How Are Things Now With WWBW?

[Helen]

I was thinking of order some things that I can't get anywhere else, so I was going to risk it. It's been years since I ordered from them. My last experiences were not great. At the time I lived in Atlantic Canada, with no options. Now that I'm on the West Coast, just 5 minutes from the US border with a friend who regularly receives mail orders for me since she lives in Washington, just 30 minutes from my house, I thought I'd take the chance again... Maybe.

I've been reading through the threads here, and have learned the tricks others have used. So what's the most recent experience you guys have had? (Provided they have said items in stock of course... And you can actually get them to give you an accurate appraisal of whether the have it in stock or not.)

Is it worth the bother?

[bstrom]

I've had ok luck with them but I returned an unopened box of reeds from my last order and they never refunded my credit card. I finally decided it wasn't worth my time to hassle with them for 13.00 or something. I've had pretty good luck with 1st Stop Clarinet and Sax shop - they are very fast getting the stuff to me anyway. They seem to have stuff in stock when WWBW doesn't. Don't know if they have everything you would want and I have not ever spoken to customer service, because I haven't had a problem yet.

[wisedude]

I've had ok luck with them but I returned an unopened box of reeds from my last order and they never refunded my credit card. I finally decided it wasn't worth my time to hassle with them for 13.00 or something. I've had pretty good luck with 1st Stop Clarinet and Sax shop - they are very fast getting the stuff to me anyway. They seem to have stuff in stock when WWBW doesn't. Don't know if they have everything you would want and I have not ever spoken to customer service, because I haven't had a problem yet.


I would avoid 1st stop clarinet shop if I were you. The owners were arrested for abusing their child. It was a very high profile case... they really messed that poor kid up bad

[DaddyRabbit]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't believe there has been any trial or conviction in that case against the owners of 1st Stop. Just to keep things accurate. I, too, have had very good service from them. But I understand that they are impossible to communicate with by email or phone.

[DanPerezSax]

WWBW is still terrible. My buddy just literally called me up 5 minutes ago to bitch about a mouthpiece that he told them he needed for tonight's gig, which he paid for overnight shipping on, they assured him would arrive on time, told him to check his mailbox again, and is now scheduled to arrive in 7-14 days.

[SaxMoose]

WWBW is still terrible, I agree. Two weeks ago I ordered a mouthpiece that was confirmed in stock on the phone, then two days later I called back and it wasn't in stock. They just give a bunch of BS over and over.

[bstrom]

I've had ok luck with them but I returned an unopened box of reeds from my last order and they never refunded my credit card. I finally decided it wasn't worth my time to hassle with them for 13.00 or something. I've had pretty good luck with 1st Stop Clarinet and Sax shop - they are very fast getting the stuff to me anyway. They seem to have stuff in stock when WWBW doesn't. Don't know if they have everything you would want and I have not ever spoken to customer service, because I haven't had a problem yet.


I would avoid 1st stop clarinet shop if I were you. The owners were arrested for abusing their child. It was a very high profile case... they really messed that poor kid up bad

Well I did not know about that, that's terrible. I don't watch the news much but I guess I will think twice about using their services if they are convicted. Thanks for the info.

Anybody know of an alternative to WWBW and !st stop? Especially for those of us that live in the boonies.

[MartinMusicMan]

I've just used 1-stop clarinet and had good and fast service. The child abuse story is complicated and the truth is still out there to be determined.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/...cle1017111.ece

I've also used saxplus, Pro Winds, Musicians Friend, Music123, BrookMays, Amazon, and eBay. It depends on what you're looking for. Google the item you want, see what comes up, and check all these sites.

[Bigbari]

I was thinking of order some things that I can't get anywhere else, so I was going to risk it. It's been years since I ordered from them. My last experiences were not great. At the time I lived in Atlantic Canada, with no options. Now that I'm on the West Coast, just 5 minutes from the US border with a friend who regularly receives mail orders for me since she lives in Washington, just 30 minutes from my house, I thought I'd take the chance again... Maybe.

