July 1st 05, 06:08 AM
I recently had a very bad experience with the Guitar Center store in
Carle Place,NY. After reading many good reviews about the Audio
Technica M2X series headphones, I'd figure these 'phones would be one
of the best options for my portable use. I bought an Audio Technica
ATH-M2X (over the ear) headset there this past Tuesday. The salesperson
said there was a 30 day "performance" guarantee, that if the headphones
were not functioning properly or to my liking, they'd let me return
them for another pair or give me a refund. According to them, they
claimed "they weren't happy unless I was". Well when I first got the
headphones I tried them with my walkman. It seemed something was wrong
as there was very little treble or high frequencies and the sound was
very muddy, the highs weren't crisp at all, even after cranking the
treble up. So 2 days later I return to the store with the headphones
back in their original box and my recipt. The salesperson who helped me
tested them out and gave them a listen, he
agreed, they sounded terrible. He suggested some other headsets I could
exchange them for instead. In the middle of our conversation, the store
manager came in and rudely interrupted us. He said they cannot take any
headphones back because of a new health law, which states selling any
headphones that were used is a biohazard, and more or less told me to
"get lost" and shop at Sam Ash instead. Mind you I put them on only
ONCE. Apparently a new law was enacted that forbids the resale of
headphones, microphones, and other various personal audio equipment
because of threat of germs or lice! It was so ridiculous I didn't even
believe him
at first. He showed me the recipt which does state a law in the back,
but that applied to INTERNAL headphones, so I thought, the kind that
would go in your ear. On the back of the recipt it says this:
"due to certain health and legal restrictions, computer
software(copyright legislation mandates no returns on opened
software),books,videos,CD's, harmonicas,INTERNAL earphones, earplugs,
and microphones cannot be returned"
Nowhere does it say anything about headphones, but they've stretched
the meaning INTERNAL earphones to headphones. I've returned headphones
before to other stores in the past and they've always taken them back
for exchange. I was so angry I called the police, I wanted to file this
dispute on record. The police arrive and talk to the manager for
awhile, meanwhile I'm talking to another salesguy. This salesguy thinks
we can exchange the pair for another of the same model by claiming the
ones I'm returning are defective. Meanwhile the P.O. talks to me and
pretty much explains that there is a law that bars them from selling
returned headphones, and didn't agree with me that the wording on the
recepit was tricky. I wasn't gonna argue with the officer, instead I
had no choice but to settle for another of the same model or walk out
of there with the defective headset. The good news is this model does
sound somewhat better, but not to my LIKING. But I still feel I was
treated VERY unfairly at
Guitar Center in Carle Place and would urge anyone here not to give
them your business.
I am not pleased that they can get away with continuing to mislead
customers about their return policy. Also I am not pleased about their
attitude. But this is not over yet. I may sue them if I have
legal ground over this. I deserve my money back just for BEING LIED TO
and the agrivation it caused me. They're still lying to people about
this.
Even one salesman told me I was making a big deal out of
nothing. EASY FOR HIM TO SAY! I will never shop at Guitar Center again.
They claim $20 isn't alot of money to them, so
they should have just taken the headphones back without a problem then.
It seems returns in stores are getting more and more difficult. I never
remember getting into such arguments years ago. But next time you go
out and guy a set of headphones, make sure you speak with a manager to
make sure you can bring them back.
As for Guitar Center, I told them they lost a customer and will never
shop in their store again. They have very misleading return policies
and rude, unfriendly staff. A good store will try to keep customers, by
sometimes taking a small loss (a refund to me)to keep that customer
coming back. I wasn't going into that store today with getting a refund
in mind, I wanted to get another pair of headphones. I was thinking of
the Sennhesier 202's. And I was thinking of getting some of my next
pro-audio purchases there as they have a pretty good selection of
mixers and DJ stuff. Now forget it!
Carle Place,NY. After reading many good reviews about the Audio
Technica M2X series headphones, I'd figure these 'phones would be one
of the best options for my portable use. I bought an Audio Technica
ATH-M2X (over the ear) headset there this past Tuesday. The salesperson
said there was a 30 day "performance" guarantee, that if the headphones
were not functioning properly or to my liking, they'd let me return
them for another pair or give me a refund. According to them, they
claimed "they weren't happy unless I was". Well when I first got the
headphones I tried them with my walkman. It seemed something was wrong
as there was very little treble or high frequencies and the sound was
very muddy, the highs weren't crisp at all, even after cranking the
treble up. So 2 days later I return to the store with the headphones
back in their original box and my recipt. The salesperson who helped me
tested them out and gave them a listen, he
agreed, they sounded terrible. He suggested some other headsets I could
exchange them for instead. In the middle of our conversation, the store
manager came in and rudely interrupted us. He said they cannot take any
headphones back because of a new health law, which states selling any
headphones that were used is a biohazard, and more or less told me to
"get lost" and shop at Sam Ash instead. Mind you I put them on only
ONCE. Apparently a new law was enacted that forbids the resale of
headphones, microphones, and other various personal audio equipment
because of threat of germs or lice! It was so ridiculous I didn't even
believe him
at first. He showed me the recipt which does state a law in the back,
but that applied to INTERNAL headphones, so I thought, the kind that
would go in your ear. On the back of the recipt it says this:
"due to certain health and legal restrictions, computer
software(copyright legislation mandates no returns on opened
software),books,videos,CD's, harmonicas,INTERNAL earphones, earplugs,
and microphones cannot be returned"
Nowhere does it say anything about headphones, but they've stretched
the meaning INTERNAL earphones to headphones. I've returned headphones
before to other stores in the past and they've always taken them back
for exchange. I was so angry I called the police, I wanted to file this
dispute on record. The police arrive and talk to the manager for
awhile, meanwhile I'm talking to another salesguy. This salesguy thinks
we can exchange the pair for another of the same model by claiming the
ones I'm returning are defective. Meanwhile the P.O. talks to me and
pretty much explains that there is a law that bars them from selling
returned headphones, and didn't agree with me that the wording on the
recepit was tricky. I wasn't gonna argue with the officer, instead I
had no choice but to settle for another of the same model or walk out
of there with the defective headset. The good news is this model does
sound somewhat better, but not to my LIKING. But I still feel I was
treated VERY unfairly at
Guitar Center in Carle Place and would urge anyone here not to give
them your business.
I am not pleased that they can get away with continuing to mislead
customers about their return policy. Also I am not pleased about their
attitude. But this is not over yet. I may sue them if I have
legal ground over this. I deserve my money back just for BEING LIED TO
and the agrivation it caused me. They're still lying to people about
this.
Even one salesman told me I was making a big deal out of
nothing. EASY FOR HIM TO SAY! I will never shop at Guitar Center again.
They claim $20 isn't alot of money to them, so
they should have just taken the headphones back without a problem then.
It seems returns in stores are getting more and more difficult. I never
remember getting into such arguments years ago. But next time you go
out and guy a set of headphones, make sure you speak with a manager to
make sure you can bring them back.
As for Guitar Center, I told them they lost a customer and will never
shop in their store again. They have very misleading return policies
and rude, unfriendly staff. A good store will try to keep customers, by
sometimes taking a small loss (a refund to me)to keep that customer
coming back. I wasn't going into that store today with getting a refund
in mind, I wanted to get another pair of headphones. I was thinking of
the Sennhesier 202's. And I was thinking of getting some of my next
pro-audio purchases there as they have a pretty good selection of
mixers and DJ stuff. Now forget it!