My name is Keith...and after many years playing mostly acoustic, I felt the need to get back into playing plugged in! I bought a USA Fallout model in Spanish Copper with tortoise guard. I am very happy with this guitar, but my experience with the PREMIERE G&L dealer Music Store Live, an online retailer, was a bit off putting to be honest.
> I ordered the Fallout online without really talking to anyone there about it...I originally ordered a USA Fallout in the light blue finish. I was really happy to get a good deal, and was looking forward to the UPS or FedEx man dropping her off at my place.
My first contact from MSL was not a call or thanks for giving us over a grand (already posted as debited from account)...NO, I received an e-mail to tell me that the guitar I already paid for...was unavailable. Of course I was welcomed to select another. NO CALL! Really?
So I called. How do I know what guitars are available I asked...as the one I had paid for was still showing available on their website!!!
I did end up with a great guitar...but the experience was a full on customer service debacle.
I should cut ties at this time.
Fast forward a month, and I was ready to get a T style guitar. This time I did indeed speak with a few of the guys there, and was given some very good information and advice about the ASAT's. Sweet! I ended up buying a Tribute ASAT Special. Here is where things go south quickly. The guitar arrived, and was not acceptable. Set-up was off and I noticed bridge pickup poles were way off position, not under the strings. I called and e-mailed to get this right...first I was actually told that it would not matter.
oh dearAt this point, I was told that G&L was contacted, and had been forwarded the pictures I sent showing the issue. I called back to follow up to see what is the status and was told 1. G&L doesn't respond quickly, and 2. the guy I had been dealing with has left for the day.
I insisted on speaking with management, and I made all of my e-mail correspondence on the "main" business e-mail address so everyone could see just how this drama was unfolding. I ALSO e-mail G&L sales directly at that time...I was ready to escalate.
I NEVER received a reply for G&L sales to this email! I also was not contacted by Music Store Live management.
I did finally get lucky and good guy named Max did indeed get a better ASAT Special to me...even the return and shipping of the replacement guitar was poorly handled. I waited 2 days for an email with the return authorization.
I wrote a final e-mail to the company explaining just how poorly I thought they had handled everything, this e-mail went to their main email address (everyone should see this I thought.) There was not a reply. And I never heard from management. Or G&L sales!
Fast forward a few weeks...and oh dear! Flame top Tribute Legacy at GC for $299.00 woot! I took home the 2 they had left. So, if you are keeping track I bought 2 guitars from these guys in about 4 weeks time...add the 2 from the GC sale...I now own 4 G&Ls.
I was going to try to move on...but it continued to trouble me that I had given my cash to those who seemed to not care if I was pleased or not...and in my opinion, didn't handle the situation well at all. I start seeing all of the sweet guitars on FB heading for Music Store Live...so I decicded that I did indeed need to speak about this to G&L sales...or just someone there that cared. I tried the e-mail again, no reply. So I messaged on Facebook and got a very poorly thought out response:
Hi, please send this correspondence to sales@glguitars.com. The sales department manages relationships with dealers, monitors their performance and resolves unusual circumstances. Thank you.
Really! Send another email that will not be answered. I kept after them until I did finally hear from the Sales Manager. I still (obviously) have a bad taste in my mouth about all of this. In this day and age, things happen at the speed of a Facebook post...I imagine this is why the FB page of G&L is not setup to allow posting or reviews. I hope they get it together...because if they are going to try and compete in this market, they need to turn their game up!
Thanks for all of the good info and communications on the forum. Should this post be disallowed, it will only make things worse.
Music Store Live dropped the ball so many times! I finally heard from the owner, only after he was instructed to call me by the Sales Manager at G&L.
Thanks & Peace
Keith L. Judson