I've been reading through the threads here, and have learned the tricks others have used. So what's the most recent experience you guys have had? (Provided they have said items in stock of course... And you can actually get them to give you an accurate appraisal of whether the have it in stock or not.)

Is it worth the bother?

Interesting.. About 3 wks ago I ordered a Jody Jazz MP and rec'd it in about 5 days...However it was labeled "BLEM" a blemished item apparantly. Altho it looked brand new.Probably a returned trial. Anyway, I contacted them and requsted an adjustment. They immediately credited my credit card for $20.00.
So I am a "happy camper."

[Mope]

I was thinking of order some things that I can't get anywhere else, ...

Exactly. They have it all. Our one source for any retail musical stuff. So lets rip them apart again, because someone doesn't know how to navagate their website, or doesn't know what mouthpiece cap they're ordering. I hate these thrreads.

I NEVER HAD A PROBLEM. ALWAYS FAST. ALWAYS CORRECT. MANY ORDERS.

[SaxMoose]

I was thinking of order some things that I can't get anywhere else, ...

Exactly. They have it all. Our one source for any retail musical stuff. So lets rip them apart again, because someone doesn't know how to navagate their website, or doesn't know what mouthpiece cap they're ordering. I hate these thrreads.

I NEVER HAD A PROBLEM. ALWAYS FAST. ALWAYS CORRECT. MANY ORDERS.

I know how to navigate their website. I call beforehand every time I order and I still get wrong items and other crap. And you're implying this is my fault?

[Mope]

Not at all, SaxMoose. The last collective burn WWBW party thread (that I recall, there are many), was started because someone got a black plastic cap for his (metal) ottolink, got them to send him another and it was plastic, so he was pissed. Duh, all Ottolink caps for the metal mouthpieces are PLASTIC now. Then someone jumped on the bandwagon how he couldn't find anything on their website and on and on. I've noticed their selections are getting smaller and its probably due to all the dissing.

[Saxaphiend]

See I have had no problems with WWBW for the past three or four years I have been working with them. Always on time and everything I ordered is in there. I can think of a great many other places that have had worse issues than that.

[sopranosaxman]

If you want a good reliable mail order site use Weiner music. It is the best one I have used. Quick shipping, the lowest prices on most things, and good service.

[silverselmer]

The only issue I ever had with WWBW worked out in my favor. Sure, it takes a while to get certain items but I was always told of the backorder status when I paid. I value their prices and have bought all of my new horns from them.

[gary]

Totally hit and miss. No need to detail my comment but it's based on several transactins this last year, both totally smooth and with problems, as well. I like to use them but it requires calling them, not using the internet, asking the right questions, and dogging them.

[tenormelodies]

I've used them in the past and haven't had any problems, however after listening to all the negative feedback, I have too many other options to take a chance with them. That's EXACTLY what feed back is. If someone has had a bad experience with a merchant than it is the merchants responsibility, within reason, to make it right. Some people can't be satisfied, no matter what you do and I got that, but when several people are disgruntle, there's a reason. I'm a huge advocate for customer service, and if a murchant doesn't do that well, his profits should reflect.

[Helen]

It's been my experience with WWBW that their customer service has traditionally been better inside the USA than outside of it. When I had to have my orders shipped to Canada, that's when things started going sideways. It seems that the problems that dogged their International orders now plague their US orders as well. :(

FWIW, I'm looking to order my first Harry Harmann Fiberreeds. I know that I can order them directly from the company in Germany, but the cost is about $10 more per reed. Is there another merchant out there someone has ordered some from?

I'm currently using FiberCells, and had a 5 year supply that I got from Charlie Andrews. Now that I'm running low on tenor reeds, I want to check into Fiberreeds, since they will last longer, and I'm not happy with the new Premier versions that everyone is selling. Oops...I've hijacked my own thread! :wink:

[DanPerezSax]

I've had too many bad experiences with them. Items that were supposed to be in stock winding up being out of stock several times, with no notice until I called to see if they were shipped. Apathetic and sometimes explicitly rude customer service. They get no more business from me, and I recommend that all others stay away. It's a shame, they used to be great.

