Sound Control & Turnkey

[paulears]

I got this today from Dolphin Music, announcing that Sound Control and Turnkey have gone into administration - Whilst giving some details, it is, of course selflessly promoting themselves, but oddly providing a service telling people how to claim back money paid for good that might not be delivered. Have a read and see what you think

Sound Control/Turnkey go into Administration.

 

After many months of speculation and rumour it has been revealed today, 30th April 2008, that Sound Control, including Turnkey, have gone into administration.

 

At least 10 stores have already closed and unfortunately 100+ staff have been laid-off. At this time we have no further information, but what is quite clear is that any new or existing orders are unlikely to be fulfilled.

 

We take customer service very seriously at Dolphin Music, so in view of the demise of Sound Control, we will be increasing staffing levels this week & this weekend to ensure that we can meet the increased demand.

 

In view of the serious impact these events could have on customers who have placed orders in good faith, Dolphin Music would like to offer an advice service to any worried Sound Control or Turnkey customers. Anyone seeking advice on how to cancel a Sound Control or Turnkey order and ensure that they receive a refund should call the number below and one of our advisors will be happy to assist.

 

Any customers planning to make a purchase from Sound Control or Turnkey are equally welcome to call Dolphin Music and we will match or better the price offered by them.

 

For Sales or Advice please call Dolphin Music Sales: 0844 815 0888

 

Finally, the Dolphin Music team would like to express sympathy for all the staff that have lost their jobs as a result of these unfortunate events.

[johndenim]

I have just bought a desk from them for £1300. (sound control, nottingham)

I hope that the guarantee is still valid!

 

If not then maybe I will claim some money back, or even take it back for a full refund, thanks paulears for letting us know.

 

John Denim.

[Yorkie]

Similar message from Digital Village here. A slightly less biased report here. The Telegraph stick with the same story too.

[Simon Lewis]

From Business Credit Management UK ....

 

Sound Control Group appoints adminstrators

 

Apr 30 2008

John Reid and Bill Dawson of Deloitte, the business advisory firm, have been appointed Administrators of Sound Control Holdings Limited (“Holdings”) and certain of its subsidiaries (“the Group”) following applications to the courts by the Group’s Directors.

 

The Group operates from 26 stores across the UK, under the brand names Sound Control, Media Tools, Turnkey and Soho Sound House, and is the largest musical instrument retailer in the UK. It has a turnover of £50m and 338 employees nationwide.

 

The Group has been impacted by increased competition from the internet and the directors had been pursuing a strategy to sell the business. This did not prove successful and accordingly they sought the appointment of John Reid and Bill Dawson as Administrators.

 

John Reid said: “Following a review of the Group’s operations the Administrators have today made the difficult decision to close 10 of the Group’s trading locations and bring to an end its telesales and internet sales activities. These changes to the Group’s operations have resulted in 163 redundancies with immediate effect.

 

“The Administrators welcome interest in the business and assets of the Group and are already in discussions with a number of interested parties to explore a possible sale.

 

“However, at the same time as they explore sale options, the Administrator will continue to trade the remaining 16 stores, selling high quality musical instruments to the public.”

 

The Group's head office is based in Dunfermline and has various trading locations throughout the UK.

 

There's more details on the music fora, and a useful post from an employee who was made redundant this morning on the sound on sound site...

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

 

Yorkie, you know you just type too fast ;-)

[johndenim]

Are they going to let recent customers know of the sites that have closed?

 

John Denim.

[cedd]

I believe having driven past yesterday, that at least the central Leeds one is still open.

 

The word on the street from another forum is that they are keeping key stores open for 3 months.

 

Time for a few bargains?

[kikabyte]

My thoughts go out to some of the fantastic staff at Sound Control, that have worked hard to always give me great advice and service since buying my first guitar when I was just 15. And screw the directors for usually coming out of administration situations with more money than they deserve…

[paulears]

I'm sorry the people have lost jobs, but the Turnkey and Media Tool outlets in Charing Cross Rd have got to be some of the most unpleasant retail outlets I ever dealt with. The indignity with which customers were intimidated by no-neck bouncers - sorry, 'security' people on the door and the couldn't care less attitude of many (not all) of the staff - plus a telephone system that just bellows "JOHN, JOHN, JOHN....." over and over again till your salesman suddenly ignores you and answers it tersely!

