Ridiculous shopping experience

[StringPicker6]

Sorry for venting, but I had to share this story.  I suppose this falls under the "buyer beware" category.  I have been lusting after the fairly new model Gibson 50's LG-2 for the last 2 years, and I decided to search for a used one and potentially pull the trigger.  Well, I found one for sale at a Big Box Store retailer (name omitted).  They had a used one that was $300 less than the price for a brand new one over in one of their Los Angeles stores.  So I made the purchase online, and had them ship it to another one of their stores located near me over here on the East Coast.  Well, they shipped it UPS ground, so it took 5 days to get it delivered.   

Yesterday I drove over to pick it up, and the store was packed.  An employee went in the back and brings me a slim, thin cardboard guitar box with a hole punched through it and the top open.  I reach in and pull out a naked guitar wrapped in bubble wrap, and I couldn't believe there was no case!  I visually inspected it and it seemed ok, but for a price of $2,300, this was a guitar that was shipped ground for 5 days in a cold truck during January across the entire country with no case or humidification or anything else with it.  The employee said, "just buy a gig bag."  I said thanks but no thanks and told them I didn't want it.  I was a bit disappointed, but luckily I wasn't stuck with that guitar.  I drove home and played my Larrivee parlor, and that soothed by bruised GAS symptoms. 

[Silence Dogood]

Crazy.  I went with a friend to get a new guitar from GC not long ago.  They brought him a new one in a box from the back of the store.  When we got it home, same thing as yours: it was wrapped in bubbles and the headstock was broken clean off.  Almost unbelievable, but then again, with help these days, not really.
 

[Myopic Squirrel]

When shopping online at GC depending on whom you speak with it's a crapshoot. With my Larrivee quest found what looked like a really nice OM3 in Store A. The 1st guy I spoke with (who said he was an experienced acoustic player) described it as "in excellent condition". Luckily had to call back (was ready to order) and the original guy with was with a customer, so asked the new guy to go over the guitar. When he commented there was a slight space where the neck joined the body I asked him "how slight?" "Maybe fit a credit card in there...."
At Store B completely opposite experience with my current OM5. In-depth accurate description including a dimple on the top "about the size of a ballpoint pen tip". This guy even put me on hold to confirm the OHSC was there.  Examined it at the store and it looked great. Felt he went overboard so sent a "thank you" e-mail (and he answered with "glad you are happy.) So you take your chances.

[StringPicker6]

Yeah, it was a bit disappointing. The GC employee said that you have to see a case specifically listed on their used gear website.

[B0WIE]

I've got a lot of crazy deals from GC over the years but they were always w/o cases. I just came to expect it. I guess, to someone who hasn't gone through that before, it would be annoying. Never kept me from buying an instrument though.

[StringPicker6]

It's bizarre that a case goes missing, but I guess things happen. Could have been damaged by the first owner. My big concern was an expensive guitar being wrapped in plastic and taken on a 5 day trip across the continental US during a very cold week in January.  If I bought a new case the total cost would have been too close to the asking price of a brand new LG-2. I think I dodged a bullet on this one.

[B0WIE]

If it was GC, they don't get everything shipped to them in cases. I know because any time I need to ship a guitar their cardboard dumpster has a bunch of guitar boxes with foam inserts for securing a guitar without a case. I also bought a high dollar Gibson and they did not even have a case to sell me.

Funny anecdote; I once went there for boxes and they were either writing off most of their digital drums, or an employee was planning theft, because there was a full Roland digital drum set and similar electronics discarded. This was when I was starting my business and, just to keep the lights on, was buying guitars on craigslist, fixing them up, and selling them on ebay for a few extra bucks. This find payed the bills for 2 months, which was all the time I needed to get going.

[StringPicker6]

That's fantastic! I have no big gripes against the store, they have done right by me a lot of times in the past. I still love small music stores. Today I spent $8 on some d'addario EJ16 strings at a local music store. I just wanted to give them some business.

[Sandstorm]

Sometimes the intent to try and save money only ends up costing more.  Sounds like you made the right choice to walk away if it was that close to a new one.

I like shopping at the big retailer here in Canada...they have great return policy which I've exercised often enough when I played electric and all the stuff that goes along with that.  It's the reason I prefer to shop there vs small shops that want to nickel and dime you restocking fees or credit only.  I think the retailer realizes this and why they do it.  I usually deal with 1 or 2 of the stores and the fellas I deal with are always good to me over the years.

[Queequeg]

Sorry for venting, but I had to share this story.  I suppose this falls under the "buyer beware" category.  Well, I found one for sale at a Big Box Store retailer (name omitted).  They had a used one that was $300 less than the price for a brand new one over in one of their Los Angeles stores.  So I made the purchase online, and had them ship it to another one of their stores located near me over here on the East Coast.  Well, they shipped it UPS ground, so it took 5 days to get it delivered.   

Yeah, it was a bit disappointing. The GC employee said that you have to see a case specifically listed on their used gear website.

Not finding any humor in your misfortune to be sure.
Just the oh-so-very thinly veiled Big Box mystery store.