[LampLight]

Looking for an alternative? Check out this thread (http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?p=1222422#post1222422).

To be honest, I can think of both good and bad things to say about WWBW, but I'm tired of their SPAM, and I'm fighting back with my dollars. I suggest you do the same.

[MyMartinTenor]

Yep, I've had mixed results. I know that music123 is owned by the same folks, but for some reason I've had better luck with music123. So, that's where I order. No idea why or if it really makes a difference.....

[LampLight]

Is it music123 or Musician's Friend? I'm confused (not that that's anything new :D).

[Helen]

So if the Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musician's_Friend) is correct, WWBW & Music 123 are owned by Musician's Friend. Mmm... Oh well... Might as well take a chance and order the Fiberreeds from Musician's Friend since their site says they sell them, and the consensus on the majority of the SOTW threads is that their customer service is better than WWBW.

I guess in the end you pay your money and you take you chances...:tongue2:

[RyanS]

I've had good and bad experiences.

It's good for the mouthpiece trials - since there isn't a store around that stocks anything.

I've had them ship the wrong reeds before. I've ordered an otto link metal 6* and received the hard rubber version before. I've had them charge my card the wrong total before. I've ordered a stand, paid for it, and received it 8 months later. Then again, I've ordered a lot more stuff from them that has been fine.

I always get item numbers and order by them, so it has never been an error on my end. All of the stuff listed above has been in the last 2-3 years as recent as 6 months ago (the wrong reeds).

Their current spam is driving the wife and I crazy. I get emails/mail/etc all the time from them. I had her order some stuff while I was on the cruise ship for me, and now she gets it all too - so we get hit twice as much. She had it shipped to her parent's house (we lived in an apartment at the time) and they mail them crap all the time too. The spam is the worst part.

However, they do have everything (when it's in stock, anyway) and I don't know many other places that have this type of stuff.

[gallerytungsten]

I ordered a couple items from wwbw recently; and while they arrived within the expected time frame, they immediately started spamming me. Not a good sign.

[Spooner]

So if the Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musician's_Friend) is correct, WWBW & Music 123 are owned by Musician's Friend. Mmm...

Musician's Friend in turn is owned by Guitar Center...

[bmcclellan]

I have ordered horns and reeds from them before. most recently my Yamaha bass clarinet. But now I mostly order my reeds from weiner music. Tough weiner peeved me when I ordered a contra alto mouthpiece for my vito contra that I was told would fit that didn't. and they still charged me a restocking fee!

[Lovano1239]

Yes it is true that Musician's Friend is owned by Guitar Center, and that WWBW is owned by Musician's Friend, but somehow IMO Musician's Friend is MUCH, MUCH, MUCH more reliable than WWBW.

A few years ago, I had nothing but good things to say about WWBW. Great service, great products, on-time delivery, etc... Then one day I order some reeds and other accessories and was told "You can't order at this time, we are in the process of moving to a new warehouse." I thought "alright, that's understandable, I don't know what the policy for moving is," so I let that go. Then a few weeks later I try again, know they should be in the new warehouse by then. Well, that's when trouble began

First they send me the COMPLETELY WRONG reeds. I knew I ordered Alexander DC Superials, I always called them just to make sure I order the right thing. They sent me a box of Rico Royals. I figured, one mistake, it's a big one, but it's okay. I call them to see about returning it and then I get lectured by the employee on how "Rico Royals are better! YOU made the mistake, I have it on file! Blah Blah Blah..." I so furious, but I tried ordering about 4 months later and I had a concert 3 weeks away. So I order, no problems, smooth, but then the day of the concert came and I didn't get them. I ended up buying a box of Vandoren ZZs and struggled with them all night (my Jody Jazz doesn't like them). I call WWBW the next morning and I am told they have NO RECORD OF THE ORDER AT ALL. I just yelled till they gave me my money back, hung up, and never used them since.

