"Unauthorized/fraudulent charges to our credit card. Learn from our situation and watch out for what I can only describe as a scam. Our daughter joined her school band and we entered a Rent-to-Own agreement with Music and Arts on 9/29/2021. They were the exclusive provider of rental services through the elementary school program. We signed a contract for 18 months, at which point we would own the instrument for a total cost of $599.99. However, it has been more than 26 months now and we have been charged over $1,000. We have been in contact with Music and Arts for six months via phone calls and e-mails with no results. They are trying to claim we traded in the instrument for an upgrade, which triggered a new agreement, and that we will be charged until 2025 to pay for the exchange, which will be over $1,300 in total. This information is incorrect. The initial instrument that was provided to us was not in good working condition. Its screws kept falling out, causing the instrument to malfunction and disassemble frequently. The instrument was brought to the store for repair. The employee at the store made the decision to replace the inoperable instrument with a functional one, since we had LDW insurance as part of the agreement. There was no request for a replacement or an upgrade. There was no awareness that the new instrument was any different than the old instrument, other than it was operational. At no time did we agree or authorize to modify the Rent-to-Own agreement or to enter into a new agreement. Again, the instrument was brought to the store to be repaired. The employee chose to exchange the instrument. The employee chose the new instrument for replacement. Through the school program, there is no additional cost to the renter and does not modify the rent-to-own agreement. However, Music and Arts continues to charge our credit card, even though there is no authorization for these charges. Stay far, far, away from Music and Arts."

"I was told over a year ago that I only owed a little less than $400 on my son's instrument. I paid half the SAME DAY while at the store in Snellville. Two weeks later when I got my pay check I paid the remaining balance! I had been paying on this instrument for 4 years. I started with Ken Station which was so much better because you had access to what you paid and they could automatically deduct the payments. Anyway, I was told on several different occasions that I was PAID IN FULL by the store front. I have been getting calls and been harassed about this from the companies collections department the ENTIRE TIME. Even though the received letters telling them that I have paid in full, they are still calling me, yelling at me, and telling me that I am going to be sent to collections. First they said they had not talked to the store front, then as the guy kept yelling he accidentally admitted to getting an email. Then he said that he got an email, but the information didn't match their records. These people are CROOKS!!! DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THESE PEOPLE!!! THEY WILL TAKE ALL YOUR MONEY AND THEN TRY TO STEAL MORE FROM YOU!!!!!! THEY PLAY DUMB LIKE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STORE FRONT IS DOING AND THE STORE FRONT DOESN'T KNOW WHAT CORPORATE IS DOING!!! THEY SHOULD BE PUT OUT OF BUSINESS AND PROSECUTED!!!!! "

"Do not rent without understanding the rental agreement. They will tell you that you can apply 100% of first year rental value towards purchase. That is sham. For example, none of the instruments sold online qualifies. So we had to go to store and they were selling a $900 student viola for $500 on sale. I thought I can apply $330 rental credit and get the viola for $170. Wrong. The rental credit applies towards original price. So, they told me that I will have to be $900-$330=$570 to purchase that Viola which is on sale for $500 if i try to use my rental credit. I tried all different combinations, but none will get even $1 benefit of using rental credits. Had they told me clearly that I am renting with no value credit then I would be fine but tricking me into renting thinking that I am building value is so wrong. Anything else they tell you is incorrect. Read the agreement. They even have restrictions on what category instrument you can buy or not buy using rental credit. Basically, they are inflating the cost of all instruments for the purpose of rental credit. You can but the same instrument at cheaper price elsewhere. Very disappointed. I even paid $10 insurance per month for rental that I knew would not apply towards purchase. I will not call it a scam but definitely bad business. "

"I have never had such a bad experience with anything I've paid for. I bought a $5K professional clarinet, and after a month, it started cracking. Surely, it's a manufacturer defect. However, Music and Arts takes zero responsibility, and their customer service attitude (company policy) is terrible.
Initially, I forgot my receipt, and one would think, and at this time and age, everything is computerized, well, no. I drove back 30 miles home, got my receipt, and on the way back, I got a call that they don't take back instruments and that I have to deal directly with the problem with the manufacturer.
This clarinet is from France so the experience will go from bad to worse.

I would not recommend buying anything from them. "

"Tried a lesson since we had a recommendation of the teacher working for/with them. OK lessons, but then the teacher and my kid did not vibe, so we didn't want any more lessons.
Originally booked through their website, and didn't notice the fine print.

