I'm done with Golfsmith

[golf_junkie27]

The last time I made a significant golf purchase it was at Golfsmith. I traded in some irons, woods, driver and wedges rather than dealing with ebay, etc. I knew it was nowhere near what I could have gotten but decided to take my loss in exchange for peace of mind.

Today, I walk in looking to try the new MP series of irons from Mizuno. They had them but did not have any demos nor did they offer to let me hit them. Fine, no problem, you'll just miss out on a potential sale.

I then walk over to the Adams Hybrids and see they are $119. I decide to walk over to the sale section and find the same exact hybrid, used, for $169. I tell a caddie that they are selling a used club for $50 more than the new version. Would he give me the used hybrid for say, 15%-20% less? He says no. That instead, get this, sell me a used club for the same price as a new one. Once I stopped laughing, shoot, I thought he was kidding, he says "No, really, I'll sell it to you for the price of a new one instead of $169." I looked at him, smiled, and walked away.

Before leaving, I stopped by their clearance section where they had the original Cally X Tours with S300 shafts for $500, brand spanking new. Yes, they are selling new clubs for less than what some people are getting for the same clubs used, on ebay. Yet, they don't want to sell used clubs for less than new ones. Unreal.

[trog2233]

welcome to retail sales....dont try to make sense of it. Its all messed up!

[Fat Slice]

I am guessing that the club manufacturer is giving some kind of spiff right now for selling the new clubs. They are probably keeping the used clubs where they are waiting to see if the promotion ends or if the new clubs go down permanently. If/when that happens they will be forced to reprice the used ones. For now, they should just keep them off the floor.

Agreed, retail is insanity.

[ControlJunkie]

If you really want a good laugh, go to your local Sports Authority. At the one here in New Orleans, I've seen all kinds of "new" clubs that are from a few years back, and they still have them at the full original MSRP. I know one in particular that I saw was the TM R7 SuperQuad, still in the shrink wrap, for $499. I had always heard great things about this driver, and if it would have been priced accordingly, there's a good chanced I would have picked it up, but for the full price of what it was when it was released? No way.

[Cussin hacker]

I've seen the same thing at my local golf shop. Makes no sense at all to me.

[allin]

I am guessing that the club manufacturer is giving some kind of spiff right now for selling the new clubs. They are probably keeping the used clubs where they are waiting to see if the promotion ends or if the new clubs go down permanently. If/when that happens they will be forced to reprice the used ones. For now, they should just keep them off the floor.

Maybe a consignment sale? Or previously used by Tom Watson

[n8dogg2669]

I ordered a set of Mizuno MP-52's last year about a month before they were t be released. So i get a date "I will have them Bye" and i pay for the irons, and a new driver. so i drop 1600 and walk out the door with a reciept for my purchase. So i get a call when my driver comes in, everyhting fine. I ask them if they know when i will get my irons and they say they are still scheduled to be on time. i was like ok. So the date I am supposed to get them comes and goes. I decide to be nice, even though i was super anxious to get my irons. So i go to golfsmith and the Manager is kinda a prick to me and tells me that the mizuno rep had no right to tell me when I would get them. My reply was, " you were standing right next to him, in fact you rang me up and had no problem taking my money, but now when i want my clubs that I already paid in full for i get the run around." So he calls his home office and says he will get back to me.. So another couple days go by and I have to call him back, he tells me they won;t be there for another couple weeks. Thats when i lost it. I went off on him, got all his info and contacted Golfsmith directly. So what does golfsmith do, they send me an email with someone elses purchase info for a set of titleist. Worst part of it was the email had the guys name, address, phone number AND CREDIT CARD NUMBER!!! I emailed back and told them that they need to fire whoever sent that email and explained what my situation was. I eventually got my irons, weeks later than i was supposed to have them and since I have not bought anything from golfsmith.. Pisses me off because they are the biggest golf retailer by me and I hate them.. sorry such a long rant, i just get fired up everytime i hear the name golfsmith

[ControlJunkie]

