Online guitar sellers - do me a favor

TBman · #1 02-26-2022, 02:09 PM

Take the "Sold" guitars out of your online inventory. Biggest frustration is seeing a great guitar and then when you bring it up to look at the specs SOLD hits you in the face

Pdubs76 · #2 02-26-2022, 02:35 PM

Yeah this annoys me as well. It’s almost as if they’re saying “ha ha…somebody beat you to it”.

RP · #3 02-26-2022, 03:02 PM

Some commercial websites allow the user to filter out items that are sold...

DanR · #4 02-26-2022, 04:20 PM

I have to give credit to Elderly Instruments. They are about 90 miles away from me. After the last 2 guitar purchases I made there, my guitar was gone from their website by the time I got home. Plus, last year I had them sell a guitar on consignment. It was a Martin 000-18. It was on their website on a Saturday morning and gone by the afternoon!

Llewlyn · #5 02-26-2022, 04:24 PM

Funny you mentioned this, I just refreshed the website of the merchant to see whether my new purchase (see my NGD thread) was taken off the website (and I was glad they did). It's so frustrating when they don't!

Ll.

milerun · #6 02-26-2022, 04:51 PM

I assume it's all because of "search." The more guitars they have listed on the page, the more likely Google is to place them in results when you're looking for a guitar—even if the one you want is sold out. But, yes, it's annoying.

TBman · #7 02-26-2022, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milerun

I assume it's all because of "search." The more guitars they have listed on the page, the more likely Google is to place them in results when you're looking for a guitar—even if the one you want is sold out. But, yes, it's annoying.

No it's the actual websites, but it is what it is

b1j · #8 02-26-2022, 06:45 PM

As truly fond of Sweetwater as I am, I still find them to be the most notorious at this.

pagedr · #9 02-26-2022, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBman

No it's the actual websites, but it is what it is

That’s what he’s saying, the more guitars they have listed on their site, the more chances they have for someone to search a term that drives a user to their site. Also helps them move up in the rankings and that sort of thing on Google.

Monsoon1 · #10 02-26-2022, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milerun

I assume it's all because of "search." The more guitars they have listed on the page, the more likely Google is to place them in results when you're looking for a guitar—even if the one you want is sold out. But, yes, it's annoying.

I've witnessed this many times. If you do a search on the site, it often will not show up. But the website maintains the database, and it can show up on google.

R22 · #11 02-26-2022, 08:35 PM

Soundpure. I don't think they've deleted a sold guitar from their website in like, forever. I'm on their email list, and I get notices of NEW ARRIVALS!!! I go to the site, and they have maybe two guitars that aren't sold.

I'm probably exaggerating a bit, but they are really bad at this.

KevinH · #12 02-26-2022, 09:40 PM

I figured many shops do that because if they didn't, there would be nothing to show

.

Dogma · #13 02-27-2022, 01:43 AM

For sites like Dream Guitars and Guitar Gallery that have videos and sound clips, I am glad they don't delete the sold instruments because it's great to be able to listen to them even if they are not currently for sale. Helps with research.

Brent Hutto · #14 02-27-2022, 06:48 AM

One local guitar shop has their web site linked to their inventory system. The guitars I've bought from them in recent years (since they've had the current system) had specs and photos of the actual instrument showing on the web page but by the time I paid and got to my car, I checked on my phone and the one I bought guitar was no longer showing. Pretty cool integration.

It's a little thing but I do appreciate businesses that have their infrastructure well sorted like that. It also works with electric guitar pedals and other accessories.

However, in one case they had two identical guitars in stock and after my purchase they accidentally removed the other guitar and left mine showing online. Oops! I checked the next day and they had fixed the issue, mine was no longer showing and the other one was back to being pictured.

Dru Edwards · #15 02-27-2022, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBman

No it's the actual websites, but it is what it is

Barry, since you mentioned Brickhouse Guitars outside Toronto a couple of months ago (for their Furchs), I've been going there 3-4 times a week to look at their used inventory. They keep the sold guitars on their site but it's well marked.

I like seeing some sold guitars as long as it is easily filterable. If not I feel like I'm wasting time ready to potentially buy something that isn't available.