When "new" isn't very new at all.

[darkandrew]

I won't name the shop but I had a hankering for a particular guitar and found one in stock at a well known and well respected music shop. Before clicking on the buy button I thought I'd drop them an email just to check that they did actually have one in stock - the reply was that they did have one, on the shop floor of one of their stores and that it had some damage ("buckle rash") on the back. So, what if I hadn't checked first? Would they have taken my money and palmed me off with a damaged guitar, hoping I'd just accept it? It wasn't even as if they'd discounted the guitar, they were still selling it at the same price as another well known music shop and even when I queried the guitar's condition, I wasn't offered any sort of discount. Needless to say, I ended up getting the guitar elsewhere and will be careful with any future orders from them. 

Edited February 4, 2019 by darkandrew

[TheGreek]

You did the right thing in contacting the "well known and well respected music shop" however had you bought the guitar you would have been within your rights to return it as "not as described" and been entitled to a full refund.

In effect all you did was save yourself a few days..

Enjoy the new guitar...

[thebrig]

This happened to me early 2018, I was after a Fender American Standard P Bass and although they are discontinued, a major online store had one at a discounted price, it was advertised as NEW so I bought it.

When it arrived the next day, I opened the case and there was no "case candy" (tags, strap, etc), and although the bass was pristine, I called the shop and said that I suspect that it was an ex- display model and that they should have pointed it out on the website, I also mentioned that the "case candy" is important to some people if I was to sell the bass on.

To be fair, the person I spoke to agreed and offered me £50 compensation which was paid into my account immediately.

The bass was already £300 below the normal price so I actually got a whopping £350 off altogether. 😉

[3below]

I have also bought a 'new' bass from my reputable local music shop, a G&L 1505.  It was / is a very nice example.  Made in 2005/6 sold in 2017 and it really was new, unused and with all the case candy present etc.  I was happy with the price and the deal so all is well.  I just wonder how much NOS kit is out there, where do these basses reside, how do they emerge?

[BassTractor]

.

Edited February 5, 2019 by BassTractor

[NHM]

last year I bought a new bass from a reputable shop, it was clearly new, with tags etc. When I later checked the serial number it turned out to be made in 2011. I wasn't bothered by this as it played beautifully (might it be better for having sat in a box for six years?) , but I was surprised that stock might sit around for so long.

[Monkey Steve]

Ex display is a bit trickier for music shops than other businesses, especially for instruments (less so for effects and arguably amps)

If you'd gone in to try the instrument then you'd expect to be sold that one, not to be given one from the stock room. Easier to spot the buckle rash when trying it in the shop and asking for a nicer, shinier one to try (if they had one), so if I'm being generous it might be as simple as the listing having been put up when it was in good condition.  If it had turned up without any shop soiling then you'd never have known if it had been on display for a few years.

At least they did 'fess up when you asked whether it was in stock - perhaps they might have done the same when they came to dispatch it if you hadn't asked.  Without knowing which shop it was, some do advertise that they will do a full set up before they send anything out

[mattbass6]

I've been caught out like this before. When I did some other purchases after the event, I asked if I could have said item direct from the warehouse instead of one, from the shop floor. I recently bought a 7 string Ibanez and that came from the warehouse, it was not in good shape. The bridge was at a funny angle, a machine head was wonky and the volume knob kept falling off. They offered me £25 off ha ha ha ha ha ha. I just sent it back and got my money back. If there is a next time, I'l just go to the shop and try it there and then. Way too much hassle to be honest. That's just my experience and opinion, of course.

[Stylon Pilson]

This all raises an interesting question. If you've gone into a shop and tried a bass, and liked it, would it be preferable to:

1. Buy the exact specimen that you played, or
2. Ask for an "unopened" one from the warehouse

The advantage to the first is that, unless the manufacturer has flawless tolerances and quality control, there's a chance that the brand new one won't actually play as well as the one you tried. The advantage to the second is you get all the "case candy" and the guarantee that it's not ex-display.

It's a conundrum, and one that I don't have the answer for. I've always gone for just buying the one that I tried - it's never occurred to me to ask for a true new one.

There have been a few occasions where I've tried a bass and put it back because it has sustained damage or noticeable wear during its time on the shelves. On one occasion I tried a bass and the pots were loose - I pointed this out to the shop assistant and they whipped out a screwdriver and started fixing it there and then, but by that point my interest had evaporated. My rationale was that the loose pots may be indicative of other, less immediately apparent, mistreatment.

S.P.