Members Meowy Posted December 10, 2012 Members Share Posted December 10, 2012 Originally Posted by axegrinder +1Call me old-fashoned, but sending in mails then turning around to order on-line seems more time consuming than just calling and getting the whole transaction done without fretting over it like many of you seem to do.. I can tell you what is annoying about it. They have a feature on their website that basically says, "send in a price and we'll match it", but they don't.Lately I've been getting no reply from m123 and mf sends a reply "oh hai sorry for the inconvenience, did you want a price match?"... Well, YES, that's what the email I sent to you says, doesn't it?To me, It's bad customer service to offer a channel, then to ignore the request or after a day steer the customer to the phone. if you want us to call then don't offer a web channel that you neglect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members anti-flag193 Posted December 10, 2012 Members Share Posted December 10, 2012 yes that's true, but knowing the nature of the beast, calling is much easier and faster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WhatDoIKnow Posted December 10, 2012 Members Share Posted December 10, 2012 Originally Posted by axegrinder +1Call me old-fashoned, but sending in mails then turning around to order on-line seems more time consuming than just calling and getting the whole transaction done without fretting over it like many of you seem to do.The one nice thing about the emailed PM's is they are transferable... I benefitted from a forumite's efforts this very way a couple week's ago. Then earlier this week, I phoned in for an insane price match on a guitar case that M123 is going to lose money on. You guys can bash them, but I have gotten great service from M123.Oh and what's up with not saying please and thank you??... that's not grovelling, it's basic civility. Exactly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members drivelikejoewho Posted December 10, 2012 Members Share Posted December 10, 2012 I definitely call if I want something but in the past, it has taken me upwards of 30 minutes to get them to make the deal I want. I mean I literally sat on hold for 30 minutes once and spoke to two different people trying to show them on the Fender website that Best Buy is an authorized dealer. I though I was taking crazy pills because two CSR's (maybe a manager?) could not see what i was seeing. This is back in August so there is no busy holiday to blame and this was after two previous PM's through email where I responded back to them offering a screenshot of Fender's website. I ended up telling them forget it and bought the item from Best Buy. I usually find that if I can send a pricematch through email, it takes about 30 seconds and then anywhere from a few hours or a few days to get a response. If someting had a short fuse on it (i.e. Amazon Lightning Deal), I would just call. That being said, because of that, I'd rather deal with places like Zzounds. They response usually within an hour or two and rarely give you some ridiculous response about why they aren't honoring their guarantee. That is because Zzounds doesn't make guarantees. They try to beat a price IF they can. Music123 just does business in a hokey way and it is great when it works out and frustrating other times. Last week I spent about 20 mins pricematching about 15 items. I'd say about 10 of them they came back with the right price off the bat so that is a definite improvement. One of the funniest experiences I've had with Music123 was sending a pricematch and receiving the obligatory "Unfortunately, we can not beat that price blah blah blah... " only to look below and see the CSR had not only beat the price but beat it by a long shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members axegrinder Posted December 10, 2012 Members Share Posted December 10, 2012 Originally Posted by Meowy I can tell you what is annoying about it. They have a feature on their website that basically says, "send in a price and we'll match it", but they don't.Lately I've been getting no reply from m123 and mf sends a reply "oh hai sorry for the inconvenience, did you want a price match?"... Well, YES, that's what the email I sent to you says, doesn't it?To me, It's bad customer service to offer a channel, then to ignore the request or after a day steer the customer to the phone. if you want us to call then don't offer a web channel that you neglect This kind of thing is probably why I stay a little old school. Technology is supposed to make life simpler, but too often for me it's a pain in the arse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members axegrinder Posted December 10, 2012 Members Share Posted December 10, 2012 Originally Posted by Naregnemyes what case was it? i'm looking for a tele case. And a les paul one actually XD. Originally Posted by MatteK Yeah, do tell, I'm looking for a case too... It WAS a Gator Case for Les Paul. I say 'WAS' because after Best Buy blew them out, M123's price match policy resulted in a run on the same case which depleted its own inventory. I heard that some folks didn't get the deal. M123 have back ordered mine, but they are honoring the deal. Yes it did take me 10 minutes of holding on the phone, but the CSR came on twice to apologize and update me what her manager was doing to push it through. It didn't hurt that the case was for a guitar I bought from M123 (i.e. repeat customer), and that I was NICE to the CSR.So you could try finding a killer deal on a tele case at BestBuy and then try a PM with M123, but I don't know how well that will work. My problem is BestBuy offers very little musical gear in CA... actually my local store closed, so it was never really an option for me. Obviously they are not treating everybody fairly, but until I get the screwgy, I will stick with M123. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CRM123 Posted December 11, 2012 Members Share Posted December 11, 2012 Hello everyone, My name is Chris I work for Music 123. I sincerely apologize for the trouble those of you have had in getting price match quotes set up. Please email your support ticket ID numbers or a copy of your original requests to webtalk@music123.com and I'd be happy to review your requests for you. If you have any other questions or concerns please let me know, thanks! Chris M. Music 123 Customer Service Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Meowy Posted December 11, 2012 Members Share Posted December 11, 2012 I owe m123 props. I sent a follow up PM request saying I hoped I wasn't being ignored and the sales rep came through. Order placed, not a big order but I got a dozen sets of EB slinkys for under $28, so a GRRRREAT deal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve_man Posted December 11, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 11, 2012 well, item is now off of sale, so they got their wish...they ignored it long enough. Lame... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Danhedonia Posted December 12, 2012 Members Share Posted December 12, 2012 Ordering online is not going away. "being in customer service for over 20 years I go out of my way to help NICE people-even to the point of bending the rules if I can." This. This, times a hundred thousand. Ms. Hedonia works for a Very, Very Large Company as a CSR part of the day, warehouse hand for them and nursing student on various afternoons. They have over a million customer accounts and log 2-300,000 orders nationally on a daily basis. They are monitored ad infinitem. Know what? They still hang up on dicks, and their management, who trust me drill down on call time, upselling, etc., don't give them grief about it. The customer who are crummy on the phone are never worth the time or energy they require. As for which is easier calling or emailing ... ???? why ask? Some like synchronous communication, some asynchronous. That's why they have multiple channels. I think the real issue here is one of honesty - is M123 falsely advertising a policy that they do not try to honor? That's not a small thing; class action lawsuits evolve around just such practices. All you need is an aggressive lawyer and a friendly judge to get a class certified, and it can really mess things up. I give Chris huge props for coming on the board and extending an offer of an attempt to rectify individual situations. His method of addressing complaints is phenomenally proactive and encouraging. However, it doesn't really address the original question: Is M123 honoring their stated policy? ANY time spent by a customer attempting to bring business to you MUST be honored; no business can afford to take any other approach, unless they are a monopoly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members joemonkey Posted December 12, 2012 Members Share Posted December 12, 2012 Music123 PM Experiment Part 2: Electric Bugaloo Placed 2 PM requests for the Gibson SG Standard P-90 in ebony which zzounds.com currently has for $664.95. Both just came back with they can't match it because it's out of stock at zzounds.com. But actually, as of this moment, it still shows as in stock. Moral: Call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fusion1 Posted December 13, 2012 Members Share Posted December 13, 2012 joemonkey, this doesn't piss you off that they are lieing to you? Of course the next course of action is to call, but if they were honest there would be no need to call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members joemonkey Posted December 13, 2012 Members Share Posted December 13, 2012 Originally Posted by Fusion1 joemonkey, this doesn't piss you off that they are lieing to you? Of course the next course of action is to call, but if they were honest there would be no need to call. Listen, they could be lying or they could just be really dumb. Shit, there could even be a memo circulated among CSRs that tells them to play these games. I don't know for sure, but I'm not a conspiracy theorist guy so my mind doesn't automatically go there.Bottom line is that I don't have a right to their products or services, or even a hassle-free transaction. If they want to play games, then I can choose not to give them my business. Same with you and everyone else. Eventually, word will get so widespread that they'll go out of business, or as in the current situation, they'll send in St. Baker to jump on the grenade and smooth things over. Sure it would be nice to get a slightly better deal than what Zzounds is offering, but I'm not entitled to it. And truth be told, my issues with your complaints go more to the fact that not only did they price match you (usually not done on closeouts) but they made it a sweetheart by throwing in free money. And instead of calmly and patiently letting them iron out the details with the GC situation, you immediately went batshit crazy, going on and on about how horrible the situation is for you and how dreadful it is to have to talk to another human being on the phone while trying to cash in on your free money. It's just too much, man. You got a free guitar today. You should be walking on air today, but instead your moaning the hassle it took to get your free guitar. Hell, you even suggested that their Akai pedal snafu was an intentional bait-and-switch. My immediate thought was that maybe you have Asperger's. Now I'm just wondering who hurt you so bad in the past.Of course all of this is IMHO, my 2 cents, etc. You probably think I'm a dick, but this is all my take on what I've read. Hare Krishna. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members George Jetson Posted December 13, 2012 Members Share Posted December 13, 2012 My $.02, there are so many bottom feeders born by the internet forums that are trying to scam the system, the email customer service center has to thoroughly check out the price claim and get a supervisor to sign off. SO yes the company is to blame and they probably do have policies to filter out the casual buyers fishing for a good deal, but the OCD bargain fiends that try to finagle unrealistic deals by whining and blustering on the internet are part of problem too. Bad behavior cuts both ways folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve_man Posted December 13, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 13, 2012 Originally Posted by CRM123 Hello everyone,My name is Chris I work for Music 123. I sincerely apologize for the trouble those of you have had in getting price match quotes set up. Please email your support ticket ID numbers or a copy of your original requests to webtalk@music123.com and I'd be happy to review your requests for you. If you have any other questions or concerns please let me know, thanks!Chris M.Music 123 Customer Service Just sent you an email regarding all four of my price-matching issues this week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members drivelikejoewho Posted December 13, 2012 Members Share Posted December 13, 2012 Listen, they could be lying or they could just be really dumb. {censored}, there could even be a memo circulated among CSRs that tells them to play these games. I don't know for sure, but I'm not a conspiracy theorist guy so my mind doesn't automatically go there.Bottom line is that I don't have a right to their products or services, or even a hassle-free transaction. If they want to play games, then I can choose not to give them my business. Same with you and everyone else. Eventually, word will get so widespread that they'll go out of business, or as in the current situation, they'll send in St. Baker to jump on the grenade and smooth things over. Sure it would be nice to get a slightly better deal than what Zzounds is offering, but I'm not entitled to it. And truth be told, my issues with your complaints go more to the fact that not only did they price match you (usually not done on closeouts) but they made it a sweetheart by throwing in free money. And instead of calmly and patiently letting them iron out the details with the GC situation, you immediately went bat{censored} crazy, going on and on about how horrible the situation is for you and how dreadful it is to have to talk to another human being on the phone while trying to cash in on your free money. It's just too much, man. You got a free guitar today. You should be walking on air today, but instead your moaning the hassle it took to get your free guitar. Hell, you even suggested that their Akai pedal snafu was an intentional bait-and-switch. My immediate thought was that maybe you have Asperger's. Now I'm just wondering who hurt you so bad in the past.Of course all of this is IMHO, my 2 cents, etc. You probably think I'm a dick, but this is all my take on what I've read. Hare Krishna. And that is the bottom line. It is like someone that complains that McDonald's screwed up their $0.99 cheeseburger. It is $0.99 for a reason. You can either deal with the way they do business to get your $0.99 cheeseburger or you can go somewhere else. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but my suggestion is if you don't like the way you are being treated or the deal you are getting, go somewhere else. I realize there can be snags and hassles in the process of getting M123 to honor their policy but it is my choice to deal with it or go somewhere else. Lately, I've decided to go other places for a myriad of reasons. Although, I just bought a Squier Jaguar HH for $130 and a BC Rich Mockingbird bass for $150 from (neck through classic series model that was priced at $699). You won't hear me complaining that I had to reply to them and call in on one occasion. I also am sitting on about 10 pricematches that are >50% off regular price. I also had an instance where they were claiming Best Buy wasn't an authorized dealer back in August when I was staring at Fender's site showing them as such and guided the CSR to that page where he stated he didn't see Best Buy and when I asked him to read what he saw, he started listing off every thing but Best Buy. After two CSR's I told them I was done. It wasn't worth it at that point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members joecool1963 Posted December 13, 2012 Members Share Posted December 13, 2012 my experience is that they are prompt and give great service. I got a 70s tribute for them at a ridiculous price. The luck of the draw I guess. To be fair, customer service and any type of sales takes the patience of job... been there, done that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IBDBB Posted December 13, 2012 Members Share Posted December 13, 2012 i hope music123/musiciansfriend gets their inventory sorted out on the Akai Distortion/Fuzz... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Danhedonia Posted December 13, 2012 Members Share Posted December 13, 2012 "I don't have a right to their products or services, or even a hassle-free transaction." This may not be technically accurate. Most businesses are required to get some sort of license, certainly those the size of M123. Part of the licensure procedure is to adhere to laws, many of which regard one's business obligations when serving the public. No, M123 is not a public utility, but they do serve the public and as such, are bound by some regulations. False advertising is not just a poor business practice, it is illegal. State by state, there are others ... I am NOT saying the OP is justified in being uncivil, but I do find it telling that this is a problem that has occurred for many people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members joemonkey Posted December 13, 2012 Members Share Posted December 13, 2012 "I don't have a right to their products or services, or even a hassle-free transaction."This may not be technically accurate. Most businesses are required to get some sort of license, certainly those the size of M123. Part of the licensure procedure is to adhere to laws, many of which regard one's business obligations when serving the public.No, M123 is not a public utility, but they do serve the public and as such, are bound by some regulations. False advertising is not just a poor business practice, it is illegal. State by state, there are others ... I am NOT saying the OP is justified in being uncivil, but I do find it telling that this is a problem that has occurred for many people. Last thing I want to do is keep this going. Simply put, you can't prove they're doing it on purpose. They may be; they may not be. They could be completely disorganized with making sure the CSR's fully understand the policies, or like I said before, they may very well be telling them to behave dishonestly. If it's the former, then might as well just move along to a retailer that suits your needs a little bit more snugly. If it's the latter, then yeah it's illegal. But who cares? Unless you're an attorney or a consumer rights freedom fighter, move along to someone else or make peace with putting up with the nonsense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve_man Posted December 13, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 13, 2012 Okay, update on the situation. After talking with Chris Maile, who posted earlier in the thread (works for Music123), he has worked this out for me. Ended up even giving me a lower price than I thought I'd get on these items. I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised. Thank you to Chris for jumping in here, and getting everything handled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members joecool1963 Posted December 14, 2012 Members Share Posted December 14, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members joemonkey Posted December 14, 2012 Members Share Posted December 14, 2012 Music123 PM Experiment Part 2: Electric BugalooPlaced 2 PM requests for the Gibson SG Standard P-90 in ebony which zzounds.com currently has for $664.95.Both just came back with they can't match it because it's out of stock at zzounds.com. But actually, as of this moment, it still shows as in stock. Moral: Call. In all fairness to the detractors, I wanted to give an update on this. Responded to these 2 PM responses multiple times using the comment option, showing that the product was still in stock at zzounds at the lower price (has since returned to the original price, of course), and I have received nothing. And Chris if you're reading this no need to apologize, though I'm kind of butthurt you've ignored both of my little experiments to date. I'd still appreciate your comments. Truth is, I'm not going to order the guitar anymore (though I was genuinely interested when I sent in the PMs); now I just want you to see what's going on. I did notice they were both from the same CSR (Jamie B.) so maybe she/he was just having an off 4 or 5 days. All that being said, is there something wrong with the comment option on the PMs? Are the CSRs even getting our responses when we try to reply to their denial of our PMs? Calling really is the way to go it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fusion1 Posted December 15, 2012 Members Share Posted December 15, 2012 Calling is the only way with M123. I have accepted it as a fact of life. Calling really is the way to go it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Meowy Posted December 15, 2012 Members Share Posted December 15, 2012 I got 2 back in minutes today and another I've submitted another twice, a couple hours apart and still no reply. I guess if they don't want to make a deal,they leave you hanging but if they have a margin on the item, they get back to you sooner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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