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Guitar Center's Pro Warranty


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I will start by saying, as I get older, I seem to be becoming grumpier and less tolerant of all kinds of things.  I think I may be becoming Andy Rooney.

My story starts with the purchase of a Helix LT.  I actually purchased it in April of 2017. I have always used Line 6 gear and the Helix was the ultimate piece of modeling gear for me.  I actually have a great amp and a kinda crappy backup amp that have gotten little to no use since I purchased the Helix.  I know they aren't for everyone, but for me the Helix is that last piece of equipment I will need until that next big thing comes out that is even more amazing.

That said when it came time to purchase my Helix, I had to decide which one was a better choice, so I decided that I could do everything I wanted with the LT, and I was very pleasantly surprised.  So when I went to Guitar Center, I haggled a bit and got them to drop the price a bit and was intrigued by the concept of the "Pro Warranty."  I could get a warranty that covered all of the things that the factory warranty covered, but I was also covered against abuse, spilled beer, water damage, etc.  So I thought, "well I drink beer and play sometimes so it may be a good idea to buy this warranty."  Plus, I can just take it back to the store and get a new one if this one breaks, so that makes this way beyond the factory warranty, right?  WRONG  

The "Guitar Center Pro Warranty" is certainly pitched this way when it is sold to you but that is not how it works at all.  An in store replacement will be provided for up to 60 days after you purchase an item, after that the warranty is serviced by Asurion, you know the cell phone insurance guys.  So after 60 days, you go from having a Pro warranty that could support any pro on tour because of the number of Guitar Centers and the fact that they are open 7 days a week, to having a very amateur warranty.  I was at GC yesterday at 12 and I still haven't received my shipping label to return my Helix.  When I left GC yesterday I was so angry that I was deceived by the warranty pitch, and that I drove over 100 miles for nothing I was beside myself.

So I did a bit of investigation regarding the factory warranty from Line 6.  It turns out, for the issue I have (broken Expression Pedal) that not only would Line 6 provide the same 2 year coverage that would have protected my purchase, they would also cover priority shipping to get the issue resolved (A HUGE KUDOS TO LINE 6).

All of that said, I have just had my last transaction with Guitar Center or any other of the Berkshire Hathaway music companies that have innovated and tainted our beloved industry.  I am posting this as a public service to any of you who didn't already know this and had not read the fine print of the Guitar Center Pro-Am Warranty.

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Those things are just money in the bank, just like service plans. They know that most people will never use them. Sadly when I was 20 I had no idea, but I do know now.

Amazon and other companies have gotten into it now, because it's just FREE MONEY for them.

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An extended warranty by any other name and/or presentation...

I recently bought a new vehicle---high quality rep, good value for the base model I purchased, made nearby (w/ tier factories in my town), industry-leading warranty (100K mi. on drive train), so when the salesman broached the extended warranty, I asked "If it's such a good product, why do I need an extended warranty?"

His pitch was that if anything goes wrong within respective warranties (rest of the vehicle besides drive train) that the defective item would most likely be one of the electronic items (and those gizmos are on the increase in new vehicles...but mine had fewer 'coz it's a base model). $1500 have would extended the 100K bumper to bumper but I passed.

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47 minutes ago, atomicwash said:

Craftsman Tools - Now that's an extended warranty! I used to work for Sears and I was always amazed at the abused crap we would exchange for new off the shelf products.

And look where Sears is now.

These "no questions asked" warranties and return policies are simply not sustainable from a business standpoint.

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Sometimes those extended warranties do work out.  About 10 years ago I had to replace my pickup due some idiot running a stop sign on a county highway. So off I went to buy a new car and I wasn't going to spend much over what the insurance gave me for my truck. So I found Chrysler 300M with only 26K on it. Well my wife talked me into buying the extended warranty that they were pushing and agreed to spend the extra $1,500 for it was suppose to be a lifetime warranty.  About 2 years later I was heading to the dealer to have the oil changed, all of a sudden I heard a grinding noise and then what sounded like a small explosion under the car. So there I was about a mile from the dealer in the far left hand of a 3 lane interstate in the middle of rush hour. Well to make a long story short I got a new engine and transmission $8600 for $100 shop deductible.  Later the computer went out on it $3500 again another $100 shop deductible. So for a total of $1,500 + $200 in deductibles I had over $12,000 of part's and labor paid for.  

