, perfect, factory fresh

Charter Oak Headphones ($250) Obviously returned merch, but other than the packaging, perfect

LTD Surveyor 415 bass ($319) Brand new, factory fresh, but missing part of a stacked tone knob. I replaced it for $7. Great deal!

Ramierez MR610 Classical guitar ($349) Brand new, perfect, factory fresh, overly bowed neck. I called, they sent me a new one and never asked for the defective one back. I tried to get a shipping label to return it, but apparently, they weren't interested. So, I have two of them. It's playable, and I lowered the bridge saddle. 

Hughes and Kettner Tubemeister 5 ($299) Brand new, perfect, factory fresh

Cascade Ribbon Mic ($349) Brand new, factory fresh, hard case had a small cut in the vinyl (insignificant. Product was perfect.

Boss RC30 Loop station (somehow, when I checked out I had earned a $26 credit so, $223) Brand new, perfect, factory fresh

I think that's it! Whew. Great luck with them. Don't be afraid to pick up the phone. They will bend over backwards to make things right if you have some basic people skills.

[docjeffrey]

By the way, I just want to share something else about buying from discount websites like Hello Music.

If I am looking to buy a really nice guitar--pretty much anything from Fender's US Standard Line, anything by Gibson, US made Martins (yes they make guitars in Mexico now), Taylor (yuck) etc., I'm not going to buy from a place like Hello Music. There's a reason that their merch is marked down, sometimes signficantly, below fair traded prices elsewhere on POPULAR guitars and amps. There are likely small defects or the merchandise has been returned. Can they advertise it as new? Probably. But read between the lines and use your BRAIN. 

It doesn't take a genius to figure out what they are doing and as long as you are OK with it, you will be thrilled and often surprised when something arrives factory fresh, which most of my purchases have.

But when I'm ready to buy a cool guitar that I have been saving up for, places like Hello Music will NOT be my first choice. Sweetwater, Daves, and Wildwood are great because you can see the actual item that you are getting along with how much it weighs, whether it's a demo model, etc. The extra 10-20% that I might be able to save at Musician's Friend or Hello Music is not important.

[billybilly]

Good-bye hello music.

[johnnytuinals]

Hello Music seems like a great place too shop at (except there is no more free shipping it looks}

Everything I have bought from them was New (2012 Fender American Standard Telecaster}and

at better prices then most of the others.I am waiting till their next $100 off coupon offer comes up again.........JT

[EJ_Boy]

Johnny, 

I read about that Am Std you scored. Nice pull. Where and when do these $100 coupons come through for Hello Music? That's going to be about a 35% discount by the time I hang up the phone with them. 

[Danhedonia]

"For the prices that they advertise, you should expect repackaged, shop worn merchandise. As long as you are OK with that, they are great. I have no problem with less than perfect merch as long as it functions perfectly and doesn't require me to shell out more cash for repairs. A guitar is eventually going to have marks on the pickguard, so if I can get one for 10-20% less than a new in box version, I'm thrilled."

I disagree.  They should advertise what they sell.  If something is repackaged stock - advertise it as such.  Period.  No one should "expect" dishonesty.  New means new.

Further, you miss the point of the pickguard marks.  I don't give a hoot about the marks - it is that they were clear evidence of a guitar that was played hard.  That guitar also had dead electronics (I did NOT bother to do discovery on it).  My best guess is that the guitar was sold, played hard by the first owner to where he (and we know a woman is not this moronic) broke a solder (it was a Squier, not expecting miracles in build quality) and returned it.  Whereupon it made it's way to me as new.

You think that's okay?  I do not, at all. 

For frame of reference, I recently bought a used DeArmond from GC out-of-state, it needs work and some of that is being done by a tech friend of mine.  I don't bitch about it - they were very upfront on the phone and it's a used item. 

I expect honesty, not miracles. 

Another part of that is not sitting on peoples' cash for weeks given the business they're in. 

Finally, you must not read my posts when you talk about where you would buy a decent guitar ... recall that I'm the person who is willing to spend 3 hours in a GC (bad versions of Smoke On The Water playing all 'round) to find the one better-than-the-rest Squier, etc.  And while I try to take each guitar on it's merits (which definitely includes expectations for the price point), I am fairly picky.

Which is to say, I knew it was a crapshoot ordering the Strat.  I was willing to do exchanges, etc., if need be.  Or graciously seek a refund, if my expectations were obviously too high.  But, tell me: what the hell does that have to do with shipping me a Telecaster?

I appreciate that you have posted your good experiences. Mine were not so good, and that the same issues are duplicated in many others' posts indicates to me a real lack of QC.

[johnnytuinals]

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EJ_Boy wrote:

Johnny, 

I read about that Am Std you scored. Nice pull. Where and when do these $100 coupons come through for Hello Music? That's going to be about a 35% discount by the time I hang up the phone with them. 

I think you are talking about the Strat I bought?Nope I was talking about the Telecaster that I got from them about 6 months ago.

All the items that I bought from HelloMusic happen to be all New and have had nothing used.

Yes I am sure there might be a few people that have bought Restock or used items from HelloMusic.

