I applaud Music Stores for doing this.

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Chet Feathers

Authorized TonePros Dealer
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I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.

I remember taking my guitar to music stores all the time to check out amps & pedals.

It works better with small stores than the big ones where it's hard to watch everybody.

I mean what's to stop someone from showing up with an empty case & walking out with it filled if they can get some distraction going on.

Never mind swapping a guitar.

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It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.

That has been there policy for years.........they have someone standing guard at all GC stores at the front door. They don't even give you a bag for purchased items, until you ready the front door, and the guard gives you one. Until then.....you carry all your items loose in your hands.

I once went to one with a friend........he spent $2K for a new guitar and hardshell case. The salesman handled his new guitar, put it in the case, about 10 feet from the guard at the front door. We went to leave and were stopped. Then the guy made him open up the case to inspect the case and guitar, even though the salesman handled everything.

It's been going on for years........so I'm used to it, and expect it. I was only "insulted" the first time around. I guess a lot of musicians are thieves.

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"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."-John Wayne

I was just thinking.......I went to "Best Buy" with a puter for repair once. They stopped me at the front door and put stickers on my stuff. It was a puter that was no longer sold, but they still marked it, before I could go to the geek squad. Anyway......guess it's a sign of the times.

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"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."-John Wayne

Totally. Your friend needs to grow a spine.

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Live guitars: 2009 LTD Truckster, 1989 Strat Plus, 2001 Am Standard Strat, 1996 MIJ Jaguar, 2007 Gibson Explorer 76 reissue, 1999 Ibanez RG7621, LTD MH-301, LTD FM400, 1999 Jackson Kelly, Mystery Les Paul, Hamer Chaparel, Fender FM 62SCE A/E Mandolin

This is yet another classic example of the innocent suffering because of the guilty. The situation must have been rampant enough in order for them to make it policy. It is a shame but these are the ways of the world.

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You dig?

Nothing wrong with this policy. You and your friend may know what you brought in is more valuable than anything hanging on the walls. Some store personnel might too if they know their stuff as some GC employees do. But not all GC staff are all that on top of things, so do you really want a hassle when you're on your way out?

There's a second point. Copying down the S/N protects you from a dishonest employee claiming he saw you grab it off the wall. That is, a staffer who does realize what you have. If there's no proof that you walked in the door with it, what's to stop Mr. Crook from saying he saw you take it down and trying to convince the manager to hold it until they can verify it against their shipments. Remember: in retail a lot of thefts are by employees so not all policies (despite how they may seem) are aimed at the customer.

Coming from a small, rural upstate NY community I also understand the feeling of "why treat me like a criminal? We don't have any in this community." It took me a while to get used to everything being searched and really having to "leave all bags at the courtesy counter before shopping" when I moved to the big city of Rochester, NY. But that's the way it was ... no accusation of me ... just policy as one clerk explained.

Thus, my final point. You're not a criminal and it sounds like you live in a decent place where few others are. Why can't the store recognize that ... hey, this isn't LA so why treat me like some wanna-be gangbanger? The answer there is discrimination. Too often today if we make a different policy for "A" than for "B" then A yells discrimination. Sure, you can drag out statistics, crime rates, you name it, but that won't always help you in such a case. So sorry to say, it is in the company's best interest to apply the same rules in Des Moines as those used in Watts or downtown LA.