I stumbled across Thomann (a music equipment online sales website and physical store) and discovered a unique company that actually has real people who will help you. I'm in the US, and I'm struggling with the reality of so many things not available. I think it's a post-COVID problem and made worse by China trade restrictions.

I'm a hobby musician, composer, editor, and producer, and after working on the biggest show of my life in the last 6 months (almost a full-time job in addition to my full-time employment), I realized I wanted to invest more in my hobby and get more serious. It's been a challenging journey just to figure out all the technical details of things I need, what is compatible, and even what is possible. Then I've struggled, waiting for weeks on several items that are not in stock with no known date on when or if they will ever be available.

When searching for a new model of mic stands from Hercules that couldn't be found anywhere else, I found them on an internet search at Thomann. They had them advertised and available to order; however, that product was a special order on Thomann's website (estimated 3-5 days). I was delighted to see the price was so reasonable. I ordered several stands and the perfect Gravity mic stand bag to keep all of them safely in separate compartments.

I gave Thomann 4 out of 5 stars because the checkout experience was broken for my order. I thought I was doing something wrong at first, but after trying for a couple days of trying I decided to call (really early in the morning due to a 9 hour time zone difference). I was shocked to actually speak to a real person, who was very good at helping me, checking with some other people, and finally explained that their website has problems estimating shipping when customers order too many things.

To get 5 stars, Thomann should improve the checkout experience so a customer can at least place the order and get a message that it's on hold and waiting for a shipping estimate. The person on the phone call was able to take a phone order and then sent a payment link that allowed me to complete the order.

As promised, the products shipped within a few days, made it through US Customs without a problem (via UPS Express), and arrived in great condition.

Thomann's website is clean and the search functionality is pretty robust. Unlike Amazon that feels so bloated with both useful and useless products, Thomann gives the impression like they have only what you want, plus a lot of other things if you care to look, but it's not obstructing the shopping experience.

As I was waiting for my first order to arrive I was looking for another product, that perfect digital mixer that does everything I need...when I finally landed on the right product, again no one else in the US had the product (Allen & Heath Qu-Pac). Everyone I checked with said it may be months before they could get a shipment.

Yet again, Thomann saved the day. The product was in stock. I called to ask about a particular detail, and perhaps out of luck, spoke with the export sales specialist. Besides getting the answer I needed while on the call, the person also offered important information about importing equipment and the price ranges that have different handling classifications in US Customs.

I was really thankful that I could get the info in advance so I could make an informed choice about buying a product that is impossible to get anywhere else and at a lower price including shipping (except the potential for tariffs that could drive the price quite a bit higher).

After my order arrived, I decided to buy the digital mixer through Thomann, despite the risk of substantial tariffs. Thomann has earned my trust in being able to help with orders and see that they are shipped properly to an international destination. And, they have products that I want.

I would be truly frustrated if Thomann weren't there for me. And besides just offering the products I want, they have really helpful people as well.

English version down below.
Comprei já muitas coisas á Thomann e nunca tive problemas, a primeira vez que tive problemas com uma guitarra verifiquei que afinal o apoio á resolução de problemas é uma treta. Recebi uma Guitarra com o verniz estalado, informei a Thomann do que aconteceu. Tentaram por tudo colocar as culpas no transporte quando disse que a caixa vinha imaculada e que não conseguia provar pois a caixa do transporte tinha deitado fora. Ora, a solução que me deram foi, devolverem 20€ ou eu enviar o instrumento para verem quanto poderiam devolver. Assim, para não me chatear, aceitei a redução de 20€ e nunca mais vou comprar nada. Lembro que em menos de 1 ano lhes comprei 4 guitarras e um GT1000Core além de muito outro material. Enfim, é assim que se respeita os clientes.

Edit: Não vale mesmo a pena, depois de ter explicado aqui na reclamação, disseram para enviar um email para rever e depois disseram exactamante a mesma coisa. Enfim, encerra o caso. O que não faltam são lojas de música e com bom serviço. Cliente insatisfeito aqui.
Ainda por cima encerraram a minha conta, o que me impede de fazer o download das minhas faturas.
Não caiam como eu...

I've bought many things from Thomann and never had any problems, the first time I had problems with a guitar I realized that after all the support for solving problems is a crap. I received a guitar with cracked varnish, I informed Thomann of what happened. They tried everything to put the blame on the transport when he said that the box came immaculate and that he couldn't prove it because the transport box had been thrown away. Now, the solution they gave me was to return 20€ or I send the instrument to see how much they could return. So, not to get upset, I accepted the 20€ reduction and I will never buy anything again. I remember that in less than 1 year I bought them 4 guitars and a GT1000Core in addition to a lot of other material. After all, that's how you respect your customers.

