Fusion $500 at GC?

[keyman_sam v2.0]

Bad luck man.

Here, mine's heating up very quickly. Is it that way with all the fusions?

[syncretism]

I wonder if - or when - Musicians' Friends' prices will be in parity.

[Diametro]

If/when they decide to blow out their stock like Guitar Center did. (which may be never because they might not physically have number of Fusions like GC did.)

My belief is that Guitar Center -- or at the very least the local one -- CANNOT sell a keyboard that doesn't sell itself.

Why the Fusion couldn't sell itself is obvious ... but it's too bad that now that the Fusion is finally good to go, GC has decided to wash its hands of it.

[syncretism]

Holy carp, an informative text message.

You really should try that more often, D, you're not half bad at it

Edit, also, thanks. The actual relationship between MF and GC is largely unknown to me

[Diametro]

Well, not terribly informative given I forgot about the GC/MF connection.

(But thanks ... the attention-seeking masochist in me loves backhanded compliments.)

Apparently, you can still order Fusions through GC, but they won't be stocking them.

That would probably apply to MF as well.


And now back to our regularly scheduled nonsense ...

[keyman_sam v2.0]

DOes your fusion heat up quickly?

[Diametro]

No. Not very at all. (And I leave it on for hours at time.)

Are you doing a survey for Warm Leatherette Weekly?

[jbrannon7]

Originally posted by keyman_sam v2.0 DOes your fusion heat up quickly?

 

 

There is some warmth on the right side where the Harddrive is, but thats normal, hard drives make heat in every application.

 

Joe

[syncretism]

Originally posted by keyman_sam v2.0 DOes your fusion heat up quickly?

 

 

Well, cold fusion is still in the realm of science fiction....

[keyman_sam v2.0]

Originally posted by jbrannon7 There is some warmth on the right side where the Harddrive is, but thats normal, hard drives make heat in every application. Joe

Thanks. Thats waht I was thinking, but i was unsure.


I love the way the fusion boots up, when it makes the whining sound that my computer makes. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[jbrannon7]

Mailed my paperwork for the free monitors on 12/06, UPS delivered the monitors today, 12/27. They are heavy, I am guessing about 20lbs each. Haven't hooked them up yet.

Joe

[SaltyDogg]

:mad: :mad:

OK I have to vent, the dogg pound is getting hot.

I go to Sam Ash and test out their 6HD and 8HD. I then inquire as to discounts, since I learn these 2 floor models are the only ones they have left. The 8HD has a panel chipped and a small paint-cracking ding in it. Both were updated nearly a year ago in Feb, so I figure they've been sitting around gathering dust and dings ever since.

I tell them about the GC price and I get told yes they will price match... but only if I bring a statement from GC in, in writing. I assure them they can call any GC they wish and find out for themselves but I am told the manager is being tight. Then I get the real stickler, they will not further discount the units because they are floor models, or because the big guy has noticeable damage to him.

Well right now there is no way in hell I am buying from that store just on the principle.

PS I also called GC beforehand to check on discount for refurbs. It is my goal to get an 8hd for 800. But the guy on the phone, who I have to remind what exactly the Fusion IS, goes "man I'll take care of you but you have to come in. Nahhh I can't give discount prices over the phone"

Maybe this rant is stuff you guys already know. These scoundrels are first class a$$holes.

[maiz]

Hello everyone,

new to post, longtime lurker. Went to gc in northern cali. Got the floor model. 61 keys. 1.22 os. 40 gb hardrive. Some scratches. ~4 bills including extended warranty and tax. With monitors it's an incredible deal. Put it on no interest 3 mo's. GC card. Plan to pay it off by then. Once I get to making sounds & beats I'll post more.

Jorge

[TowJam]

~4 bills including extended warranty and tax. With monitors it's an incredible deal.

 

 

Hell yeah!

 

Great score - congrats!

