Selling/buying on ebay - Page 2

sam.spoons · #16 02-09-2016, 04:02 PM

feebay is all about trust. but so is any buying and selling as a private individual. I have bought and/or sold several hundred items on ebay over the last few years and have never had a problem.

OTOH I sent a guitar I was selling for approval, via an acquaintance (I had known him through a mutual friend and both bought a guitar from him and, a couple of years later sold the same guitar to one of his pupils) to a friend of his (whom I know through Facebook). I have not had reply from the 'buyer' for several months despite several emails. texts and Facebook messages.....

'Caveat emptor' but equally 'caveat venditor'

Kh1967 · #17 02-09-2016, 04:10 PM

I have sold guitars and several other items on EBay. 99% of them have gone without any trouble. However, when selling guitars, I put in the listing that I require a phone conversation even before bidding. Any serious and honest buyer has no issues with this.

GHS · #18 02-09-2016, 05:30 PM

I bought two guitar on ebay with no problem at all. I quit selling for a few reasons but one is the no negative feedback on buyers. What? I have two or three real winners and it is not worth the trouble. Only way to warn others is hit the positive button then give them a poison pen write up.

tgaume · #19 02-09-2016, 07:52 PM

I hope I don't have any issues. Bought a guitar on eBay today, the first one I've bought there.

I've been looking for a 1970 Sigma DR-7 with the original logo and the zero fret, and found one about 20 miles from my home town. Sent the seller a message about 4 hours ago right after I bought it and waiting to hear back from him. Just want to make sure he doesn't ship it to soon as I'll be out of town through the middle of next week.

ojaidave · #20 02-09-2016, 08:12 PM

Reverb.com has lower fees and seems to attract better buyers and sellers. I have sold 5 guitars in the last year with no issues and will never use e-bay for guitars again.

flaggerphil · #21 02-09-2016, 09:23 PM

I stopped selling guitars on eBay a few years ago when I had two buyers in a row claim gouges in the finish that weren't there when I shipped the guitars. Both demanded I give them large further discounts. I told both that the guitars shipped without the damage, but I would refund their money if they shipped the guitars back to me at their expense. They both kept the guitars and said not another word.

Ted @ LA Guitar Sales · #22 02-09-2016, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kh1967

I have sold guitars and several other items on EBay. 99% of them have gone without any trouble. However, when selling guitars, I put in the listing that I require a phone conversation even before bidding. Any serious and honest buyer has no issues with this.

But Kori, by limiting your ads to those who are willing to call you, you are missing out selling to the chronically shy.

buddyholly713 · #23 02-10-2016, 09:25 AM

I've bought and sold about 15 guitars on eBay and have been impressed with the fairness and good faith of everyone I've dealt with, except for one. It involved a claim of scratches on the peghead that I know were not there. I suspect photoshopping of the photos emailed back to me from the buyer. I settled for a small discount. I dislike getting involved in disputes in general and avoid them, unless the stakes are relatively high. Even though I was probably scammed, I was glad to get rid of this person. At my age, it's worth a small concession to not have that upset feeling that lingers on.

But that case has been the rare exception with me. I have found a nice community of acoustic guitar lovers on eBay and often have nice conversations via email with my buyers and sellers.

The only dispute on eBay I've really dug my heels in on involved a set of rare books I was selling where the auction was cut short when eBay had a technical problem that shut down bidding prematurely. The last high bidder tried to bully his way through to a sale, but I went to the Resolution Center where eBay agreed with me that the auction had to be allowed to continue to its scheduled end. So while I'm sure the buyer-bias that's spoken of here is true, it didn't apply to the one case I've really had a problem with.

I sell some things locally on Craigslist, but only one guitar that I can recall. That's because I don't care to have a lot of strangers coming into my home. The one I sold, we met at a park on a nice day. I generally only sell locally things you can view outdoors -- a car, a lawnmower, a ladder are some examples I've sold. And that guitar was a low-end Yamaha. With the expensive guitars I've sold, I find the huge marketplace of buyers provided by eBay is a big plus.