I ordered a set of Mizuno MP-52's last year about a month before they were t be released. So i get a date "I will have them Bye" and i pay for the irons, and a new driver. so i drop 1600 and walk out the door with a reciept for my purchase. So i get a call when my driver comes in, everyhting fine. I ask them if they know when i will get my irons and they say they are still scheduled to be on time. i was like ok. So the date I am supposed to get them comes and goes. I decide to be nice, even though i was super anxious to get my irons. So i go to golfsmith and the Manager is kinda a prick to me and tells me that the mizuno rep had no right to tell me when I would get them. My reply was, " you were standing right next to him, in fact you rang me up and had no problem taking my money, but now when i want my clubs that I already paid in full for i get the run around." So he calls his home office and says he will get back to me.. So another couple days go by and I have to call him back, he tells me they won;t be there for another couple weeks. Thats when i lost it. I went off on him, got all his info and contacted Golfsmith directly. So what does golfsmith do, they send me an email with someone elses purchase info for a set of titleist. Worst part of it was the email had the guys name, address, phone number AND CREDIT CARD NUMBER!!! I emailed back and told them that they need to fire whoever sent that email and explained what my situation was. I eventually got my irons, weeks later than i was supposed to have them and since I have not bought anything from golfsmith.. Pisses me off because they are the biggest golf retailer by me and I hate them.. sorry such a long rant, i just get fired up everytime i hear the name golfsmith

No need to apologize. You paid your money, and they didnt deliver remotely close to what they promised you. It's crappy customer service, plain and simple, and you had every right to be pissed, just like you have every right to relay that message. Hopefully others will read it, and avoid the same situation in the future.

I had a somewhat similar situation with Edwin Watts (though I never received some elses credit card #!), and it drove me nuts for weeks while I was waiting. I think I've only been back there once. They have the biggest and nicest store in the area, but I decided after that to start going to a nearby Nevada Bobs. The Bob's isnt as big or quite as nice as EW, but all of the guys that work there are very cool, and very helpful. They realize how far good customer service goes, and do anything in their power to make sure the customer is happy. Because of that, I'm a completely loyal customer to them! I actually just left there, $170 poorer but with a new Vokey 60° on the way. They took the time to put me on the lie board again, and make sure all the specs were going to be right. And guess what? 7 days from now, when it's time to order my VR combo set, guess who's getting my business! And once again, they'll have me on the lie board and on the launch monitor, to make sure that I'm getting what I need. Like I said, good customer service goes a very long way!

[Big_M]

I ordered a set of Mizuno MP-52's last year about a month before they were t be released. So i get a date "I will have them Bye" and i pay for the irons, and a new driver. so i drop 1600 and walk out the door with a reciept for my purchase. So i get a call when my driver comes in, everyhting fine. I ask them if they know when i will get my irons and they say they are still scheduled to be on time. i was like ok. So the date I am supposed to get them comes and goes. I decide to be nice, even though i was super anxious to get my irons. So i go to golfsmith and the Manager is kinda a prick to me and tells me that the mizuno rep had no right to tell me when I would get them. My reply was, " you were standing right next to him, in fact you rang me up and had no problem taking my money, but now when i want my clubs that I already paid in full for i get the run around." So he calls his home office and says he will get back to me.. So another couple days go by and I have to call him back, he tells me they won;t be there for another couple weeks. Thats when i lost it. I went off on him, got all his info and contacted Golfsmith directly. So what does golfsmith do, they send me an email with someone elses purchase info for a set of titleist. Worst part of it was the email had the guys name, address, phone number AND CREDIT CARD NUMBER!!! I emailed back and told them that they need to fire whoever sent that email and explained what my situation was. I eventually got my irons, weeks later than i was supposed to have them and since I have not bought anything from golfsmith.. Pisses me off because they are the biggest golf retailer by me and I hate them.. sorry such a long rant, i just get fired up everytime i hear the name golfsmith

You live in MI and you should really consider making the drive to

Carl's Golfland in Plymouth or Bloomfield Hills... I know it's a hike, but I have bought 3 sets of irons from them and several "other" things and they have always done me right. I can't say enough good things about the level of service I have always received at Carl's.

