The naughty ordering and not keeping

I never ordered a synthesizer and sent it back because I didn’t like it.
Never!

I see people here all the time posting something like:
I ordered two - a “ding” and a “dang”, and i think i will keep none of them, because I already ordered a “dong”… You know what I mean with that.

In youtube times with all the reviews…
This is something that was not possible in the past.
You can actually download manuals, see in youtube from at least 5-6 different persons reviews, some of them are more or less in depth video manuals…
Isn’t this enough to get a grasp if someone could like that synth?

Why do people abuse online ordering that much?
I don’t get it.

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Simple: because they can…

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I don’t think that’s a good thing.
Anyway, you are right, if something could be abused it will be abused.

I don’t understand this either. It’s so easy to research a synth/electronic instrument nowadays before purchase. I find the whole cycle a little ridiculous.

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I did not say that I support such behavior. But the exploitable will be exploited…

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I’ve never done it and get what you’re saying. On the flip side it is definitely marketed heavily by some retailers on their websites, to the point where it gives the impression of just try before you buy.

The number of “is this or that synth right for me” threads also surprises me. Topped by : “thinking to sell x, talk me out of it”. I personally have 0 need for this kind of advice. (But maybe that s because i ve been in the game for quite a while. )

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Pawn shops have been around since the Egyptian times. Its a weakness in human psyche.

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It used to be how all good hi fi shops worked

It’s simply how shops design their service. Bax shop used to have 60 days return now they doubled it to 120 days.

Somewhere, it works in their advantage, so it’s worth the effort.

I liken it to people buying giant TVs for watching sporting events and then returning them. I get that store’s policy allows for things like that but it just doesn’t seem ok to me.

Then, especially with synths, you get stores trying to sell returned items as new. Ugh. Someone gets screwed in the end.

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Yeah I think this is a “hate the game, not the players” kind of situation.

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I have two trains of thought on this from my own experience:

  1. I order something and send it back because it doesn’t live up to my expectations which are high because of the gear I have owned, used and sold over the years. So I guess I’m a bit spoilt, but I have NEVER ordered two pieces of gear knowing I would return one anyway…

  2. Gear nowadays is sold unfinished, I find lots of bugs and issues with new gear. Half baked products with missing features that obviously should have been there from the start and sometimes are even printed on the box and don’t actually exist

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Ive seen tv reports of this practice being done to an enormous extent in clothing, to the point where they’re tracking individuals and refusing to send them things.
Sometimes it’s to ensure they get right size but often just to wear something once and return it.
I haven’t bought synths / anything knowing I’ll return it but it’s perfectly legal and stores are making it easier.

Look through the clauses / caveats though.

Can’t say I’ve bought any gear with the intention of returning. I typically do my research before hand to minimize the chance of being unsatisfied. I had to return a used Lexicon MPX-1 from Guitar Center because it had a major ground hum issue and I just wasn’t going to try and track down a fix for it or spend more money on one. Only thing I’ve returned in 5 years in the hardware game. I imagine the costs to the company for these “try before you buy” type transactions adds to the overall cost the consumer pays.

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I’ve never sent a piece of gear back simply because I didn’t like it or it didn’t really gel with my setup–the secondhand market is good enough, I’ve got a good reputation on Reverb and I usually recover the bulk of my investment. And I get to let someone else have something they want at a discount, which seems fair because I make decent money in my day job so everyone comes out ok.

On the other hand, my wife orders and returns clothes all the time. She claims that’s what the companies expect, although I keep waiting for her to get cut off. But maybe she’s right and I’m wrong–if Sweetwater, GC, et al. allow the practice, it must not be hurting their business.

you could say the abuse is from companies marketing themselves all over the place and following you around the internet… I don’t send much back but seems fair game.

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Yes, that’s my concern too

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It’s something if the item has an issue. ground hum is such a thing.
Perhaps it needs a rent model to try out expensive items in front of purchasing.
How exactly I can’t imagine right now, but I think this behaving adds in the end to the price, and you can never tell if you get a brand new item or a opened one.

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To be honest I occasionally buy something and return it later on. I do my research and really think this is what fits my needs. But this kind of equipment are expensive. I am not in a situation that I can buy more gear and keep the things that don’t really gel like I hoped.

There is just one way to find out and that is using it by yourself. No YouTube video or manual could tell you this. And yeah if I saved up 6 months If money to buy something and it doesn’t perform to my liking I will return it with the respected days. Then I try to search for something that does fit my needs. A lot of YouTubers only tell you what the company want you to hear and not what is missing about the gear.

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