ComplaintsforMusician's Friend, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  05/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I purchased a limited edition Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay 4 Special HH BFR Electric Bass Pink Champagne Sparkle $2,799.00 it was supposed to come with a certificate to show what number it was made out of the 84 made, it did not, I paid for a brand new one, which it was not box was old and beat up hard shell case had scratches on it, I was not aware of all of these things at the time of purchase just found out, the guitar is wothless without the certificate have not use it, it is sitting in the case. want the certificate or my money refunded.

  

  Business response

  05/19/2022

  Thanks for contacting us.
  
  We apologize to hear of the condition the guitar arrived in. We are unfortunately unable to locate your order with the information provided. If you could please provide us the order number, or the phone number that is linked to your order, we can look into this further with you. Please email this information to [email protected]
  
  If there is anything else or if you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
  
  Thank you

  Customer response

  05/19/2022

  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 17214633, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Regards,
  
  T***** ********
  
  
  
  
  Order #:
  MFW2367013391      Order #:
  MFW2367013391
  Order Date:
  9/11/2020
  Ship To:
  23 Belvidere Ave Apt 4 
  Subtotal:
  $2,799.00
  Shipping:
  $0.00
  Tax:
  $185.43
  Order Total:
  $2,984.43
  
  Payment
  Date
  
  Visa (XXXX-1380)
  on 9/11/2020
  $2,984.43
  Payment Total:
  $2,984.43
  
  Order Tracking
  1ZV3Y9810300038169
  
  Shipping Method:
  Economy Ground
  Status:
  
  Your Items Unit Price Quantity Total
  Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay 4 Special HH BFR Electric Bass Pink Champagne Sparkle store phone number 877-514-5686
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  05/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased an Acoustic, 600 watt bass amp (BN6210) for $600. And determined that one of the speakers was blown. I called and spoke to TYLER. He said the speakers I need for that amp were on the ships in harbor and were not being unloaded. He sends me a 100 watt speaker for a 600 watt amp! I still have it in the original box. I never heard back from him. I called him yesterday and they said he would call me back. He did not. They should have fulfilled my replacement 300 watt speaker while under full warranty. It is a powerful 600 wall combo amp with 2, 300 watt speakers. If I put the 100 watt speaker in the amp, it would have blown.

  

  Business response

  05/10/2022

  Thanks for contacting us and we apologize for the inconvenience this has been.

  We were unable to locate your order number with the information provided, if you could please respond here, or email us at [email protected] with that information, we will look into this further with you and see that what can be done in regards to an exchange. 

  If there is anything else we can help with, please don't hesitate to ask. 

  Thank you

  Customer response

  05/10/2022

  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:Musicians Friend deliberately let time pass as well as my warranty. They should have records of this transaction. They did not fulfill my speaker while under full warranty.  
  
  Regards,
  
  D***** *****
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Business response

  05/11/2022

  Thanks for the response and we apologize for the inconvenience this has been.
  
  We would love to look into this further with you and help. However, we are unable to locate your order number with the information that the BBB provided on this thread.
  No order history is coming up with email ***********@COMCAST.NET, or with phone number (617) 999-3669.
  
  If you could please send us an email to [email protected] with your order information, or the email and phone number the order was placed under. We will look into what can be done to see that you’re taken care of.
  
  If there is anything else we can do to assist, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

  Thank you

  Customer response

  05/11/2022

  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: My phone number has been the same since

   

  
  
  Regards,
  
  D***** *****
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  My phone number has been the same since I got in turned on in 2005.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  05/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 4-25-22 I purchased a used Gibraltar drum rack from Musicians Friend through Reverb.com, order number 14432316. Here is the link to the page where it was advertised: https://reverb.com/item/11223276-gibraltar-chrome-series-height-adjustable-curved-rack-regular Notice the second sentence: "This item was returned in mint condition. It is free of any performance issues, and has no scratches, blemishes, or other cosmetic flaws." It was sold for $50 less than what it costs brand new ($400). When I received it, it had been thrown unceremoniously into the original box it was sold in with no packing material and poorly taped shut. It is full of cosmetic blemishes they said it did not have AND was missing the cymbal flanges and felts which they failed to mention in the listing. It has cosmetic blemishes (scratches and pitting) AND performance issues as I can't put my cymbals on bare metal. False advertising. I did keep the rack as gear is getting hard to come by. I exchanged some e-mails/messages with Musicians Friend for a partial refund. I wanted $100 and was given $50. I am seeking an additional $50 dollars.

