# Canada Instruments Website - Legit?



## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

So... looking to finally finish a guitar I have had half done for over a year now (stuff comes up, keeps getting pushed to the side).

Anyone familiar with Canada Musical Instruments - Guitars, Drums, Dj Equipment, Recording

Found them by when searching for a Gotoh 510UB bridge, came up half the price as anywhere else.

Ordered it, said click next to pick payment, clicked next and order done. Got an email saying it was ordered and not ful-filled pending payment, then later in the email said that it arrives at the post office and I pay there. Very odd.

Tried to email, and email address rejected, no phone number, facebook page is down, and twitter has 2 posted from over a year ago.

Upside... gave no credit card info or anything like that... downside, I can't order from somewhere else because no idea if one is coming or not.

Being a Canadian forum... I'm hoping someone may have dealt with them before and has some insight. If a legit site, they have some good prices but a very poor site for searching/organization and a confusing checkout. If not legit, then I'll order elsewhere so I can get the bridge sooner than later.


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

It looks a bit sketchy. Maybe try the Contact Us form on their page?


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## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

Ya, something is definitely off, though if a scam, getting a credit card would make more sense than getting payment through the post office... Very odd.

Worried it'll show, I'll pay and inside the box is a rock.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

I hit Contact Us and then Customer Service and a Russian Pretties website came up. Very strange.


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

Guitar101 said:


> I hit Contact Us and then Customer Service and a Russian Pretties website came up. Very strange.


Those are Google AdWords. They are usually based on your browsing history with Google


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

This is what I got with Contact Us:

*CONTACT US*
We're happy to answer questions or help you with returns.
Please fill out the form below if you need assistance.

We want you to love your experience shopping on Canada Instruments as much as you love your new gear!

Please contact our customer service department with any questions or concerns. We're here to help with everything from placing an order and delivery questions to size and fit advice on product details.

And, even if you're set, we'd still love to hear from you. We value your opinion and want to keep improving, so reach out and let us know if there's anything we can do better. 



*CONTACT US*


Email: [email protected]



Live Chat At The Bottom Right Corner Of The Page.

Monday - Friday 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. EST

Weekends 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

* Please note that we do not offer Customer Support Services via Telephone or in-person on-site visits *



Please use the contact form below to contact us, or email us at [email protected], We will get back to your email within 1 Business day, regarding any questions you may have.











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## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

Ya, that Russian girl site is well... your own personal thing you got going on over there. 

I replied to the email I got from them, and it's the same email address as listed in the Contact Us... used the form as well but no reply.

Again, if legit great because bridge was half the cost anywhere else even eBay. I think it said I'd get a track# in 3-5 days so, sigh... wait until Friday and see I guess. 

Just figured Canadian site, maybe someone here has used it before. When I searched google for 'gotoh 510UB canada' it was within a few links from the top of the search results.


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## Tarbender (Apr 7, 2006)

And no one spell checked the web site either: 
*SHIPPING & INSTERNATIONAL SHIPPING*


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

Can't comment on the legitimacy of the site, but I will say that the price for that Gotoh bridge is a steal. It's well under what even a distributor or OEM would pay to get it straight from Gotoh. If it is a legit site, that price is likely a typo.

As for spelling errors, etc. Even professionally made websites have those here and there. Can't really use that to determine anything.

Looks like an interesting assortment of products. Has anyone tried contacting them?


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## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

Exactly! If you search by gotoh, most are posted at the price you'd expect them to be, just over $100.. eBay is around $60+S&H... after tax there and shipping, just under $44!

... even if it's stolen I'm fine with that. 

But ya... even if a typo, if it arrives and cost that much, I'll be very happy. But... kinda got the motivational ball rolling on getting this guitar built (finally) and hate waiting 1-2 weeks to find out I have to order elsewhere. :S


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

When something is too good to be true, there's usually a reason for it.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

jdto said:


> Those are Google AdWords. They are usually based on your browsing history with Google


Boy, are you way off on that one. Tried "Customer Service" again and the Russian Pretties site is gone and I get a friends Facebook Page "and she's not Russian". I'd be suspect of that site myself. Greco, this what I get when I hit "Contact Us" and that Customer Service link is suspect to me.


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

Let us know if it comes; for that price, i'm grabbing one.


