Bought a new guitar online from a store (that had photos), and had one with a different top sent

paulphoenix

This happened to me too. Upon my request, the shop (not Richtone) sent me photo's of the specific guitar, and i ordered and paid based on the photo's they sent. They then proceeded to send me not the guitar i paid for - it was the same colour but different top. It took a few weeks but it got sorted. For about two weeks i was in possession of two Musicman Axis' 

In general though, i hate it when online retailers use stock photo's for guitars   - come on man how hard is is to take a photo or two? - people want to see exactly what you're selling ffs. 

FWIW - I've bought just one item (a guitar) from Richtone and received an excellent service. 

Nikko

Yep, that's pretty shitty.

I know it wont help you in your situation, but I recently purchased one of the ebony topped Custom 24s, and the top on the one they reserved for me in store, (Andertons) was actually nicer than the ones id seen online.

Just lucky I guess, but this is why I never normally buy a guitar without physically seeing it first.

SimpleSimon

Richtone do state in their website listings that the guitar shown is not the same guitar you will recieve. Its only the used stuff they bother photographing for each listing

LooseMoose

Oddly I just bought a £300 Guitar from them and it WAS the one in the pics....

StormshadowGuitars

Just curious here, but if all guitars right down the pricing spectrum were opened & photographed individually before sale, even when listing multiple stock quantities of the same item. How many people would ring up or complain that their guitar was opened before it arrived? That's 'used' to some people as they're not the person to break the manufacturers seal.

Shops can't win sometimes no matter what they do.

Brize

StormshadowGuitars said:

Just curious here, but if all guitars right down the pricing spectrum were opened & photographed individually before sale, even when listing multiple stock quantities of the same item. How many people would ring up or complain that their guitar was opened before it arrived? That's 'used' to some people as they're not the person to break the manufacturers seal.

Shops can't win sometimes no matter what they do.

I don't think anyone buys a guitar expecting the box to be sealed from the factory.

guitars4you

StormshadowGuitars said:

Just curious here, but if all guitars right down the pricing spectrum were opened & photographed individually before sale, even when listing multiple stock quantities of the same item. How many people would ring up or complain that their guitar was opened before it arrived? That's 'used' to some people as they're not the person to break the manufacturers seal.

Shops can't win sometimes no matter what they do.

I think that has cropped up before on FB - yet equally I would not send any guitar out like that, before been checked regarding all the set-up criteria and check list - would not be the first time a guitar arrived from the builder/supplier with a 'factory' fault

underdog

I think it's OK to use stock images online to sell guitars (provided that it's clear the photo is that) but a listing with detailed pictures then yes I'd assume it was THE guitar rather than A guitar 

Don't andertons show actual photos (and weights) for the non solid colour guitars? I noticed they did on a lot of Les Paul's anyway 

StormshadowGuitars

Brize said:

StormshadowGuitars said:

Just curious here, but if all guitars right down the pricing spectrum were opened & photographed individually before sale, even when listing multiple stock quantities of the same item. How many people would ring up or complain that their guitar was opened before it arrived? That's 'used' to some people as they're not the person to break the manufacturers seal.

Shops can't win sometimes no matter what they do.

I don't think anyone buys a guitar expecting the box to be sealed from the factory.

I've definitely seen a handful moan that they're not the first to open one 

StormshadowGuitars

guitars4you said:

StormshadowGuitars said:

Just curious here, but if all guitars right down the pricing spectrum were opened & photographed individually before sale, even when listing multiple stock quantities of the same item. How many people would ring up or complain that their guitar was opened before it arrived? That's 'used' to some people as they're not the person to break the manufacturers seal.

Shops can't win sometimes no matter what they do.

I think that has cropped up before on FB - yet equally I would not send any guitar out like that, before been checked regarding all the set-up criteria and check list - would not be the first time a guitar arrived from the builder/supplier with a 'factory' fault

No you're right, even the cheapest guitar should at least be inspected. But even that sometimes doesn't stop the "Moon on a stick" brigade moaning they think its used when its only been opened for an inspection.

thebreeze

I had an interesting chat with the owner of my local guitar shop. He's small scale and low end guitars and amps. Things have been really hard the last 5 years - he sited the internet and the double dip recession, which makes sense.  Anyway, that's an aside.  One of the interesting things he said was that he thought that over the years maybe 90% of the people who bought guitars didn't play them or only played them a handful of times and then they just sat in the corner of the room doing nothing.  Nearly all guitars were bought by parents for kids who didn't carry on or people generally who didn't persist. So the 10% (us) don't really matter too much. It's only us who care about these things (like OP's predicament) so retailers will take the risk and deal with the isolated incidents when people complain about this kind of thing as they arise.
I don't know if this is strictly true but it's an interesting perspective and made me think.

GuitarZero

Thomann do this too.  Three times I've enquired about particular guitars and each time they've said that the one in the pics has been sold. On all three occasions I asked them to forward pics of any they do have in stock and they agreed but never once sent any pics.

Chalky

I like Coda. They take the pictures on a purpose-built hangar and background on the wall by the till.  Seen them use it and it takes moments and its uploaded to their site.

Ben

StormshadowGuitars said:

Just curious here, but if all guitars right down the pricing spectrum were opened & photographed individually before sale, even when listing multiple stock quantities of the same item. How many people would ring up or complain that their guitar was opened before it arrived? That's 'used' to some people as they're not the person to break the manufacturers seal.

Shops can't win sometimes no matter what they do.

I honestly wouldn't care about guitar packaging being opened. Maybe with solid tops that wouldn't be necessary, but for highly figured flame / quilt / etc tops, they should really be taking pictures of each one so you don't buy one and end up receiving a dud like I did.

It's not a matter of "shops can't win", but the fact that for the business they are in, specially with non-solid tops, you want to see what you're getting.

Chalky

Brize said:

StormshadowGuitars said:

Just curious here, but if all guitars right down the pricing spectrum were opened & photographed individually before sale, even when listing multiple stock quantities of the same item. How many people would ring up or complain that their guitar was opened before it arrived? That's 'used' to some people as they're not the person to break the manufacturers seal.

Shops can't win sometimes no matter what they do.

I don't think anyone buys a guitar expecting the box to be sealed from the factory.

The 'open box' answer sounds like a pathetic excuse dreamt up by someone too lazy to do the right thing?

"I can't be arsed to unpack/photo/repack so I'll sit here and dream up an excuse".

kjdowd

Would be interested to know the lead time. Some shops (one occasional - and rather emotional - poster on here who shall remain nameless in particular) sell not from stock but on the basis that they will order from distribution as and when they get your order. Not unscrupulous as such, but equally not necessarily advertised and it seems like you're getting a particular guitar you've seen when you're not. I've had this with lead times excused as the guitar "being inspected and set up", which may also be true but is equally masking this practice somewhat. 

I get it from their financial perspective, but it should be up front and clear. 

clarkefan

The "order from distribution" deal you mention, would that mean they're not actually authorised dealers? And if that was true would that mean the shop has no way of actually honouring a manufacturer's warranty?

Personally that would be a scary situation if I was spending decent cash on something, total deal breaker. 

kjdowd

No think in the case I had it was an authorised dealer working thru UK distie but just not holding much stock. This wasn't clear on the website tho.