[MartinHines]

Originally posted by SaltyDogg I go to Sam Ash and test out their 6HD and 8HD. I then inquire as to discounts, since I learn these 2 floor models are the only ones they have left. The 8HD has a panel chipped and a small paint-cracking ding in it. Both were updated nearly a year ago in Feb, so I figure they've been sitting around gathering dust and dings ever since. I tell them about the GC price and I get told yes they will price match... but only if I bring a statement from GC in, in writing. I assure them they can call any GC they wish and find out for themselves but I am told the manager is being tight. Then I get the real stickler, they will not further discount the units because they are floor models, or because the big guy has noticeable damage to him. Well right now there is no way in hell I am buying from that store just on the principle. These scoundrels are first class a$$holes.

I don't understand why you will never buy from Sam Ash again "on principle":
-- GC is the company that is selling Fusions at an extremely low price (perhaps at their cost, meaning $0 profit)
-- Sam Ash isn't required to price match, or sell you a unit that may have some minor damage at an even lower price just because you want them to
-- If Sam Ash told you one thing than did something different I could understand your frustration. However, from what you have stated SamAsh has not mislead you. They agreed to sell you a floor model at the GC price, yes?

While you may be disappointed you couldn't find what you wanted at the price you wanted, I honestly don't see that Sam Ash did anything wrong.

If you want a "pristine" Fusion 8HD, Sweetwater will be happy to sell you one. The only "catch" is they want $1,500 for it:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Fusion8HD/

Finally, your posts suggest some "waffling" about whether a Fusion was right for you in the first place. Perhaps it was a good thing you didn't find one.

[SaltyDogg]

Originally posted by MartinHines I don't understand why you will never buy from Sam Ash again "on principle": If you want a "pristine" Fusion 8HD, Sweetwater will be happy to sell you one. The only "catch" is they want $1,500

 

 

Martin,

I appreciate your input and you're right, I have been waffling. However I do disagree with some of your reasoning, and much of my waffling is due to tracking down a good price AND a good non-banged up unit, since I am late in the game.

 

As I see it, GC will sell me a "pristine" Fusion, catch is that at this moment in time they'd have to order it for me since people have been gobbling them up. And they'd sell it for the 500 or 1000 price they're advertising.

 

If Sam Ash tells me "yes we will match any competitor's price" then I am holding them to their claim. It is insulting to ask a customer to go get a quote in writing because they refuse to make a phone call. If GC lied over the phone that's one thing, but they would not even call GC. Plus, with my salesman telling me he worked at GC and has heard about this discount from others, that's basically saying "get lost, we dont want to sell this to you." That's horrible customer service in my book. Furthermore, logically, if GC is selling a unit for 500 NEW in BOX and Sam Ash has a floor model, banged up, that model should cost less than 500.

[valomatic]

For those that are considering getting the fusion, your opportunity to get the free monitors is ending soon...December 31 is the deadline.

Since I've had the fusion for almost 2 weeks, I have been in synth heaven. Even if you can't get the fusion for $500 / $1000, you may want to consider getting it from sweetwater...It is a great deal even if you do pay $1000 for the 6HD (including the monitors).

Good luck!

[mate_stubb]

Salty,

 

Consider this also - GC has way less invested in their Fusions than Sam Ash does. That is because of their buying power which they use to strongarm manufacturers to get their best price.

 

While Sam Ash may agree to match prices, they are almost surely losing money on the deal. If you come in and ask them to take the time of their employees to further research things, then they are losing more money.

 

If you were the salesguy, and somebody asked you to make a deal which would result in no commission and no profit for the store, would you want to do extra work?

 

When I try to get somebody to match a ridiculously low blow out price (as I just did with Sweetwater on the Fusion), I provide as much evidence as possible so they don't have to go out of their way to verify things.

 

I've been in retail music sales and the job mostly sucks.

