Cash Converters - we get pennys, they get pounds! (Cash Converters)

Member Name: McBeer

Product:	Cash Converters
Date:	23/05/09 (226 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Can get a bargain once in a blue moon.

Disadvantages: Not very professional, quite a rip off. over priced.

I didnt know of this place for years until a friend of mine took me their to buy a guitar amp. It was a Marshall 50watt valve amp and was at a very good price! It opened up my eyes to the bargain he was getting and maybe I was missing out!

Coincedently, the shop then moved more into the centre of town and was easier to get to, so I make quite regular visits. Being an audio and music freak, it was always the microphones, guitars, amplifiers, mixers etc I was checking out. Every so often I would just have a general browse too however.

I thought how it must have been a one off that my mate got a bargain, because the prices didnt seem that great at all, especially for the quality of some of the things! I didnt think too much of it however.

A few months on and I was looking to get some cash for my bass guitar I no longer needed. After looking about to sell it, i decided to take it here. I took it upto the desk, and they said theyd take it out back and get theyre expert to have a look at its condition and give me a price. I cant help but think the expert was the internet, just to see the general RRP.

They come back out a couple of minutes (or websites) later, and tell me 'We just have to get our guitar expert to test it out, see its condition.' I thought 'Oh well atleast theyre thorough. Seems professional.' However I was wrong. They called over a young guy, possibly 18 who I had seen in a band in a local gig I had went to a few weeks ago, who I must say wasnt even that good. He picked up the guitar, plugged it in, and went to play it. At first it made no sound, purely because he didnt know which knob was the volume. Then after plucking 2 strings twice, he said 'yeah, its in good condition, its fine'. It was hardly a professional opinion.

After all this, they said they would accept it, and gave me a price... £30.
I didnt expect much but £30 went too far! They explained they buy at half the price they were going to sell, yet they had the same guitar up on the wall, in worse condition but for £180 (although the retail for new was £160). This went too far and I declined their offer, took it elsewhere and eventually sold it to a good friend of mine for £90. We were both happy.

This was a bad experience I found and although I will still browse there, I still havent yet made a purchase. Maybe one day I'll get that one bargain avaliable, like my friend.

Summary: Still worth a look for that little something, but not worth the effort in most cases.