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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Been looking at this one as a toss around guitar for when company comes over and wants to jam.
Not real thrilled about payment terms and zero feedback. Anyone familiar with any of these payment methods and what type of protection they offer?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3771112060&fromMakeTrack=true
Stephen |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Unless you got money to burn, don't buy from a zero feedback seller. |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Not familiar with the other payment methods, other than money order, but I know what the problem is with PayPal....they want 2.9% of his gross take if you have anything other than a "personal" account, which you have to have to accept credit card. I don't accept PayPal for my auctions unless you can pay via a bank account for that reason.
I agree, though, DON'T buy from a zero-feedback seller. They are an unknown quantity, and at best, they won't know what they are doing, so you could run into some unexpected strangeness.
Roger |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Does this guy write his own copy or does the local Shakespere Theatre Group help him out? It's like it should be a dramatic reading. |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Hehe. I believe he has plagarized the thespians in New Hartford. |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | (smiling)...it is pretty dramatic...but I think he lifted a lot of it from some Ovation marketing stuff somewhere. I have to admit, at least he pretty much spelled things correctly, and made the listing look presentable. Not telling me where he's located sure bothers me, though(I hate "cute" location names).
Roger |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3650
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | "Land of Heavy Metal" What's up with that? I like the reference Roger made to "strangeness". |
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February 2002
Posts: 1817
Location: Minden, Nebraska | Zero feedback with no real location should raise red flags all over the place. If the guitar interests you, email and ask for a phone number and call him.
There are some things about the listing that are not consistent with the routine scams. I suspect the guy is just a little too impressed with his own loquaciousness.
The white tops on Balladeers are not common. Being that it is pretty likely ten years old, best to also make sure there are no problems such as the saddle assembly sitting low in the bridge. That means a neck reset in the not too distant future. |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Paul is dead on about asking about problems, although in both of the guitars I got from eBay, it didn't make any difference, the sellers didn't own up to problems, either from ignorance or rationalization(could be read dishonesty). Both were sellers with feedback under 25.
I've run into guys I work with who have buttonholed me to tell them "how to get started selling on eBay"...they usually want to start with big items with zero feedback....I tell them DON'T....buy some small things first to build up your feedback number and trustworthiness. They never listen, and then wonder why they can't sell their item, or it sells cheaply......
Roger |
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Joined:
May 2004
Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | I've bought and/or sold somewhere around 200 or so items on eBay since I joined way back in 2000. My rule of thumb is to take whatever description the seller is providing, and reduce it by 1/2. If they say 'a couple nicks and dings' I think 'worming on the back, gouges on the neck, etc.'
The sellers that infuriate me are the ones that won't send additional pictures. Especially when the pics they put in the auction are for shite. Typically the response is, 'Everything can be seen in the pictures on the auction. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. And besides, I don't have a digital camera or I don't have the time to take more.' Whatever. fleaBay used to be a decent place, but the scammers, shills and shielders are making it increasingly difficult to do business there.
YMMV |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Good advice from all. I have been on Ebay a long time and use to feel comfortable with descriptions. Now days you can never tell.
The last few guitars I have purchased on ebay have definitley NOT lived up to their descriptions. Some are honest mistakes from people who stumbled upon a nice guitar at an estate sale but just did not understand how to accurately describe it (good feedback rating and will usually work with you and refund a portion of the money to make you happy)....
and then the downright turd eaters, who take pictures that conceal damage and tell you the guitar is excellent. I had one come in that was "average" at best when it was described as "almost mint". The seller was nice enough to say "everybody sees guitars differntly..to me it is almost mint. If you want me to take it back it will cost you shipping + 35% of selling price." Nice guy, huh...
Unfortunately, if you try to leave these jerks negative feedback they retaliate and leave negative feedback for you...a no win situation.
I am seriously thinking about buying my future guitars (Ovations anyway) from OFC members. At least you know you will receive a quality instrument and OFC members have just about every guitar ever made in somebodies collection :p .
Stephen |
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1861 for a beater guitar