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Post by CAFeathers on Aug 18, 2004 14:20:02 GMT -5
This is floating around the internet. Recently you received a letter from Gibson regarding significant changes in the company's web policy. Gibson's intent is to drive more customers into your store, thus making your store a destination location. It has always been Gibson's desire to have sales of their instruments be done on a personal level, not on a "point and click" shopping cart level. It is only when the end consumer interacts with your sales staff can the "Gibson story" be told, and an instrument be truly matched to that individual consumer's personal needs. Pursuant to that goal, and effective immediately, all authorized Gibson & Epiphone dealers are expected to comply with the following: Internet sales of all new Gibson Brand instruments and products, including Gibson USA, Gibson Montana, Gibson Memphis, Gibson OAI, Slingerland, Tobias, Gibson Custom/Historic, Epiphone, Valley Arts, Gibson Strings and Accessories are to cease immediately. All authorized GMI dealers will be allowed to advertise that they are an "AUTHORIZED GIBSON DEALER" and link to the Gibson website, www.gibson.com. Photos of "in-stock" instruments currently in dealer's inventory will not be allowed to be published on dealer's website. Consumers are to be encouraged to actually visit the store to purchase instruments, or contact the store regarding a purchase via phone or email. Authorized GMI dealers will be allowed to email consumers photos of specific guitars in dealer's inventory. Specific artwork and advertising templates for authorized dealers will be made available for dealer's use on their websites. These materials will be made available for download on Gibson's internet press site, www.gibson.com/press. Advertising outside of dealer's immediate market area as specified in the Gibson Dealer Agreement will not be allowed. This includes (but not limited to) any printed materials such as catalogs, flyers, etc. If there is a question as to your specific market area, please contact XXXXXXXXXXX at Gibson, XXXXXXXXXXX, XXXX. Sales of new Gibson brand instruments at guitar shows, music events, concerts, music festivals, etc. outside of dealer's approved market area are not allowed" |
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Post by gearhead41 on Aug 18, 2004 21:02:26 GMT -5
Gibson's offical policy is to stick head as far up ass as possible before making a decision....
All I got to say is that it's good for Fender, PRS, Gretsch, and lot's of house brnads like Agile...
Stupid Gibson, really STUPID...
Yeah, that Internet thing..that consumers demanding choice and competition, yeah right..it's JUST A FAD...
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Post by Smooth on Aug 18, 2004 21:11:05 GMT -5
Where did that letter/statement come from Chet?
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Post by gearhead41 on Aug 18, 2004 21:13:30 GMT -5
a dealer leaked it... already a response on the Gibson site....
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Post by CAFeathers on Aug 18, 2004 21:25:31 GMT -5
Where did that letter/statement come from Chet? I have found that same letter on just about every forum around that discusses Gibson. I can not find the original post I read. |
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Post by Steelpriest on Aug 18, 2004 22:33:52 GMT -5
Stupid Gibson, really STUPID... Yeah, that Internet thing..that consumers demanding choice and competition, yeah right..it's JUST A FAD... Choice and competition... I guess that´s what it is all about. If this is true Gibson tries to hamper competiton, in my opinion not to protect authorized dealers, but to keep prices high for Gibson instruments. What a policy of arrogance... Hopefully this is only for the U.S. market and not for us Germans. *sigh*  |
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Post by dgassie on Aug 18, 2004 22:40:21 GMT -5
uuuhhh... maybe it's true. I just went to the Epiphone Forum and posting is no longer allowed. Maybe it's only a glitch but it seems to much of a coincedence.  Dan |
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Post by Smooth on Aug 19, 2004 0:10:25 GMT -5
a dealer leaked it... already a response on the Gibson site.... The letter to Gibson dealers was intended to be confidential information between Gibson and it's dealers. It is not open to discussion on this forum so the posts have been deleted. We appreciate your opinions and are well aware of how you feel. Until this matter subsides this forum is closed. Gibson Customer Service 1-800-4GIBSON service@gibson.com Man that is big time out of line. I need to ask some people about all this. They may as well just do away with the official forums altogether like they were going to do a while back, it has done nothing but cause themselves problems. |
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Post by CAFeathers on Aug 19, 2004 0:17:37 GMT -5
Apparently both the official Gibson and official Epi forums have been shut down.
I would really like to know what is going on. There are a lot of people getting pretty upset over this.
