Has anyone sold on TB yet?

[Youngspanion]

I May be selling or trying to sell on TB in the next few weeks and Im concerned about a few things. My first concern is shipping. The how to's of it. The next concern is payment. I've been told that paypal is the best way to transact money. Has anyone here ever use paypal? How does it work?

[cheezewiz]

Paypal is very easy and what I recommend to people new to selling. Go to the paypal website to see all the details. As far as shipping, pack well, and go to your nearest UPS or Fedex shipping center. It is as easy as that. Do the packing yourself, and use your own packaging though. Most places charge outrageous sums to pack for you.

I've bought and sold tons on TB, and on the Dudepit, and with the exception of one jackass right here on TB (who is no longer active here), have had incredibly good luck.

[bassteban]

You'll find testimonial/reviews of zillions of transactions. I'm finding this to be a great place for seling & buying: lots of bass stuff(& buyers), all bass players(usually supportive team players).

[Joe Turski]

I've sold a few things here on TB with nothing but good luck.

When you do decide to sell on TB, there's a section called Feedback Forum that helps a bit. Just type in the persons screen name who's looking into buying something from you to see if they a thread started about them or not. Some people that have bought or sold things have one.

Good luck with your sale(s).

[tappel]

You'll definitely want to set up a PayPal account. I had one for months before I ever used it; now, I use it all the time. Money orders and checks are fine too, but PayPal is quicker. PayPal (of course) charges a fee when you receive a payment, but you are more likely to receive a PayPal payment than a paper payment.

As far as shipping goes, check out the USPS, UPS, and FedEx sites to get an idea of costs, sizes, delivery times etc. of items you expect to ship. I prefer FedEx ground for basses and other larger items, and USPS for smaller items. Get acquainted with USPS's Click-n-ship online service. It's free and will print out nice Priority Mail labels that include free delivery confirmation. ALWAYS use some sort of confirmation or tracking when selling online.

Tom

[tplyons]

Originally Posted by Joe Turski

When you do decide to sell on TB, there's a section called Feedback Forum that helps a bit. Just type in the persons screen name who's looking into buying something from you to see if they a thread started about them or not. Some people that have bought or sold things have one.

Not to blow my own horn, but I think this is one of the best parts of Talkbass by far, to give people that extra hint of security before going for a trade or sale.

Paypal has it's ups and downs, if you're going to get scammed, you can still be scammed and Paypal doesn't have to refund your money unless they can retrieve it from the seller according to their user policy. But if it's with someone you know and trust, there's no problem.

They just take $0.30 + 3% of the transaction. Not too big of a deal for instantanous transfers of money easier than flinging poo.

[Youngspanion]

As a seller, am I supposed to wait until I've got the money in my paypal account or a check in my hand before I send out the bass?

[Trevorus]

Originally Posted by Youngspanion

As a seller, am I supposed to wait until I've got the money in my paypal account or a check in my hand before I send out the bass?

This is generally what I do. Also, in all my trade deals, I have waited until I got my half, then sent theirs. It sounds a bit one-sided, but I have never cheated anyone, nor had anyone unsatisfied.

[tplyons]

Originally Posted by Youngspanion

As a seller, am I supposed to wait until I've got the money in my paypal account or a check in my hand before I send out the bass?

I usually just wait 'til it's in my account, having a check made out to you from paypal costs money and takes one or two weeks, which irks buyers.

[C-5KO]

Originally Posted by tplyons

They just take $0.30 + 3% of the transaction. Not too big of a deal for instantanous transfers of money easier than flinging poo.

Sometimes (like on a $2000 bass), I'd rather take flinging poo. LOL.

[syciprider]

I would rather have transactions here than E Gay.

[C-5KO]

Originally Posted by syciprider

I would rather have transactions here than E Gay.

+1

I've sold 2 basses since becoming a member, purchased 1 from another member, traded basses, traded preamps, sold a couple of pedals, pickups, and bought pickups.

Since joining TB, I've found that I've actually spent and traded more money/items this year, then I did 4 years previously. All my transactions went smoothly IMO.

[MJ5150]

Originally Posted by Youngspanion

As a seller, am I supposed to wait until I've got the money in my paypal account or a check in my hand before I send out the bass?

Generally yes. There are a handful of guys here at TB that I would feel comfortable shipping an item to before I received the money.

-Mike

[Ryan L.]

I haven't done too much buying or selling here, but the transactions I have done here have all went very smoothly. And there are some members here who I would trust to send the item right away to, also.

[Fo' Shizzle]

I've bought 2 basses here. Perfect transactions.

I think one of the major advantages to buying or selling within a community is the peer pressure. You had better conduct your business in an ethical fashion or you will be outed on the boards. I've seen it.

Besides, it keeps all of the cool stuff here in the family!!

[SuperDuck]

Originally Posted by Youngspanion

As a seller, am I supposed to wait until I've got the money in my paypal account or a check in my hand before I send out the bass?

You can choose to operate however you want, but if you are getting payed by check, you have every right to withhold shipping until the check clears at your bank. Otherwise, you can be left high and dry. I always tell buyers that I will need to wait for the check to clear before I ship - if they are uncomfortable with that, they can use a money order or Paypal. Most people are cool and understand that.

[DaveDeVille]

money order , works every time ...

just my .02 worth .

[jive1]

Originally Posted by david meissner

money order , works every time ...

just my .02 worth .

+1

A Postal Money order is the best protection for both parties, as well as easy to deposit. It's also pretty cheap for the buyer.

I'd definitely rather buy and sell on TB.

[tommixx]

I had a bad experience with Paypal once and almost got scammed pretty bad. Not necessarily Paypal's fault but not entirely my own either. I buy and sell stuff all the time from a number of sources and the safest bets are Postal Money Orders, Major Bank Cashiers Checks and SWIFT Wire for overseas transactions. Generally, I wait until I have received payment but I have shipped a number of times before payment was even mailed. That is just something that you have to have a comfort level with the other party. After you have been here awhile you get a feel for people just like in the world and it is pretty easy to tell when somebody is straight up. I don't necessarily recommend it in general, but I have never been burned by shipping first. BUT I have never shipped to a total stranger before I received payment either!! Good Luck and Happy hunting....

Peace,

T

[Munjibunga]

I've bought and sold some stuff here. I only sell to or buy from people who have been here a while, and typically the deal is send the check the same day the item is shipped. It's about trust. I've never been burned here.