philw Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 So, I popped into GAK in Brighton to beg for a cardboard box to ship an eBay sale bass in. It's something I've done before and they've always been happy to help. They were happy to help yesterday too, but they now have a policy of selling boxes for a fiver. Apparently they get paid to re-cycle the boxes (I wonder if Fender UK gives them a discount on new stock if they return boxes?) so can't give them away any more. It was cash only for the box though so clearly it's not business that goes through the books. I guess I shouldn't be surprised about anything these days, but my eyebrows did twitch in an upward direction. That is all.... P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 check out the back of the store by the bins. Bet you'll find something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkfinger Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Yep, giggear are the same. Said 'no thanks'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Go to your local bicycle shop and get one of the boxes that a full sized bike comes in. Made of considerably stronger cardboard than any bass or guitar shipping box I've ever seen and the shop staff are only too happy to get rid of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo2 Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 I'm pretty sure a shop cannot, legally, take cash in hand without a receipt - just sayin' ... If it does not go through the books then it is not part of the business, it is guys at the shop making additional income from selling what normally ends up as rubbish. Happy to be corrected on this though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 If you were a seller of instruments would you want to support a market in second-hand instruments? Isn't it possible for them to see every used bass you sell a a lost sale for them? I doubt they get paid for cardboard boxes. It's more likely that they pay to have it taken away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lw. Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Cheeky gets. Next time you're in London head down to Denmark street - it's littered with bass & guitar boxes every day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzaboy Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 I don`t think they would get a fiver from the recycle company. Most companies are happy enough to get it uplifted for free, saves them having to pay to get it taken away. Rip off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 I used to give them away when i worked in a guitar shop and we used to pay to have cardboard collected. I call bullshit profiteering. £1 to charity for every box. That would make me like them. Now I think they're dicks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Another vote for visiting Halfords or the like; boxes are solid and free! Pretty sure that businesses 'pay' to have cardboard/rubbish taken away (Halfords inc'), so this new policy sounds like fleecing to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skej21 Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 (edited) In the guitar shop I worked in we HAD to throw the boxes away. We couldn't store them as it was a fire hazard and would've caused insurance issues in the event of a fire. Sounds like these guys were either trying to put people off asking it or after making a quick few quid on the side. Edited October 13, 2016 by skej21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Good luck to them! Absolutely nothing wrong with charging - they're a shop, that's what they are there for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1476394067' post='3154019'] Good luck to them! Absolutely nothing wrong with charging - they're a shop, that's what they are there for [/quote] Out of interest, why do you feel there is absolutely nothing wrong with charging? The box technically belongs to the person who purchased the item it came in. Why should a shop be allowed to sell a product twice? To me, that is absolutely wrong, no nothing about it. You really can't get anything for free these days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skej21 Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 (edited) [quote name='Kev' timestamp='1476394650' post='3154024'] Out of interest, why do you feel there is absolutely nothing wrong with charging? The box technically belongs to the person who purchased the item it came in. Why should a shop be allowed to sell a product twice? To me, that is absolutely wrong, no nothing about it. You really can't get anything for free these days [/quote] I disagree. Technically the instrument is purchased by the shop, who can do what they want with it and then sell it on. If they decide to sell the instrument with a case, a box, or the set of picks in the box (or even give it a free set up to get it playing right before putting it on display) that's up to them, not the eventual owner. Although its obvious that because they are a store, they would accommodate a customer if they asked for the box. However, a chancer walking in from the street wanting to have a box to sell/ship a second hand instrument is essentially taking the box away from one of their customers (a potential deal clincher when closing a sale), so i could see why they would say 'no'... charging is just shady though IMO. Edited October 13, 2016 by skej21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom1946 Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 When I had my shop I was glad if anyone came and asked for a box, we had to pay to tip them, GAK are making pocket money imo for the staff do. Maybe they give it to charity? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw Posted October 14, 2016 Author Share Posted October 14, 2016 I didn't actually really have a problem with paying for a box, and actually, I wasn't surprised that GAK had finally got wise to "chancers" (first time anybody's called me that, not sure if I should be pleased of offended) wanting boxes for shipping eBay sales. And in the context of selling a bass on eBay (£200 inc shipping), a fiver was fine as far as I was concerned. Yes, a bike box might have been available for free, but the time I would then have to spend faffing and cutting would also have "cost". Now, the fiver may well have gone straight in the pocket of the shop floor guy who sold me the box, but he did the deal in front of at least two colleagues so they would have seen what was going on. But, margins on Squire product are very tight for both GAK and Fender, and its possible that part of GAK's purchasing deal with Fender includes a discount on returned boxes - this could explain why the fiver couldn't go through the books (although I seem to remember it did go through the till, 'cause I proffered a tenner and got a fiver changel). Of course what subsequently happened to the fiver is a mystery. P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skej21 Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 [quote name='philw' timestamp='1476427413' post='3154118'] I didn't actually really have a problem with paying for a box, and actually, I wasn't surprised that GAK had finally got wise to "chancers" (first time anybody's called me that, not sure if I should be pleased of offended) wanting boxes for shipping eBay sales. And in the context of selling a bass on eBay (£200 inc shipping), a fiver was fine as far as I was concerned. Yes, a bike box might have been available for free, but the time I would then have to spend faffing and cutting would also have "cost". Now, the fiver may well have gone straight in the pocket of the shop floor guy who sold me the box, but he did