 

Buying a piece of software costing £500 got me the same service as the bloke next door buying a guitar lead - "pay her", a point, and my salesman walked off!

 

I wanted urgently a pair of BIG hi-fi quality monitors, Turnkey sent me to Media Tools next door, up stairs in a loft style display area - it was all they could do to answer the door. The advice we got was total bullsh*t - Due to a misunderstanding I needed to play music to hundreds of people who would be commenting on what they heard in terms of quality and content - we thought we'd have about twenty, but were in a huge ballroom! So we had the ok to spend whatever it took.

 

In our heads we were looking at Genelecs, or maybe Tannoy studio monitors - but we needed them fast, bung them in a cab and go!

 

We were pretty disgusted and left. Every time I've been in that area, I've been in the Turnkey shop - and not once has anything changed. My impression was that their special prices we gradually eroding away - in the end being very similar to everyone else, but with the rubbish service. My Carillon computer, was endless grief at first - one of the first ones, and again, their service was grim. (Nice box, by the way - but I've got completely different guts in it now!)

 

I'm truly sorry about the Sound Control units - they seemed much better - but Turnkey was the poundshop run, shabby store that seemed to trade like an inside street trader!

[cedd]

Indeed, the guys and girls at Leeds soundcontrol (both of them) have always been fantastic, and I've always walked away with some stupid deals. As far as I can see, warranties remain with the original manufacturer, though clearly there's no shop to take them back to any more.

 

There's a large thread running on Sound on Sound about this, with a few now ex-employees, including a list of those stores remaining open.

 

I didn't realise just how big they were, they also had Carillon.

 

Shame really, and I've no doubt it'll have a big impact on the industry for quite a while.

 

Very sorry to all staff, from what I can gather, at least on the shop floor, it wasn't expected.

[mr_towers]

Can't say I've been a massive fan of Sound Control in Edinburgh, having bought my brother a £200 odd multitrack for his Christmas. It comes out the box and doesn't work! I then loose an hour of my boxing day while they attempt to "fix it" using the old trick of push any button, wiggle some cables and hope it works (despite me saying "the preamps are buggered", albeit in a marginally nicer way), eventually turning round to me and telling me "the preamps are buggered". They then take 2 months to get a replacement shipped out to the store, which was initially only going to be 3 weeks, then 4, then 5 etc. Overall not a good experience, especially at Christmas! Went to guitar guitar after this kinda thing happened a couple more times.

 

Having said that, their specialist staff have been very helpful. I was in the process of acquiring PA gear from them, and their PA guy helpfully recommended good gear, gave me his card and encouraged me to call him any time if I had questions (acted like I was a customer!). Their luthier (guitar maker/repairer) is fantastic too - I've sent some high end guitars to him before and the artists have been most impressed!

 

I'm not sad to see the box shifter staff go, but the specialist staff have been fantastic. I hope everyone sorts something out though, including people up in Dunfermline. Unemployment is not a good situation to be in!

[johndenim]

Having just bought a dynacord powermate from sound control, notts,

I picked it up and realized that there was not a manual included, or a warranty card.

 

Sound control had told me that there was a one years warranty, but looking at the Dynacord website I understand that it is 36 months?

 

Obviously I will need the warranty card, but I have phoned a few times but it just rings and rings.

 

I agree with cedd, maybe a bargain is waiting.

 

John Denim.

[djmatthill]

Im amazed that more of you lot dont open trade accounts and buy direct from the distributors . You save a packet ! I do and iv saved £1000`s over the years.

 

Cut out the middler man , suppliers are more than happy to let self e,mployed people do this .

[mr_cahonjes]

Wow another company down. Always had nothign but praise for the Edinburgh store, even just going in for a chinwag.