[felix]

If a dealer has decided to discontinue a product, there is no guarantee that they are still selling above their cost. Quite often, they'll do whatever they have to to liquidate the inventory and turn it into cash - even if they do so at a loss (i.e. sell them below cost, for whatever 'magic price' will make them disappear within a given time frame). I suspect that is what GC has done/is doing with whatever Fusions they had left (which doesn't sound like much at this point).

[SonnyBlack]

man that sucks, Dogg. Dont take no guff from those swine. If they want to sell you a damaged board, they better freakin make it worth your while by lowering it even more.

On lighter news, I just returned from my local GC with a BRAND NEW IN BOX Fusion 6 HD with the 80 gig harddrive! They had a brand new Fusion in storage that some guy had pre ordered 2 months ago and never picked up. This baby was still sealed in the box! Brand spanking new! I tell you, some days you win some and some days you loose some, but today it seems I won the whole {censored}in lot! Plus I get some nice monitors for free to boot (I just mailed out the rebate form NEXT DAY AIR) Thanks for letting me know of this sick deal Diametro, Im sure I wouldve never known of it if it wasnt for your post. Btw, it seems like this machine is the deepest workstation Ive ever dealt with. My last workstation was a Motif Es and that thing bored the hell out of me within a couple of hours. Not the case with the fusion as Ive been noodling with it for a couple of hours now with no sign of boredom whatsoever. I mean if nothing else you can run it as a bad ass full fledged sampler with the works and thats not even mentioning the awesome engines and effects it has. Ive been spending the last couple of hours fiddling with it and wondering what it was about it that the people didnt like. If its the rom sounds, then thats why you have a bad ass sampler on board with a hard drive included. Use it. Anyways, Im loving this machine to death and I just wanted to let you guys know how appreciative I am for having heard about this deal in time.

[XorAxAx]

I gotta agree with Salty here. In the USA, businesses do not have a right to make profit. That is what they try to do, but it is not guaranteed by law. On the other hand, there are truth-in-advertising laws and an overwhelming body of custom that obligates a business to honor its advertisements regardless of their effect on the bottom line. I'm free to advertise Hummers stupidly for $100, and I would be in some trouble if I did not sell for the amount which I advertised.

Sam Ash probably has some legalese posted with their price match guarantee, saying that SA will not honor sale prices and other non-normal discounts. That's how most price-matching operations get around competitors' sales. But **IF** this $500 price for Fusions is now GC's "regular" price for Fusions, it would seem that SA has already promised to sell at that price. You might need to get a lawyer to really push it, however. Unfortunately, justice is a luxury often reserved for the rich in this country.

Frankly, I would take them a printout of this thread so they can see the community effect of not honoring their advertisements.

[keyman_sam v2.0]

Originally posted by SonnyBlack man that sucks, Dogg. Dont take no guff from those swine. If they want to sell you a damaged board, they better freakin make it worth your while by lowering it even more. On lighter news, I just returned from my local GC with a BRAND NEW IN BOX Fusion 6 HD with the 80 gig harddrive! They had a brand new Fusion in storage that some guy had pre ordered 2 months ago and never picked up. This baby was still sealed in the box! Brand spanking new! I tell you, some days you win some and some days you loose some, but today it seems I won the whole {censored}in lot! Plus I get some nice monitors for free to boot (I just mailed out the rebate form NEXT DAY AIR) Thanks for letting me know of this sick deal Diametro, Im sure I wouldve never known of it if it wasnt for your post. Btw, it seems like this machine is the deepest workstation Ive ever dealt with. My last workstation was a Motif Es and that thing bored the hell out of me within a couple of hours. Not the case with the fusion as Ive been noodling with it for a couple of hours now with no sign of boredom whatsoever. I mean if nothing else you can run it as a bad ass full fledged sampler with the works and thats not even mentioning the awesome engines and effects it has. Ive been spending the last couple of hours fiddling with it and wondering what it was about it that the people didnt like. If its the rom sounds, then thats why you have a bad ass sampler on board with a hard drive included. Use it. Anyways, Im loving this machine to death and I just wanted to let you guys know how appreciative I am for having heard about this deal in time.

