erisu Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 (edited) So I received a £100 voucher from work for being an efficient employee last week I've been thinking of using this voucher to buy a new bass for cheaps (and adding about £50 to the voucher as well)... most likely a Squier Affinity Jazz bass so I can have the joy of modding it by adding a Mighty Mite neck, new pickups, tuners, pickguard and bridge. Now the voucher can only be used in the list of shops listed on www.voucherexpress.co.uk and the only retail/department store that sells musical instruments are Selfridges. So I wondered into the London Selfridges today during my lunch break. I took a look around their instruments department only to discover the vast amount of instruments they stock are from a new brand called Blast that make cheapy instruments. They had some Squier strats but no basses and had 3 Ibanez basses which I avoided. I went to the counter thinking surely a Squier Affinity Jazz bass in Black wont be more than £160 ish... the nice guy behind the counter said they could order one in for me but it'll cost about £210!!! I mean I've never seen a store that sells a Squier rockbottom of the range at that price! Kinda pee's me off abit that Selfridges can get away with jacking up the price for their profits *angry* Now I think I have to put £110 in cash with the £100 voucher to get this about next week unless I buy their P-bass at £179 which is still a joke! Has anyone else had a similar feeling about Selfridges (or any of their products) or any other music shop about their instruments? And would anyone like exchange the voucher for cash of same value so I can go buy elsewere saving me about £100? Edited November 9, 2009 by erisu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakenewmanbass Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I think they should be done under the trades description act as they sell a lot more than fridges... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crez5150 Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I think you'll find that they are selling at RRP.... something that most Muso stores do not do..... they generally sell at 'Street Price'. I think if more stores were able to sell at RRP then the industry wouldn't be in the sorry state it's in a present. J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB1 Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 MB1. Selfridges is not the first place that comes to mind when i want to buy a bass to be honest! .Is there no way you can exchange the voucher for cash?.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erisu Posted November 9, 2009 Author Share Posted November 9, 2009 [quote name='crez5150' post='649850' date='Nov 9 2009, 05:18 PM']I think you'll find that they are selling at RRP.... something that most Muso stores do not do..... they generally sell at 'Street Price'. I think if more stores were able to sell at RRP then the industry wouldn't be in the sorry state it's in a present. J[/quote] Well I'd certainly feel much better if other shops sold at RRP, but I can't get over the fact that at the back of my mind I know some music shop at Denmark Street will sell an Affinity jazz bass for £160?? and might even get them to throw a gig bag in too. Blehhhh seems like with the £210 im buying abit of the Selfridges brand too, or maybe the extra money goes towards their bright yellow bags. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderbird13 Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 (edited) I think they should be done under the trades description act as they sell a lot more than fridges... I had to think about that one for a minute ! Edited November 9, 2009 by thunderbird13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erisu Posted November 9, 2009 Author Share Posted November 9, 2009 [quote name='MB1' post='649854' date='Nov 9 2009, 05:22 PM']MB1. Selfridges is not the first place that comes to mind when i want to buy a bass to be honest! .Is there no way you can exchange the voucher for cash?..[/quote] I'd love to do that but the question is who? I already asked my mate but he said he'll get back to me and im advertising it on facebook on my status Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 (edited) I sympathize with your plight. I used to have to trade Debenhams vouchers at face value, less a tenner off the top. Is there no-one in work who'd take up an offer? As for Selfridges, it's probably more to do with it's size vs the colossal cost of Central London square footage. Edited November 9, 2009 by skankdelvar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Tinman Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Save up the extra money to buy it cheaper elsewhere and then use the voucher to buy everyone's Christmas presents from Selfriges. Simples! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I'd take the missus shopping so i would be in the good books for when a new bass purchase is due! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 [quote name='erisu' post='649859' date='Nov 9 2009, 05:24 PM']I'd love to do that but the question is who? I already asked my mate but he said he'll get back to me and im advertising it on facebook on my status [/quote] Female parenting figures are good for that sort of thing IMHO. Selfriges sell a lot of women's clothes, It's fast approaching Christmas .... Take £90 for yor £100 vouchers and ....... [i]Buy used on this very forum[/i] ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarcher Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Its not actually Selfridges,theyre just the shop front.The company thats the music dept are actually Hooters,a music shop based in Watford.They're also responsible for Blast instruments.Not that that info does you any good mind but I just thought I'd mention it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erisu Posted November 9, 2009 Author Share Posted November 9, 2009 Hmmm offering the voucher for £90 seems like a good idea, at least it's better than spending an extra £100+ in cash, may ask the parents tonight hehe! Tarcher... the guy did call up another shop to ask if they have one in stock and it was actually in Watford! Im wondering if I contact Hooters directly would they do a price match hmmm... (Since Selfridges won't!) I've put the voucher in the wanted section as im willing to exchange it for a Squier Affinity (Affinity only im afriad because of its Alder body, price and the fact that a Mighty Mite next is direct replacement) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I used to have an Affinity and I don't think the body was alder also I bought it for £119 from GAK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erisu Posted November 9, 2009 Author Share Posted November 9, 2009 [quote name='waynepunkdude' post='650103' date='Nov 9 2009, 09:07 PM']I used to have an Affinity and I don't think the body was alder also I bought it for £119 from GAK.[/quote] It's said on the Squire website their wood is Alder... might be cheap alder but hey! it's Alder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 [quote name='erisu' post='650106' date='Nov 9 2009, 09:09 PM']It's said on the Squire website their wood is Alder... might be cheap alder but hey! it's Alder [/quote] No, right you are, I just checked, they must have changed the spec, I remember mine being a strange named wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moos3h Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 [quote name='waynepunkdude' post='650107' date='Nov 9 2009, 09:10 PM']No, right you are, I just checked, they must have changed the spec, I remember mine being a strange named wood.[/quote] Agathis? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 [quote name='Moos3h' post='650109' date='Nov 9 2009, 09:13 PM']Agathis?[/quote] That's the one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moos3h Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I've often thought about setting up a company that buys and sells gift vouchers - I wonder if such a thing exists. So, someone is given a £100 voucher, my company would buy it for £65, flog it for £80 and make £15 on the deal etc. As long as you were able to sell them on then you could turn over a fair bit like that I reckon - plenty of people get lumbered with vouchers they can't use! Cheers, James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 [quote name='Moos3h' post='650127' date='Nov 9 2009, 09:27 PM']I've often thought about setting up a company that buys and sells gift vouchers - I wonder if such a thing exists. So, someone is given a £100 voucher, my company would buy it for £65, flog it for £80 and make £15 on the deal etc. As long as you were able to sell them on then you could turn over a fair bit like that I reckon - plenty of people get lumbered with vouchers they can't use! Cheers, James[/quote] Ebay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moos3h Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Yeah, but I reckon people would be afraid of fakes on there (I know I would) - my Dragon's Den pitch is to effectively underwrite the genuine-ness of the vouchers for sale by employing a truck load of guys in white coats to study the vouchers with magnifying glasses.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I'm out.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erisu Posted November 9, 2009 Author Share Posted November 9, 2009 [quote name='Moos3h' post='650135' date='Nov 9 2009, 09:32 PM']Yeah, but I reckon people would be afraid of fakes on there (I know I would) - my Dragon's Den pitch is to effectively underwrite the genuine-ness of the vouchers for sale by employing a truck load of guys in white coats to study the vouchers with magnifying glasses....[/quote] You can use my voucher as a start *hint hint nudge nudge* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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