ComplaintsforBailey Brothers Music Company

• Initial Complaint

  06/08/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company sold me a amp and base guitar for $******. It was purchases at the end of February 2022. My son went by there to see if he could trade in his guitar for a different model guitar. They buy guitars and trade up on guitars whether you buy from them or not. When we took the new guitar to them and asked if they would buy it back or trade in for another one, they said yeah but I will give you $****** and $***** for the amp. I told the gentleman that I feel like we were overcharged in February if the guitar isn't worth ****** four months later. He said that there was nothing wrong with the guitar and looks great. Like brand new! Actually it is brand new. I spoke with the salesman that gives quotes out and he didn't seem to care that they were low balling and charged to much in March. I have tried calling the owner of the store but he is always out. I would either like to sell the perfectly good guitar back to them for a fair price which should be what I paid for it in March or be able to trade it in for the full value of what I paid. I feel like these people are scamming you out of your money and not giving fair value for what they sold a few months earlier. I asked him if they seriously depreciated $****** in a few months and he laughed and said well we will turn around and sell it again for $******. This is not fair business and someone needs to stop them.

  

  Business response

  06/09/2022

  Hi, we received your complaint from the BBB and I’d like to explain our position as a retail store on buying used instruments.  Hopefully our explanation will resolve this issue and address any concerns for you.  First off, I’m sorry that you had a bad experience in our store and left upset for any reason.  Regardless of the circumstances, we try to make sure that every customer leaves our store happy.  We’re usually successful in this, but sometimes it simply isn’t possible.  I’m sorry that you feel that you were overcharged for your guitar when you purchased it in February.  We don’t set the prices on new guitars, the manufactures set the prices for their instruments.  As a retailer we have dealership agreements with all of our manufactures that dictate how much we can sell their products for.  The price that you paid was the correct price for the instrument.  Once you buy a guitar, it is no longer new.  Used guitars do not carry a manufactures warranty and can no longer be sold for the full retail price of a new model, even if the guitar is in perfect condition.  Trading in a guitar is very similar to trading in a car at a dealership.  Once you drive a new car off the lot, it depreciates immediately and is no longer considered new.  When you go to trade it in, the car is worth less now that it’s used and the dealership has to buy the car at a used wholesale value.  When we buy used instruments, we pay fair wholesale prices for them.  The wholesale price that we’re able to offer is a percentage of what the instrument will sell for as a used instrument.  We are not able to pay retail prices for used guitars, and we certainly cannot offer the full new retail value for a used guitar.  Since we are a business, we have to buy these instruments for less than we’re going to sell them for.  We are like every other business in that we have to have a markup in our products, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to cover our own expenses or afford to be in business.  I hope this explains our position as a retailer and satisfies your concerns on this issue.  My name is Ben and I’m the store manager.  If you would like to discuss this any further, you can give us a call at the store: ************.

  Customer response

  06/09/2022

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I want the owner of the business contacted please. This is the same person I spoke with who is full of excuses!

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *******

  

  Business response

  06/13/2022

  Hello MS *******
   **** ****** here from ****** brothers’ music. I tried to contact you Friday 06/10/2022 via phone but no answer. The call went to voice mail and I left a message. You seem to be having trouble getting in touch with me. Two weeks ago I was at a music conference in California and for the past few weeks I have been working live shows on the weekends. For the most part I am at one of our 3 stores during the week m-f.
  I am pretty easy to contact most of the time.  in the future if you leave a call back number, I will be happy to return the call.
    First let me say I am sorry you are unhappy with you experience at ****** brothers’ music and I would be happy to try and solve your problem. We can not allow 100% of what someone paid for an instrument toward a new instrument after several months. I hope you realize the person who sold you the bass gets paid for assisting you along with everyone involved in the day-to-day routine of doing business.
  We do have a consignment program available where we put the goods you wish to sale on the floor and sale them for you.  if you want to just take the proceeds from the sale we charge 25% of the monies. If you take the money and purchase other instruments from ****** brothers, we only charge 15% of the monies 
  Please remember if you do a consignment with your instruments at BBMC you set the selling price and remember the selling price of your gear will be in competition with the other gear for sale in store. so used gear that is the same model will not normally sale for a higher price or as high as  new gear that would come with  a full warranty.
  Today is Monday 06/13/2022 at 7:15 am. please call me when you have a chance. I should be here all day , till 4:30 except for lunch and going to the bank. 

  i look forward to speaking to you 

  **** ******

  Customer response

  06/14/2022

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the guitar is worth more than $***.  I don’t believe a brand new guitar depreciated in 3 months from *** to ***. That’s a scam and a riot. So unfair to customers!! You rip people off and blame it on depreciation!  I would never tell anyone to go to that store!     
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *******

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