Illusions Reserve Scam

[jameslofton29]

In the weeks prior to the Illusions release, music stores like the Wherehouse and Tower Records would let people reserve copies of Illusions for ten dollars. Supposedly they did this so you would be guaranteed a copy on the day of its release. I didn't fall for this scam. On release day, I showed up when they opened and there was so many copies of Illusions they had to stack most of them behind the counter. I felt sorry for the people who paid 10 bucks for no reason.                      I know this scam is now used for videogame releases, but I believe the Illusions release was the first time this scam was used. I have a question. Did GNR make any money off this scam? Because the music industry made millions of dollars off this scam. Or were GNR unwilling guinea pigs for an industry trying to force fans to pay to reserve their entertainment? Axl, I smell a lawsuit. Or has the statute of limitations run out?

[Chief]

never heard of this but it seems like it was the stores who did this to make money for themselves.. i guess it was hard to stop that back then.

[dave-gnfnr2k]

How is this  is a scam? The people that prepaid for the album still got the albums right? Its not like they had to repay for the albums again.

[jameslofton29]

Dave, the 10 dollar fee didn't go towards your album purchase. It was a fee to guarantee you got Illusions. On the day of release, you still had to pay full price.

[C0ma]

I dont know that that's correct. I did something similar through "Strawberries Records". I paid 10 dollars as a "pre pay" then owed the remaining money at the purchase. The ten (not sure that it was ten dollars) dollars held my copy (of 1 and 2) then I owed the balance of both. Of course I gave them 30 dollars and bought it in three formats (cassette, CD, and Vinyl). But the 30 did go towards the sale.

[jameslofton29]

Here in California the 10 dollars did not go towards the purchase price. It was definitely a scam! I went to the Wherehouse a couple of days before Illusions release date to see if Ozzy's new cd was on the shelves yet, and there was a line of people paying that 10 bucks for a reserve. Too many copies of Illusions were made for there to be any need for this sort of scam. you wanna know something that would have been morbidly funny: If Illusions had completely flopped! All the record stores would have had piles of unbuyable cds. I guess then they could have gave them out as paperweights! LOL! I wonder how many copies were made of Illusions for its first week of release? I will never forget the Illusions hysteria as long as I live! I remember Slash saying in some interview a few years later how that moment was the most insane thing he had ever witnessed in his life.

[gabble]

Charging a fee to hold a CD on behalf of a potential shopper isn't industry-motivated; nor is it a global scheme. ?It's simply a decision made by an individual store to encourage sales.? And for some people shelling out $10 for a reserve is money well-spent, regardless if it is used toward the purchase price.

At the time, a large chunk of the midwest relied heavily on Wal-mart and K-mart for albums since larger chains like Tower Records and Sam Goody weren't generally established in smaller cities. ?Is it not implausible to think, perhaps, the pre-order sales benefitted those who couldn't stand in line at midnight 09.17.91 much less access a retail record store until a more-convenient time?

To suggest the albums weren't selling well on release day is ridiculous. ?Each album sold over 750,000 in sales that first week. ?The UYI albums jumpstarted the midnight release parties because thousands of people wanted the album the second it was released. ?The albums sold so well that many record stores had to reorder the UYI albums during the first week; some after the first couple of days. ? Your having seen stacks of UYI CDs behind the sales counter on release day merely indicates you bought the album before others did.

Generally, new albums are kept behind the counter because it's simply easier to ring up hot-selling CDs when the security devices have already been removed. ? It's not a scam; it's a time-saver. ?It's also a common courtesy for any potential shopper waiting behind you.

Had the albums "flopped," the store would've simply decreased sales prices.? Otherwise, they could've pitched the albums in the trash, claimed they were stolen, and written them off as expenses.

[Twisted Nerve 85]

Why the fuck would u reserve a CD, Ive never heard of music stores running out of copies of an album, NEVER!!

Now Video games, thats understandable. Thank god I nabbed one of the last 3 GTA san andreas' b4 they were all gone on the day that came out. 

[jameslofton29]

I never said the albums weren't "selling well". Obviously, they did. My point about stacks of cds behind the counters is this: Why charge a fee when you know you have plenty of copies to go around? And yes, I was the first person there to buy it. Every true GNR fan bought it the exact second of its release.

[jarmo]

Every true GNR fan bought it the exact second of its release.

I got it about 4-5 hrs after the store had opened once I got out of school.

I'm not a "true GN'R fan". 

 


/jarmo

[jameslofton29]

Jarmo, maybe you're older than me and had other things to do besides go to the record store. I was 16 when Illusions was released. I ditched school that day so I could be first in line to buy it.

[dave-gnfnr2k]

In the weeks prior to the Illusions release, music stores like the Wherehouse and Tower Records would let people reserve copies of Illusions for ten dollars. Supposedly they did this so you would be guaranteed a copy on the day of its release. I didn't fall for this scam. On release day, I showed up when they opened and there was so many copies of Illusions they had to stack most of them behind the counter. I felt sorry for the people who paid 10 bucks for no reason.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? I know this scam is now used for videogame releases, but I believe the Illusions release was the first time this scam was used. I have a question. Did GNR make any money off this scam? Because the music industry made millions of dollars off this scam. Or were GNR unwilling guinea pigs for an industry trying to force fans to pay to reserve their entertainment? Axl, I smell a lawsuit. Or has the statute of limitations run out?

It was just that one store then because most times that ten bucks comes off the total price of the albums.

[Darth Jenny]

Jarmo, maybe you're older than me and had other things to do besides go to the record store. I was 16 when Illusions was released. I ditched school that day so I could be first in line to buy it.

wow! I envy you
You were on that very same day the UYIs came out! It would have been noce to be there, waiting for the shop to open *sigh*
I bought them on 92

[pilferk]

Again, I'm not sure how YOUR store worked, but EVERY record store, that I know of (and that's most of them), in my neck of the woods (and that included at least 2 Tower Records) were taking $10 DEPOSITS toward pre-orders...meaning you would owe the balance when you picked up the albums, but the $10 counted toward your purchase price of the two albums...and it "reserved" you copies on the day of release. That's not a scam. IF there were stores doing it differently, I would have chosen to go to another store.

In addition, the same process is done, today, for video games. ?No reputable chain of any decent size (EB's, Gamestop, Compusa, etc, etc) "charges" $10 to reserve the game. ?They usually require a deposit that, again, counts toward the purchase price. ?Again, that isn't a "scam".

And on the lawsuit comment...IF it were illegal to do (and it may be, though I rather doubt it...underhanded, seedy, and reprehensible, but, as long as they were up front about it, probably not illegal), it wouldn't be Axl that would be the subject of the lawsuit. ?It would be the retailer, themselves.

[jarmo]

Jarmo, maybe you're older than me and had other things to do besides go to the record store. I was 16 when Illusions was released. I ditched school that day so I could be first in line to buy it.

No, I was 16 when the albums were released....



/jarmo

[gandra]

I wbuy one copy of cd,and then made 100 cd's,and will give to people to became a gnr fan

[jameslofton29]

Dragan, that is blasphemy!! You cant give people copies of CD!! Make them go out and buy it. I cant imagine anyone wanting just a "copy" of the album. I want the real thing in my hands. I wouldn't settle for anything less. Any GNR fan that doesn't go out and buy CD is truly pathetic!

[axlsalinger]

Ah, I remember the day that the Illusion albums came out quite well. GNR were all over the news and everyone was talking about the album since it had been delayed several times. Little did we know at the time that Axl Rose would release one new song over the next 14 years of silence, and 14 years of pain ...