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Post by Steelpriest on Aug 19, 2004 0:28:38 GMT -5
The letter to Gibson dealers was intended to be confidential information between Gibson and it's dealers. It is not open to discussion on this forum so the posts have been deleted. We appreciate your opinions and are well aware of how you feel. Until this matter subsides this forum is closed. Gibson Customer Service 1-800-4GIBSON service@gibson.com  ;D  Lmfao... it was "intended" to be confidential... but it wasn´t kept confidential, so please act as if you never heard about it, don´t discuss it anymore, but BUY our guitars. We only want your money... ;D |
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Post by hcoll on Aug 19, 2004 5:37:53 GMT -5
...so that's what was going on at Guitar Trader yesterday when I was just checking things out...no Gibsons...no Epi's................
...I don't find this policy unique to Gibson...try to find a Taylor online...no individual product pictures........also...Taylor ended its forum not too long ago..............
...guess there was too much negative comments being made...counter-productive to their marketing strategies...tough to sell an guitar to a new customer when all they hear about are the things that picky musicians harp on about.................
...sure glad we've got this forum...we can "harp on" about things we don't like without any interference from the corporate boardroom...the free exchange of information is what makes the internet so powerful...that's why letters like that get "leaked"................
...it'll be interesting to see how this pans out...will Fender...Martin...PRS...Rickenbacker...follow suit...I wouldn't expect to see any Asian mass-producer doing this...they don't have any forums either...............
...also...it'll be interesting to see how the online merchants are affected...musicians friend...etc...my only comment for them would be that Gibson/Epiphone ought to improve the stock pictures of their products...similar to what Martin shows on its site...and...make absolutely sure that all product information is correct...there is nfe for listing a 24.75" neck scale when it's actually 25.5"................
...addendum...............
...just read on another forum...Musicians Friend...aka "Guitar Center's Online Outlet"...is exempt from all of this..................
...now ain't that interesting.......................
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Post by hcoll on Aug 20, 2004 20:53:13 GMT -5
...now that I've had a chance to mull it over...I couldn't resist posting the following on the EpiForum...I'll probably get booted off for doing...I've been thrown out of better places than that........ ;D
******************************************
...I have two Epiphone guitars...each was purchased at an authorized Gibson-Epiphone dealer...at no time during the purchases was the "Gibson Story" mentioned...anyone here ever hear it during one of their purchases...doubtful...........
...if Gibson/Epiphone wants us to "window shop" at their website...I would only ask that they please improve their pictures and make sure that the information for each of their products is accurate...I recently made an online purchase of an Epi Dove only to find out that the 24.75" neckscale advertised on their website and in their catalog was inaccurate...it's actually 25.5" and that information has been corrected on their website...last time I looked..........
...how they market their products is their business.........
...we've all had the option of voting with our wallets/feet right from the getgo...Gibson/Epiphone knows that...it's called supply and demand in a Free Market Capitalism............
...what bothers me about all of this is the supposed exception that was granted to Guitar Center's Online Outlet...aka...Musicians Friend...the biggest or one of the biggest online retailers...I believe Gibson/Epiphone crossed a line when it granted this exception...let me explain..........
...although the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 deals with railroad abuse...part of it still bears repeating...it dealt with farmers wanting to get their produce to market...the law said the shippers (farmers) had to receive the same rates available to big business...discrimination against small markets was made illegal..........
...The Sherman AntiTrust Act of 1890 went further...(paraphrase)...every contract...or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States...is declared to be illegal.......
...because Gibson/Epiphone granted Musicians Friend (MF) an exception...letting them publish pictures of their guitars...that agreement is a "restraint in trade" because it gives MF an unfair advantage over all the other smaller online retailers...and...it gives MF an unfair advantage over the small brick & mortar retailers because it allows MF to compete against them in a broader market area where MF can pass-on volume discounts to customers not available to the small brick & mortar retailers........
...I'm a beancounter...not a lawyer...I'd appreciate any critique that is constructive...........
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flyv
Full Member
Posts: 71
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Post by flyv on Sept 18, 2004 17:51:24 GMT -5
i own 3 epiphones and they are decent guitars for the money...my next will be a gretsch...and it will be purchased online.hope someone at gibson is listening...
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Post by gearhead41 on Sept 18, 2004 20:45:13 GMT -5
Aw, shucks this whole internet thing...... It's just a fad.... Consumers having choice....aw, screw that... This is the most screwed up business strategy I've every seen... |
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Post by JoMan on Sept 19, 2004 3:28:24 GMT -5
hey flyv! tell us about that grestch when you have it! I've played some Gretsch guitars, they're cool, if you like that gretsch sound...
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;D 
Lmfao... it was "intended" to be confidential... but it wasn´t kept confidential, so please act as if you never heard about it, don´t discuss it anymore, but BUY our guitars. We only want your money... ;D