Music & Arts — Local services in Westerville

As someone who learned of this place by recommendation from other previous customers of this store, I was very disappointed with the rude customer service I received from a male store employee who was asked to take a look at an older violin that was passed down to me as a family heirloom. Two generations of my family before me learned to play violin on this instrument including my grandmother who would be over 100 years old now if she was still living today and my aunt who was born with a sensorineural hearing loss which we all feel was a miraculous accomplishment given the significance of her hearing loss and how difficult it must have been for her to tune the instrument before playing. Although in the end the instrument may not be worth much to anyone else, I felt like I was annoying this store’s employee and wasting his time. I did not have any opportunity to ask any questions and certainly did not appreciate his condescending comments about it being cheaply made or his sarcastic comment about another violin in our family that I mentioned possibly being a Stradivarius. As someone from a family who takes pride in taking care of what we have, being disappointed that I never had the opportunity to learn to play a stringed instrument myself, and who may someday have a child who wants to learn to play the violin like her family members before her I am certain that this employee did nothing to make me feel comfortable coming back to this store for purchase of a new instrument or any kind of repair of any instrument I own. The one star that I am giving in my rating was for the friendly female employee who answered my questions on the phone and who greeted me when I arrived. She also I think was trying her best to reach over the rude male employee to place my violin gently back into its case when he did not seem to care what...

This summer, Music and Arts in Westerville took possession of 2 speakers I was having repaired by a 3rd party that they work with.

As I dropped off my property for repair, I found it odd that the sales associate gushed about my high end equipment and how he would want something similar if putting together a high end sound system.

Fast forward to 10/31/22. I was told over the phone by the store manager that BOTH of my items were ready for pickup. After a 40 minute drive, I arrive to find only one of my speakers, the other one had mysteriously vanished. A piece of property whose value exceeds $1,000, which is a felony in Ohio.

Here we are, over 1 month after I was informed that my property was ready for pickup and still no speaker and still no resolution.

Within the police report I made, the store acknowledges the receipt of my property and admit they have not been able to find it. Additionally, the store states that it has no cameras in the front of house. They also state that it is their procedure to bring items to the front register ( which which has no cameras ) when a repaired item returns to their store, which I find to be a gross oversight in these specific instances and puts customers property in jeopardy of mysteriously disappearing, like my property did.

Every point of contact and expectation on how they plan to resolve my issue I have had to initiate. 2 separate calls to follow up I left a message for the store manager, only to receive no call. The explanation I have been given by the store manager is that he was busy or forgot to follow up with me.

I have since reached out to Guitar Center corporate, who owns Music and Arts. They however seem helpful and eager to learn more about my experience and I’m ready to tell them and others...

Be careful of the DETAILS!! I did a "rent to own" purchase of a USED cello four years ago for my 10year old daughter. It was a "child's size" cello. This aggreement was with the understanding that we would be able to trade in for a larger cello when she grew into one. Over the last four years we became frustrated statements became very infrequentwith and that resulted in payments being late. So we paid it off early, about 1 year ago. The contract only says "to ask about exchange and early pay off priviliges" NOTHING was ever said verbally, or in writing that you forfeit these priviliges when/if you pay off your instrument. When we called we were given conflicting reasons why we cannot do an exchange. First, because we paid it off early and got a discounted price! Then it just became that we paid it off. Interesting change in the wording. Either you have an exchange policy or you don't! There is NOTHING in the contract about this other than what I mentioned. This feels VERY MUCH LIKE A BAIT AND SWITCH. Further, we're told they "don't do buybacks" either and we have to go to a third party to try to sell it. I have my own retail shop and know the importance of communicating to a customer... They did the opposite and have forever lost this one and I warn others of...