Edit: It's not really worth it, after I explained it here in the complaint, they said to send an email to review and then they said the exact same thing. Finally, close the case. There's no shortage of music stores with good service. Dissatisfied customer here.
On top of that they closed my account, which prevents me from downloading my invoices.
Don't fall like me...

Update: After replying to the email given to me in Thomann's reply to this review, the customer service finally offered to pay for shipping and arranged a pick up for me. This means they finally let me ship the product back without having me pay anything extra and paid the shipping fees for me first. I have been refunded after they received the return, and they did refund me the entire original amount paid to Thomann. Although it took 3-4 days of complaining for them to finally offer this convenient return shipping, I am grateful Thomann's customer service actually tried to help me when I showed my discontent. However, I hope this standard of customer service isn't only available after I complained for 4 days, because this seems like Thomann wants to do the least for their customers unless the customer complains about the poor customer service. This standard of service should have been how my case was handled since the beginning -- the very first reply they sent me -- not after 4 days of me complaining to them. Again, my sincere gratitude to all of those at Thomann who understood my frustration and offered empathy, including the person who replied to my original review here at sitejabber.

Updated review from 1 star to 3 stars: +1 star for replying to me here on sitejabber to offer more help to me and for being helpful to me through email; +1 star for offering me free shipping back and paid the shipping upfront for me; +1 star for keeping the promise of the refund without any additional fee; -1 for taking 4 days of my complaint to offer the paid shipping and pickup. So overall is 3 stars.

Original review:

The customer service only replies once per 24 hours, and sometimes even less, with useless formality responses that is equivalent to an automatic answering machine.

I purchased a hardware synthesizer from Thomann, but 2 months later, the USB connection stopped working entirely. Never physically damaged the device in any way, but the USB just ceased to operate. This device needs USB to work because the UI is designed to be viewed on a PC or iPad, and the firmware needs to be updated for bug fixes and installing presets. But now, I can't connect this device with a PC at all. I tried all the things suggested by the manufacture, and nothing worked.

Because it took me a lot of money to get the product shipped to me (in Asia), I don't want to spend the money again to ship it back. If I do, I would be paying around 150 Euros back and forth for a 500 Euro product. This is ridiculous, yet Thomann seems completely fine with me doing all this just so they don't lose profit when customers return a defective product.

I at first even asked to offer video proof of the product's issues and will cooperate with other ways to prove the product is defective. Thomann didn't just say "no, we dont' care about your proof", they simply ignored it and went on with their useless answering-machine responses like "we will see what we can do" and "we will ask our technicians...". After replying to me with 1 useless filler email per day for 7 days, they told me to send it back. No procedure on troubleshooting, asking for videos/picture, or anything related to diagnosing the problem was emailed to me. It is clear to me that since the beginning, Thomann had no plan to provide any service besides the usual warranty procedure they are already lawfully required to follow.

I asked in the first email contacting them that I'd like an alternative to sending it back because I don't want to pay in total 150 Euros of back and forth shipping just to send a 500 Euros product back. And after all this time with Thomann fooling around with me for a week, I am VERY SUSPICIOUS that Thomann will actually refund me the shipping fees if I return the product. The website keeps advertising free return shipping, but the emails and attitudes don't seem to quite follow that claim, especially when I am from Asia.

I REGRET SO MUCH buying from Thomann. I despise Thomann so much right now. I understand that usual warranty procedure is to send it back, but the dismissive and negligent attitudes in their response when I asked politely for possible alternatives just makes me really despise Thomann. And I also chose Thomann in the first place not because they follow the law to allow returns, but I expected from the website and all the advertisements that they were a team who put service first. Unfotunately, I am totally wrong in assuming Thomann cares about their service.

I've spent most of my disposable income at Thomann for many years, so I think I can safely say Thomann rocks!

I can personally verify that:

1. They have a truly incredible amount of stuff to choose from! Not only all the usual brand names, but they also have good quality in-house brands with unbeatable prices (Harley Benton, Zultan).

2. If you still need something they don't have, just give them a call and they'll contact the manufacturer and get it for you. A very useful service, considering the fact manufacturers won't normally talk to YOU, but they'll return Thomann's calls alright! This has saved me on occasions.

