I picked up an Akai MPK Mini MK3 from the Guitar Center in Brooklyn yesterday, thinking it would be the perfect little controller to mess around with at home. I didn’t try it in the store—I just grabbed it and left, assuming it would be brand new. But as soon as I got home and opened the box, I could tell it had already been opened before, which immediately threw me off.

I didn’t even bother connecting it or setting anything up. The fact that it was clearly an open-box return was enough for me. I wanted something brand new, especially for something like this, and I didn’t feel right keeping something that had already been used and sent back. So I closed it right back up almost immediately, knowing I was going to return it. Today, I went to the Manhattan Guitar Center instead of heading back to Brooklyn since it was more convenient.

I explained the situation—that I had just bought it yesterday, hadn’t used it at all, and noticed it was already opened—and they didn’t give me any trouble about it. They checked the box quickly and swapped it out for a new one on the spot. The whole process was straightforward, which made it a lot less stressful than I expected. It was a bit annoying having to return it so quickly, but at least now I’ve got a sealed, brand new one, exactly how it should’ve been from the start.