ComplaintsforMusician's Friend, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  02/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  11 /26/21 I ordered a pre 2408 guitar I then called musicians friend on the 31st and told do not ship I will not be there to receive package I could not stop delivery so musicians friend said they would stop delivery.I was told my michealburks that none to worry they stopped the delivery and it would held at ups in potsdam NY I was fine with that .they delivered it anyway sat on my steps in 20 below weather for at least days before I got email it was delivered I got stolen off my steps and they won't refund me musiciansfreind told me it would safe at ups so I rushed home to find out it was stolen due to there bad handling and want me to eat the charge of 1003.00

  

  Business response

  02/21/2022

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

  Unfortunately UPS was unable to intercept your package before their driver delivered the package. All UPS reroutes or in transit changes are not guaranteed. 

  Since you are stating that this was stolen, you will need to contact the police to file a theft report. Once you have this filed, you can contact your home owners insurance for reimbursement. UPS will not open a loss investigation on this package as this was delivered as addressed. 

  We do apologize for the inconvenience this has been. 

  Please let us know if there is anything else we can assist with. 

  Thanks

• Initial Complaint

  02/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I was provided a eGift Certificate as a gift in December of 2020 good for 500.00 USD to use on the website musiciansfriend.com. When I went to redeem this gift certificate earlier this week, the certificate could not be redeemed. When I contacted support, they claimed that the certificate had expired. However, it states clearly on their website that their certificates never expire. After being put on hold for quite some time, the agent corrected themselves and stated that their certificates don't expire, so they were unsure why it wasn't working. I asked to be escalated to a supervisor multiple times but was refused. When they finally agreed, they said that I would be given a call back within 1-2 hours. However, I waited 24 hours and never received a callback. When I followed up with them the next day, I was given the same run-around and told again to contact a third party who could assist with gift certificate issues, but after contacting the third party multiple times, multiple agents were able to confirm that they don't handle gift certificates from musician's friend so the gift certificate was not issued by them.

  

  Business response

  02/11/2022

  Thanks for contacting us and we apologize for the inconvenience this has been.
  We will follow up with the management teams over the agents you worked with to ensure for a better customer experience here on out. 
  Our Ecert never expire, however, its possible that the certificate needs to be activated or re-activated since it went so long without activity. If you could please respond here, or email us at [email protected] with your certificate number, we will forward this off to our accounting team to investigate further for you. 
  If there is anything else we can assist with, please don't hesitate to ask. 
  Thanks

  Customer response

  02/16/2022

  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 16752908, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Regards,
  
  P*** ******
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  02/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 01/23/2022 I placed an order for a used item (order# MFW*********3, item#L7*********1000). The item arrived to me on 01/26/2022. On 02/07/2022 I submitted a request on the merchant's website to return the item. The following page on the website said that someone should contact me within 24 hours. I never received a response. On 02/09/2022 I initiated an online chat with customer support to check on the refund. I was unsuccessful on the first attempt because the customer support representative just stopped responding after saying "Thank you, Give me a second". I initiated another chat request and was told that the item is beyond the return period and is no longer eligible for return.

  

  Business response

  02/10/2022

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

  We will make sure to follow up with the management team over the agents you worked with as the information they provided you was not correct. We offer a 45 day return policy on Used Guitar Amps. Perhaps there was confusion on what the item was as we do have a 14 day return policy, and a 3 day return policy on limited gear. 

  Regardless, we have created a return for you on this item. If you could clarify the return reason, we would appreciate it. Either way, please take this to your preferred shipper and use the return address / label that was included on the packing slip in the package that you received. Please return the item in the same condition that it was received as to avoid return processing fees. 

  If there is anything else that we can do, or if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us. 

  Thanks

• Initial Complaint

  02/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have ordered three guitars from musicians friend. Each time I paid extra for next day service and each time the guitars shipped late I was promised several times that the guitar I ordered today would ship today and I would receive it tomorrow. The guitar will not ship today. The last guitar I ordered with next day service took ten days to be delivered. I called and chatted with sales team menbers several times today and each time I was assured that the guitar would ship as promised. As far as I am concerned next day shiping by Musicians Friend is fraudulent.

  

  Business response

  02/07/2022

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

  Anytime that Next Day Air does not meet the guarantee, we can refund the charge for you due to the inconvenience.

  We are showing that on your recent order for the Fender American Ultra Luxe Telecaster Maple Fingerboard Electric Guitar, the Next Day Air was on us. 

  If you have any previous orders that did not meet this guarantee, please let us know and we will see that the charges are refunded. 

