?Guitar Shop? Is this for real?

[Ralph124C41]

This just happened to me and it's true:

A couple of weeks ago I saw an ad at eBay for some China-based seller selling a cheap electric guitar shipped for $17.99. The seller also had basses with a small amp for about the same amount. Now the same guitar normally sold for about $60 or so so I thought I'd buy one, thinking maybe it was a closeout or something like that, but still thinking maybe this was a scam. However it was offered on eBay so I knew I wouldn't lose money and the seller had a reputation (supposedly) of more than 90 percent.

Well ... what happened was the item was listed on China Post and had a tracking number. But it was listed as "small packet" which is I understand reserved for letter and small packages under 4 lbs. I emailed the seller for an explanation but received no response.

I went to a few another guitar/bass forums and found a lot, probably more than 100 people, who were in the same leaking boat as I. Eventually the "guitars" arrived ... but at different sites, sometimes in other countries. Mine arrived ... at a rural post office 450 miles away in another state. It was not addressed to me. Apparently the seller got hold of the tracking numbers, maybe from previous orders, and sent them out to allow more time before eBay or PayPal could stop him. Finally eBay removed the seller's registration. By then there were more than 100 negative feedbacks on the seller's profile, some funny some ... not.

Me? I got my refund as I'm certain everybody else did, or should.

Yes, I know I went into this thinking it could be a scam so that's on me. What I'm saying is there are scams out there and if you order from some web site without protection you easily could lose your money but maybe you can file with your credit card or through PayPal or something. But with eBay's backing I didn't think I'd lose my money.

[CelticDude]

But, but ... It's on the InterWebs, so it has to be true!?

Or maybe not.

[Slothead56]

I thought the deals were amazing and I always wanted a Les Paul, but didn’t want to risk giving them my credit card so I used my wife’s card.

Hope I wasn’t scammed.

[Kitkatjoe]

Originally Posted by Ralph124C41

This just happened to me and it's true:

A couple of weeks ago I saw an ad at eBay for some China-based seller selling a cheap electric guitar shipped for $17.99. The seller also had basses with a small amp for about the same amount. Now the same guitar normally sold for about $60 or so so I thought I'd buy one, thinking maybe it was a closeout or something like that, but still thinking maybe this was a scam. However it was offered on eBay so I knew I wouldn't lose money and the seller had a reputation (supposedly) of more than 90 percent.

Well ... what happened was the item was listed on China Post and had a tracking number. But it was listed as "small packet" which is I understand reserved for letter and small packages under 4 lbs. I emailed the seller for an explanation but received no response.

I went to a few another guitar/bass forums and found a lot, probably more than 100 people, who were in the same leaking boat as I. Eventually the "guitars" arrived ... but at different sites, sometimes in other countries. Mine arrived ... at a rural post office 450 miles away in another state. It was not addressed to me. Apparently the seller got hold of the tracking numbers, maybe from previous orders, and sent them out to allow more time before eBay or PayPal could stop him. Finally eBay removed the seller's registration. By then there were more than 100 negative feedbacks on the seller's profile, some funny some ... not.

Me? I got my refund as I'm certain everybody else did, or should.

Yes, I know I went into this thinking it could be a scam so that's on me. What I'm saying is there are scams out there and if you order from some web site without protection you easily could lose your money but maybe you can file with your credit card or through PayPal or something. But with eBay's backing I didn't think I'd lose my money.

eBay was 0 help when I got scammed out of two hundred dollars. I bought an item by PayPal it was sent to New Jersey and I live hundreds of miles from New Jersey. eBay completely did 0 for me. I lost my money and received 0. I haven’t bought on eBay since.