We cancelled at the store, but corporate charged us anyway.
Then the joke of Customer service would not let my husband pay the bill. "

"Three to five day shipping is a joke... It will take that long just to process the order. Don't bother calling their so called "customer service" because my experience on a bunch of calls seemed to be talking to someone they pulled off the street to take calls. On hold forever just to provide a "I don't know" answer. Trying to cancel an order is just as much a joke since your item shows shipped and can't be cancelled yet the carrier doesn't even have the item yet. I was given bogus tracking numbers just so they could get rid of me. Take your money, hold it until you can finally get a refund. Sounds like customers are just loaning their company interest free funds to operate with. It's amazing companies like this can't understand why Amazon is eating their lunch!"

"The auto billing is a scam to rip you off. Once they bill you, they refuse to return your money when you call them and asked to have your money returned. Also, the auto scheduling is a scam auto schedules you once a week every time I call to be asked removed from the other scheduling they say it’s done but yet I’m on the schedule for next week. I want my money back. "

"Purchased a Squire Strat from them for $313.48. This was possibly the worst decision of my life. They never delivered the guitar. I couldn’t reach their customer service so I filed a dispute with my credit card and won. Then I get another unauthorized charge from thema month later. I dispute again and get my money back. I changed my card number and put a block on them.

On top of this all, their customer service is absolutely horrible. They said I don’t owe anything everytime I called them, said the same thing when I filed a BBB complaint. They also gave me a UPS tracking ID which still says “Carrier awaiting Pickup”. 2 months later, they mention in the BBB complaint that they infact shipped through Fedex and it was delivered. It was not delivered to me, I never signed for it and I don’t know where it got delivered.

Then they started harrassing me, calling me at 6 AM asking me to pay up because I “rented an instrument”. They’re trying to charge me $313 every month as a subscription lol. I just filed more complaints against them via the BBB, the Arizona attorney general and VISA. I will be filing as many complaints including a police complaint if necessary because this is literally a scam."

"I rented a chello and was told on the phone by Rep Jose R. That this was my last payment/final payment. With this information I went ahead and rented my son a saxophone. My son started playing both enrolled him in orchestra and Band. Then I get a call to tell me my payment info is no longer valid for the chello. Then I was was informed I had been missed informed. I'm a single blue collar mother and this is a sad story because now I have to ask my child to pick between instruments being that I am on worker comp and making less money now I have to take something away from him that I was told was ours. This is not just disruptive to our feeling but no school schedules. I'm a truly disappointed especially now that I was told that I am suffering the consequences of being misinformed why should we be suffering we are not the ones who made a mistake."

"This company has the worst customer service department that I have ever experienced. I tried updating my card on file as several others on here have also written about. After a month of calling customer service and being on hold for over an hour each time and trying to engage the chat feature on their website, I did attempt to go to the local store to get assistance. They also advised they could not change my card information, but they did take my information down and said they would send it in to the company. The next month my incorrect card was charged resulting in overdraft fees (we were changing bank accounts and shutting that account down). After reaching customer service through numerous other attempts, they refused to reimburse my NSF fee although I provided bank statements and call logs to prove my situation. I will NEVER rent from them again and will be returning my son's instrument at the end of this school year. "

"I need to change my stored credit card information to pay for a rental instrument. I have currently spent two hours on hold and driven to my local store, only to be told there’s apparently no way for me to do so. "

"I did a sax lesson with them . the teacher was good but when she went on leave she should not access their lessons platform. They insisted to charge me by force :). BE CARFUL THEY ARE SCAMES "

"If I could give this company zero stars, I would. I rented an instrument from them back in 2020 when schools locked down during the early days of Covid. I then returned the instrument in October of 2021. Everything seemed fine. A few months went by and I noticed I they started charging me monthly again, so I called them to dispute it. They said that they had no record of my returning the instrument. "

"I do not even want to give it one star. The customer service are the most useless people I have ever talked too. No help what so ever, don't do what they say they are going to do, and offer no answers. After waiting for a refund for over 2 MONTHS, and having to call on 4 different occasions (which calling in its self is a hassle), I finally got my refund.. then TWO MONTHS LATER, they hit me with two new charges. They say its for a "starter kit".....a starter kit being delivered in JANUARY? My child started bank in AUGUST. When I ask for a refund, MARCO says " I can not give you a refund since it was already delivered to the school".... I HAVE ALREADY CANCELED OUR ACCOUNT IN NOVEMBER!!!!
I am beyond furious!! It is really said because I have two other children that may want to play an instrument trument, but it will never be through this company! NEVER AGAIN!"

"Sean H. Jacksonville-Amazying"