From TalkBass Wiki
Thanks to TalkBass Moderators Bob Clayton, JoshB, Blackbird, and HeavyDuty for their contributions to the following.
Note that this rule set pertains only to the Bass Guitar Classifieds. For Double Bass Classifieds rules, see the [stickies atop the DB forums]
About this Forum
The TalkBass Classifieds "For Sale" Forums are designed to be used by TalkBass members to sell personally owned gear to other TalkBass members and visitors. It is not to be used by commercial users (as defined by the [Commercial User Policy] ). Talkbass classifieds are intended for personal usage. Buying items wholesale elsewhere for express purpose of selling on TB for a profit is forbidden. Please Note : Any abuse of this system (i.e. someone selling gear for a commercial user under the pretense of it being personal gear) will result in harsh penalties for both the seller and the commercial user.
Usage Agreement: Transactions between TalkBass members are done at their own risk. TalkBass.com, LLC does not guarantee that the transactions members choose to engage in are safe and that the descriptions provided by sellers are accurate. TalkBass.com, LLC, it's administrators, and moderators, can provide no assistance in dispute resolutions, or otherwise become involved. Members who choose to buy/sell gear through the TalkBass Classifieds understand that TalkBass, its administrators and moderators are not liable for any loss that may occur due to the use of the Classifieds Forum.
Commercial User Restrictions
(Excerpted from the TalkBass Commercial User Policy)
Commercial Users who operate as dealers of used equipment, where buying/selling is purely for profit, cannot use the TalkBass Classifieds to advertise items for sale and must instead purchase a subscription to the TalkBass Bazaar. There are no exceptions to this.
Commercial Users who are owners / employees of musical equipment manufacturers / distributors / retailers may not use the TalkBass Classifieds to advertise items for sale, unless prior permission is granted when one of the following is true:
1. You are a manufacturer of musical equipment, and the item in question is not made by your company or a subsidiary. For example, you work for Fender and are selling a Lakland bass.
2. You are a distributor / retailer of goods, and the item in question is not one your company / division usually handles. For example, you work for Guitar Center and are selling an early 80s Aria bass.
An occasional exception to this may be made for individual users (as long as permission is sought before posting in the classifieds, as stated below). For example, you work for a store that sells Fenders, but wish to sell a used Fender instrument personally owned by yourself, on a one-off basis.
These are guideline rules, and not a blanket authorization. Any Commercial User, or any member with a commercial affiliation in their profile disclosure field, must request prior permission for any thread they may wish to start from time to time in the Classifieds section, before posting. These requests will be dealt with on a case by case basis, and any Classifieds thread started by members in the Commercial User category without such permission may be deleted without notice.
To request permission, contact TalkBass.com.
How to post:
You must be a [Supporting Member] of TalkBass.com to post a new thread (ad). All registered users may post replies to other threads.
Where to post:
All US-based sales should be posted in one of the main For Sale forums, whichever is appropriate: Bass Guitars, Amps, or Accessories. All NON-US based sales may be posted in the "For Sale: Europe and International" forum. If you're posting a NON-US based ad, and you are also willing to ship to the US, you may post your ad again (double post) in one of the US For Sale forums along with the International forum. The ad must however clearly note that you're willing to ship worldwide, and must list a price in USD in the US For Sale forums (you may denote whichever currency you like in the International forum ad).
How to Mark an Item Sold:
When your item sells, please lock (close) your thread: When viewing your thread, pull down the "Thread Tools" menu to "Close Thread". Or, in the thread listing, double-click on the envelope icon next to your thread.
Rules:
- No Ebay or other auctions. Threads started with the intent to advertise an auction will be deleted. Links to auctions will only be allowed if posted as a reply to an existing (at least one week old) thread originally advertising the direct sale of the same item.
- Mark Sold Items If your item sells, close your thread (see above)
- NO Piggybacking Do not mention your item for sale in another's thread. Create a new thread for each sale.
- Excessive Bumping of Ads is not permitted. Bumping of an ad threads is allowed under the following conditions;
- Delete all prior bumps, and only bump once per 24 hours.
- A bump is not just a post that says “bump” or “Monday morning bump” or “bumpaboo”, but ANY POST that does not feed the thread with relevant information.
- Adding of pictures is a valid reason to bump your forsale thread, as long as it falls within the above rules - no more than once per 24 hours and delete prior bumps beforehand.
- Please don't attempt to help non-SMs dodge the rules by posting their gear for sale. TalkBass For Sale ads are only to be used for listing a Supporting Member's personally owned gear.
- No surcharges on an item are allowed, this includes the 3% for Paypal. That fee is the seller's responsibility, not the buyer. Paypal's usage agreement specifically prohibits this.
- If you post a "feeler" ad, you MUST post a price with it. This is not an auction site - If you want people to "bid" on your item, take it to ebay. Trade feeler threads are allowed, but if it turns into a FS thread, seller MUST post a price or the thread will be immediately closed or deleted.
- If you are selling multiple instruments concurrently, or if you have several threads posted, please consider consolidating your items into one thread ("Fender XyZ and Warwick AbC FOR SALE!").
Buyer FAQ's
Courtesy of Blackbird
Q: What should I do if I’m interested in an item or have a question?
A: Reply to the post or contact the seller via e-mail or private message.
NOTE: using the “Report this post to a Moderator” link will NOT contact the seller.
Q: If I'm 100% sure I'm buying an item, can I post a message saying the item is sold?
A: No one but the seller can say whether their item is sold or not.
Q: How do I know if a price is negotiable?
A: Usually a seller will say if his price is an “Asking price” (open for negotiation) or if it’s “firm” (meaning that’s the final price). “OBO” means “or best offer”, meaning the seller is willing to sell the item for the closest offer to their original asking price.
Q: What does it mean when someone posts "bump" in a reply?
A: As you know, when a reply is posted in a thread, the thread is moved back to the top of the Forum. If an advertised item is still for sale after a while and getting buried by newer threads, the seller will sometimes "bump" the thread back up. Since there's nothing to add, the thread author will simply type "bump".
Q: What if someone’s asking price is too high?
A: Sellers are entitled to ask any price they want for their item. Please do not contact a seller regarding their prices unless you’re interested in purchasing the item. Also, do NOT question a seller's price in a For Sale thread. Making offers via PM or email is OK, but thread interference (debating price publicly) will not be tolerated. (HD's edit)
Q: Does TalkBass provide any form of buyer/seller protection in the event of a problem?
A: Transactions between TalkBass members are done at their own risk. TalkBass administrators and moderators do not guarantee that the transactions members choose to engage in are safe and that the descriptions provided by sellers are accurate. Members who choose to buy/sell gear through the TalkBass Classifieds understand that TalkBass, its administrators and moderators are not liable for any loss that may occur due to the use of the Classifieds Forum. But if loss does occur, make sure you leave the other user negative feedback, to help out the TB populus when dealing with this user in the future. (BC's edit)
