Reverse image search before you buy

[Fjord]

Also, given the potential for scams, I hope we can all be obliging to potential buyers when we sell. I just bought a guitar on AGF and still felt a bit bad asking for verification, but this should become the norm.

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by Fjord

Also, given the potential for scams, I hope we can all be obliging to potential buyers when we sell. I just bought a guitar on AGF and still felt a bit bad asking for verification, but this should become the norm.

"verification"?

Please explain.

What exactly would you consider evidence sufficient to "verify" the guitar? Driver's license, SocSec #, picture of the alleged seller holding the alleged guitar with a newspaper showing the alleged date?

[Talk2Me]

Originally Posted by frankmcr

"verification"?


Please explain.

Seems pretty straightforward.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dic...h/verification

Making sure the seller, guitar and post are all real.

[Fjord]

Originally Posted by frankmcr

"verification"?

Please explain.

What exactly would you consider evidence sufficient to "verify" the guitar? Driver's license, SocSec #, picture of the alleged seller holding the alleged guitar with a newspaper showing the alleged date?

I don’t know what really counts as verification. I was making a transaction and did some texting and was able to independently verify the phone number matches the name and address that I found online. That was enough for me, given it was also a charter member etc. I don’t think any image alone is proof of anything now that it’s trivial to realistically fake whatever one wants (eg: ssn or other ID). I think a good old fashioned phone call is better than most options because you can get a good sense of their shady. Would love to hear more thoughts.

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by Fjord

Also, given the potential for scams, I hope we can all be obliging to potential buyers when we sell. I just bought a guitar on AGF and still felt a bit bad asking for verification, but this should become the norm.

Originally Posted by Fjord

I don’t know what really counts as verification. I was making a transaction and did some texting and was able to independently verify the phone number matches the name and address that I found online. That was enough for me, given it was also a charter member etc. I don’t think any image alone is proof of anything now that it’s trivial to realistically fake whatever one wants (eg: ssn or other ID). I think a good old fashioned phone call is better than most options because you can get a good sense of their shady. Would love to hear more thoughts.

Oh, okay, well that's just basic due diligence. Nothing to feel bad about.

If buying from a store check the address, feedback, kind of thing.

If selling to an individual suss them out a bit. "How long have you been playing" seems to scare off would-be scamsters.

Really I just pretty much stick to Reverb, no problems in a dozen or so transactions over the years.

[Palladio]

Thanks for pointing out this search function, and how to use it. Perhaps I'm a luddite because it was news to me!

I have my own methods of due diligence before buying/selling anything expensive via this or other forums. Glad to have another to add to them.

I haven't noticed any odd or shady activity on AGF myself, until yesterday. I received a PM replying to a WTB thread I have posted, but it didn't really make sense and asked me to contact someone at an outside email. When I checked the sender's profile, they had zero posts and had just joined that day. Obviously some kind of scam.