Already sold but 'in stock'

[Outlander]

Please tell me if I am out of my mind here or not.

Just saw a post on FB by an established PRS dealer. He invited the public to come play and try out a new model of PRS guitar. The following quote is from his FB post
" I have a 2 in stock that you can check out. (They are already sold, just waiting to be picked up by their owners)."

Am I crazy to think this is so far over the line as to be stunning? If it was my new guitar he was using as a demo model I'd cancel the order. As it is, I have made a note to NEVER do business with this guy. We're talking brand new guitars and this guy is using them as demo models?

 

[Glide-bpm]

Saw it....

 

[veinbuster]

I doubt if the intention was to let random people wail away on someone else’s guitar.
John is a member here and known to be a good guy.

 

[Outlander]

"I doubt if the intention was to let random people wail away on someone else’s guitar."

I have no idea what the intention may or may not have been. All I have to go on is what was publicly posted.


The post is quoted here:
"Come on over today and test drive PRS Guitars newest model - Silver Sky. I have a 2 in stock that you can check out. (They are already sold, just waiting to be picked up by their owners). "

We can debate what 'test drive' means all day long. I don't know the new owner or the shop involved so it is no skin off my nose one way or the other. The shop may have the new owner's permission. Hell, the new owner might have requested it. Who knows? I I certainly don't.

What appears clear to me is that the general public was indeed invited to come play already sold guitars. So forget who did this, that is of no interest to me.


My original question still stands.
Assuming you ordered a new, fresh from the factory, high end guitar; Do you consider it acceptable for a dealer to use your guitar as a demo model?

 

[veinbuster]

No, I would not want my guitar to be used as a demo without being consulted first, and being able to say no. I had no issue with a dealer showing my guitar to customers who might be interested in something similar.

 

[garrett]

I know it's early, but I'm gonna go ahead and call it...

 

[HANGAR18]

I have heard of many disreputible dealers doing that sort of thing.
I have even heard of dirtbag shop owners renting out guitars which are in for repair.

 

[WEDGE]

I have even heard of dirtbag shop owners renting out guitars which are in for repair.

Like the Seinfeld episode where his dry cleaner wore his jacket

 

[Birdsofprey]

And everyone thought social media was so great.....hee hee dough!

 

[HANGAR18]

Like the Seinfeld episode where his dry cleaner wore his jacket

The worst story I heard was where the customer got his guitar back and there was residue of beer spilled on it, it smelled like smoke and there were a couple of cigarette burns on it when he picked it up from being worked on.

Back in the late 90's when there was a 1 year waiting list for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. A lot of dealers were not calling the customer right away when the bike got delivered to the dealership in order for them to use it as a demo bike for a while. Not only that but these Harley dealers were also marking up the price of bikes ABOVE MSRP just because of how back-ordered they were.

So here we are, in a year far into the future where surely mankind has evolved by now... The year is 2018, PRS has nearly a one year backlog of Silver Sky orders. But alas, we discover that dealers still do stupid stuff like this.

 

[alantig]

This happened to me with me Silver Sky - sort of. I bought the guitar, but left it at the counter because I was talking to a few people there. My sales guy came up and said, “Hey, I need to ask you something, and feel free to say no - it’s your guitar. But there’s a guy over here that drive here from a couple hours away to see the guitar, but I’m not going to do that if you don’t want to.” And I did - dude played for about 20 minutes and I’m pretty sure he ordered one.

Now, if I’d looked over and see. Someone playing it after I’d paid for it, different story. Then I’d be pissed. But I’m not going to judge this dealer without knowing the full story.

 

[11top]

No buttons, no belts, (or) no service.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

This happened to me with me Silver Sky - sort of. I bought the guitar, but left it at the counter because I was talking to a few people there. My sales guy came up and said, “Hey, I need to ask you something, and feel free to say no - it’s your guitar. But there’s a guy over here that drive here from a couple hours away to see the guitar, but I’m not going to do that if you don’t want to.” And I did - dude played for about 20 minutes and I’m pretty sure he ordered one.

Now, if I’d looked over and see. Someone playing it after I’d paid for it, different story. Then I’d be pissed. But I’m not going to judge this dealer without knowing the full story.

A bit like delivery mileage!

 

[Deleted member 5962]

No buttons, no belts, (or) no service.

Don't forget Sergio's sequins

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Don't forget Sergio's sequins

Really, who could?

 

[Rider1260]

I said it on FB whoever decides "not to do business" with John Mann , IT IS YOUR LOSS -
Lets see you go to dealer , guitar on wall sold as new how many folks have fondled it before you.
You have NO idea if John has talked to buyers before hand ( Bet he did )
Great Dealers and folks here its not right to assume the worst.

PIE