the deal in front of at least two colleagues so they would have seen what was going on. But, margins on Squire product are very tight for both GAK and Fender, and its possible that part of GAK's purchasing deal with Fender includes a discount on returned boxes - this could explain why the fiver couldn't go through the books (although I seem to remember it did go through the till, 'cause I proffered a tenner and got a fiver changel). Of course what subsequently happened to the fiver is a mystery. P [/quote] No offence meant by 'chancer'... I simply mean that if you walk in with no expectation of getting one and take a chance by asking :-) as opposed to the people who would come in, having already arranged to ship the instrument they had sold that day and then getting quite irate when we couldn't provide what they needed there and then for free. We have a saying 'round my way which is 'shy bairns get nowt' so I'm happy with the idea of 'you don't get if you don't ask!' and would always help when possible - In fact I gave a fair few boxes to Basschatters! If someone came early enough in the day and we hadn't binned them, we'd always give them away if we could but in this day and age, sometimes 'come back tomorrow and we can help' just isn't an immediate enough solution for some people! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 [quote name='Kev' timestamp='1476394650' post='3154024'] Out of interest, why do you feel there is absolutely nothing wrong with charging? The box technically belongs to the person who purchased the item it came in. Why should a shop be allowed to sell a product twice? To me, that is absolutely wrong, no nothing about it. You really can't get anything for free these days [/quote] I don't agree with the argument that the box belongs to the person that buys the item. Does that mean we all own a share of the cartons that strings, cables etc. Are delivered in? Music retail is a very low margin business even for the likes of GAK, and one area of business that has been absolutely decimated for them is the secondhand market, due mainly to eBay, so there is little wonder they want some sort of return from their boxes. Slight caveat, I have no idea if the OP is a regular, known customer. If he is then I would have thought the shop would be more accommodating thinking a bass sold on eBay may lead to another sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw Posted October 14, 2016 Author Share Posted October 14, 2016 [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1476428864' post='3154131'] Slight caveat, I have no idea if the OP is a regular, known customer. If he is then I would have thought the shop would be more accommodating thinking a bass sold on eBay may lead to another sale. [/quote] Well I've bought a couple of basses (cheap ones) and a few cables/strings from GAK in the last five years or so but I'm not a particularly regular customer. But, even if I was, the staff turnover in GAK is I suspect so fast (this is Brighton after all) that the idea of establishing any kind of long term personal relationship with the shop is unlikely (sits back and waits for somebody to say they have just that). It's GAK, it's not your friendly local independent music shop. P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 [quote name='philw' timestamp='1476429989' post='3154143'] Well I've bought a couple of basses (cheap ones) and a few cables/strings from GAK in the last five years or so but I'm not a particularly regular customer. But, even if I was, the staff turnover in GAK is I suspect so fast (this is Brighton after all) that the idea of establishing any kind of long term personal relationship with the shop is unlikely (sits back and waits for somebody to say they have just that). It's GAK, it's not your friendly local independent music shop. P [/quote] Fair point Phil, although I am that man who did have a personal relationship - had a mate working in the store for a few years!! But yes, a lot of the staff do seem quite transient, and I would be a stranger in there now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw Posted October 14, 2016 Author Share Posted October 14, 2016 [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1476430263' post='3154144'] Fair point Phil, although I am that man who did have a personal relationship - had a mate working in the store for a few years!! But yes, a lot of the staff do seem quite transient, and I would be a stranger in there now. [/quote] See, I knew there'd be one! Really like your Modlock blog by the way - about time you wrote a new post though (although I'm a fine one to talk on that score). Better to do some proper work now (well, after some breakfast and a coffee) rather than post nonsense on basschat :-) P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 (edited) I'm happy to faff about cutting cardboard to pack a bass. It's not hard. The last cardboard I got, I lifted out of a skip at the back of Mothercare. I didn't ask, but I'd be amazed if they got upset. IMHO the more prized contribution to packing a bass is the bubble-wrap. I get loads with the stuff my company ships out to me, but where do others get it from? Or do you always sell a bass with a case? Otherwise, what-else do you do to protect the bass inside the cardboard? (I too should get some work done too now ) Edited October 14, 2016 by Grangur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 (edited) [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1476428864' post='3154131'] I don't agree with the argument that the box belongs to the person that buys the item. Does that mean we all own a share of the cartons that strings, cables etc. are delivered in? [/quote] I think it's a different matter if you ordered the bass through them as I have before now. They would normally ship the instrument in the shipping box to you - but if you collect from the shop you should have the shipping box offered because it is technically yours. In the same way if you bought an effect from stock you'd expect to be given the effect box. So there's the answer - order a new bass from them 😏 And get your shipping boxes like that! Edited October 14, 2016 by drTStingray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 The other side to this, I guess, is if you go into Gak and buy a bass. They offer you the box and you, as you're buying a gig-bag too perhaps, say, "No thanks". Do they then charge a fee for box disposal? After all, it will cost them to have Clearway come and take their cardboard from round the back. I can't imagine that happening. So, now't wrong with recouping some dosh from those that want them if you ask me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 [quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1476435172' post='3154202'] The other side to this, I guess, is if you go into Gak and buy a bass. They offer you the box and you, as you're buying a gig-bag too perhaps, say, "No thanks". Do they then charge a fee for box disposal? After all, it will cost them to have Clearway come and take their cardboard from round the back. I can't imagine that happening. So, now't wrong with recouping some dosh from those that want them if you ask me. [/quote] They should be building any overhead costs into their pricing already. I suspect this is simply extra bunce for them - if you get the original shipping box for your bass, certainly with Musicman, it has the data panel with factory build date, serial number etc so is of interest to some people. I don't generally sell basses so I've recycled the boxes I've had but kept the data panel (call me mr OCD lol 😀 ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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