  

  Business response

  05/09/2022

  Thanks for contacting us and we apologize for the inconvenience this has been. 

  Looking over your order, we show you have been refunded $50.00 for the condition.

  Unfortunately at this point if you are still unsatisfied with the gear, we can assist you in getting a return set up and placed for a refund. 

  Please contact us through the reverb app or reply here and we can help you get started on this process. 

  If there is anything else we can assist with, please don't hesitate to ask.

  Thank you. 

   

• Initial Complaint

  04/11/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Ordered set guitar strings online. At end said problem with order and I needed to call. Did so and they tried placing order 2nd time. It did not go through because they already took money at first order. Only enough money for 1 set strings. Found they charged my card but had no record of my order. Even if money returned they caused me to wait many days for money return to get my guitar strings. I will never trust them with another penny. Still not resolved for $7.53.

  

  Business response

  04/11/2022

  Thanks for contacting us and we apologize for the inconvenience this has been.

  Could we please get the order number for the order you placed online for the strings? or the email your confirmation would have been sent too? We were unable to find the purchase you mentioned in this complaint with the information given to us from the BBB. We can look into possibly contacting your bank and seeing if we're able to assist in removing the pending authorization that would have come from any cancelled items or orders. 

  If you could please reply with this information, we can dig into this deeper. 

  Otherwise. Pending authorizations typically fall off within 5 business days, but can sometimes take 7 to 10 days depending on your bank. 

  If there is anything else we can assist with, please don't hesitate to contact us. 

  Thanks

  Customer response

  04/11/2022

  
  
  Complaint: 17004958
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I was never given any order number. When it came to that part their website says there was a problem and I needed to call. My American Express was charged $7.53 for a non-existant order and it has not been returned and no product has arrived.
  
  Regards,
  
  D**** ******
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  

  Business response

  04/13/2022

  Thanks for the information. 

  Since the order was never placed, the authorization never went through and should still be in a pending state. Pending authorizations can take anywhere from 5 to 10 business days to fall off depending on your bank. 

  If you believe that these funds were in fact captured, we can look into this further with a bank statement showing the charge. You can email this to [email protected] for further investigation.

  You can also dispute the charge with your bank since no merchandise was received. 

  Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to help. 

  Thanks

• Initial Complaint

  03/30/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I recently made a purchase from this company (also spoke with a person about the item I was ordering), I made the purchase and when the items arrived, the mike connectors would not fit the pa system I had just purchased for the church. I have a six prone plug and the pa system came with a three pone plug. I followed the instructors to return the item, and I was never given a return label to return the merchandise. I placed a call to Musician Friends concerning this matter and I was told there was not a lot of help that could be given to me. I was pay for returning the merchandise and it wouldn't cost me that much. To return the merchandise back to Musician Friends, the cost was about $85.00

  

  Business response

  04/01/2022

  Thanks for contacting us and we apologize for the inconvenience this has been.
  
  We will cover the cost of return shipping back to us if the item arrives damaged, non-working, or you received a wrong item. Unfortunately if the item is just not desired or needed, we are unable to cover shipping back to us.
  Its possible that we could find an adapter that would allow you to use your microphones with the system that you purchased. If you could respond with more details, such as what microphones you are using, we can have a Pro Audio Gear Advisor reach out to you and assist with finding a system that will work for what you need.
  
  If there is anything else we can do in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to ask.
  
  Thank you

  Customer response

  04/04/2022

  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: The PA system was returned as we  received a wrong item. In speaking to the representative, I mentioned to the person that our church PA System was stolen and the church was looking to replace the system.  The first PA system I inquired about was no longer available and the representative checked on another model. I indicated that we needed a 4 prong plus system as we have multiple devices to use within the church. The system that arrived is for two prong, and there are no adaptors to use with the system and the pa system is not correct. We need 4 prong, and you sent two prong plus.
  