  

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48 minutes ago, MCChris said:

And look where Sears is now.

These "no questions asked" warranties and return policies are simply not sustainable from a business standpoint.

Sears has more issues than their warranty.  It was that warranty that kept senior citizens coming to the brick and mortar stores when everyone else was buying on price via the 'net. 

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3 minutes ago, BubbaVO said:

Sears has more issues than their warranty.  It was that warranty that kept senior citizens coming to the brick and mortar stores when everyone else was buying on price via the 'net. 

Indeed, warranties that are devastating to the bottom line are merely symptoms of all sorts of other horrible business decisions.

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Even LL Bean has changed its policy.  When the eldest Toadroller worked there just a few years ago during the holiday seasons processing returns, anything and everything would come back.  If gramps kicked the bucket, the family raided his closet and attic and sent back whatever moth-eaten things they could find.  

By the time something I've had from LL Bean has worn out, I know it's given me my money's worth. 

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A decade or two back I took a few MBA classes.  I remember one case study:  Best Buy's annual profit was equal to what they charged for their extended warranty plans.  

I doubt much has changed.  

If you buy an extended warranty, you are betting against all the information the company offering the plan has.  It is like betting against the house.  

 

 

 

 

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Agreed in general.  However... On my last Subaru and this one, I've gotten the extended warranty.  100K miles, bumper to bumper with the only exceptions being stuff like wiper blades, battery, light bulbs.  It's a $100 deductible and truly a no-hassle proposition.  This one has already paid off.  The A/C conked out twice in rapid succession from two different causes.  The dealer was apologetic as hell that I had to come back, threw a handful of low cost (to them) services in free and I got a spiffy Subaru hat.  He waived the second deductible too.  Try to find a warranty like that on a two year old used car.  Now the joke is REALLY on them.  I just retired and my driving miles went down to less than a third of what I was doing before.  That warranty may still be in effect when they take my license away.

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Wait, wait, wait.  You got a hat?

Dammit.

I went for the car warranty once.  Of course, I was buying a 5 year old fancy-pants Audi*.  The warranty paid for itself.

*Fancy at the time.  Y'all came to know it as the "thousand dollar car."

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18 hours ago, atomicwash said:

Craftsman Tools - Now that's an extended warranty! I used to work for Sears and I was always amazed at the abused crap we would exchange for new off the shelf products.

The thing with Craftsman Tools is, waaaay back when, their tools didn't break. You paid more for them initially, but you would/could expect them to last forever (or at least a really really long time), so when they had to replace one occasionally, it wasn't a big deal. Somewhere along the way they figured making them cheap and replacing them  - basically betting they wouldn't get used enough to get broke - was a better way to go.

Dumb fucking move. Their tools now are mostly garbage. And most guys I know really don't want to run to Sears in the middle of a project to replace the tool they just broke (only to get another POS that'll break again).

My Dad's Craftman set lasted thru him (a farmer) and his 6 gearhead sons. My Craftsman set has 3 partially working ratchets and a 1/2 dozen cracked sockets. Eventually I'll get replacements, probably right before my next garage sale.

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I once found a rusty swiveling 1/2" square drive breaker bar (not a ratchet) with about a 20" handle out in the weeds.  It had to be 50 years old or more.  The shaft was bent and one of the drive mounts to the yoke was broken.  Just for grins and to see if they'd do it, I took it to Sears and asked for a replacement.  Bango, no muss, no fuss. These days I'm not so sure.  I haven't broken anything but I'm glad that all of my Crafttsman hand tools are at least 20 years old.

