Guitar Center False Advertizing, Bait and Switch, Not to Mention Very Poor Communication, Internet

I was browsing for an audio interface and found one that fit my needs at a significantly discounted price at guitarcenter.com. So I placed an order. I got an email confirmation. A day or so later, I got an email about the product being backordered a couple of weeks. No worries since I didn't need it right away and I think it was listed as out of stock on the site.

The real worries came when I got an email a day or so after that when I got an email saying that the price that I paid was not the real price of the interface. It also said that for my inconvenience, they would like to offer the interface at the special price of...$650 more! I replied saying that it was advertized at the original price, I placed an order at the original price and that the order was approved and confirmed at that original price, and to please send the unit at the price we agreed on asap. There was no reply, so I assumed that all was well.

After about a week, I noticed that this item was in stock at several other dealers and I hadn't seen mine. I called them to see if mine had shipped yet. They told me that the order was cancelled. I asked them why and they told me that it was a special edition that is no longer available. According to the manufacturer, there was no special edition of this product and my email confimation says nothing of the sort. They refused to honor the price that was advertized and that they confirmed. They just kept saying that would be happy to make me a great deal on the product. I kept saying how about the deal that we agreed on in the first place. I asked who was there who can make the decision to do you what you said you were going to do and he said nobody. I told him that the Better Business Bureau can. He essentially told me to do what I want, but he would not honor the price.

This is a text book case of bait and switch. You advertize a price that is way lower than anybody else so that it shows up on Froogle. Then you get the customer so deep into the buying process before you jack up the price or move them to something more expensive and profitable that they figure "screw it" and just pay the extra money. I'm not going to and neither should you. If you are shopping for a piece of pro audio gear and see a great price at guitarcenter.com, don't get your hopes up. You won't end up getting the deal that they advertize, even if they confirm it and "approve" it. Save the hassle. Order from somebody else.