[Ty Haegs]

I then walk over to the Adams Hybrids and see they are $119. I decide to walk over to the sale section and find the same exact hybrid, used, for $169. I tell a caddie that they are selling a used club for $50 more than the new version. Would he give me the used hybrid for say, 15%-20% less? He says no. That instead, get this, sell me a used club for the same price as a new one. Once I stopped laughing, shoot, I thought he was kidding, he says "No, really, I'll sell it to you for the price of a new one instead of $169." I looked at him, smiled, and walked away.

if this is true then... wow.

did he ever say why it the used one was more?

[golf_junkie27]

if this is true then... wow.

No reason. I really thought he was kidding. I'm convinced that some of the sales team has no idea what's going on.

[sooperstring]

No reason. I really thought he was kidding. I'm convinced that some of the sales team has no idea what's going on.

I am not sure if this is true across the board, but when I worked in retail, store-level people didn't have the authority to make price adjustments. A lot of chain corporations control prices centrally, and someone (especially a low-level employee) would get pretty immediately fired for giving someone a deal.

Again, not sure if this is true for Golfsmith in particular, but if you owned a store, would you really want college kids to be able to pass out discounts to people?

[golf_junkie27]

I am not sure if this is true across the board, but when I worked in retail, store-level people didn't have the authority to make price adjustments. A lot of chain corporations control prices centrally, and someone (especially a low-level employee) would get pretty immediately fired for giving someone a deal.

In general, you are absolutely correct. However, let's apply a little bit of logic. You are selling a used product, identical to a new product, for $50 more. That item should be discounted. I would want my staff to give any person that item for less than the new one. Would you not feel the same?

[deronsizemore]

It happens in all types of retails sales. I worked two retail jobs before my current job and I swear I could have ran the companies better than the morons in charge. With retail sales, majority of the time the sales person cannot control prices. I'd imagine the sales rep thought selling the hybrid used for the same price as a new was crazy too, but being that he's not in a position of power, he can't change it. All it can do laugh about it and relay the message to you. It's a gravity issue.

I don't quite understand your gripe with the Mizuno MP series irons. You stated that they did not have any demo sets available... but you're upset because they still wouldn't let you hit the non-demo set? I don't see the problem there.

[Shindig]

So what does golfsmith do, they send me an email with someone elses purchase info for a set of titleist. Worst part of it was the email had the guys name, address, phone number AND CREDIT CARD NUMBER!!! I emailed back and told them that they need to fire whoever sent that email and explained what my situation was.

Did you call the guy whose credit card number Golfsmith gave you and let him know of the situation?

[pxc]

Did you call the guy whose credit card number Golfsmith gave you and let him know of the situation?

That's the really distressing part. I'm sure not using my CC there now.

[case31]

I am not sure if this is true across the board, but when I worked in retail, store-level people didn't have the authority to make price adjustments. A lot of chain corporations control prices centrally, and someone (especially a low-level employee) would get pretty immediately fired for giving someone a deal.

Golf Galaxy, which is literally a pitching wedge away from the Golfsmith store on the north side of Indianapolis, allows their sales people to make price adjustments. A year ago I was look for a specific Odyssey putter and found it there. They only had one in stock, with a ding on the club head. Luckily it doesn't affect the playability of the club at all. I asked what he could do, and he said, "How about 20% off?" I come back with 25%, done deal. I was happy, but with as quick as he caved to 25%, it made me think that I should have asked for at least 30%!

[golf_junkie27]

I don't quite understand your gripe with the Mizuno MP series irons. You stated that they did not have any demo sets available... but you're upset because they still wouldn't let you hit the non-demo set? I don't see the problem there.

On other threads, I've read where they place tape over the face of the iron and allow people to hit them. That aside, if you're selling a product, would you not have at least one iron available to demo?

I just don't understand the logic, really. In high school, I worked at my friend's dad's sporting good store. We used to do a lot of things, not only to make a sale but ensure a repeat customer. Things like giving away needles with purchases of a basketball and football, a baseball with the purchase of a glove, an extra set of shoelaces with some sneakers, any sale over $100 was rewarded with one of our sweaters. I remember these things because they worked. So, you'll have to excuse me if I feel that someone selling a $900 set of irons should have a demo available or at the very least make at least one iron available to hit....but what do I know.