3. When you have no idea what product best suits your needs, call Thomann and discuss it with their very helpful staff, they'll answer any questions about the products and guide you to the right choice. Thomann hires people who love music (and who often play an instrument themselves), and it shows in their enthusiasm!

4. They deliver quickly, and you're guaranteed to get flawless products, unless you specifically order items marked B-stock to save a buck.

5. If there's something wrong with a product anyway (perhaps it was damaged in transit), Thomann will replace it at no cost to you, and if it takes a long time to get a replacement they'll offer a rebate instead, if you prefer it.

6. If there's nothing wrong with a product but you find you don't want it after all, just send it back within 30 days, and Thomann will refund you in full, no questions asked. They will even pay for the return package! This service is so awesome I feel embarrassed every time I use it, it feels like taking advantage of a friend who is just too nice for his own good!

7. Cymbals are a great example of when Thomann's customer friendly way of doing business absolutely rocks. Cymbals are difficult to buy, because ever individual cymbal is unique, and you'll never know if you'll get one that melds well with your other cymbals. With Thomann you can order a few of the same model and see which one works best for you and return the rest. I wouldn't DARE to buy cymbals online from anyone else!

To sum it up, I've spent tens of thousands of Euros at Thomann over many years. I've bought guitars and basses and drums and woodwinds and microphones and studio equipment, and I've never once been disappointed with Thomann's service.

I have however often been impressed with their professional and user friendly business practices, and the helpfulness of their staff. To me, Thomann represents the measuring rod for how an online business should be run! Did I mention their online "in stock" status never lies? Little things like that is what makes an online store pleasant to use.

I write all of this because I'm APPALLED to see the low ranking Thomann has here! I can't think of a business that deserves this kind of harsh complaints less. Everyone should realize that Thomann is a huge business with lots and lots of customers. Apparently a few of them are unhappy for whatever reason, and feel the need to vent their disappointments online. But if my experience is anything to go by, your odds of being a happy customer are great indeed!

PS
The product reviews made by users at Thomann are often the only product feedback by users available anywhere on the internet. Always read them! If there's a subtle problem with a product, there's a good chance someone has encountered it before and can warn you, or tell you how to work around it.

Parcel NOT Receive.
Thomann hold my money 2150 EUR and ask me to wait for 4 months for a refund. (Do I look like MONEY LENDER to you?!)

WORST Customer service EVER
- No Followup

- Fraud shipping - DHL (The shipping Thomann use is the cheapest which takes 3-8weeks to arrive). Not DHL 7- 10days

- No resend parcel, Accuse my custom IS holding the parcel

- Ask to wait for 4 months for nothing.

- No compensation, apologies or whatsoever

- They just felt sorry for what happen
O They just told me parcel lost(after 4 months), will refund me in a few days(waited for 2 weeks).
O Won't ask for resend parcel
O End of story? Are we even doing business here? One time dealing? OK, Am I buying cheap $100 china product?

11 March
Ordered & Paid and using DHL as shipping.
Estimated time arrival is 7-10 days.

24 March
Tracking still display that the item is in germany. Contacted Thomann and was told there is delay due to Corona Virus. It may take up to 3-8weeks for the item to arrive.(My parcel from USA using Fedex arrived within 1-2 weeks during this time.)(My guess is Thomann lied and used the cheapest shipping method (30-60days), DHL usually take 7-15days to arrive at my country).

14 April
Tracking still not yet updated.
Contacted Thomann, they said they have asked DHL to investigate the whereabouts of the parcel.

24 April
Still no updates. Contacted Thomann, They accuse my local custom is holding the parcel.

2 May
Contacted Thomann, was told investigation will take up to 2 MONTHS!

3 May
Contacted my local custom, was told there's no parcel from germany.

1 July
Contacted Thomann again. Was told the parcel is lost and they will refund me.

8 July
Contacted Thomann was told to wait for official result for refund. 15 July finally receive the refund (-$38 due to exchange rate.)

HOLDING MY 2150EUR FOR 4 MONTHS & 6 DAYS NOW I LOST $38 DUE TO EXCHANGE RATE & THE RENTAL MONEY WHILE WAITING FOR YOUR PARCEL!
THANKS FOR NOTHING THOMANN.
WILL NEVER BUY FROM YOU AGAIN!

The SC-550 Faded Tobacco Flame is my second Harley Benton guitar (my first was the SC-Custom Honey Flame purchased from Thomann last year). I play at home or with friends now, but have been playing off and on for 40 years. I was so pleased with my SC-Custom that I decided to get the flagship model, the SC-550 Faded Tobacco Flame.