But I have read many had the same problems from Samash,Music123,MF and all the rest.......JT

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[Danhedonia]

Agree JT .... sadly, the music retail business is about as modern in their business practices as the recorded music industry is/was.  I'm sure HM is hardly alone.

However, I do expect that if you're doing online retail with "buy it now" campaigns hitting inboxes 3x/day, you ship soon, or communicate effectively to manage expectations.  It's not hard.

That said .... c'mon.  A Tele instead of a Strat?  Seriously?

[Tone Deaf]

There's an old saying that "if something seems too good to be true, it probably is."

I can understand having an expectation that if you order something, you'll received exactly what you ordered, nothing more, nothing less. You shouldn't order and pay for something advertised as new (or not advertised as used, and assumed new) and receive a used item.

However, increased expectations on the part of online purchasers have led to overly liberal return policies. This self-fulfilling prophesy has encouraged lazy online buying practices.

In other words, John Doe #1 buys (fill in the blank), without doing much research, without much expectation one way or another as to whether he'll like (fill in the blank) or whether (fill in the blank) will meet his needs. He's encouraged not to care or do the homework, because after all, he can always return it.

Once it's returned, the expectation of John Doe #2 (and rightfully so) is that if he now purchases that same (fill in the blank) previously returned by John Doe #1, he'll pay a discounted price.

But what happens to that difference in price between new price and discounted price? It goes poof, and either the online retailer and/or the manufacturer eats it. Over time, eating these differences begin to hurt us all, because (a) all gear ends up being marked higher to account for it, or (b) online retailers try to identify some gear that was used gently enough by John Doe #1 that they can attempt to sell it as new again, hoping John Doe #2 won't notice. And when John Doe #2 does notice, he's incensed and outraged by the aggregiousness of the online retailer (even though he may well have ended up returning it anyway because, yup, he just didn't like it, regardless of a few pickguard scratches.)

Point of my observations?

1. Do some god damned homework and know what you're buying and stop relying so heavily upon and demaning ridiculously liberal return policies. Take some personal responsibility as a consumer. Stop with the irresponsible impulse purchasing, and spend a little time finding out if the item is really what you want and will fit your needs. With the information available online, it's inexcusable not to. Maybe if less shit is returned because you just don't like it, fewer of us will receive these used items.
2. If a deal seems too good to be true, dial back your expectations a bit.
3. Used and abused are very diferent things. One could make the argument that most every guitar hanging on the wall at GC is used to some extent. What's the real dollar value of being able to put the first swirly mark on the pickguard? 

(OP - Your experience of receiving the complete wrong guitar, or receiving gear not in proper working order obviously do not fit within what I'm talking about, and this was not aimed at you. However, I still needed to get that off my chest regarding online purchase practices in general).

[johnnytuinals]

I ready don't mind getting Emails from HelloMusic since MF and Music123 Officedepot among others that  also sends me emails everyday.

I don't think that there is a big return rate on guitars,yes there are some but I am

sure its not as bad as you think but I also can be wrong.......JT

[docjeffrey]

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Danhedonia wrote:

I appreciate that you have posted your good experiences. Mine were not so good, and that the same issues are duplicated in many others' posts indicates to me a real lack of QC.

---

It does sound like you've had a streak of bad luck and I empathise. What you say is absolutely correct, but that's not the way it works with discount retailers. I worked retail when I was in high school and college, long before online shopping, and we would sell unsold merchandise to "jobbers" who would resell it in discount warehouses. It was a mixed bag--some perfect, some with small issues, others missing original packaging, etc. It was all sold as new merchandise, even returned items that showed some signs of wear. That's the way that discount houses have traditionally worked. The online world is no different. I'm sure that Hello Music has buyers that seek out overstocks, returned merchandise, items with damaged packaging, etc. The whole idea is that, for the right price, they should be able to move it. 

There's no way that they can evaluate every single item that comes through their business. If they did, it would cost a lot more. In fact, they may not even have physical custody of some of the merchandise; just a list from their buyers of what's available. The whole idea is to move musical instruments and accessories quickly and cheaply. Their business model builds in a certain amount of loss for having to refund money due to bad merchandise. 

But, seriously, call them and let them know that you are unhappy. Don't let them keep your cash for weeks at a time. Request a refund, and use a credit card so you can contest charges. In the end, you have control over what happens. 

[Chad]

I've not really seen that many deals at Hello Music that are that much more amazing than what can be negotiated with a good, reputable, authorized dealer.  And their deals have seemingly been even less appealing in recent months.  Throw in their slow shipping and problems mentioned in this thread and my conclusion:  Hello Music FTL. 

[docjeffrey]

Tubemeister 5 for $299 is $100 less than everyone else is selling them for. Gretsch G5422tdc for $675 is $200 less than other online retailers. Jet City Pico Valve with cab, $289 is $160 less. Guild D40, $300 less...

Let's not besmirch Hello Music unless you have had first hand experience like the OP. I've had nothing but good luck with them, and you can CALL if you have issues. They are reputable and have great customer service. Finally we have an online retailer with seriously good deals on a lot of cool gear.

[Chad]

Yeah, I guess if a person thinks that MAP is the only price available anywhere, then Hello Music's deals are okay.  But, as mentioned, similar deals can often be negotiated with authorized dealers with some legwork.