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

Guitar101 said:


> Boy, are you way off on that one. Tried "Customer Service" again and the Russian Pretties site is gone and I get a friends Facebook Page "and she's not Russian". I'd be suspect of that site myself. Greco, this what I get when I hit "Contact Us" and that Customer Service link is suspect to me.
> View attachment 117129


The Customer Service link is a Google AdWord link installed in the website. If you use AdBlock, you don't see those links. You got the Facebook page because your Chrome history shows you visit/click there a lot. So no, I'm not "way off" in the slightest. The "Customer Service" link has nothing to with the actual site content or the customer service offered by the site. The site is sketchy, and even more so for using AdWords like that.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

jdto said:


> The Customer Service link is a Google AdWord link installed in the website. If you use AdBlock, you don't see those links. You got the Facebook page because your Chrome history shows you visit/click there a lot. So no, I'm not "way off" in the slightest. The "Customer Service" link has nothing to with the actual site content or the customer service offered by the site. The site is sketchy, and even more so for using AdWords like that.


Let's agree to disagree and leave it that.


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

Guitar101 said:


> Let's agree to disagree and leave it that.


You can't disagree with a fact. The links you clicked on were Google links, not links belonging to that website. That is not an opinion.

Google Ads uses your Chrome browsing history to serve you ads they think you are likely to click on. This is what I do for a living. It is not about whether you agree or not, it is what is on Google does. 

I will say that I was pulling your leg about the Russian beauties because AdWords don't quite work that way. It usually just goes through a rotation of the highest paying advertisers who serve content that might interest you. That means that you might not be signing Russian beauties, but you might be looking st content that relates to beautiful women or Russia. Nothing nefarious in that and I was mostly kidding. 

One pointer: if you do any naughty-type web surfing, use an ad blocker an an incognito browser window.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

jbealsmusic said:


> Can't comment on the legitimacy of the site, but I will say that the price for that Gotoh bridge is a steal. It's well under what even a distributor or OEM would pay to get it straight from Gotoh. If it is a legit site, that price is likely a typo.
> 
> As for spelling errors, etc. Even professionally made websites have those here and there. Can't really use that to determine anything.
> 
> Looks like an interesting assortment of products. Has anyone tried contacting them?


I doubt that an OEM pays $40.00 for a bridge. I could be wrong but I worked for a large OEM for years and I was often surprised at what we paid for things. We could even supply wholesalers cheaper than distributors could.


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

Steadfastly said:


> I doubt that an OEM pays $40.00 for a bridge. I could be wrong but I worked for a large OEM for years and I was often surprised at what we paid for things. We could even supply wholesalers cheaper than distributors could.


@jbealsmusic might have some insight into this, given that he runs a guitar and amp parts business.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

jdto said:


> You can't disagree with a fact.


Oh yes I can.


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## Guest (Aug 29, 2017)

How do I link to the Russian women?


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

Player99 said:


> How do I link to the Russian women?


You could try Googling "Russian Pretties" and see what you get.


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## Brett Pearson (Apr 26, 2016)

I just googled 'Russian Pretties' and got a bunch of photos of Donald and Eric Trump!


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

Player99 said:


> How do I link to the Russian women?


https://www.russianpretties.com/?af...m_term=5582694s1441007639&utm_content=2033520

Went back and clicked on the link in the original post >contact us >customer service and got the Russian Pretties link again. Enter at your own risk.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

As much as i love saving a few bucks, if its not a reputable site, stay away. One of the best Canadian gear co. is here on our forum.
NextGen (JBealsmusic) highly recommended and safe. Sometimes its worth spending a bit more to get peace of mind. Hope all gets resolved with your order.


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## Guest (Aug 29, 2017)

They are a hardy looking bunch those Russian pretties.


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

THRobinson said:


> Exactly! (EDITED FOR CONTEXTUAL RESPONSE) ... after tax there and shipping, just under $44!
> 
> ... even if it's stolen I'm fine with that.


I hear you. That's a great deal. Almost too good to be true.



> If you search by gotoh, most are posted at the price you'd expect them to be, just over $100.. eBay is around $60+S&H
> (EDITED FOR CONTEXTUAL RESPONSE)
> But ya... even if a typo, if it arrives and cost that much, I'll be very happy. But... kinda got the motivational ball rolling on getting this guitar built (finally) and hate waiting 1-2 weeks to find out I have to order elsewhere. :S


This is where it gets weird for me and I'm not sure what I can say without violating some sort of rules. I guess all I will say is that it shouldn't be over $100 anywhere and there's no reason to wait 1-2 weeks for it. Maybe do a search for Canadian parts suppliers (or just search for the title of the bridge and "Canada".) You should find at least one place in Canada that stocks it and sells it for less than $100.



jdto said:


> The Customer Service link is a Google AdWord link installed in the website. If you use AdBlock, you don't see those links. You got the Facebook page because your Chrome history shows you visit/click there a lot. So no, I'm not "way off" in the slightest. The "Customer Service" link has nothing to with the actual site content or the customer service offered by the site. The site is sketchy, and even more so for using AdWords like that.