Trying to rub it in to the poor guy huh?

[MartinHines]

Originally posted by XorAxAx Sam Ash probably has some legalese posted with their price match guarantee, saying that SA will not honor sale prices and other non-normal discounts.

 

 

The SamAsh Lowest Price Guarantee is very clear:

http://www.samash.com/forms/meet.asp?cid=bn_1

 

samash.com is proud to offer the most competitive discount prices in the industry. But in the rare event you should find your purchase advertised in a local or national newspaper at a lower price by an authorized dealer, we will beat that price. If after you have made a purchase at samash.com and find the same product advertised at a lower price by an authorized dealer in the continental United States, let us know and we will refund the difference. All claims must be made within 60 days of the receipt date. Demo models, factory seconds, discontinued merchandise, and floor samples are not included. Advertised items must be in stock at the advertised dealer and factory-sealed new product.

 

 

 

Originally posted by XorAxAx But **IF** this $500 price for Fusions is now GC's "regular" price for Fusions, it would seem that SA has already promised to sell at that price.

 

 

The key point is GC no longer has a "regular price" for the Fusion since it will be no longer part of their in-store inventory.

 

Musician's Friend, GuitarCenter.com, and Guitar Center (retail stores) are all owned by Guitar Center, Inc.. Musician's Friend and GC.com BOTH still list the Fusion 6HD at $999:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Alesis-Fusion-6HD-61Note-Keyboard-Workstation?sku=705530

http://www.guitarcenter.com/shop/product/buy_alesis_fusion_6hd_61note_keyboard_workstation?full_sku=103145553

 

One month from now, if you walked into your local GC store and asked them to order you a Fusion 6HD, I would be extremely surprised if they would sell it to you for $499.

 

 

Originally posted by XorAxAx Frankly, I would take them a printout of this thread so they can see the community effect of not honoring their advertisements.

 

 

From what I read, SamAsh IS honoring their advertisement; they clearly exclude "demo models" and "discontinued merchandise".

The SamAsh policy seems perfectly fair to me.

 

ALL of these retailers (GC, MF, Sam Ash) seem to have nearly identical "Lowest Price Guarantee" policies and ALL OF THEM exclude demo models and discontinued merchandise.

 

-- Musician's Friend (owned by GC) "45-day Best Price Guarantee":

http://mf.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/mf.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1399

"Demo models, factory seconds, sale items, discontinued merchandise, and floor samples not included"

 

-- Guitar Center's own "30 day Lowest Price Guarantee":

http://www.guitarcenter.com/financing/30_30.cfm

Advertised items must be factory-sealed new product. Demo models, factory seconds, sale items, discontinued merchandise, and floor samples not included"

 

 

Originally posted by XorAxAx You might need to get a lawyer to really push it, however. Unfortunately, justice is a luxury often reserved for the rich in this country.

 

 

There is nothing "to push" and you would be out of luck even if you could afford the best attorney money can buy. All of these retailer's low price guarantees CLEARLY exclude demo units and discontinued merchandise.

 

 

 

[XorAxAx]

Martin, as usual your post pretty much spells it out.

He might be able to get by on the semantics of "discontinued" though. Has there been any public announcement out of GC that the Fusion is discontinued? I mean, we have anecdotal evidence from a few sales droids, but AFAIK the only official thing I see is a lower price.

Also, please keep in mind that trying the heavy-handed technique I discussed earlier may not put you in the best graces of the Sam Ash store. You gotta pick your battles wisely.

[Paolo Di Nicolantonio]

My local GC has two Fusion 6 left. They are both defective though... one the first one, the left output doesn't work and the display flickers very annoyingly. On the second one, also the left output doesn't work, and the output is crackly... the GC salesman said they have had quite a few problems with Fusions since they came out. I guess that's part of the reason why they are blowing them out...