Complaint Review: Sweetwater Sound

I ordered a few items from Sweetwater Sound. Most went back but one item I was very happy with. It was a Fender Princeton RI amp. I paid $870 for this amp and after I bought it I found it had a rattle/buzz when played at volumes of 5+. I researched and found outr this is an issue with some of these amps but it had an easy fix so I decided to keep it anyway.

I then found out I could get the amp for $719 shipped from another MAJOR online music gear retailer so I emailed my sales guy at sweetwater and asked for an RA# and he gave me one. I then asked if he could just credit me back the price difference of $150 and i would keep the amp. He said he would do $100 so I agreed.

2 weeks later no credit. I emailed him and he said it takes 10 business days for BILL ME LATER to credit the $. But he said he did it 11 days prior. I called BML and they said NO CREDIT was done. I emailed my sales engineer again and he said OOPS, I DID IT WRONG, so he said he would do it again but correctly this time. Another week goes by and nothing. I called BILL ME LATER and they said no credit was issued and by law they have to credit back the $$ within 3 business days, not 10.

At this point it was obvious my sales engineer (BILL LEWIS AT SWEETWATER) was lying to me about the credit so i would be stuck with the amp as I only have so many days after the RA# to get it back. he drug this out for 3 weeks with no credit. He then started to IGNORE all of my emails and calls. I sent a final e-mail to him and management stating the amp was going back due to the $100 that was never credited. I shipped the amp back using my RA#, UPS insured. Cost me $35 to ship back.

3 days later I get that $100 credit and a week later I get a credit of $515. This is $615 total when I paid $870 for the amp. They shorted me about $255 for no reason! They never called me, never e-mailed me, nothing. Just shorted my refund. I sent an e-mail once again and left phone messages. I still have not heard back from them on this so I am writing here as well as on various music/gear forums. I also am disputing with BML.

Either way I will not be paying this $255. Either sweetwater refunds it or BML can take it up with them. If they ever contact me or get this taken care of I will update this complaint. I ended up shopping at their main competitor and paid 20% less and received everything without hassle. I would NEVER buy from sweetwater ever again and I have spent about $8k at other music shops in the last 2 years.

Steve
Flora, Illinois
U.S.A.