Sanity Check - Ebay Really this dumb?

Nate74 · #1 09-10-2011, 07:35 PM

I need a sanity check. I recently sold a '74 jazz bass neck on ebay as a project needing more work. They buyer gets the neck, discovers it needs work and requests a refund. I tell him no so he files a claim with ebay and now they're making me take it back and refund his money.

And of course there's no process to appeal, etc.

Can a couple of you all read my listing and tell me what was unclear?

Here's the text of my listing:

1974 Fender Jazz Bass Neck

You’re bidding on a 1974 Fender Jazz Bass neck. PLEASE READ the entire description before bidding.

I got this neck on a nice light alder sunburst body that included several non-original parts. It wasn't strung up when I got it which ddin't matter since I was only interested in the body at the time. I used the body with a rosewood neck I’d been saving and set this neck aside for a few years. About six months ago I decided to sell off some parts and decided to see if I could get this neck back up to working condition. As a test, I put it on a test body and attempted to set it up with a new set of strings, making sure I was very slow with the trussrod and never was tightening the rod while there was any string tension. I was able to get it playable with an action that was higher than I liked, but the pearl block came out a very small amount. I backed the trussrod off and decided to get some professional help/advice. I took it to a local luthier/repair guy who’s done some good work for me in the past on 70’s instruments and whom I trust and here’s what he told me.

1. the frets are new/non-original and the finish on the fingerboard is new/non-original
2. the radius has been flattened to 10” from the original 7.25”
3. there is a small crack in the wood between the nut and the first pearl block and that pearl block looks new, indicating that somebody most likely went in and repaired a slipped trussrod anchor. Hopefully with an aluminum or steel block.
4. The right thing to do at this point would be to put it in a clamp with a back bow and slowly work the trussrod. Then put it on a bass and set it up. (he quoted me $125-$150 for this)
5. If that doesn’t work, remove the 1st pearl block, make sure the trussrod anchor repair was done correctly, replace the pearl block, then do the clamping thing followed by a setup on a bass. (he quoted me $200-$300 for this)

I’m not in a place to tackle this project right now but hope that somebody out there is. Anybody willing to spend another $200-$300 on this neck will have a good playing, great looking neck. Or if you’re a good luthier/repair guy, maybe the above repair doesn’t scare you and it something you can tackle.

Neck dates to the 46th week of 1974.
02-Jazz Bass
03 – fretted maple
46 – built in the 46th week
4 – 1974
4 – Thursday

It's actually a very nice looking neck with slight surface checking on the headstock and a really nice amber tint. If I had the time and money, I'd be putting this on my next project but my loss is your gain hopefully. You can also see that right by the trussrod adjustment that a small piece of the binding has been replaced. It's a clean job.

Starting the bidding low in consideration of the above described issues.

Since this neck needs some more work, I’m selling it AS IS.

I know a lot of folks here have written off ebay long ago for reasons just like this... I may be joining that club very soon.

metallicafan18 · #2 09-10-2011, 07:38 PM

Call ebay and keep asking for a supervisor until you get almost as high of a person you can get and make sure they see this description. I'd call Paypal too and get put through on the phone with a real person and let them know as well seeing that they are the site that issue the refund.

Nate74 · #3 09-10-2011, 07:45 PM

Thanks... It's good to know i'm not completely off the mark here.

Can you really get a person on the phone with ebay these days? Seems like they force you to use their stupid automated system for EVERYTHING now...

metallicafan18 · #4 09-10-2011, 07:51 PM

what i do is when i call and i get the automated machine, i literately just say "oiuasndfuinasdf" into the phone over and over until it connects me to an agent. Works every time with any company. One time I actually told the automated machine "let me speak to a real person" for UPS and it connected me right away.

Nate74 · #5 09-10-2011, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metallicafan18

"oiuasndfuinasdf"

Besides being an outstanding suggestion, you may have also just named my next band.

Swampman Cory · #6 09-10-2011, 08:03 PM

You definitely seem in the right. I hope you're able to not get dumped on from this.

Also, does anybody else think the luthier quotes seem off?

Quote:

4. The right thing to do at this point would be to put it in a clamp with a back bow and slowly work the trussrod. Then put it on a bass and set it up. (he quoted me $125-$150 for this)

I had that done on a new (used) bass a couple weeks ago and I only paid $10 extra from the set-up...

Nate74 · #7 09-11-2011, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swampman Cory

You definitely seem in the right. I hope you're able to not get dumped on from this.

Also, does anybody else think the luthier quotes seem off?

I had that done on a new (used) bass a couple weeks ago and I only paid $10 extra from the set-up...

Thanks. I imagine by the time I have any resolution at all, the guy will have sent the neck back to me. If they reverse their decision, I sent it back to him? Not sure how this will play out, but I'm sure glad to have some other folks see it my way.