  Regards,
  
  C******** * ********
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Business response

  04/08/2022

  Thanks for the information. 
  If an agent provided the information to you, we would have taken care of the return shipping. We apologize that this wasn't taken care of for you at the time of return. 
  If you could please email us a copy of the return shipping receipt to [email protected] showing that charge, we can work on getting this refunded to you, Or if you'd like, we can apply the refund as In House Credit to be used on a future purchase. 
  Please let us know if there is anything else we can assist with. 
  Thanks

  Customer response

  04/09/2022

  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 16964069, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. In this email, you will find a copy of the 
  Regards,
  payment I used to send the product back to MusicianFriends

   

  
  C******** * ********
  
  
  
  Enclosed is my documented proof of the payment for ship of the system back to MusicianFriends

   

  C******** ** ********
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I pray that this missive finds you healthy, happy. I am reaching out to you because in December "2021", I sent $318.00 to "Musician's Friend" for a 463 Keyboard, and a PA 130 AC adapter. At the end of January "2022", when I should have been receiving my order in accordance with their policy, I instead received a missive asking for an additional $48.00 in order to fill my order.

  The additional funds were also sent. Then, on February 23,2022, I was sent another letter telling me that they had asked me for additional funds (for a keyboard that they no longer sale). I feel scammed.

  When my family calls, they are told that the MFC order number listed on their letters to me, do not exist. Again, I feel scammed. Please- Please, have these people refund my $366.00. I DO NOT WANT THEIR SERVICES.

  Thank you-Thank you, for your time and assistance in this matter. Be safe out their in these crazy times. And God Bless You!

  

  Business response

  03/25/2022

  Thanks for contacting us and we apologize for the inconvenience this has been.
  
  A refund check was mailed out on 03/23/2022 in reference to order number MFC1******7 being unable to be fulfilled.
  
  If there is anything else we can assist with, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
  
  Thanks

  Customer response

  04/08/2022

  
  Complaint: 16925691
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I sent these people $318.00 in December od 2021. January 2022 they asked for an additional $48.00 to fill the order. In February they admitted that they asked for additional funds for a keyboard that they no longer sell and offered me a less expensive keyboard. I accepted the offer to end this experience / nightmare. I finally received this lesser keyboard and adapter, but after writing 5 missives, I still have not received my $48.00 back. I need my money back, please. These people have not done god business and I feel robbed.

  
  
  Regards,
  
  L******* ****** ** ****
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  

  Business response

  04/13/2022

  Thanks for the response.
  
  A refund check was sent out to you and you should have received it now. If you have not received it, please send an email to [email protected] and we will follow up with our accounting department for a status update on it.
  If you could please verify the return shipping address in this response, we could look into resending it at that time.
  
  If there is anything else we can assist with, please don’t hesitate to ask.
  
  Thank you

  Customer response

  05/16/2022

  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 16925691, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

  Thank you for everything that you all do! Us little guys would not stand a chance without you.

  Musician's Friend did return the remainder of my balance. I'll never ever deal with them again!

  That said, you all are AMAZING!
  
  Regards,
  
  L******* ****** ** ****
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/21/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 01/03/22, at 14:50 I placed an order with Seth Stimson at ###-###-#### for an Apple Creek ACD200K Pro Classic Hourglass Style Dulcimer, order #MFSF*********4. The price was $329.00 and the taxes were $21.00 equaling $349.00. I was given a $50.00 coupon and with $44.64 of purchase points applied, the final cost was $256.35. It takes about $400.00 worth of purchases to accrue $44.64 in points. The phone transaction lasted for 26 minutes and 08 seconds, per my Magic Jack phone call log records. If the $256.35 were paid within 6 months, no interest would be charged. A few days later I found out about a promo that MF was running from 01/02/22 until 02/10/22, that stated on qualifying orders, I would have 12 months to pay for the item with no interest charged. Since I placed my order on 01/03/22, I qualified for the promo. I contacted MF on 01/07/22 and was told I didn't qualified. Not satisfied with their reason for not qualifying, I called MF the next morning and after being bounced around with several "Gear Advisors", of which one told me I had an invalid order#, I ended up with Ben Huffman, ###-###-####, on a company phone line, ###-###-####. I explained why I qualified for the 12 month promo, while Ben and Jason , a supervisor, did their best to convince me otherwise. After a lengthy conversation, 38 minutes and 34 seconds, they finally agreed that I did qualify. But 1st, I had to send back the dulciomer I already had and reorder another one and without using a coupon. I sent it back, Tracking # 1Zy28Y*********753; it arrived on 01/17/22 at10:31 and was signed in by "Sullivan" at the dock. I alerted Ben on 01/18/22 @09:06 that the item was returned. He told me it would take 5-7 days for a refund. I did not hear from MF until 03/12/22, after I contacted Ben. I am still waiting for a credit of $256.35 and my purchase points to be credited back to my account. I hope that this muck will be cleaned up soon as it has taken a toll on my health. Thank You.

