Ebay Taylor-opinions?

[Kallah]

I found a 312ce on ebay that is 3 years old. The bid right now is 900$ or so less than retail. Anyone have any opinions bout this deal? Also, is it risky to buy a 3 yr old guitar? He says he's selling it because he has 6 others. ANd his wife wants a classical.
He says it is in new, mint condition. I know that I would like this model. Have played a couple.
Any help would be appreciated.
Kallah

[tenthumbs]

My first purchase on Ebay was my 1995 510. Everything was relatively smooth. The seller didn't send the guitar as quickly as I hoped, but he had excellent seller ratings. The seller ratings should be scrutinized before you purchase. Also I would contact the seller and ask a few questions. Use common sense and you should be fine. There are no guarantee's but a little homework will go a long way. The age of the guitar shouldn't matter as much as the condition that it's in. Are there photos of the guitar? If not I would ask for them. If he won't provide, don't buy. Good Luck.

cheers

Chris

[Jim]

In an Ebay auction, the only price that has any meaning is the final selling price. Most sellers start their auctions at a very low starting price to get people to start bidding in hopes of starting a bidding war. Also, most Taylors have a secret "reserved" price below which the seller will not sell it (when this is in effect, it is indicated in red type in the "current bid" line). If the bidding doesn't reach that number, the auction ends and you don't get the guitar even if you are the high bidder.

The best way to see what a 312CE actually sells for on Ebay is to do a search for them in the recently completed auctions and see which ones actually met their secret reserves and what they sold for.

There are very few bargains on Ebay with something in such high demand as Taylors. You will essentially need to bid and pay the going price for a used Taylor of that model and condition to have a chance of winning it.

Also, the advice from Chris about checking out the seller is VERY important to do. Most of the people who sell on Ebay are honorable, but there are some rotten apples in there looking to take inexperienced buyers to the cleaners, just as anywhere else in the world. If a person doesn't have a spotless feedback rating of at least 100 or more, you should be careful. Even more important is whether that feedback comes from someone selling the same type of items as opposed to someone buying inexpensive items or selling items that are nothing like fine guitars.

As for the claims people make in their auction write ups, I generally don't put much faith in them. There is virtually no policing of what people write and keep in mind that they are trying to get people to bid so you won't often see 100% objective descriptions. Before bidding on such an expensive item, you should email the seller and ask them VERY specific questions as to the details of the actual condition of the guitar and its case, what kind of payment arrangements they accept, is there an escrow arrangement you can both live with (that would be a huge pile of money to lose if you sent your money but no guitar ever came) how much shipping will cost, is there a 3-day return priviledge, etc. If you are a careful shopper and bidder, you can have great experiences on Ebay. You just have to be "street smart" as to how it works and how to scam-proof yourself against the handful of sharks who swim in that sea.

[rsimper]

The buyer is fully responsible. Informed consumers wont get burned very often. If you check your self as you go along, youll probably be fine. Most people wont flat out lie, but rather they will cleverly obscure their descriptions to not be technically lies, but to just slant things in such a way that they cant be held accountable.

Buyer beware applies nowhere more strongly than eBay.

That said, I think of myself as very informed, and I love eBay.

[semolinapilcher]

Don't buy on Ebay unless you get a really BIG discount. Here are 3 killer reasons:

- Since you will not be the original owner, there will be no Taylor warrantee
- The thing you're buying is used, after all
- In terms of sound, you'll be buying 'blind' (ok, deaf)

If I had no choice but to buy a guitar through Ebay, I would feel least UNcomfortable picking a Taylor, since their quality is relatively well-controlled and thus more uniform, so the uncertainty would be minimized to the extent that's possible.

Even so, buying a guitar sight unseen (okay, sound unheard) is a very risky proposition and you need to consider very carefully whether the discount you're getting is literally WORTH what you're giving up in terms of first-hand knowledge about the instrument in question, and the security of that warrantee.

Finally, you say the price is $900 shy of retail, but you should really compare vs a good 35% off of retail, which is what you could expect to pay via mail-order for a brand-new warranteed 2002 Taylor through a more-than-willing dealer. (If this violates the pricing moratorium, I apologize to the Gods of the Forum!)

That being said, Ebay is awesome!

[Stuart]

Did you really say "$900 or so less than retail"? That would make it a pretty good deal. Or did you mean - $900 or so . . . less than retail?

[Kallah]

Thank you all for your input. I feel much more educated now. At this point, I am going to take yall's advice and either get a new one from a dealer, Greatneck has been reccomended, or what I'd really like to do is buy one used from this forum. I missed a couple of really good guitars this week. but Im keeping my eyes open. THank you again for your valuable time. Kallah

I've bought an out-of-print book and an old pro Betamax. Both arrived quickly and as advertised. These were items not generally available elsewhere.

I have 2 guitars coming next week, 1 a used Gibson re-issue no longer in the catalog, the other a one-of-a-kind artist/sculptor-customized Telecaster. Both of these items are not available elsewhere.

Sometimes, I've seen used items on eBay going for MORE than a new one would cost. And I DON'T mean rare items. The trick is to know the value of what you are bidding on. And look for odd things like no photos, no feedback, bad feedback, etc.

Never forget: "Caveat emptor!"

[Orphan]

You can search for items in your local area only, this would give you a chance to "visit" an expensive item before you purchase. You would also save the shipping charges.

[Col. D Mortimer]

Buyer beware is the name of the game. Correspond often with the seller, check his feedback and record. Research the completed items data base to compare and most of all be patient. There are new ones listed every day. Also, try to buy an item that allows you to pay by credit card. That way if there is any major problem, you can contact you Visa or MC service dept, explain the trouble, and refuse payment. If the seller win's to balk, you have leverage.

Trust your guts, if anything seems queer, pass it up...like I said there are new ones every day

Mortimer

[510picker]

I bought my first and only Taylor through e-bay. Just like any e-bay purchase, check out the seller. Ask a million questions. Trust your instincts.

I ended up with a great guitar for a great price..

[MJH]

There are some forum members selling on eBay. I tend to trust most of our members pretty much. I haven't yet sold on eBay, but may soon. I do agree that you are buying "sight (sound) unseen," but if you feel comfortable with the seller, it may be a good way to buy.

Use good common sense and good luck.

Mark

So far, my luck has been spectacular with eBay.

The Gibson J-50 I bought is a real sweet guitar and looks better than the pics the seller posted. The Custom Telecaster is just as crazy looking in person as on the web and the Taylor should arrive in another week.

In any event, each guitar has been better than advertised and I have been delighted with the fast responses and overwhelming honesty of the sellers I've encountered thus far.

That said I will repeat: Do your homework. Know the value of the item you are buying and check the sellers feedback fastidiously. Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware).

I ALWAYS ask a seller a question before I bid seriously, just to see how the response is.

Really, truly spectacular deals are rare, but possible. There are thieves out there too. Best of luck to you (unless I'm bidding against you, that is!)

[Danno]

Hi Kallah
I too have had pretty decent luck with EBay purchases, but do beware, there are some real losers out there. If you know what you want, I would go to Buffalo Brothers website and shoot them an email. They will give you a price that is typically 40% - 45% off of list, and full trade-in when you are ready to move up. I've searched hi and lo, and have yet to find a deal like that. JMO

danno