  If there is anything else we can do to make this right, please don't hesitate to ask. 

  Thank you

• Initial Complaint

  01/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a Marshall DSL 40 amplifier online. The online site said that they had a brand new amplifier in stock. I selected to get overnight shipping as well. The total cost was $1074.03. The next day when looking to get the tracking information I was given a statement that they did not have a brand new one in stock but they had one at their guitar center store in Cherry Hill New Jersey that was a floor model that had numerous dents and dings and abrasions and it would not be shipped and it’s original box but they will send me that one instead. They took the money out of my account and are refusing to immediately refund my money. This is a bait and switch operation that I caught them on. Never did they ask for me to approve a beat up floor model nor did they ever even give an option for spending less money on a used piece of equipment. This is called an unfair and deceptive trade practice and they are refusing to make an immediate refund of my money. They kept telling me that the money is in my account which I prove to them that it was not in my account. I’ve got them in lie after lie and I will be sending this to court if they do not make immediate restitution to my bank account. I gave them to the close of business today, Friday, January 21, 2022 to make restitution. They have managed to keep me on hold for one hour and 38 minutes as of the time that I am writing this complaint. They telling me that I will have to wait 5 to 7 business days to get my money back when their original story was that they never took it out to begin with. They are purposely holding the money for some unknown reason and even after talking with my bank branch manager it was clear that Musicians Friend is a fraud. I was told by call center that their verification department was calling my bank, after I gave them the phone, fax, and email to release the release the money. 

  

  Business response

  01/27/2022

  Hello, 

  I'm sorry for the frustrating experience with your recent order. We do not collect on Authorizations made until the item ships, however, authorization holds can typically take 3 to 5 business days to fall off, however, the time frame can be different depending on your banks policy. Our accounting team can call and see if it's within your banks policy to allow us to remove the authorizations with proof of cancellation, however, this typically never goes in our favor. 

  We were unable to find your order information with the email and phone number attached to this complaint, but If you could please respond to us with your order information, we can look into this further with you and see what can be done to make this right by you. 

  If there is anything else that we can do, or if you have any other concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. 

  Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. Again, I'm sorry for the frustration you've experienced.
  

• Initial Complaint

  01/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Had bought a drum amp online and website said it would ship if bought In next 2 hours. I promptly bought the item and the item sat in their warehouse for 3 days without being picked up. I had to call and let them know it wasn't picked up. Subsequently I had to rent an amp for a performance that weekend due to their negligent shipping practices. It cost me $60.00 for the rental and they only offered a 15% discount on the item thus still costing me a $26 dollar difference. Apparently 15% is the max their computer and managers allow. Even worse is the fact that they ship with fedex whom has the worst ontime delivery rate. It has been over 10 days and my package still has not arrived. They still offer no recourse.

  

  Business response

  01/25/2022

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

  Looking over your order, we are showing that a UPS investigation was started, and a replacement order was sent out to you on Second Day Air and has been delivered on tracking number 1Z4908WF*********5. 

  If there is anything else that we can do to make this right, or if you have any other concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us. 

  Thanks

• Initial Complaint

  01/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  R****** ******* 3* ****** ***** Goldens Bridge, NY 10526 ###-###-#### Order #MF****1580 I purchased order #MF****1580 on 1/14/2022 as new with a discount (chatted with a musicians friend rep asking if there were any discounts available on this particular item). I received the item on 1/18/2022, and it was anything but new. Did not even come from the Musicians Friend warehouse. It appears to be a used display model from a local Guitar Center. It was wrapped in bubble wrap in a beat up box. No original manufacturers box, no manual, and no power cord. I made 3 attempts to chat with a rep to try and get this resolved, but all three chats were “disconnected” for some reason. The farthest I got was a rep who suggested I call the Guitar Center store manager where this shipped from, and see what they can do for me. Why should I have haggle with a local GC manager on a used amplifier when I ordered it new from MF? I refused, and the rep came back and said the best they can do is about a 5% discount. (I would love to have more detailed numbers from all of these chats, but they all “disconnected” - mind you I work from home almost 10 hours a day, and have zero internet issues with anything else.) If I wanted to purchase a used amplifier, I would have done so from Guitar Centers used site for hundreds less than I payed for this supposedly new amplifier. I’ve been a MF and GC customer for over 20 years, and am in disbelief over this order.

  

  Business response

  01/21/2022

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

  We will make sure to follow up with the management team over the agents that you worked with to ensure for a better customer experience here on out. 

  We have refunded an additional $55.27 (on top of the $46.60 refunded previously) back to your original payment method. 