  

  Business response

  03/25/2022

  Thanks for contacting us and we apologize for the inconvenience this has been.
  We are showing that the refund was sent back to your synchrony bank card back on 02/26. Its very possible that you may have a pending authorization that it holding up those funds as those can take 90 days to fall off. If you could send us your bank statement, we can look into this further with our accounting team and synchrony to make sure the refund is squared away if you still aren’t seeing it.
  
  In regards to your rewards, on 03/22 we moved these over to available for you and they should be viewable on the website when you log into your account.
  If there is anything else we can do to help, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
  
  Thanks

  Customer response

  03/28/2022

  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 16919252, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Regards,
  
  P*** *******
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This involves orders MFW*********6, MFW*********3 & MFW*********1. Musician's friends offers reward points on purchases 45 days after purchase. These three purchases were made on 1.21.2022. I called musicians friend last week as the points had not became available for use and my husband wanted to use them to purchase a new guitar. The tech advised that they would be available in the next 2-3 business days as there was an error. 2-3 days later 6720 of the points transferred but 12440 still have not. We called back yesterday and was told this was going to now go through an audit. Musician's friend seems to be withholding the points for no valid reason at this point. This has devolved now into a situation where Dravin Sparks emailed us, which we attach. Mr. Sparks was very rude and condescending in his emails. This is beyond inexcusable for a representative of this company to speak to us in this manner. Mr. Sparks indicated the points would be available today, which they are not. I got on an online chat today, and someone named Brexter G disconnected the chat twice, once before I could type my message and a second time during the conversation. I attach a screenshot of the disconnection and a transcript of the conversation. My husband then called customer service only to be told a manager was in a meeting and could not speak. Overall, this is very unacceptable for a business to treat its customers in this fashion. We spent over $2,000 on a guitar and amp with this business to now be insulted. This kind of business practice needs to be eliminated. We were going to order another $800 guitar from this business, but this kind of service is unthinkable. We demand that this situation be righted in excess of the points we are due.

  

  Business response

  03/18/2022

  Kenneth, we are very sorry that you have had this experience. There is a technical issue in the posting of the loyalty points for use, but we can rectify this in other ways. Your order MFW*********3 was already successfully awarded 6720 points ($67.20), so the only technical issue is with the 840 ($8.40) pending points for MFW*********1. We have issued you a credit of $15 in lieu of the delay with the points on MFW*********1. Additionally, we will follow up with the agents you have worked with. Please contact us if there is anything else that we can do. 

  Customer response

  03/18/2022

  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  First, Musician's Friend has not even addressed order MFW*********6 which is for 11600 ($116.00) points.  Next, we contacted Mr. Sparks to advise that we were taking other steps to rectify this issue.  Mr. Sparks continues to email back responses that are insulting, disingenuous, and very unprofessional.  He is now even quoting Ghandi.  THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.  A customer should never have to put up with this.  It is an outrage.  We just checked, and they points have still not been credited.  How long does it take to audit orders with 1-5 items?  We paid and were promised points in 45 days.  We are getting the run around on when the points will be credited and insulted by their employees.  We are at a total loss of words and out of respect for Musician's Friend as a whole. 

  
  Regards,
  
  C******** *********
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  

  Business response

  03/22/2022

  Thanks for the response and we apologize for the inconvenience and frustration this has caused.
  
  We have followed up with the management team and they will be reviewing with the agent shortly. They may reach out to you as well in regards to this behavior.
  In regards to your rewards, we have contacted out rewards team and asked that they manually resolve this issue since we are still experiencing an error with our automated system.
  
