Am I the jerk here? Reverb return

[tbz]

There’s no magic bullet here.

You aren’t an ******* for returning a bass that weighs more than you were told.

But.

I’m not clear why you didn’t check this before making your offer.

If your offer and acceptance would be contingent on weight, you should have checked first. Especially since an accepted offer is, per tos, an obligation to buy on your part.

If you had done that it’d be open and shut.

That all being said, Reverb will side with you because “not as advertised”.

This may be a situation where paying for your own return would be the best way to clear any hint of wrongdoing on your part.

 

[gln1955]

The seller didn't misrepresent anything .... If the seller had stated the bass weighs exactly 9.17324 lbs. +/- 0.5% and the buyer took it to a certified mass lab to have it weighed (and not weighed on your bathroom scale) and it was beyond the stated tolerance, then I guess the buyer would have some sort of case to bellyache his situation on a public forum...... I guess

Added to list of people I'll never buy from.

 

[duanev3]

Added to list of people I'll never buy from.

Thanks for doing me the favor.

 

[thunesBARROW]

It’s not as described exactly, but I could see someone without a decent quality scale making that mistake. I say keep it because 83 Ps are nice!

 

[lermgalieu]

I'm being sarcastic.... what are you his mom or something???

A buyer like him that's looking for a used instrument should take his scale to the local music store and make sure the bass weighs "about" 9 lbs. before buying it..... even though he stated...

"arguably this bass plays and sounds better than the other 83s I’ve played… and maybe the heavy body has something to do with that. Idk it just isn’t sitting well with me either way."

I sense buyer douchebaggery all over this one.

Yeah, I'm his mom, dear.

Well, it doesn't sit well with me when I ask the actual question and get a materially wrong answer. Not clear to me why that's all well and good for you. Not sure why you are defending the seller to such an extreme. He should have said "I don't know." Because he didn't know. Just like you say he should take his scale to the music store, the seller should have either weighed the darn thing or NOT PRETENDED TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION.

I think maybe he's stuck with it because he didn't ask before offering, but you are going a step further to say he should be fine with it. In no world should he just be fine with it, because he was given materially false information. It's a fact. You can't explain it away.

 

[gln1955]

Thanks for doing me the favor.

Win - win.

 

[bucephylus]

Wait.

The buyer (OP) asked about the weight; was told about 9 pounds PRIOR TO PURCHASE. Bass arrives at 11 pounds.

I’m missing what exactly the OP did incorrectly here.

I just purchased a bass on Reverb. Same deal. I inquired about weight prior to purchase; was told 8 1/2 pounds. I guarantee if it comes in at 10 1/2 pounds that its going back.

Irrespective of whether or not someone thinks weight matters, it is unethical to explicitly misrepresent a product offering.

 

[J-Bass RMR]

Really? Weight is important, and 2lbs is a giant difference.

I absolutely agree with all of this.
And I'm tired of all the posts complaining about people who ask about weight.

But weight is not the point here.

It's the ethics of doing business.
OP entered into a contract to purchase (again - assuming without 1st discussing weight, grain patterns, level of patina on hardware, it the original manual included...)

before payment and checkout

If it wasn't discussed prior to the offer & acceptance, it's a moot point.

If the seller had answered afterwards that it's 11 lbs - what would you have done?
"thank you for accepting my "lower but fair" offer, but I've changed my mind"??!!!
You probably could have "gotten away with it" since you hadn't paid, but you're still breaking your obligation.

 

[db59]

Somewhat similar story...sent a bass back to Thomann in Germany over 1.5lbs......on their site and the manufacturer's site incorrect weight.

 

[duanev3]

Wait.

The buyer (OP) asked about the weight; was told about 9 pounds PRIOR TO PURCHASE. Bass arrives at 11 pounds.

I’m missing what exactly the OP did incorrectly here.

I just purchased a bass on Reverb. Same deal. I inquired about weight prior to purchase; was told 8 1/2 pounds. I guarantee if it comes in at 10 1/2 pounds that its going back.

Irrespective of whether or not someone thinks weight matters, it is unethical to explicitly misrepresent a product offering.

Well what if the sellers calibrated arm scale shows "about" 9 lbs, and the sellers calibrated arm scale showed "exactly"11 lbs???? Who you going to believe????? Seriously.

