Waltons

BrokenSpiral

Just a warning to anyone buying from Waltons Music online.

I ordered a Guitar last Saturday and it was delivered today but to my shock they had delivered a used instrument. The pick guard was scratched, there was adhesive stuck to the top, the strings were very well worn, etc.

When I complained they told me that as they didn't have a new one in stock they shipped me the display model from another store as they "deemed it ok for sale".

It is disgraceful behaviour to to try and pass off an ex-demo model as new and if any of you are ordering anything from them be warned that they is the way they conduct business.

I am getting a refund from Waltons and this may be an isolated incident but the thing that strikes me is that they intentionally tried to pass of a used instrument as new.

I am now ordering from Thomann.de instead as I have used them for several years without incident!

Elysian

BrokenSpiral wrote: »

Just a warning to anyone buying from Waltons Music online.

I ordered a Guitar last Saturday and it was delivered today but to my shock they had delivered a used instrument. The pick guard was scratched, there was adhesive stuck to the top, the strings were very well worn, etc.

When I complained they told me that as they didn't have a new one in stock they shipped me the display model from another store as they "deemed it ok for sale".

It is disgraceful behaviour to to try and pass off an ex-demo model as new and if any of you are ordering anything from them be warned that they is the way they conduct business.

I am getting a refund from Waltons and this may be an isolated incident but the thing that strikes me is that they intentionally tried to pass of a used instrument as new.

I am now ordering from Thomann.de instead as I have used them for several years without incident!

Guitar shops over here are much smaller than the likes of Thomann and Musicstore and don't have warehouses full of gear. Generally if you buy a guitar from Ireland you are buying the one that is out on the floor.

rubadub

Elysian wrote: »

Generally if you buy a guitar from Ireland you are buying the one that is out on the floor.

That's quite strange if its true. From what waltons told him doesn't seem to be the norm.

And if you google it you will see waltons sell ex-demo guitars at a discount, as I would expect

http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=1&hl=en#hl=en&tbo=d&complete=1&sclient=psy-ab&q=ex+demo+site:waltons.ie&oq=ex+demo+site:waltons.ie&gs_l=hp.3...158529.163396.4.163702.14.11.3.0.0.0.183.996.7j4.11.0.les%3Beqn%2Cfixedpos%3Dfalse%2Cboost_normal%3D40%2Cboost_high%3D40%2Ccconf%3D1-2%2Cmin_length%3D2%2Crate_low%3D0-035%2Crate_high%3D0-035%2Csecond_pass%3Dfalse%2Cignore_bad_origquery%3Dtrue%2Conetoken%3Dfalse..0.0...1c.1.NkGdjyTI_6U&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=b18ba831c37da6a8&bpcl=39468505&biw=1540&bih=843

Sounds like the old supermarket delivery trick, where they send bashed or nearly out of date stock if you order online, in the hope you will not go to the hassle of returning it, knowing fine well you would not have accepted it in store. If trying this on they could have at least rang/emailed to inform it is not new.

Elysian

rubadub wrote: »

And if you google it you will see waltons sell ex-demo guitars at a discount, as I would expect

If you look at the first link in Google they define ex-demo guitars as:

repaired or refurbished customer returns, end of line and ex display stock that may have damaged

Walk into any guitar shop in Ireland to buy a guitar and you'll be buying the one that's hanging up on the wall (bar a few exception like boxed beginners packs). There just isn't a big enough market over here for a shop to order in ten Les Pauls in each available color, throw 9 of each in a warehouse and put one out on the shelf to be sold later at a discount.

emeldc

Elysian wrote: »

Guitar shops over here are much smaller than the likes of Thomann and Musicstore and don't have warehouses full of gear. Generally if you buy a guitar from Ireland you are buying the one that is out on the floor.

I've bought several new guitars over the years. I find one I like, order it and it arrives in the shop a few days later, in a box. If you accept the 'newsed' one on the floor for the same price, then more the fool you.

Elysian

emeldc wrote: »

If you accept the 'newsed' one on the floor for the same price, then more the fool you.

Not really. No two guitars are the same so I do like the ability to play the exact guitar I want to buy prior to buying it. Too many guitars I've played have dead spots, badly crowned frets, wolfe-tones, poorly bookmatched tops etc so I like the piece of mind of being able to go into a shop, sitting down with a guitar for a while and walking out the door with it if I'm happy.

If the guitar looks like it has been in any way abused on the shop floor though I would expect a discount.

emeldc

Elysian wrote: »

Not really. No two guitars are the same so I do like the ability to play the exact guitar I want to buy prior to buying it. Too many guitars I've played have dead spots, badly crowned frets, wolfe-tones, poorly bookmatched tops etc so I like the piece of mind of being able to go into a shop, sitting down with a guitar for a while and walking out the door with it if I'm happy.

If the guitar looks like it has been in any way abused on the shop floor though I would expect a discount.

Correct, no two guitars are the same but how do you know the one in the box isn't better than the one in the shop when you don't get the chance to try it. For me, if I'm paying full price, I'll take my chances with the one in the box and not the one thats been strummed to death by a couple of hundred other wannabees. But that's just my preference.
In any case the OP is getting a refund which is only right. He paid for a new guitar and he should get one.