GC layaway policy???

[keith_t4e]

One of the Guitar Center's managers was telling me that when a customer puts something on layaway the price can actually fluctuate up and down until you pay it off. Has anyone ever heard of this policy. I told an employee I wanted something. He put it away for me for a few days until I could get back to put some money down. I didn't notice until after I had paid a couple hundred down on it but it had gone up another $100 bucks. Had I noticed that I would have declined. Because he was nice enough to put it back until I came it to pay some down and I didn't have anything in writing I didn't say a whole lot. Instead I stewed all the way home and have ruminated about it all night. Has anyone had similar times a GC? I called today and the sales guy assures me that the price will not go up while I'm paying for it. I know it sounds crazy, but this is GC we're talkin about here.

 

[rickc007]

Would be really cheezy

I'd have to imagine a call higher up the food chain
would straighten it out

 

[keith_t4e]

Because I'm friends with the sales guy and I really hope in my heart he is making an honest mistake I haven't done that. I could swear that the piece had a green tag on it with a price 100 bucks cheaper. I'll tell you what it is. A Marshall Vintage Modern 100 wat head which when at $900 I agreed to buy. When I went back it was 1000. That is still a decent price for an amp that honestly isn't one of their better efforts. I only wanted it at 900 because that was almost too good to pass up. I got the 412 cab for 500 which was indeed a good get. One hundred bucks is 100 bucks though.

 

[Beauhooligan]

I have put things on layaway, and once you put your bottom down, usually 1/3 or 1/4th of the price, it's fixed. I do that every other day. $600 guitar, $150 down, 3 months to pay and play (plus tax); no changes or modifications. If the price goes up, you pay $600 (plus tax). If the price goes down, you still pay $600 (plus tax). If you pay off sooner, same price. Pay off later, you talk to my boss, and he isn't funny and genteel like me.

 

[keith_t4e]

The more I think about it the more upset I get. Honestly, we are only talking about 100 bucks here, but I would have never decided to get it at 1000. They are gonna at %7 sales tax for 70 more bucks. At 900 I knew it would actually be about 963 or so. If I wasn't friends with the sales guy I'd call and tell them I want my money back. I know how I am. Eventually, I'll do something. Will they give me my $200 back, or will they tell me to use store credit???

 

[Jazzgear]

That's a simple one for me. It's the price I laid it away at or..I decline the purchase and refund my $$s

 

[TwoTubMan]

Uh, how about getting that in writing, as opposed to what "someone said"?

 

[keith_t4e]

Believe me had I put some down at first and had a written receipt reflecting the 900 I'd been extremely upset and would have settled it.

 

[GAD]

I have never heard of such a thing. Any time I've used layaway, the price is the price on the layaway receipt - period. In fact I've used layaway to get things at sale prices or before price increases. Hell it's been a sales tool to do just that!

I've not done it at GC though.

Hell Amazon.com will even lower the price of something in your cart if you leave it there long enough for the price to go down, and if the price goes up, you pay the lower price already in your cart.

GAD

 

[prsisbest]

It wouldn't surprise me for that to happen at GC. They have some questionable practices. On another note, my local GC has one of those Vintage Moderns marked down from $2100 to $850, and it's been sitting for a while at $850. I got a chance to listen to it the other day, and it sounds terrible. If GC upped the price on you, I'd back out of the deal on that amp.

 

[keith_t4e]

I spoke with an employee at the Raleigh NC store. It is indeed the GC policy for the price on an item placed on layaway to fluctuate up or down. This guy was in PAs and told me he literally had to call people up and say "come get it today the price is down" How insaine is this policy. I'm suprised that it is legal.

 

[sixty2strat]

ALWAYS GOT A SALES SLIP WHEN I DID LAYAWAYS ....price less my deposit+amount owned ...net 90 days and they took it off the floor. have not done layaway in 15 years+. leaving it on the floor at GC is 1 reason not to do it with them...who knows how long the OT has run with no load as a guy "tests it"

 

[jazzandmetal?]

You guys are too much sometimes.

Sometimes a price will go down and a sales guy will call someone out of courtesy and say "hey come get it now...it is a better deal since it is on sale this weekend" or whatever.


The price on your original layaway receipt is the price you pay in the end. No matter what. If you don't have a copy of it, send me a PM and I will personally get it for you. I have the same head at my store and will check on the price for you as well. For some reason, I recall it being tagged at $999.98

If it WAS tagged for a sale at $100 off the clearance price and the sales guy just "put it in the back" without you putting money on it and getting a receipt, that is a whole other thing since it wasn't locked in. Not saying that is right or wrong, but he did a favor for you by doing that as it is against store policy to put gear in the back with no ticket. If the price went up and the tagged price wasn't on the receipt, there may not be much for you to do except talk to the store manager and see if he will do the deal.


To ad, if you do cancel the layaway you will get your money back in full. That is GC policy.

 

[Sniper-V]

Having a sales guy "hold" something is not the same thing as generating a layaway as an invoice which does in fact "lock" the price. Not a lawyer, but an invoice is a contract.

I have hands on experience with this in several MI retailers and they all work the same way as far as what a layaway does.

That was one of the huge benefits of layaway, which is being able to lock a sale price, clearance price, or even a pre-price increase price. That is unless the dealer is doing cash and carry only where no holds, layaways, or special orders.

 

[keith_t4e]

No problem then, I'll just get my money back. I've had one manager and another sales guy at the Raleigh NC store both tell me the exact same thing though-------after you put money down on an item, the price can and indeed does sometimes go up or down. If your store doesn't do this than good for you. I think it is absolutely a crazy thing to do. It makes no sense at all. I based my decision to buy the head on the 899 price not 1000. I took for granted as I went in Saturday and placed a couple hundred down that of course I was paying 200 and would only owe 700 more. When I looked at the receipt and saw a ballance or 862 down I then looked at the head to see a regular clearance price of 999. The green tag was gone. I wish I would have seen that first. Like I said. I'm sure it is an honest mistake. I'll be well within my rights to ask them for my money back Monday. This head has been on the floor since the vintage modern first came out. I guess it can site there two more years. Maybe the sales guy can call me next time it goes down to 850. Hopefully I'll have all the money next time. Thanks for clearing up the policy on returns for me. I only hope it doesn't damage my relationship with the sales guy whom I genuinely like. If you have the money and the timing is right you can find some good deals at GC sometimes. In NC the %7 sales tax is a killer though. It really motivates you to buy on line.