If an instruments has to be a specific weight (9 lbs) then try it out first (in person) with your calibrated arm scale to make sure it's the right fit...... What the hell is wrong with some people today that buy instruments off the internet.... It's like those buyers that don't like the setup when they buy a used guitar online and complain like someone took their 2nd amendment rights away from them.

 

[Bass4ThePublic]

Hm.. yeah OP you would be in the right to complain, maybe ask for a partial refund? You said you like how it sounds and plays, why not use the partial refund money to get a nice, lightweight mjt body?

Just my $0.02

 

[creaturegods]

The buyer (OP) asked about the weight; was told about 9 pounds PRIOR TO PURCHASE. Bass arrives at 11 pounds.

I’m missing what exactly the OP did incorrectly here.

OP sent their offer before asking about the weight. Pretty sure Reverb states that sending an offer represents an agreement to purchase the instrument as-listed if the offer is accepted.
That's what the OP did incorrectly.

Personally, the only transaction of mine that would get hung up over a 2-pound differential would be if I ordered a quarter-pounder with cheese from McDonald's, but that is neither here nor there.

 

[lermgalieu]

I absolutely agree with all of this.
And I'm tired of all the posts complaining about people who ask about weight.

But weight is not the point here.

It's the ethics of doing business.
OP entered into a contract to purchase (again - assuming without 1st discussing weight, grain patterns, level of patina on hardware, it the original manual included...)

If it wasn't discussed prior to the offer & acceptance, it's a moot point.

If the seller had answered afterwards that it's 11 lbs - what would you have done?
"thank you for accepting my "lower but fair" offer, but I've changed my mind"??!!!
You probably could have "gotten away with it" since you hadn't paid, but you're still breaking your obligation.

Agreed, but it’s still ALSO unethical to misrepresent the weight even though the buyer already had a contractual obligation to buy it. They’re both wrong.

 

[gln1955]

OP sent their offer before asking about the weight. Pretty sure Reverb states that sending an offer represents an agreement to purchase the instrument as-listed if the offer is accepted.
That's what the OP did incorrectly.

Personally, the only transaction of mine that would get hung up over a 2-pound differential would be if I ordered a quarter-pounder with cheese from McDonald's, but that is neither here nor there.

Yes, but Reverb agreed it was misrepresented, even after the fact.

 

[BadSanta1281]

Possibly unpopular opinion:

The honorable thing to do is keep the bass at the terms of the deal already made.
If the weight is unacceptable re-sell the bass on your own.

 

[micguy]

The seller told you 2 stories:

1) The weight of the bass

2) The situation - why they need the money.

We know #1 is a lie. I’d bet #2 is as well.

 

[AGCurry]

I absolutely agree with all of this.
And I'm tired of all the posts complaining about people who ask about weight.

But weight is not the point here.

It's the ethics of doing business.
OP entered into a contract to purchase (again - assuming without 1st discussing weight, grain patterns, level of patina on hardware, it the original manual included...)

If it wasn't discussed prior to the offer & acceptance, it's a moot point.

If the seller had answered afterwards that it's 11 lbs - what would you have done?
"thank you for accepting my "lower but fair" offer, but I've changed my mind"??!!!
You probably could have "gotten away with it" since you hadn't paid, but you're still breaking your obligation.

I'm not so sure. I go into a store, select a shirt, and pay for it. On my way out of the store, I see that it's made of a material I don't want to wear (I should have read the label before paying, but...). I take it back to the cashier, and the cashier returns my money. How is this case different? Did I break a contract?

 

[InhumanResource]

 

[Gizmot]

If the bass is okay and everything else is copacetic, I'd probably keep it unless you feel like you were lied to and deceived on purpose.

I don't own a scale and if someone asked me the weight of an instrument I was selling, I could only say "I don't know." Most sellers on Reverb are individual musicians, not selling products en masse.

 

[duanev3]

Possibly unpopular opinion:

The honorable thing to do is keep the bass at the terms of the deal already made.
If the weight is unacceptable re-sell the bass on your own.

Absolutely!!!! But based on these type of buyers that bring their one-sided case on a public forum in hopes of getting a large consensus that they were wronged, and should go back to the seller asking for a partial refund is complete BS.