Guitar Center Subject Of Class Action Lawsuit

Posted by Bram Teitelman on Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 10:57 am

20070627_guitar_center_logo_18[1] Hey musicians, did you buy a guitar from musical instrument giant Guitar Center between 2005 and 2007? If so, you might be eligible for a settlement. A class action lawsuit has been filed against both Guitar Center and the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), claiming that the two conspired to fix pricing on fretted instruments including acoustic and electric guitars, banjos, violins, and more.

The suit claims that NAMM organized meetings and programs where competing retailers were encouraged to agree on strategies for price-fixing, which is anti-competitive.

“Guitars and other fretted instruments comprise a multi-million dollar industry in the United States alone, and one that’s heavily influenced by a handful of industry giants like Guitar Center,” said Steve Berman, lead attorney and managing partner at Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, who filed the suit. “We contend that, even with its market domination, the company acted illegally to rig the marketplace to its benefit.”

The suit, filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles, also claims that defenants tried to quash competition from online retailers by threatening to boycott manufacturers selling through online competitors. If you bought a fretted instrument between 2005 and 2007, you can become part of the class action suit here.

Tags: Guitar Center

4 Comments For This Post

Loaded Diaper Says:
September 27th, 2009 at 3:33 PM

Guitar Center = loaded diaper lunch

Aaron Says:
September 28th, 2009 at 6:35 PM

Karma is a female dog.

Tiffany Butts Says:
December 15th, 2009 at 9:06 PM

I really learned a lot from reading this post. To be honest, I’m finding out more about becoming a better guitar player from your site, then I’ve ever did from any training ebook I’ve bought over the past few months. Hope it’s ok that I share this post on Mixx?

farmville how to get Says:
September 3rd, 2010 at 3:43 AM

I truly loved this brilliant article. Please continue this awesome work. Regards, Duyq.

2 Trackbacks For This Post

THIS SHOULD MAKE EYAL HAPPY | MetalSucks Says:
September 24th, 2009 at 3:46 PM

[...] boy Bram Teitelman at Metal Insider reports that Guitar Center – a.k.a. “the bane of Eyal Levi’s existence” [...]

AC/DC’s New Box Set Rocks – Literally | Metal Insider Says:
September 29th, 2009 at 1:48 PM

[...] But that’s still not why you want the deluxe collector’s edition. Oh no it isn’t. The deluxe collector’s edition comes in a 12×12 replica of a guitar amp – THAT ACTUALLY WORKS! Yes, it’s a fully functional guitar amp. You can actually plug in your guitar and play along with the box set! Or better yet, play music that isn’t AC/DC. Regardless, if you buy one, you’re not only getting an assload of AC/DC rarities, you’re also saving yourself a trip to Guitar Center. [...]

Connect with your Facebook Account

Loaded Diaper Says:
September 27th, 2009 at 3:33 PM
Guitar Center = loaded diaper lunch
Aaron Says:
September 28th, 2009 at 6:35 PM
Karma is a female dog.
Tiffany Butts Says:
December 15th, 2009 at 9:06 PM
I really learned a lot from reading this post. To be honest, I’m finding out more about becoming a better guitar player from your site, then I’ve ever did from any training ebook I’ve bought over the past few months. Hope it’s ok that I share this post on Mixx?
farmville how to get Says:
September 3rd, 2010 at 3:43 AM
I truly loved this brilliant article. Please continue this awesome work. Regards, Duyq.

THIS SHOULD MAKE EYAL HAPPY | MetalSucks Says:
September 24th, 2009 at 3:46 PM
[...] boy Bram Teitelman at Metal Insider reports that Guitar Center – a.k.a. “the bane of Eyal Levi’s existence” [...]
AC/DC’s New Box Set Rocks – Literally | Metal Insider Says:
September 29th, 2009 at 1:48 PM
[...] But that’s still not why you want the deluxe collector’s edition. Oh no it isn’t. The deluxe collector’s edition comes in a 12×12 replica of a guitar amp – THAT ACTUALLY WORKS! Yes, it’s a fully functional guitar amp. You can actually plug in your guitar and play along with the box set! Or better yet, play music that isn’t AC/DC. Regardless, if you buy one, you’re not only getting an assload of AC/DC rarities, you’re also saving yourself a trip to Guitar Center. [...]