  This should be done within 24 hours and you will be able to see your points moved over to available.
  If there is anything else we can assist with, please don’t hesitate to contact us
  
  Thank you

• Initial Complaint

  03/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 3/15/22 I ordered a brand new, factory sealed Vox AC30 2C amplifier. While I was at work, I was sent an email informing me that I was being sent a used floor model amplifier from guitar center, and if that wasn’t ok, I had less than 2 hours to respond. Well, I didn’t see the email until after that. I called and tried to cancel and was told I could not, that I needed to get the amp and then send it back to get a refund. I was offered a 200 discount, even though they were selling an open box model for 800. It arrived on my porch with the box wide open and amp exposed and viewable. When brought in, it was beat up everywhere. I plugged it in and the sound of rattling was present. I was told I need to find my own box and find a way to ship it back to them to get the money back, even though they baited and switched by send a used amp for new price, and didn’t package it even slightly well. It’s complete fraud with the burden of having to ship a 70 pound item that you didn’t buy used. They offered me nothing for this hassle and not even my money back until I spend my free time learning the best way to packaged and ship a 70 pound item; which they didn’t even spend the time to do!

  

  Business response

  03/18/2022

  We are very sorry that you received such a poor condition amplifier and were not initially helped with getting a return done on this. We are seeing that as of 3/17/22, we have already arranged for you to bring the amp to the store so that they can handle the return for you. We have provided your feedback to the shipping store location's management for review. When new equipment is ordered, used equipment may be the only thing available if the customer is willing to accept. The timeframe seems pretty short to accept or deny, which we have noted. If you had been able to let them know you were not wanting to accept a model in poor condition we would have the ability to mark the order to wait for factory inventory to come into stock at the warehouse and ship to you. 

  Customer response

  03/19/2022

  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I am still waiting on my refund and nothing rectified outside of my bringing the amp to a guitar center and being told they will mail it out on Monday and then i get to wait till who knows when to get my money back 
  
  Regards,
  
  J**** *****
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Business response

  03/22/2022

  Thanks for the response.
  We are showing that the amp will be delivered to our warehouse tomorrow. Refunds typically take about 2 to 7 business days after it has been delivered to us due to processing time.
  We will see if we are able to expedite this at all for you.
  
  If there is anything else that we can do for you in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
  Thanks

  Customer response

  03/27/2022

  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I still haven’t received my money. I don’t have the amp or the money I was scammed out of.
  
  Regards,
  
  J**** *****
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Musicians Friend sent me an order with the wrong case, and are withholding the 8% of "Rewards" (which is well over a hundred dollars). I want the right case AND I want my Rewards, or I want my money back! (The photo below shows the ACTUAL case I was supposed to receive). When I called them about it I was only hung up on. Then I looked at the invoice which THEY SENT ME and sure enough somebody switched out the guitar case to the cheap one... I finally got thru to them and they still say it didn't happen. "I'll send you a picture of the invoice you sent me!" "No need to do that, sir." Then they proceed to do NOTHING. After two phone calls trying to get the correct case for my guitar they instead are telling me nothing can be done and have now even placed my rewards points ON HOLD. . . so ANOTHER incentive of negotiating our deal has been renegged upon. I want the case from the invoice, not this cheap Chinese junk, and I want my rewards points! The original case is one the company sells for $499 and the Rewards Points are over $100! I've been had for now than $600!! Until this company makes this right I don't believe I can work with them anymore. Every attempt I've tried to get this right they just simply do not care.

  

  Business response

  03/17/2022

  Thanks for contacting us and we apologize for the inconvenience this has caused. 

  Your guitar shipped manufacturer sealed with the case that Fender has Sku'ed with that guitar, if you could please send us a photo [email protected] or attach a photo here, we will verify with Fender if this is the intended case that comes with this guitar. The image on our website / your invoice is just a stock photo as we do not sell this guitar individually on our site. Therefor a stock photo of a case was used. We do apologize for any confusion there.
  
  In regards to your loyalty reward points. We are not holding these from you. We are currently experiencing a delay in them being moved from Pending, to Available. Our web and IT team are investigating the cause of this and we will have a fix soon. In the meantime, we are having to move these points manually for our customers. Your points have been manually moved over, and you can view them via your account now. 

  If there is anything else that we can assist with, please do not hesitate to give us call. 

  Thank you

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