Out of the box the guitar is stunning. The Faded Tobacco Flame finish was excellent, without mars, dents or cracks. The flamed maple top is centered well and book-matched. Absolutely beautiful.

I was pleased to find the D'Addario EXL. 010-. 046 strings had been loosened and the double-action truss rod tension had been relaxed to a neutral position. I have seen so many reviews where the new owner is disappointed that the guitar wasn't in-tune right out of the box. Loosened string and truss rod tension eliminates the risk of bowing the neck or snapping off the headstock if bumped. A little neck relief, string stretching and tuning as a part of a normal setup brought it to life.

The vintage-look Wilkinson tuners are geared to 15:1 and they are rock solid stable. They don't have that annoying tendency to slip out of tune or have dead spots. The body is mahogany with a AAAA flame maple cap (not a Photoshop veneer) and the neck is mahogany as well with a jatoba (AKA Brazilian cherry) wood fretboard (yes, it is CITES compliant). Jatoba wood has one of the highest Janka scale ratings and is well-suited as a fretboard. Most important, it has a great feel. The 22 medium-jumbo frets have been smoothed and polished, with the fret ends nicely rounded and smoothed. The 43mm bone nut (yes it is real bone) has been well cut so there is no catching or pinching of the strings. The neck has a "60's vintage profile" which is often referred to as a "D" profile. For medium-to large-size hands this neck feels great. The neck has a 350 mm (13.78") radius that is well suited to rhythm or lead play. The pearloid trapezoid inlays are perfectly fitted with no gaps or raised points. It has a 628 mm (24.75 inch) scale length.

The body is full-sized and is a full 49.21 mm (1.97 inches) thick. There is binding on the body top and the neck, but not the headstock. In my opinion, the headstock is just right without the binding and highlights the deluxe emblem in the center.

Tune-o-matic bridge and chrome tailpiece complete the "sustain chain". And this machine has sustain. Smooth operating pots and solid pickup selector switch give you precise control of your tone. And the Roswell LAF AlNiCo-5 humbuckers give you lots of tone to work with. The control cavity is spacious and has been coated with shielding paint. The cavity cover has foil coating as well. No 60-cycle hum to be heard.

A basic guitar setup gave me an instrument with a low, fast string action that requires only the lightest touch to riff, chord, or djent until you need some sleep. But you will want to play some more. Basic strap pegs were traded out for strap locks and the guitar is complete. I mean ready to gig complete. And for one-tenth of the cost of "some other brands".

However, the best part of this instrument is Thomann. The Harley Benton instrument line is a private-labeled or "in-house brand" exclusively offered by Thomann. The factory for most of the HB line is in Vietnam (see the RoHS label on the back of the headstock). The instrument is built there, then shipped to Thomann for final checks and prepped for shipping to you. It is reassuring knowing that Thomann has the best customer service available. Look into their 30-day money back guarantee and 3-year Thomann warranty and see for yourself. If there is a problem they do everything possible to take care of it. Period. No other online seller I know of provides this level of quality and service at the lowest possible prices. They even discount your shipping ($35 to most anywhere in the world).

I live in America, but this is where I buy my guitars. I trust Thomann with my business and my musical instrument needs because they have earned that trust. They provide me high-quality musical instruments at the lowest possible price with the best possible service. I couldn't ask for anything more. I give them my business because they earned it. Thank you, Thomann!

I can't speak highly enough. Always great prices and fantastic choice. Their website works like a dream and they are constantly updating and improving it. Shipping is fast and everything is extremely well packaged. The chances of something getting damaged during the shipping process is truly minimised.

Where Thomann truly shine is the after sales customer support and the pre sale advice & after sales advice. After reading other reviews, I decided this had to be said. I have had issues with Thomann, but not many. I am in Ireland & they are in Germany. When you are shopping that distance away there is always potential for issues to arise. You could be unlucky and receive a faulty product, a product can get damaged in shipping or you can get sent the wrong item. These issues are however the responsibilty of the supplier to resolve. To date I have had all of these issues arise and on each occassion they dealt with with minimal effort all within the 30 day guarantee. Simply complete the return form and you are sent a return shipping label. You do not even have to give a reason but I feel it is helpful if you do.

It is important to factor in the time involved in dealing with these issues. They take time to resolve. It takes 4/5 days for me to receive a purchase. If I need to rteturn a product I need to allow the same time and add a few days to process the refund or the replacement shippng. So in total a return should take about 7 or 8 days to resolve. A return for a replacement around 14 or 15 days at most. I always consider this a possibility before I buy and accept it.

