Alright let’s do this. Wanted that Steve Petty tuner, heard it’s solid for pedalboards, you know? Mine bit the dust mid-gig last weekend – embarrassing. Needed a quick replacement.
The Online Hunt Starts
Searched “Steve Petty Tuner buy” first thing morning coffee. Holy cow, pages of stores popped up. Good, but overwhelming. Prices were all over the place. Felt dizzy.
Decided to compare properly. Needed info:
- Actual price (before shipping and tax)
- Stock status (didn’t wanna wait weeks)
- Return policy (just in case, gear can be dodgy)
Frustration City
Checked Store A. Price looked decent. Added to cart. Boom, estimated shipping cost appeared. Total shot way up. Nearly choked on my toast. Removed it fast.
Clicked on Store B. Big “SALE” banner flashed. Tuned-in pun? Price looked stupid low. Felt suspicious. Scrolled down. Tiny grey text: “Pre-order only, stock expected in 10-12 weeks.” Yeah, no. Gigs start next month.
Store C seemed legit. Price average. Stock said “Available”. Relief. Almost checked out. Then saw the return policy section. “Opened tuners subject to 25% restocking fee.” Yikes. Changed my mind fast.
Finally, a Break
Almost gave up. Checked one more place – Store D. Price was middle of the road, nothing flashy. Free shipping over a certain amount? Threw in some spare patch cables to hit it. Easy. Stock clearly said “In Stock, ships today.” No sneaky restocking fees either. Standard 30-day returns.
Bit the bullet. Clicked “Place Order”. Got confirmation email instantly. Tracking number came next day. Tuner arrived three days later, packed tight. Tested it – works like a dream.
Moral of the Story
Price alone lies. Almost got burned twice by cheap tricks hiding in shipping costs or “pre-order” limbo. Checking stock for real and reading that fine print on returns saved my bacon and my wallet. Shoulda done that before wasting an hour clicking like a headless chicken. Lesson learned. Now back to tuning.
