First Sam Ash Purchase - Fender Rumble Studio 40

[nomadh]

I got a used beringer 300 w head for $100 used at gc. Later bought a 15" cab for $80. Works great from desk practice to stage.
I was going to say dont hold your breath for a selection of sx bases but if in stock go for it.
I like the selection of bases at Harley benton.too.
I also really likes the squier jag bass with p/j pickups.

[Mossman]

Well, this has been an interesting experience to say the least... To recap; I ordered this amp last Friday and was told that I'd be able to pick it up at my local Sam Ash store in a "couple of days" (either Tuesday or Wednesday). When I got the tracking number, the ETA was not Tuesday, or Wednesday, but Friday. The amp didn't even appear in FedEx's system until early Tuesday morning, at which time the delivery date changed to next Monday! I also found out that their warehouse is in Indiana, so it doesn't make sense why anybody would promise the amp would be here that quickly. There's no way all orders get expedited shipping... That's crazy. I figured maybe they were just telling me what I wanted to hear, since I told them I was first-time customer and I usually do most of my business with Sweetwater. It still didn't make any sense, but, you know, people don't make sense sometimes.

Then I got a call from my Sam Ash rep this afternoon asking me how I like my new amp!

I said: "I don't know, you said I should have it by Tuesday or Wednesday, but it still hasn't arrived yet". He was like: "Whaaaaa???" He didn't have a clue. I told him the package didn't go anywhere until Tuesday, and I had no idea why anyone would think it would get here from Indiana by Wednesday. Then he made some vague, mumbling statement like: "Oh yeah, I think they have a... thing there about 'no move' days...". I don't know if he was talking about FedEx, or the warehouse, or what the hell a "no move day" is, but I was at work and I didn't feel like getting into it, so I got off the phone with him.

When I got home from work, there was an email from him titled: "Great talking to you today!", and I thought maybe he threw me a coupon for a future purchase, or a discount, or something to make up for the inconvenience?

Nope.... It was just a form letter basically thanking me for being a Sam Ash customer. But the kicker was, it ended with: "Don’t forget – if there’s anything you need I can take your order over the phone. I’ll make sure you always get the guaranteed best deal, along with free 2nd day delivery on most orders."

How frickin' tone-deaf is that?

So it would seem that they weren't just telling me what I wanted to hear.... They have a standing policy of telling everybody that they'll get their stuff in two days, and I don't see how that's a smart business plan. You might entice some people to place orders with quick shipping, but people tend to get annoyed when they don't get their gear when it's promised. Of course, they can always use the pandemic as an excuse, but that's not going to make the customer feel less disappointed. I'm not upset or anything. It's a first-world problem... But the fact that they couldn't even acknowledge that they dropped the ball on this one, or make a token effort to make up for it, doesn't make me feel all warm and fuzzy about ordering any more gear from them... I'm going back to Sweetwater.

On the up-side, the package arrived in California yesterday, and this afternoon the delivery date changed from Monday to Saturday, so I should have the amp tomorrow!

[Mossman]

Well this is interesting... Now FedEx tracking is back to saying the amp is going to arrive on Monday ( ), but it also says it's on the truck for delivery... It's literally a 30 minute drive away, but Sam Ash doesn't open until noon, so we'll see what happens.

[Mossman]

Ok, this keeps getting more hilarious as it goes... Yesterday, I kept checking the tracking periodically to see if the amp had been delivered to the store yet, until it said that an unsuccessful delivery had been attempted at 5:07pm and they would attempt another delivery on Tuesday. Sam Ash is open until 7:00, so I called my local store to find out what was up. They had no idea what I was talking about, and they put me through to a customer service rep. He said that the person I placed my order with was a salesman at their Tampa, FL store (I thought I had been dealing with someone at their central call center, not a store), and they had no idea why I was promised 2nd day delivery, as Sam Ash has no such policy unless you pay for expedited shipping, so this store is definitely operating off the reservation. He also gave me Sammy Ash's personal email address and suggested I contact him and inform him of the situation. So I did... I wasn't angry or contentious about it either, but I did mention that this was my first time ordering from Sam Ash, and that I could have gotten the same deal (or better) from Sweetwater, and I'd have my amp by now, without any broken promises.

This morning, I got a voice-mail from the manager of the Tampa store requesting that I call him... He sounded very annoyed, and I had no desire to get into a tense conversation first thing on a Sunday morning, so I blew it off. Then, I got a call from my local store just a few minutes ago, and they told me that FedEx just dropped off my amp!

Alls well that ends well I suppose, but this experience just makes me appreciate Sweetwater even more.