[Solved] Sweetwater tells me THIS after taking my money!!!

If I get my money back, can I buy it from Cakewalk directly?  I'd rather spend an extra $10 and never buy from those scumbags again!!!

I'm glad it worked out for you, but Sweetwater has always been a top-shelf retailer in my experience.  I would recommend them any time without hesitation.

Sweetwater's customer service is exemplary, they are far from scumbags. I'm sure you had no trouble getting your money back.
 
Unfortunately international sales can get very complicated depending on changes in regional laws, contracts with distributors, etc. So I'm glad you got what you wanted, but I suspect there's a backstory as to why it wasn't possible...or it could even be a misunderstanding.

THe global retail business still has a lot of growing up to do. A global currency and rules don't exist yet. Since everything related to software is moving to direct D/L, governments will have to address it at some point.
But don't hold your breath.

I've never had any issues with Sweetwater either and have recommended them to many a friend and student. I have to agree with Craig that something may have unclear in the background of what you experienced. I wouldn't write them off after one odd issue. Perhaps you could talk to your rep and get clarification from him as to what actually was up with the mix-up? We are all human after all is said and done....

I also echo Sweetwater as a good guy, even after the sale. I purchased an Artis 7 from them last May and it started making a very loud white noise that could only be stopped by powered off the keyboard. I have three  high priority gigs scheduled and was going to use the keyboard. After an exchange with Sweetwater Tech Support they sent me a shipping label, and will put me first in the que and handle the repair for me directly instead of going thru AMS (the stateside supplier/repair depot) Its covered under their generous two year extended warranty.
So "scumbags"? I dont think so ...

I have nearly been caught with this living in Australia.  And the US supplier not actually supplying Australia but only in the US.  I must admit though it is not often until you get almost all the way through the payment options and there it is in super fine print they only supply within the US.  They do need to make it clearer sometimes though.
 
It is up to YOU to make sure they can actually supply you.  The payment will often go ahead because that part of it is not connected to where you live.
 
Do your research first.
 
Sometimes it pays to ask though. I recently had to get a part from a drum supplier in the US that was impossible to get here. They did not supply outside the US either but they made an exception for me and wrapped it up and sent it to me which was pretty cool of them.
 
I have only ever found Sweetwater to be pretty helpful as well.  They love Kurzweils there so they cant be all bad.

At the same price they usually will get my business.  However, they are usually not a market leader when it comes to price and have lost numerous opportunities for my monies. 
 
I find they are a pain if you actually want to get a deal.  If you are willing to pay full blown retail, they are a great source to do so. 

Brian Walton
At the same price they usually will get my business.  However, they are usually not a market leader when it comes to price and have lost numerous opportunities for my monies. 
 
I find they are a pain if you actually want to get a deal.  If you are willing to pay full blown retail, they are a great source to do so. 

You're paying for exemplary customer service, aftersales support, and pretty knowledgeable consulting. I've known people who got talked out of buying something from a Sweetwater sales person because in their judgement, it wouldn't do what the customer wanted. People who know exactly what they want and require no further interaction can avail themselves of the cheapest prices from a variety of places. OTOH returning something can be problematic so you have to be careful.
 
I also don't think "full blown retail" is correct if what you mean is MSRP. You're maybe thinking of MAP (minimum advertised price)?

+1 for only good experiences with Sweetwater since 1996.  Now I try to shop a locally-owned store that matches Sweetwater's prices, but only because I know the owner and NO SHIPPING COST.  Hawaii is an expensive vacation destination for larger pieces of audio gear. 

I just like the candy I receive in the box from Sweetwater when unpacking my item,  I get all Giggly inside! 

"It Depends!"
 
I've had good and bad experiences with Sweetwater, ultimately one really bad experience was (more or less) righted, but it took years. Recent experiences have been uniformly good - their sales engineers are not as knowledgeable as they think they are, and subject to the usual market forces. But they are a heck of a lot better than the folks I run into at most other large music retailers (on-line and brick&mortar).
 
Among my friends they get mostly good marks. I know one or two folks that won't do business with them, and that's their prerogative.

No, their prices aren't the best, but the small premium provides some peace of mind, and it is usually pretty small. Then again, I was happy to pay a premium to do business with a locally owned music store - when such things existed<G>!
 
I will recommend them as a dealer, but I still suggest one does their homework first, and if anything goes awry do not be bashful, they will eventually fix it.
 
disclaimer - I bought my first sampler - a Mirage Rack - from some guy named Chuck who owned a studio somewhere in the middle of the country. These days I will email him if I am running into difficulties. In hindsight I wish I had done so back when I ran into a huge problem with them. Lesson learned.

digimidi
I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left...

 
Same here digimidi, however, I am always willing to share some of it with others who don't have enough! 

Hi RSR, thought I would say my part, which is the way you feel, just to counter-balance all the positive reports from everyone about SW.
After spending an hour on the phone with this guy who I had to explain some things to about the Indie music biz, he took my order--although I was still suspicious about his "cool guy" routine.
 
Thinking that all was well, after a couple of days I got a phone call from him saying that my order was cancelled because of my credit (although it had passed just fine before).
 
My credit was fine but the interesting thing is that I bought it without credit and they still didn't want my money I guess.
 
I explained that I had already paid for it and they refunded my money anyway. I guess I am on a "bad guy" list somewhere maybe.
 
No problem though, I just went back to where I get all my gear--guitars, keyboards, software, strings etc--good 'ol Guitar Center. They have never let me down after years of service and thousands of dollars. Not one issue ever.
 
I do not know why people brag about SW ( I have read their comments though), but apparently they are well taken care of much like I am at GC.
 
Just wanted you to know that I was no fan of SW either and have never attempted to use them again and never will.
 
Keep on rockin' dude!
 
bob