That is correct. It's kind of a shady way to do advertising as well. Applying ad links all over that look like official website links is just dirty. For those who are confused by this, the links circled below are all ads:









In fact, on review, half the links within the site's content are those types of links:









With adblock disabled, they just show up as regular text, which is why some people aren't getting the same results.

Have at 'er if you want to take the risk, but at this point I would be very suspect.



Steadfastly said:


> I doubt that an OEM pays $40.00 for a bridge.


You're right, they wouldn't pay $40 for A bridge. But they would pay substantially more than $28 Canadian for THAT bridge. 

Plus, in the guitar industry, parts manufacturers having their parts "ghost built" for large OEM orders is somewhat commonplace. That's how/why some guitars come with "stock" upgraded parts without a big boost in price. Those upgraded parts are actually not the same as what you'd get if you bought the same part separately. The manufacturing was likely outsourced to be built cheaper in order to meet the target price of the OEM and still make a good profit. I can't speak for other industries, but it happens all the time in the guitar industry.



marcos said:


> As much as i love saving a few bucks, if its not a reputable site, stay away. One of the best Canadian gear co. is here on our forum.
> NextGen (JBealsmusic) highly recommended and safe. Sometimes its worth spending a bit more to get peace of mind. Hope all gets resolved with your order.


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## Hammerhands (Dec 19, 2016)

The first thing I look for is a physical address, preferably one that exists, even better if I can see the business using Google Street View.


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

Guitar101 said:


> Oh yes I can.


Ok, then, Mr. Russian Pretties. You can dislike it all you want, but it's still the truth. That's how AdWords works.


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## CanadianCurious (Apr 17, 2018)

Hi,

I stumbled on this website because I too, like the OP, was wondering if Canadainstruments.ca is a legit site. I contacted the OP and he told me that he didn't end up receiving nor purchasing anything from them, but I am curious to know what is other people's experience.

I was interested in purchasing an items that was well priced, and the shipping cost within Canada is quite reasonable, but there were a few flags went up after placing my order. For one, I received an email asking me to send an interac transfer (Canada's debit platform) which I have never seen online before. Contrary to credit card transactions, there is no way to reverse the charge if they end up not delivering.

Still, this does not look like the classic scam, so I am still wondering what is up with the site.

Thanks for your input.

PS: This is the second time I try to post on this thread, my post from last night mysteriously disappeared....


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

CanadianCurious said:


> Hi,
> 
> I stumbled on this website because I too, like the OP, was wondering if Canadainstruments.ca is a legit site. I contacted the OP and he told me that he didn't end up receiving nor purchasing anything from them, but I am curious to know what is other people's experience.
> 
> ...


If the company is legit and they have the product in stock, I would have not problem with the e-transfer. I have done this many times.


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

If you send e-transfers and it's fraud there isn't any recourse other than the police, and for fraudulent etransfers typically both etransfer ids would be disabled, meaning you won't be able to use etransfers for anything else. If that is all they offer for payments, I would heavily suggest skipping it.


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

Steadfastly said:


> If the company is legit and they have the product in stock, I would have not problem with the e-transfer. I have done this many times.


 The differences this one does not sound legit. It does sound very sketchy. I’d place money on the fact that this is a scam


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

Steadfastly said:


> If the company is legit and they have the product in stock, I would have not problem with the e-transfer. I have done this many times.


 The differences this one does not sound legit. It does sound very sketchy. I’d place money on the fact that this is a scam


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Scotty said:


> The differences this one does not sound legit. It does sound very sketchy. I’d place money on the fact that this is a scam


If it's not a legit company, then I definitely agree.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

marcos said:


> One of the best Canadian gear co. is here on our forum.
> NextGen (JBealsmusic) highly recommended and safe.


Does he price match?


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

Ask him yourself.


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

I'm going to go out on a limb and say he probably won't price match a scam site........ because..... that would be stupid.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

RBlakeney said:


> I'm going to go out on a limb and say he probably won't price match a scam site........ because..... that would be stupid.


Yes I figured that. It was a joke.


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