But that's just my personal experiences with WWBW;)

[KennyD]

Not at all, SaxMoose. The last collective burn WWBW party thread (that I recall, there are many), was started because someone got a black plastic cap for his (metal) ottolink, got them to send him another and it was plastic, so he was pissed. Duh, all Ottolink caps for the metal mouthpieces are PLASTIC now. Then someone jumped on the bandwagon how he couldn't find anything on their website and on and on. I've noticed their selections are getting smaller and its probably due to all the dissing.


Just to clarify that a whisker (since I was the orderer...), their website advertised that they were selling metal Otto Link mouthpiece caps, not black plastic ones. Even had a pretty picture to show what you were supposed to be buying. Even included the word METAL in the order.

While new Otto Link mouthpiece cap supplies might all now be black plastic, presumably there are still metal ones out there available for sale - the old stocks of metal caps don't just disappear because new stocks direct from Otto Link will now only be supplies of black plastic. The WWBW website led me to believe they still had old stocks of metal caps - both in words and in pictures... :evil:

Yes, sorry sir, we know the photo of the car you wanted had four wheels on it - but we are now only getting in supplies of three wheeled cars and this is what we have supplied to you. Thank you, have a nice day. :TGNCHK:

[KennyD]

And, to finish proving the point, a completely different company has now sent me a metal Otto Link mouthpiece cap from their website orderring system - there are still metal ones out there but WWBW are not able to supply them... (Even if they say they can!) :evil:

[tsfalls]

Has anyone mentioned Sam Ash (www.samash.com) ? I don't know if they have Fiberreeds, but I've been getting my Fibracell reeds from them and have been happy with the order accuracy and delivery times.

[LampLight]

Not to belabor the point, but continuing to buy from WWBW is like giving a drunk a drink. If you keep buying from them, they will keep botching your orders and sending you spam. They're a large corporation now, and they will continue to do whatever sells. Depending on what you need, saxquest, saxplus, saxforte, and Roberto's Winds have all been reliable sources for me. Amazon also works well when they have what you need, and there are surely other local and online vendors too.

When organizations merge, service can decline for quite a while until people figure out what works for the new entity. Maybe that will turn out to be the case with WWBW and we will all buy happily from them again. As for me, I'm sitting it out for a while and buying elsewhere if possible. If WWBW improves, I'll come back.

Don't complain. Take your money elsewhere for now. You'll feel better.

[Lovano1239]

Not to belabor the point, but continuing to buy from WWBW is like giving a drunk a drink. If you keep buying from them, they will keep botching your orders and sending you spam. They're a large corporation now, and they will continue to do whatever sells. Depending on what you need, saxquest, saxplus, saxforte, and Roberto's Winds have all been reliable sources for me. Amazon also works well when they have what you need, and there are surely other local and online vendors too.

When organizations merge, service can decline for quite a while until people figure out what works for the new entity. Maybe that will turn out to be the case with WWBW and we will all buy happily from them again. As for me, I'm sitting it out for a while and buying elsewhere if possible. If WWBW improves, I'll come back.

Don't complain. Take your money elsewhere for now. You'll feel better.

+1 I completely agree

[tzacher]

I've only ordered from them once, and the only thing I'm complaining about is the time in which it took for my order to ship. I ordered a Beechler Bellite metal mouthpiece, free shipping, no tax and everything. The website said it would take 4-7 business days to ship, and that the tracking info would be available within 24 hours. Well... it took TWO weeks just to be shipped, and another half a week to get to me. I was not satisfied with how long that took.

[kwgrinnell]

When I started using WWBW about 10 yrs ago I was very impressed with the service, price and product availability. The prices are now about equal to all or can be price matched at other sites. The service and availability of items, ie listed as in stock when it isn't has suffered tremendously over the years and certainly has not kept up with the competition.

[Bari Sax Guy]

I'm sure I'm not the only one who received a coupon from WWBW for 20% off up to $1,000.00. It says that there are some restrictions, and it is good for a store or phone purchase, not on web orders.

