Reverb is dreadful

Originally Posted by pagedr

Doesn't sound that weird to be honest, sounds like the seller already had some interest and a potential buyer/buyers lined up and didn't feel the need to provide everything you asked for. It seems like 99% of the time I get a message from someone on Reverb asking a bunch of questions, asking for specific photos or sound clips, etc, I get either no response or a quick "thanks" and never hear from that person again. Lots of tire kickers on Reverb, so wouldn't be shocked if the seller you reached out to has had similar experiences.

Also if someone asks really specifically about return policies and that sort of thing on Reverb it's an instant sign to me that they are going to be overly scrutinizing with the guitar when they receive it. Most individual sellers on Reverb aren't going to want to take a return unless the guitar shows up damaged or omitted something, not because the buyer doesn't love the tone, don't get along with the neck carve or nut width, etc.

Wouldn't you be scrutinizing the guitar, too? That doesn't make sense. The more information you provide up front, the less risk of a problem on the back end. I guess scrutinizing is in the eye of the beholder. Reinforces my decision to buy local and only buy what I've seen with my own eyes, played with my own hands. Or from someone I know personally, or who's been vetted and recommended for an online transaction.

[One-Off]

I just successfully sold two acoustic guitars on eBay that were also listed on Reverb, FB, CL and here on AGF. eBay sold them the quickest and i didn't have to accept lower offers either, they were bought at Buy it now prices. it's possible i got lucky this time but both transactions went really well.

I received a bunch of lowball offers on Reverb, FB and CL, which was annoying. And I really wanted to avoid paying selling fees but if i have to pay them, i'd rather sell my stuff on ebay since selling fees on guitars are still lower on ebay vs Reverb.

[theghostwriter]

I'm not looking to sell any guitars, but I'm idly curious what it costs to ship one across the country these days. I'd be extremely wary selling a guitar online, just for the high potential of loss in shipping costs and fees if someone wasn't happy with it.

[619TF]

Originally Posted by theghostwriter

I'm not looking to sell any guitars, but I'm idly curious what it costs to ship one across the country these days. I'd be extremely wary selling a guitar online, just for the high potential of loss in shipping costs and fees if someone wasn't happy with it.

Lots of threads here on AGF discussing shipping costs and the shipping companies. You just need to look a little and you'll get your answer.

[RussellHawaii]

Originally Posted by theghostwriter

I'm not looking to sell any guitars, but I'm idly curious what it costs to ship one across the country these days. I'd be extremely wary selling a guitar online, just for the high potential of loss in shipping costs and fees if someone wasn't happy with it.

I think $300-400 max, from my experience. This is for 2 day air with insurance. I’m way across the country from almost anywhere!

[One-Off]

Originally Posted by theghostwriter

I'm not looking to sell any guitars, but I'm idly curious what it costs to ship one across the country these days. I'd be extremely wary selling a guitar online, just for the high potential of loss in shipping costs and fees if someone wasn't happy with it.

I paid for just under $80 for a 17 lbs package to ship UPS Ground from NorCal to Main, pretty much as far as it gets. It took 6 days to deliver. Any shorter distance would cost less.

[tomcstokes59]

I prefer AGF or Cl. No scammers on AGF that I have encountered and the ones on CL are pretty easy to spot. The last two I sold and shipped cost me about $54 via Pirate Ship. But then I am in the middle of the country.

[jpbrooks]

I've had only positive experiences on Reverb, but I did have an issue with ebay when a buyer said the guitar wasn't in the condition described even though he was lying. I think both ebay and reverb will always side with the buyer and that does make it risky, but I have found that on AGF no one is willing to pay near what you can get through reverb even considering the fees. The buyers here are just to savvy and/or slow to realize that what they could buy a guitar for just 18 months ago is no longer the case.

[dnf777]

I wonder if these reviews are in part due to the new mode of scams that sell other peoples listings across multiple platforms? I can imagine its a constant struggle to keep up with scammers and devise countermeasures.

Ive bought many items from reverb, and felt reasonably protected…..but I dont sell there. It seems to be heavily slanted in favor of buyers, when disputes arise.

[Rosette]

The only negative experiences I've had with Reverb are with buyers and sellers, not with the platform itself or its customer service.

The only time I got reported to Reverb by a buyer, it was because I refused to ship a pedal when the guy wouldn't provide a shipping address recognized by USPS. Reverb sided with me, but by that point I'd had dozens of transactions and zero negative feedback as a buyer or seller.

I've had far more negative experiences selling gear on ebay including attempts to scam me. I prefer Reverb by a long shot.

[Rosette]

Originally Posted by cc132

I’ll never understand how eBay fumbled this market so badly. Reverb doesn’t do a single thing that eBay couldn’t have done better.

In my experience, eBay's dispute and resolution policies are time-consuming, cumbersome and generally suck. That's how they fumbled it.

[tsmith28]

I've never had any problems buying on either site, and it certainly helps knowing that they rule in favor of buyers just in case there are any issues.

For selling, I try to use FB Marketplace (local pickup only) whenever possible but if I have to ship I still prefer Reverb. I find that Reverb has a buyer community that is more knowledgeable than eBay's... theoretically this means fewer problems. Regardless, their fees are still the lowest of the big sites.

[rstaight]

I have only used Reverb once. That was when I bought my 12 string.

I inquired about financing and what they offered local I didn't care for. We talked a little and they posted it on Reverb. So I bought it through Reverb and got their financing. Even though it was paid off at the second payment.

But this was well before they were sold.

[6L6]

I only sell on CL and I keep it local/cash only.

And... it's FREE!


UPDATE: I put my Martin D-18 (2021) on CL this morning and it sold in less than two hours. Gotta LOVE CL!

[Maryc-k]

Originally Posted by Mak2525

I thought Reverb was owned by Etsy?

Yes, Reverb is owned by Etsy. They use the same software platform.

eBay is a direct competitor.