is buying a high end guitar on ebay too stressful

[taylork24ce]

maybe it's the economy but I have been seeing some good buys on ebay,but just get stressed out that i will buy a guitar that has some damage or a neck problem.Do you guys buy high end on ebay?

[rmyAddison]

Nope.

I buy in the 5-10K range, won't buy a guitar I haven't inspected and played, just to many differences between instruments.

That's talking about eBay, I would buy from a reputable store that had a return policy (MFG, Maury's, Elderly, etc.)

[banpreso]

i try to look for people with lots of good feedbacks, especially people who've sold guitars in the past and received good feedbacks. when someone know's what they're doing (i.e., paypal matters, shipping, packing), it's not too bad.

you can also contact the seller, or even ask to call the seller to ask a few questions, to get a grasp of the kind of person he/ she is. that'll increase your comfort level a bit more.

it's nice when the seller knows what he's doing. if not, pass...

[Joe F]

I have bought high end successfully on Ebay with no issues. I know some have been burned though.

Here's my qualification for sellers before I will consider it.

- Feedback as a seller: I don't care about their reputation as a buyer. I look only at their feedback as a seller. Do they have a consistent track record of satisfied buyers, or a list of complaints. I will generally not consider anything listed by a first time seller.

- How do they respond to questions?: Even if I have no specific questions about the guitar, I will ask some anyway. I like to see how they interact with me, how quickly they respond, how willing they are to go the extra mile to make sure my questions are answered. Do their answers seem forthcoming or evasive?

- Do they offer Paypal buyer protection?

- Do they offer a return period?

Usually I work on reaching a point where I am comfortable that the person is not out to rip me off. So far I have been lucky. The potential always exists though.

[ewalling]

I did once but I regretted it. A year and a half ago I bought a used Taylor XXX-MS CE on ebay which was described as being in mint condition. It was - no complaints there - but somehow the guitar lacked mojo; it just didn't wow me like my Gibson CJ165 does, and for the price I paid I was just expecting something a bit more special. As there will be tone variations in the same model of a guitar, it left me feeling that it's too much of a risk to expect that the tone is going to be what you want. For high end now, I think I would either buy locally or use a reputable dealer with a no frills returm policy.

[rcemech]

You are always taking a chance when you buy without playing. The only way I would do it now was if I was commissioning one from a luthier, and then I would try and play some of their other guitars first.

[gh1]

"high end" has variable cash value depending on one's situation.

But if i was going to be spending what represented a significant investment, then i would not buy a guitar on eBay unless there was a return policy offered. The reason; i don't care what name is on the label, i want to hear and play the guitar, and more than once before i part with my money. I want to be sure that it is what i am looking for in tone and playability.

Like others have said, you can sort out the scammers. That part doesn't bother me.

_____
gh1

[PhosphorBronze]

Joe F pretty much nailed it. If you go through his suggestions you lessen the risks.

But, as he also mentioned, there is always the potential of getting an item that is less than how it was advertised, being that you are bidding on an item that is unseen and unplayed in person.

Therefore, you'd have to weigh the possible risks with the rewards. If the price is good enough such that if things do not quite work out you know that you can turn it around and sell the item again without much (if any) loss then it may be worth it. But in the end, it is always a judgment call. Good luck.

[Trex]

Yes, it is too stressful!--but sometimes necessary to get the guitar you want!

I bought my Hummingbird on ebay because I could not find the specific guitar I wanted anywhere else--even after driving to every guitar store within a 3-hour drive of my home. The purchase went off without a hitch and I am delighted with the guitar, but I would do my best to avoid doing it again. I was a nervous wreck waiting for the guitar and worrying that after paying a lot of bucks I wouldn't like the sound, or there would be some other problem with the guitar.

I would say only do it as a last resort (i.e. you can't find the guitar anywhere where you can actually play it first) and be sure you have thoroughly checked out the feedback on the seller. If you still have concerns, contact the seller to have them addressed before you buy. All that still won't address the sound issue, however, so you are basically relying on the manufacturer in assuming it will sound like you expect.

[Bryan T]

Originally Posted by taylork24ce

Do you guys buy high end on ebay?

I don't. I buy instruments after I've played them in person.

Having said that, I've sold some great high end guitars via eBay.

[Roger65]

I have bought three or four high end instruments on ebay, and sold them eventually for financial reasons. I once bought a $5k Les Paul from Japan through ebay. I never got burned and would have kept each one in a better economy.

To be perfectly honest, having done both, I find selling on ebay to be much more stressful than buying. There are far more protections on ebay for buyers than sellers. As mentioned above, check sellers feedback before bidding and never ever buy from someone without a previous history selling the same caliber of item.

[ship of fools]

Yep, it can be stressful as a buyer or even seller. I have bid on a few high-end guitars just to loose out in the last few seconds and being snipped is never any fun, missed out on a Washburn Bergious (96) by $3.00 at the last minute, it didn't help that my mouse decided to freeze right then, but its like anything you wait long enough you'll find what you need and want, and you can't take it personally, its what it is, bussiness.Ship...........and I tend to think most of what you see is pretty honset dealing there, but like with anything there are a few scoundrels in every pot, thats why you pay with a credit card, takes awhile but eventually if you asked enough questions and saved all of the responses you will be happy.

[Shakee]

For some people -- mainly musicians -- a guitar is just a tool. No big deal if one has a few dings and scratches, as long as the neck is straight and any tonal problems can be easily corrected, they don't really care about condition.

Other people like to just look at guitars, strum them a bit and polish them a lot. Generally these are the people who obsess over condition, and are more often disappointed in eBay purchases. "Like new" means so many things to different people.

Still others are collectors, who can fall into either of the above categories.

Personally, I'll buy a high-end guitar on eBay right after I buy my children on eBay. I can't imagine buying any guitar without first playing it.

[yammieplaya]

For me it's a function of how much money
I'm prepared to waste. I generally figure
I could be wasting half the money I spend
on an Ebay guitar. (Unless it's a box of splinters
it'll be worth SOMEthing.) Of course, for used gits
the selection on Ebay is way bigger than I'd ever see
anywhere in real life.
Emotionally, I think it's much better to fall in love
with a guitar BEFORE you buy it.
So don't spend your last dollar on an Ebay guitar.
Too risky.

[dylanheeg]

It is waaaaay more stressful trying to sell one......every single policy ebay, paypal, and credit card companies are so biased to the buyer it is ridiculous.....

If you sell a guitar on ebay, you are putting yourself at major risk if your buyer is a worm......there is protection if the buyer mysteriously doesn't receive the item, but if he/she claims it is not as described, there is no policy guarding you from a chargeback....ughhhh

So to answer your original question, heck no, i have no problem buying on ebay....if you use your CC through paypal you have nothing to fear.