Quick heads-up - don't expect a quick and easy refund from a GuitarGuitar online purchase!

Twinfan

Just a warning for folks considering purchasing from GuitarGuitar at the moment.

I bought a Soldano SLO-30 online a couple of weeks ago which unfortunately wasn't my thing.  It took a couple of days for them to respond to my return request via email as per their process, which was fine, and I shipped it back to them immediately.  There's no option to return items to a store at the moment, but as there isn't one local to me that's why I bought online in the first place.

The amp has now been back with them for 8 days, it got to them last Thursday morning.  I emailed them to ask for my refund as soon as I'd tracked it arriving with them, and got an email the following day saying it would be checked and the refund processed probably over the weekend.  OK so far.

It's now a week later and I've had no response to a couple of emails I've sent to Support since.  I've spoken to GuitarGuitar via Live Chat but they can't contact Support to chase it apparently, they can only do sales.  No phone numbers are currently active for Support, only the email inbox, so I can't actually talk to anyone.  Calling the general number just gives you two options - speak to sales and if you need Support drop them an email.  Support is currently two people monitoring the inbox it seems and I suspect coronavirus/furlough/working practices are all contibuting to the shambles.

I asked on Live Chat about their complains procedure, which is ........ email Support.  You couldn't make it up.

So I've been £2199 out of pocket for 8 days now with no amp and I'm getting no response to my emails.  Not a nice place to be with such a sum of money.  I'm going to ring up and speak to an actual person on the phone today on the sales line and see if they have any way they can get Support to contact me or me them.

Something to bear in mind if you're considering a purchase from them at the moment, especially if you're spending a substantial sum...

sunshinewelly

They were very quick when refunding me on a recent guitar purchase. And they are the only company who were prepared to price match an out of stock cheaper price at another dealer. 

cj73

Seems a bit harsh considering their policy, from their website states, “ Please allow up to 14 working days for refunds to be credited into your account, from the day after this item arrives with us. Refunds are usually processed within 5-7 working days. “

Twinfan

They're open 7 days a week, so I'm now at 8 working days from return of the item with no confirmation of the refund being processed.  This is after being told it would be processed last weekend.

Not sure why you think I'm being harsh?

timmypix

Twinfan said:

They're open 7 days a week, so I'm now at 8 working days from return of the item with no confirmation of the refund being processed.  This is after being told it would be processed last weekend.

Not sure why you think I'm being harsh?

Because it says "please allow up to 14 working days". Yes, it''s annoying, and yes it's usually within 5-7, but these are hardly usual times. If it goes beyond 14 days, then sure, it's complaint time, but so far they're working within their policy.

kennedydream1980

I returned something recently.

I informed them I wanted to return the item on the 28th June. They responded with instructions for the return on the 2nd July.  I posted the pedal back on the 7th July, they got it 8th July. The Refund was back in my account on the 14th July.

I thought that was pretty good considering the current climate etc. 

thecolourbox

I think most places are struggling with doing returns quickly at the moment, considering most of their sales have been online since march, most of their returns will be as well which is always going to take time. We've been buying all kinds of colours and sizes of suits for our wedding which was have to be September (now postponed to April for obvious reasons) and trying to keep track of our refunds off those we had to return has been quite a time suck. Probably spent the same overall kind of amount as your amp across various shops, so I know the pain. They will sort it though.

I suspect by working days they mean week days, although I suppose they did say about probably doing something over the weekend so who knows. But if it's normally via the bank they sort this kind of thing out then working days wouldn't mean weekend. Hang in there, you'll get it back

Twinfan

I wouldn't mind waiting the full 14 days, that's not a problem, as long as the communication is there to explain why.  To be told it will likely be done last weekend and for it not have been, with no reply to my queries, isn't good service.

I appreciate these are difficult times, but it seems GuitarGuitar are making it more difficult for themselves by not staffing the Support department properly.  The cynic in me is thinking they're leaving people on furlough and trying to get by with fewer staff all working remotely to make more profit.

chris78

My refund issues were finally resolved with a Gretsch that arrived damaged. The refund was finally processed this Wednesday, over a month after the guitar arrived and I contacted them to tell them it was damaged.
Their attitude on the phone stunk, but eventually the store manager at Glasgow took control (thanks to me raising it on this board) and it eventually got sorted. I still had to chase though as after being told the refund was processed, someone forgot to press the button. 

All in all, the guitar arrived 15th June, the money arrived back 22nd July.

If I'm buying new, I'm unlikely to buy anything that Peach or Coda don't have in future.

Twinfan

Good to hear you got there in the end Chris, but that's a terrible experience.  How did you manage to get through on the phone, just rang the store and asked to speak to the manager?

Teetonetal

I work within customer service for a global retailer. I cannot tell you how immensely difficult it is right now for all retailers. The number of support requests for us was up 300% at one point as stores closed and the world suddenly en mass went shopping online. 

Sudden switch from call centres to working from home, dropping revenue and a need for big investment, coupled with many, many logistics issues and you have the perfect storm where providing customer service *at all*  has never been so difficult.

sofasteve

Often the return credit to your account can be down to how long your card provider takes processing it. The delay may be at their end rather than the retailers?

skunkwerx

I gave up in the end. 

When the snakebyte went back I was talking to Stefan at Sound Services (the Esp distributor for the Uk). 

He delegated to another member of staff there but they said they had Snakebytes in ready to go at a moments notice, and would check it over for me themselves before sending to a store. 

I said cool, yeah lets do it. 

They said ok, we wait to hear back from GG and go from there. 

Nothing after a week so I chased with Stefan. 

His team said still not heard from GG so will chase. 

That was like 3 weeks ago now so I presume they never heard back.. I’ve not heard from Gg or Sound Services either so just let it go.

fields5069

This has come up before. The money comes out of your account quickly enough, but takes a while to get back in. It's the way the banks work apparently.

Wazmeister

@bobbysimpson will help you out. He is excellent.

They are slowish, but they will get there

WezV

fields5069 said:

This has come up before. The money comes out of your account quickly enough, but takes a while to get back in. It's the way the banks work apparently.

That's definitely one issue, but doesn't stop a retailer from saying "we have issued your refund, it may still be 3-5 days for the banks to return it"

Iamnobody

You’ve enjoyed the flexibility of being able to have a ‘play’ at home with a very expensive amplifier with no risk to yourself. 

At least wait the 14 days out and extend some good will before you start moaning publicly. 

Reading your post they only said it would probably be processed over the weekend - presumably because you asked for a date they’ve simply overcommitted when trying to provide customer service. 

Twinfan

fields5069 said:

This has come up before. The money comes out of your account quickly enough, but takes a while to get back in. It's the way the banks work apparently.

Fine if it's been processed, but I don't think it has.  That's my issue right now.

chris78

Twinfan said:

Good to hear you got there in the end Chris, but that's a terrible experience.  How did you manage to get through on the phone, just rang the store and asked to speak to the manager?

No, a member on here who works for guitarguitar was kind enough to sort it out. 

sunshinewelly

the post does seem very harsh on GuitarGuitar.  They are also trying to cope with the ongoing covid situation. maybe a bit of patience would be sensible before bringing out the pitch forks and torches

LPManic

Yeah it is pretty clear about the 14 working day thing (basically 3 weeks). I don't work in retail so I wonder how shops feel about customers using social media means to put pressure on stores? Especially when the store hasn't done anything wrong?