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17 hours ago, tomteriffic said:

Agreed in general.  However... On my last Subaru and this one, I've gotten the extended warranty.  100K miles, bumper to bumper with the only exceptions being stuff like wiper blades, battery, light bulbs.  It's a $100 deductible and truly a no-hassle proposition.  This one has already paid off.  The A/C conked out twice in rapid succession from two different causes.  The dealer was apologetic as hell that I had to come back, threw a handful of low cost (to them) services in free and I got a spiffy Subaru hat.  He waived the second deductible too.  Try to find a warranty like that on a two year old used car.  Now the joke is REALLY on them.  I just retired and my driving miles went down to less than a third of what I was doing before.  That warranty may still be in effect when they take my license away.

2 blown headgaskets on my 4 cylinder Subaru - less than 110,000 miles.  First one, covered under warranty.  The second one, wasn't.  When I bought it I thought those pesky issues were behind them.  Nope.  Now I have a 6 cylinder. I hope that it does get me to 250,000.  Considering that I drive a lot less than I used to, I think that goal is more realistic.

I bought Applecare  and it's saved me a boatload on  mine and the kids' laptops.  I wouldn't buy it for a desktop.  But the laptops get abused getting taken around.  And I did buy extended warranties on the washer/dryer set - worked out for me there too.  With 5 kids running around the darn things run all the time. 

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Certainly bought extended warranties for our Toyota Corolla. The cost value of oil changes included with it ate up 75% of the total purchase price. Needed those anyway, and they weren't much more than anyone else in town. The remaining 25%, is well worth it for a transferable warranty upon resale. 

Bought one for my VW because those things will have expensive shit break as soon as the factory warranty expires. Sure, I hear you. "Why buy them in the first place?" It was the only vehicle that fit my needs for space, fuel efficiency/power balance (TDI) and budget. Never again will I buy any VW Auto Group vehicle, though. 

I typically have a habit of bypassing music gear warranties, but might jump on one for an Empress Echosystem I got at Long & McQuade (our closest analogue to GC). Does cover wear and tear, and many of things you'd hope it to cover, like a no lemon policy, product replacement, coverage of accessories included with product (cables, adapters, foot switch/pedal, etc), loaners offered during repair/replacement, transferable for resale, etc. Just doesn't cover accidental (beer spill, drops, etc.) On a guitar, for example, it covers fret wear. Not strings or anything else that would be expected to be replaced, but wear and tear.

I've ignored the gear warranties so far, but since the factory year is up on this pedal, I may jump in on the store warranty. Replacement cost is much more than the warranty. My first (and only) uber expensive effect and I want to have it for more than a few years :). I also worry since it's my first digital effect with DSPs and relies on programming for much of its functionality. It's probably fine, but I feel the $25 is worth it for peace of mind. Replacement costs are only going up and up and up, with inflation, tariff battles, etc. 

 

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4 hours ago, hamerhead said:

The thing with Craftsman Tools is, waaaay back when, their tools didn't break. You paid more for them initially, but you would/could expect them to last forever (or at least a really really long time), so when they had to replace one occasionally, it wasn't a big deal. Somewhere along the way they figured making them cheap and replacing them  - basically betting they wouldn't get used enough to get broke - was a better way to go.

Dumb fucking move. Their tools now are mostly garbage. And most guys I know really don't want to run to Sears in the middle of a project to replace the tool they just broke (only to get another POS that'll break again).

My Dad's Craftman set lasted thru him (a farmer) and his 6 gearhead sons. My Craftsman set has 3 partially working ratchets and a 1/2 dozen cracked sockets. Eventually I'll get replacements, probably right before my next garage sale.

There are tool collectors out there looking for specific codes on Craftsman tools.  Just like with guitars, tools have their preferred eras as well. 

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Extended warranties for me ONLY if the come directly from the manufacturer (cars, appliances etc.) and NEVER when they are handled by some insurance company! When you read the fine print, you'll figure out that the insurance company will ALWAYS find a way out so they don't have to cover - I'm sure it's the same on both sides of the big pond...

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