On the Luthier quote, I think that price may have been a CYA price given the uncertainty of what might be involved. Not sure...

runmikeyrun · #8 09-11-2011, 09:04 AM

here's a link on how to get a hold of a person @ ebay:

eBay Phone Number & Shortcut: 866-540-3229 (tip #3823) from GetHuman.com

Nate74 · #9 09-11-2011, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by runmikeyrun

here's a link on how to get a hold of a person @ ebay:

eBay Phone Number & Shortcut: 866-540-3229 (tip #3823) from GetHuman.com

AWESOME! I was looking everywhere on their site and found nothing. Thanks!

Boot Soul · #10 09-11-2011, 12:11 PM

Same number as above, but here is the reference from EBay, themself (themselves?):

eBay Live Help

Truly, EBay stinks now, compared with a few years ago. Unreasonable greed in their fees, obligate PayPal, erosion of many benefits and protections for sellers, a feedback system that is biased against sellers and in favor of buyers, and stories of experiences like yours, adds up to less than zero IMHO.

I am surprised that no competing service has emerged that will either "bury" EBay, or force them to improve the value of their service.

Nate74 · #11 09-11-2011, 09:04 PM

Yeah, me too. It seems like there are enough musicians in the world alone to constitute a music friendly ebay. Though the guy who bought this neck was a bass player... though judging by what I found of him on youtube, a pretty weak one. But I'm not one to gossip :0

skychief · #12 09-11-2011, 09:15 PM

you clearly state that the neck is toast. Why anybody NOT a luthier would bid on this disaster is beyond me.

skychief · #13 09-11-2011, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate74

Since this neck needs some more work, I’m selling it AS IS. [/i]

Heres the key phrase. Obviously the buyer didnt read the description. Im gonna side with you on this. Have ebay contact me and give 'em the heads-up.

Nate74 · #14 09-11-2011, 09:51 PM

Planning on calling in the morning. Thanks everybody for your input! I really do appreciate it.

Yeah, I really think this guy didn't get it. I feel a little bad for him. If you can't read a 550 word description on ebay, how do you get a drivers license, fill out a job application or heck, order Chinese food?

funkyebk · #15 09-12-2011, 08:02 AM

I'll differ with everyone else here and say you're in a slightly "less than right" grey area... I would be completely behind you if you would have put "needs work" or "AS IS" in the title. You're not charged by the character, so you left that off the title so people would bid, you put a lengthy description way before you got to the part where the neck is kindling. Sure, an old fender neck for the price of a Mighty Mite is an indication that it's "too good to be true, but you could have been more blatant about it's condition... But then no one would have bid, huh?

And calling out the buyer's chops here: that was a jerk move.

**Mound of Sound** · #16 09-12-2011, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funkyebk

I'll differ with everyone else here and say you're in a slightly "less than right" grey area... I would be completely behind you if you would have put "needs work" or "AS IS" in the title. You're not charged by the character, so you left that off the title so people would bid, you put a lengthy description way before you got to the part where the neck is kindling. Sure, an old fender neck for the price of a Mighty Mite is an indication that it's "too good to be true, but you could have been more blatant about it's condition... But then no one would have bid, huh?

And calling out the buyer's chops here: that was a jerk move.

His first sentence says, in caps, PLEASE READ before bidding.

Not OP's fault for people who can't follow simple instructions.

superbassman2000 · #17 09-12-2011, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funkyebk

I'll differ with everyone else here and say you're in a slightly "less than right" grey area... I would be completely behind you if you would have put "needs work" or "AS IS" in the title. You're not charged by the character, so you left that off the title so people would bid, you put a lengthy description way before you got to the part where the neck is kindling. Sure, an old fender neck for the price of a Mighty Mite is an indication that it's "too good to be true, but you could have been more blatant about it's condition... But then no one would have bid, huh?

And calling out the buyer's chops here: that was a jerk move.

i disagree. Why would you spend <10 dollars on anything without researching what you are about to buy? It's the buyer's responsibility to read the description. I bet this buyer was the same person who sued mcdonalds because their coffee was hot.

staindbass · #18 09-12-2011, 08:11 AM

keep contacting ebay telling them the item IS as described. you shouldent have to lose money on shipping from buyers remorse.

Matthijs · #19 09-12-2011, 08:31 AM

So, did either Ebay or the buyer describe in detail in what way your neck was different from the listed description?

Bassamatic · #20 09-12-2011, 08:40 AM

eBay cares ONLY about the buyers - they have no concern or respect for sellers. There are plenty of sellers available.

I finally realized this when they changed the feedback system so that you cannot leave negative feedback for a buyer! If you can only leave positive feedback, why have it at all?

eBay really sucks, the costs are now around 15% total to sell. There needs to be some competition to get them back in line. Where are you Google?