Another very important factor to consider is warranty repairs. You need to send the product back to them which takes time. Most likely you will have to carry the burden of the return shipping. Thankfully, to date, I have not had to do this.

Another thing I like is that Thomann post all reviews on products good or bad and they remain there for all to see. I always use this as a guide to purchasing products as most of the reviewers are thorough and detailed. However, I have noticed that on this particular site, their customer service rep only acknowledges and repsonds to 5 star reviews. I think this is bad practice. Either respond to all or to none!

Consumers need to understand, be prepared for and accept that issues will inevitably arise when ordering online and have the necessary patience to see it through. The question then remains how well do Thomann live up to their promise(s) & resolve your issue(s). They have every time with me. If patience is an issue then find a local shop/dealer and trade with them.

I purchased a Lexicon MPX Native Reverb software from Thomann whebshop. 2 days ago.

On the following link:
https://www.thomann.de/gb/lexicon_mpx_native_reverb.htm

Did the payment, downloaded the software. During the activation process it has occurred that a hardware key is required for the final activation.

Neither the web shop page or the Thoman's email response mentions that it is not a stand-alone application and I need to spend another 45 euros + postal service charge for a hardware key in order to use the VST plugin. Not talking about that I needed the application immediately - as it was stated (Available immediately) at the web shop ad.

Although it mentions within the system requirements: Pace iLok (item *******). The hardware key is not not a sort of system requirement like: WinXP min., Mac OSX 10.5 min., 1.6 GHz CPU, 1 GB RAM. So why the hell it is mentioned at the system requirements? Nothing to do with the system requirements, right? The hardware key is actually protection for the software manufacturer, in this case one can not use the software without it. So it is the part of the product.

Furthermore I got the Thomann's email response with the download link after purchase, which doesn't say a word about the hardware key. Very BAD communication!

Being tricked into this purchase, I immediately emailed them on the given address. I declined from the order and asked for a refund. I did not receive any answer.

But after I called them 3 times (spent at least 30 mins on phone, international call) Daniel Lindmark e-mailed me, saying they normally can't offer any refund on download items. Regardless if it works or not? I think the whole customer service is a joke.

This is a misleading sell! This is how they do the profit? Very interesting.

I don't know, how it will match the reputation of Thomann?

Attached a document as well.

Regards

Istvan Tutunzis

I've been shopping at Thomanns for many years. Once it was a good store. But now they have reached a critical mass for size, where they obviously do not care about the customers anymore.

In recent years, they have begun selling guitars that have already been sold at least once, as brand new. You can see it on the guitar if it has been sold before. There may be strings other than specified, there may be special settings and there may be DNA tracks after the previous owner! Naturally, I return this kind of guitars, as I do not want to buy used. The system has worked in part because of somewhat easy returns with package collection at my home. But just try to hear this story:

I ordered a Framus guitar that arrived in very bad condition. Due to bad packaging from Framus, a strap lock (metal piece) had loosened from the guitar and rattled around in the inner guitar bag and ended up on the edge of the guitar, where it made a big chin. There was also a black stripe from a marker under the lacquer somewhere else on the body.

Of course I do not want such a defect thing, so I wrote to Thomann about the problem. A Kafka like process started. They would have me to photograph all the packaging, wrapping and the guitar. I should also fill in a note and go down to the post office and let them sign that it was their fault that the damage to the guitar had occurred! I do not work for Thomann, so I made them aware of that. Then a fermented process began: Thomann has a Danish department, but only for sale! If there is something wrong, the Danish department will only send things on, and you have to write it all back in English. In total more than 30 mails were exchanged! I felt it as an assault.

Eventually they became convinced that I would not perform the required tasks. They then sent a return label to Postnord, ie. Where I by myself would be draging the package down to the post office. I am old, the post office is far away and the box is big. I have no car and it can not fit on the bike.

Thomann offered me a label for a UPS pickup, IF I PAYED. I have no other options, so I had to eat it. 30,- euro to look at a defective guitar. That is too expensive. And it was extremely unpleasant with the humiliating contact with customer service.

If Thomann answers this, you should be very suspicious if they do not lay flat down and apologize, but instead try to explain their way out of this mess. Mail order is a matter of trust. Would you trust Thomann after this?

Bought the Harley Benton Travel Guitar - lovely guitar, excellent value
Arrived ahead of schedule!