Looks like a great deal especially if you're buying a big ticket item- like a new horn.

My only experience with them goes back about two years ago, when I bought my Yani S992 from them. A good experience, and a good price a the time (an even better price compared to today's cost). I've also had good results with Weiner, I like their mouthpiece trial program and they have a good selection of in stock pieces.

[Bebopalot]

WWBW is the only online store that charges me sales tax because a Guitar Center exists in my state. Their prices and availability of items would have to be much better than they are now for me to ever go back to dealing with them.

[Tom Goodrick]

My most recent experience - this week - was alarming and confusing. It would prohibit me from recommending buying a pro sax from WWBW. I should add that it turned out all right. But it was scary.

Last Friday, I ordered a new keyboard. I had a letter from WWBW offering a 20% discount on one item before Oct 31st. The letter stipulated that I must make the order by phone instead of by Internet. All seemed to go well. The lady said the keyboard was in stock and that my discount would apply. I made the purchase on a credit card. I have had many dealings with WWBW over the years, mostly with positive results. The only minor problem when placing this order was that the lady said they did not have a power supply so I would have to get that elsewhere. She mentioned she had "Googled" it and found several places where I could get it. I did indeed order from one of those places.

The shipping was free so I expected the keyboard sometime near the end of this week. My son, Craig, is a 43-year-old bachelor who lives in an apratment a couple blocks away. He often has packages shipped to my house because the security is better than at his apartment. When they arrive, my wife calls him on his cell phone. On Tuesday such a package arrived and she called him early in the afternoon, inviting him for dinner. Just before dinner he called and asked if I had ordered a keyboard. I gave hm the model designation and he said a UPS driver was at his door ready to deliver the keyboard to him.

The driver had left the box in the truck because it was in only the original box which clearly proclaimed the contents so he had to be sure Craig was home first. This raises another problem by endangering Craig. A year ago he had a break-in and lost several hundred $$ of electronic equipment and computer games. He does not need a UPS driver carrying a big, brightly titled box into his apartment.

The shipping papers did not have my name on them - only Craig's name, address and cell phone number for both "SHIP TO" and "BILL TO:".

Craig has never done business with WWBW. He is not a musician.

When I talked to the WWBW sales person, we never discussed Craig. She was aware of my address though I repeated it for her. We discussed shipping and I said I wanted the free shipping mentioned in the letter as I was not in a big hurry. She gave me the WWBW Order Number which I later verified was on the package delivered. So, it is a complete mystery to me how Craigs name and address got on that package. He was not even aware his new cell phone number was posted anywhere. It would seem it could have been sent to anyone else's address in the US! How would you like a keyboard delivered to you fully paid for? All indications were that Craig legally owned that keyboard. There was no indication anywhere on the package that I had ordered it so even if someone wanted to, they would have great difficulty getting the package to me.

It does seem most likely that someone at WWBW lost track of all but my last name and Madison, Alabama and Googled "Goodrick" and the zip code. That would probably get both me and Craig. But still, how could this happen? How did Craig get mixed up in this?

When I called WWBW Customer Service to advise them of this SNAFU, the guy heard my last name, looked at his computer and called me "Craig!" After I explained, he managed to verify that I did get the discount and that the proper amount was charged to my card. But he had no idea how this happened.

Now I have a very nice new keyboard running on batteries because the power supply has not yet arrived. (I keep the volume low.) I use a keyboard for background music when practicing my saxes. I also enjoy the challenge of recording the horns with background music and posting on Soundclick.

[LampLight]

My most recent experience - this week - was alarming and confusing. It would prohibit me from recommending buying a pro sax from WWBW. I should add that it turned out all right. But it was scary. . . .

Did Craig ever do business with a WWBW affiliate, such as Musiciansfriend or Guitar Center (not that that would excuse the screw up)?

My last experience with WWBW & friends was the receipt of a "new" item that came to me already unwrapped and without the all the factory packaging. I hope these guys get it together before too much longer. Somebody at the top over there needs to make quality control and customer service jobs #1a and #1b.