  If there is anything else we can do to make this right, please don't hesitate to contact us. 

  Thank you

  Customer response

  01/24/2022

  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 16482062, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Regards,
  
  R****** *******
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  01/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I placed an order (MFW*********3) for a Squier Bullet Telecaster Limited Edition Electric Guitar Surf Green (SKU #L2*********1000) on January 1, 2022. The item was listed as IN STOCK and I was given a shipping time of 5-8 days. I later received a notice that the item was actually not in stock, and was backordered. But when I checked a few days later (January 4), their website STILL listed the item as in stock, but at a higher price ($189.99)... I chatted with a customer representative on their site, who said that "our website is not that updated" but assured me it would be available on 1/13/2022. That was two days ago, and I have still received no notification of shipment. Meanwhile, the product is STILL listed as "in stock and ready to ship" (and has been listed as such this entire time), but now with an even higher pricetag of $219.99 I would like the product shipped to me immediately, at the advertised price that I already paid. ($149.99)... it seems they didn't like that they had listed it at that price or something, and so simply refused to send it even though they DID have it in stock.

  

  Business response

  01/21/2022

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

  Looking at your order, we just received a shipment from the manufacturer which is why your order had to process a bit longer then normal and why it was showing in stock. 

  This has since shipped, under UPS tracking number 1ZA2552X*********8 

  If there is anything else we can do or if you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to contact us. 

  Thank you

• Initial Complaint

  01/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I chatted with a rep about a discount for purchasing a set of studio monitors (each is purchased individually). Musicians Friend will always give 15% off the price by calling or chatting with them. They agreed to 15% off the order, but told me they couldn't complete the purchase unless we spoke on the phone. The rep called me and gave a price for one monitor, not the two I requested. Each monitor price is $269.99 minus 15% = $229.49 + tax @6.5% = $244.41. The rep said the price was $244.41, which was the price for only one. I told her I wanted 2 monitors. She recalculated and quoted a price of $517.57 for 2. I told her that wasn't correct and she acted like she didn't understand what I was saying. At this point, I had been chatting and talking on the phone for approximately 45 minutes and did not have time to sort out the mess. I told her to hold off on the order and I would call back later to sort things out, if I decided to to ahead with the purchase. A few days go by and they ship the order without my permission, for $517.57. I called and spoke with another rep explaining the problem. He said this would take a while to sort out and was going to put me on hold. I asked if he could just call back when he had it sorted out and he said yes, no problem.

  

  Business response

  01/19/2022

  Thanks for contacting us and we apologize for the inconvenience of this. 

  We have gone ahead and refunded $28.76 ($30.63 with tax) to bring the total to 15% off for both items. You can expect this refund in 24 to 72 hours. 

  We will also make sure to follow up with the management team over the agent you worked with to ensure for a better customer experience here on out. 

  If there is anything else we can do to make this right, please don't hesitate to contact us. 

  Thanks

  Customer response

  01/19/2022

  
  
  Thank you for looking into this and correcting it.  I appreciate your time and quick response.
  
  Regards,
  
  M****** ****
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  01/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  11/18/2021 1600 This dispute is over a processing fee and making causing my credit utilization to be high for to long ,delay of services . I had to purchase the same item twice , i asked i it was okay to have tape on the box and that i didn't return anything before , i returned it cause they messed up the processing. I was told the tape was fine ,also told them the screen was scratched when i got it ,was goibg to be fine with it but i had to return it cause they messed up the processing ... they still charged me over 200$ made me wait several weeks having 1600 on my bill ,i had to email them again for it to be done. I want the over 200$ in processing fee that they are responsible for . This had been very stressful.i have never filed a compliant before . I think that really had gone to far & i want my money.

  

  Business response

  01/12/2022

  Thank you for contacting us and we apologize for the inconvenience of this. 

  A $200.00 restocking fee was applied to your refund due to the condition the item was received back to us. We have a 45 day return policy, but all returns are subject to restocking fee's as we inspect all items that are returned to us. You can view a more detailed read on our policy here: https://www.musiciansfriend.com/pages/45-day-returns

  This restocking fee is unable to be refunded. 

  If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at ###-###-####

  Thank you

  Customer response

  01/14/2022

  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: you fucking fucked with me, or however to politely put that...
  
  Regards,
  
  J**** ********
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Business response

  01/14/2022

  Thanks for your reply, 

  We are sorry to hear you feel that way. If there is anything else we can assist with, please don't hesitate to contact us at ###-###-####. 

  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. ↩