Bargain Center: discussion, gossip, etc.

[jiten]

I was shipped a new Fanfare box from MF. Tracking information indicates the package will be here Saturday.

So if MF is now refunding money, I assume this box is it for me. If it works, then awesome otherwise I may end up with my money back as well.

(EDIT: well if they're crediting $25 I guess I'll be getting most of it back, not all seeing as I paid $30).

[Mikelo]

Just checked DHL tracking, and I see that both of my copies of Rumble and Fanfare have just arrived here in the UK.
So does that mean, regardless of receiving them, installing them, I will not be able to register either product now???

[pheeleep]

I was shipped a new Fanfare box from MF. Tracking information indicates the package will be here Saturday.

So if MF is now refunding money, I assume this box is it for me. If it works, then awesome otherwise I may end up with my money back as well.

(EDIT: well if they're crediting $25 I guess I'll be getting most of it back, not all seeing as I paid $30).

They will refund your $30 AND give you a $25 credit on top of that

[Orbit-50]

I find it very weird that both products are still listed on sale for $29.99 and in stock on the Musicians Friend website. You would think that they would remove it if there was a real problem. Seems kind of fishy to me. Maybe I'm missing something though.



.-.

[BBFG#]

Yep - just got the same e-mail. MF will be sending me a shipping label to return the disks, will refund my money and will give me a $25 credit. The e-mail states "At this time, Sample Logic is not allowing products sold by Musician’s Friend to be registered." If MF bought the products from Sample Logic, why would SL not allow them to be registered?

As expected, though, MF is doing the right thing.

MF confirmed this for me also.
Shame, I liked the Fanfare (in demo mode) quite a bit.
It's doubtful I'll ever consider any product from Sample Logic now.

I think they've "cut off their nose in spite of their face" here.

[jiten]

I was shipped a new Fanfare box from MF. Tracking information indicates the package will be here Saturday.

So if MF is now refunding money, I assume this box is it for me. If it works, then awesome otherwise I may end up with my money back as well.

(EDIT: well if they're crediting $25 I guess I'll be getting most of it back, not all seeing as I paid $30).

They will refund your $30 AND give you a $25 credit on top of that

Wow really? Totally misread that. Very classy of them!

[chilln]

MFriend responded but only offered to return my money.

Has anyone got a replacement for the Fanfare Software?

I did call Musician's Friend (before they posted a reply in this thread) and they were kind to send me a replacement and a shipping label to return the first copy. I haven't received them yet, though. Tracking reports that it is at the post office in Kansas City.

[bharris22]

I would have preferred a working copy of Fanfare, but totally understand that they cannot seemingly provide one at the $29.99 price. I agree that Sample Logic has really blown it with this one - they come off looking very badly.

[cytoSonic]

Wow.

I consider myself lucky for being one of the few to get these samples packs working correctly. As I said earlier, they are pretty nice (not $399(!) nice, but certainly a bargain at $29).

Musicians Friend has sure been the class act in this fiasco.

Sample Logic OTOH, has come across as real turds. I hope they are reading this thread and do something to make up to all of the people who got burned here. I understand them wanting to protect the "exclusive" price point of their products. But business is business and if the stock they sold to MF had to be liquidated to make room for better selling inventory, that's just how things go. Instead of viewing this sale as an opportunity to expose their products to customers who wouldn't normally be able to afford them (which it was), they apparently viewed it as affront to their precious pride. While I like the products I received, I will never purchase a Sample Logic product in the future. Turds

-Brad

[Uncle E]

But business is business and if the stock they sold to MF had to be liquidated to make room for better selling inventory, that's just how things go.

Actually, we dealers sign contracts with the manufacturers stating that we will not advertise below the prices they dictate. That's why you see us offering coupon codes, add-to-cart discounts, login-for-prices, and all kinds of other silliness.

[cytoSonic]

Actually, we dealers sign contracts with the manufacturers stating that we will not advertise below the prices they dictate. That's why you see us offering coupon codes, add-to-cart discounts, login-for-prices, and all kinds of other silliness.

I understand that (I have advanced degrees in finance and management). But given the size of MF, I'm sure their lawyers wouldn't have let them do anything that constituted a breach of the contract. Maybe Sample Logic was naive when they originally started supplying MF and maybe they are regretting their decisions now. The fact is it doesn't matter. They handled this very poorly. At the same time this was going on, MF was offering a Geist SE pack for a ridiculously low price. When it was brought up at the fXpansion forum, one of the partners there said something along the lines of "wow, that's a great deal, you should pick it up!" Sample Logic did not handle things with the same grace.

-Brad

[Uncle E]

At the same time this was going on, MF was offering a Geist SE pack for a ridiculously low price. When it was brought up at the fXpansion forum, one of the partners there said something along the lines of "wow, that's a great deal, you should pick it up!"

That's why we've got all our FXpansion inventory on sale right now, it's clear they don't mind.

[audientronic]

Does anyone know if I can attempt the Fanfare registration without installing all the samples? I'd like to know if I have a dud before filling up my drive. I'm kind of new to Kontakt so any insight is appreciated.

[bharris22]

My guess is that you should be able to try to authorize it after just installing the first disc - the other two only have samples in them.

[pheeleep]

Rumble is really nice. Been wanting Marching band drums for a while. $30 was a steal. Some of the presets were pointing to some obscure path so I had to search for the samples in Kontakt. A tad annoying. Most of the presets loaded just fine though. Didn't spend a lot of time with it but explored a bit and found some very inspiring sounds.

Fanfare. Crappy serial, no way to get a new serial, Musicians Friend is refunding, giving away $25 for the pain and paying to ship the shitty Fanfare's back to MF (basically the demo discs). The Rumble and Fanfare shrink wrap was exactly the same. I think MF received these like this. I don't like that MF has to make up to it's customers for the serials being crappy. Manufacturer should have given all buyers a new serial.

Also, having to deal with UPS to ship the item back, the time I spent installing the Fanfare demo, etc.. And then the manufacturer not trying to help solve the problem does not leave me with a good impression of this brand. Musicians Friend on the other hand, much respect.