[cvsimson]

I bought a fibracell premium reed that showed as "in-stock" on the site. After one month I got the e-mail stating that it is on back-order...
:x

[jvsax]

I've always had good transactions with WWBW, and they've been easy to work with in my experience. Knowledgeable sales staff, good delivery times, etc. Most of the time I phone online merchants to place my order instead of using the web because the salesperson can check to see what's in stock. I've placed online orders at different stores only to find out items are out of stock. Just my 2 cents, your mileage may vary.

[Tom Goodrick]

No, Craig has not done any business with those companies.

There were scratches and gouges (holes) in the box which is the same box it would be in on the bottom or top shelf in a store. But a close exam has shown no marks on the keyboard itself. Also, it works fine - still using batteries.

[dude123]

I dont know about their online store but their physical retail store is awesome if your anywhere near it. I've always had luck there. Never seen a bigger music store...;)

[Tom Goodrick]

Is WWBW still located in South Bend, IN? The return address for my keyboard shows Kansas City, MO. I have thought of visiting them. South Bend is just a straight shot up I65 from me (an easy drive but 5-6 hours).


To answer my own question, I checked their site just now. The Retail Store is still in South Bend. The keyboard warehouse is in Kansas City. I may go to the store to shop for my next mouthpiece or if I buy another instrument like an alto sax.

[retread]

Is WWBW still located in South Bend, IN? The return address for my keyboard shows Kansas City, MO. I have thought of visiting them. South Bend is just a straight shot up I65 from me (an easy drive but 5-6 hours).


To answer my own question, I checked their site just now. The Retail Store is still in South Bend. The keyboard warehouse is in Kansas City. I may go to the store to shop for my next mouthpiece or if I buy another instrument like an alto sax.

The Musician's Friend warehouse is in Kansas City, and has been since before the purchase of WWBW. I think many orders from WWBW, Music123, and Musician's Friend are now shipped from this warehouse.

[MartinMusicMan]

I just ordered an XL sax strap from WWBW on Wed. Nov. 4. It arrived yesterday, Monday, Nov. 9. It was shipped from Kansas City.

[DaddyRabbit]

My friend runs Music and Arts retail store here (WWBW). I wanted him to order a couple of Legere reeds for me, and he did it through their online system. The order was shipped the following day and arrived at my door on day 4. No complaints. :)

[lovesthesax]

i've shopped WWBW many times and have only positive experienes. luck of the draw perhaps

[LampLight]

After previously criticizing WWBW, it's a pleasure to have a positive report now. I had ordered some reeds and a few accessories and selected free shipping. The items shipped within a business day. Now tracking is a nice feature to have with free shipping, and on 01/11 - the day the items were due, UPS reported the following ominous status:


01/11/2010 7:41 P.M. THE PACKAGE WAS DAMAGED IN TRANSIT. UPS WILL NOTIFY THE SENDER WITH THE DETAILS
and
01/11/2010 7:48 P.M. A CORRECT STREET NAME IS NEEDED FOR DELIVERY. UPS IS ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN THIS INFORMATION ...

At 10:00 PM local time I emailed WWBW asking what they knew. I had a relevant response from WWBW by 10:30 PM, confirming the correct address and giving me some numbers to call if necessary. That sort of quick, late night response is impressive and probably not something smaller retailers can do. BTW, the package got there the next day and everything was fine - a minor holdup due to a rare UPS issue.

I don't think you can get much better customer service and follow through than that.

[w9vtc]

I rescently ordered a Jupiter 889SG and received it in 3 days. It was shipped from K.C. Mo.,I live in IL. I returned the sax after playing for a couple days as my preferance was for somewhat darker tones. Although a very nice horn. There saleman James suggested I try a Jupiter 2089 and that was shipped to me the very next day. I really like the sax and would recommend it. There service was great as well as there honest advise. I would deal with them in a New York minute. Of course I can only speak from my personal tate and experience.lela1126