 

 

Still time to get my ass down (if its still open) and stock up on effects pedals and accesories.

[Simon Lewis]

... suppliers are more than happy to let self e,mployed people do this .

 

It's probably a whole new topic, but there's going to be quite a few distributors who will view a musician such as John as an end user, not a reseller...

 

In fact, it's because "everyone is in the trade", and the willingness to sell hi tech equipment at prices close to trade cost / distributor cost / manufacturers cost / special price 'cos your the biggest / or even sell at a loss, that sorry episodes like Sound Control's demise happen. The margins aren't sustainable.

 

I probably need to work out some coherent post about this, and I'm not knocking anyone who actually makes a living selling gear, but surely trade accounts should be just that - for those who are genuinely in the trade?

 

Time for bed...

 

Simon

[lightsource]

I'm sorry the people have lost jobs, but the Turnkey and Media Tool outlets in Charing Cross Rd have got to be some of the most unpleasant retail outlets I ever dealt with. The indignity with which customers were intimidated by no-neck bouncers - sorry, 'security' people on the door and the couldn't care less attitude of many (not all) of the staff - plus a telephone system that just bellows "JOHN, JOHN, JOHN....." over and over again till your salesman suddenly ignores you and answers it tersely!

 

Buying a piece of software costing £500 got me the same service as the bloke next door buying a guitar lead - "pay her", a point, and my salesman walked off!

 

I wanted urgently a pair of BIG hi-fi quality monitors, Turnkey sent me to Media Tools next door, up stairs in a loft style display area - it was all they could do to answer the door. The advice we got was total bullsh*t - Due to a misunderstanding I needed to play music to hundreds of people who would be commenting on what they heard in terms of quality and content - we thought we'd have about twenty, but were in a huge ballroom! So we had the ok to spend whatever it took.

 

In our heads we were looking at Genelecs, or maybe Tannoy studio monitors - but we needed them fast, bung them in a cab and go!

 

We were pretty disgusted and left. Every time I've been in that area, I've been in the Turnkey shop - and not once has anything changed. My impression was that their special prices we gradually eroding away - in the end being very similar to everyone else, but with the rubbish service. My Carillon computer, was endless grief at first - one of the first ones, and again, their service was grim. (Nice box, by the way - but I've got completely different guts in it now!)

 

I'm truly sorry about the Sound Control units - they seemed much better - but Turnkey was the poundshop run, shabby store that seemed to trade like an inside street trader!

 

 

Well, sorry to quote an entire comment, but if anyone's seen the 'Back to The Floor' programmes, then you'll pretty much get an idea of how management view their workforce.....and accuratley, isn't even close!. SC have been crap from a lot of musicians point of view for years, yet they chose to do very little about it.

 

 

Im amazed that more of you lot dont open trade accounts and buy direct from the distributors . You save a packet ! I do and iv saved £1000`s over the years.

 

Cut out the middler man , suppliers are more than happy to let self e,mployed people do this .

 

Well said, but ignorance is bliss! However, Companies like Sound Control target individual people, or groups of whatever form. They are a retailer. And there is a big difference between retailers and trade suppliers.

 

 

... suppliers are more than happy to let self e,mployed people do this .

 

It's probably a whole new topic, but there's going to be quite a few distributors who will view a musician such as John as an end user, not a reseller...

 

In fact, it's because "everyone is in the trade", and the willingness to sell hi tech equipment at prices close to trade cost / distributor cost / manufacturers cost / special price 'cos your the biggest / or even sell at a loss, that sorry episodes like Sound Control's demise happen. The margins aren't sustainable.

 

I probably need to work out some coherent post about this, and I'm not knocking anyone who actually makes a living selling gear, but surely trade accounts should be just that - for those who are genuinely in the trade?

 

Time for bed...

 

Simon

 

Everyone is in the trade, eh Simon.....Sorry but I can buy a lot of gear retail, from Thomann in Germany, cheaper and with a better warranty than I can buy it TRADE in the UK.

 

Edit to add...

 

 

And that is really a sore point..................

 

And I include all the main brand names,without mentioning any :D