Guitar Center — Local services in Raritan

I bought my son his first guitar here, I was sold a protection plan on the guitar and amp. I opted for the plan given my son was 8 and figured something could happen and replacement coverage would be a good thing to have. Within two weeks we noticed not all the pickups worked. I brought it back to the store to get it fixed under the protection plan but they told me the plan was only on the amp. Obviously I wouldn't opt for the plan only on the amp, my son's 8, the guitar could get dropped etc. The cashier rang it up wrong, I was handed a protection plan with a picture of a guitar on it. How would I have realized that? I just spoke with the manager Alex who offered to discount the service but I told him that wasn't enough. I want the plan on the guitar the least he could do was sell me that. He told me there's nothing he could do for me, I was more than nice on the phone but felt like he immediately just put me in the annoying customer who wants something for nothing category. Less than helpful. I am a business man myself and I explained this is bad business but still nothing he could do. Overall not happy, I can't believe they wouldn't do the...

I like the convenience of Guitar Center. You can try all guitars you want without someone checking everything on your neck. Not intimidating at all. Yet I went to buy a Gretch. There were so many buzz notes I asked them to adjust the set up and was told (after check) there were some defects on the frets etc.... I ended up ordering a new one. Came the week after to pick up the new guitar and again buzz notes. Don’t get me wrong, it’s normal to have buzz notes (humidity, string gauge,...) but this is why guitars have all their adjustments options (saddles, neck...). So I asked them to make the adjustment. I was totally snobbed and told “all guitars have buzz notes, even the most expensive, you won’t hear them if you plug the guitar in the amp”. Wait, really? Buzz notes can and must be fixed. They kill the sustain of your strings and just sound bad. Worse answer I could have received. Not pro at all. They also offer me to try the other one on shelf. It was the one I tried the week before and they identified with factory defects! (Trying to sell it as is to someone who doesn’t know anything about guitars I...

I stopped in at 8:30pm when the staff to customer ratio was about 4:1 and my daughter and I were browsing the guitar wall. She's taking lessons and we're shopping for an electric. No staff ever asked if we needed help so I took the guitars down myself. We spent at least 25 minutes in there looking at various pieces and walked out. We weren't greeted walking in, no help while there and nothing on the way out. I get that it was 30 minutes before closing but don't they work on commission? We were looking at Fender strats and need a case and amp too. Oops, there goes $1000 you didn't sell. UPDATE: We visited again after four years since this last review. It was 40 minutes before closing this time and the three people working just chatted amongst themselves for the 20 minutes that I meandered around the store. Not once did they even acknowledge that I was there, let alone ask if I needed help. I'm beginning to think I'm Bruce Willis...