Wait, a month went by from the time you received the bass and you saw the smudges? Then you left negative feedback without even contacting them?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
damaged "new" bass from Ebay seller..
- Thread starter bread903
- Start date
I had a bass that developed cloudy spots in the finish like that. It had to do with moisture and humidity.
It seems unlikely that a shop with a reputation to uphold would have sent this bass without inspecting it first. It is far more plausible that this problem developed in transit or after it arrived in South Korea, during which time it would have been exposed to drastic temperature and humidity changes.
Point is: you're allowed to be dissatisfied with the instrument, but this does not necessitate placing the blame at the feet of the seller or anyone else for that matter. Sometimes these things just happen. It's going to be far better for you to work with the store towards a reasonable solution than it is for you to antagonise them.
It seems unlikely that a shop with a reputation to uphold would have sent this bass without inspecting it first. It is far more plausible that this problem developed in transit or after it arrived in South Korea, during which time it would have been exposed to drastic temperature and humidity changes.
Point is: you're allowed to be dissatisfied with the instrument, but this does not necessitate placing the blame at the feet of the seller or anyone else for that matter. Sometimes these things just happen. It's going to be far better for you to work with the store towards a reasonable solution than it is for you to antagonise them.
Bad Americans? Nice...
It sounds like you waited quite a long time before contacting the seller about the problem. If you didn't notify the seller as soon as possible after receiving the bass, then you cannot reasonably expect them to accept any responsibility for any cosmetic issues. The very first thing should you do upon receipt of an item like this is inspect it for damage and flaws in materials or workmanship. If there are problems when you open the case, then you notify the seller and the carrier immediately.
It sounds like you waited quite a long time before contacting the seller about the problem. If you didn't notify the seller as soon as possible after receiving the bass, then you cannot reasonably expect them to accept any responsibility for any cosmetic issues. The very first thing should you do upon receipt of an item like this is inspect it for damage and flaws in materials or workmanship. If there are problems when you open the case, then you notify the seller and the carrier immediately.
Maybe this is the Bass Place's fault. However, you might have been able to handle the situation better, in a way that would have gotten you more positive results. Leaving negative feedback is a big deal for Ebay sellers. You got the response that you did because it's imperative for them to qualify why they received bad feedback (and render invalid your original complaint). I would have only left negative feedback after all other avenues were exhausted.
This is probably not fraud. It doesn't make sense to lie about the instrument's condition. (The instrument sold for 430. They would have maybe taken a 200 dollar hit if it was sold with those blemishes.) Maybe it's a QC issue. Either way, when you order a bass from across the globe, you have to take strict documentation of how it arrived out of the box.
This is probably not fraud. It doesn't make sense to lie about the instrument's condition. (The instrument sold for 430. They would have maybe taken a 200 dollar hit if it was sold with those blemishes.) Maybe it's a QC issue. Either way, when you order a bass from across the globe, you have to take strict documentation of how it arrived out of the box.
Do you have a ton of positive feedback on eBay? If not I can see how the merchant would be wary. Sellers on eBay face a number of problems with international transactions like this, it's possible they assumed initially you were trying to rip them off.
Silly question but did you ever call the store? That's going to cut through problems like this most of the time.
Lastly I see a "Ships to" label, it says "United States". Sounds like you bid on an item that was really meant to ship in the USA only. They pre-set the shipping price at sub $20.
As a an eBay seller, I can safely say you are lucky they didn't cancel to begin with. They do not mention international shipping ANYWHERE on that auction.
Did you bid despite the fact that they specifically state this was supposed to ship in the USA only? Did you contact them to confirm it was ok.....
Personally I can see why THEY were apprehensive.
Edit: Just dug into this auction some more, they CLEARLY intended this to be a USA only auction as they do not have shipping options for other countries enabled. This is on you, and honestly I completely understand now why they treated you poorly. It would have been best for them to just cancel the auction as they are now out a bass, and shipping costs.
I literally just cancelled a sold auction for the same reason, I clearly marked it as USA only, someone in South Korea won and I ended up canceling and relisting. Sold price was much higher than I expected, but I was worried this scenario would occur.
I'm not a business so I can't absorb that cost, so it's back up and is still unsold.
Silly question but did you ever call the store? That's going to cut through problems like this most of the time.
Lastly I see a "Ships to" label, it says "United States". Sounds like you bid on an item that was really meant to ship in the USA only. They pre-set the shipping price at sub $20.
As a an eBay seller, I can safely say you are lucky they didn't cancel to begin with. They do not mention international shipping ANYWHERE on that auction.
Did you bid despite the fact that they specifically state this was supposed to ship in the USA only? Did you contact them to confirm it was ok.....
Personally I can see why THEY were apprehensive.
Edit: Just dug into this auction some more, they CLEARLY intended this to be a USA only auction as they do not have shipping options for other countries enabled. This is on you, and honestly I completely understand now why they treated you poorly. It would have been best for them to just cancel the auction as they are now out a bass, and shipping costs.
I literally just cancelled a sold auction for the same reason, I clearly marked it as USA only, someone in South Korea won and I ended up canceling and relisting. Sold price was much higher than I expected, but I was worried this scenario would occur.
I'm not a business so I can't absorb that cost, so it's back up and is still unsold.
Last edited:
"Bad Americans" ... LOL
Bass Place is awesome. end of story
So you now have a full refund and they're letting you keep the bass, yet you're STILL complaining and calling the seller immature?
unbelievable. You insult Americans after getting something for free... "Brilliant Korean"
Bass Place is awesome. end of story
So you now have a full refund and they're letting you keep the bass, yet you're STILL complaining and calling the seller immature?
unbelievable. You insult Americans after getting something for free... "Brilliant Korean"
I don't think name calling justifies further name calling, but the sentiment is correct. The Bass Place realized what I stated earlier. Due to shipping costs, somebody has to cut their losses. The Bass Place opted to be the "bigger guy" here and eat the cost of the bass.
I think they could tone down the sarcasm in their responses to negative feedback, but aside from that, I see a company trying to satisfy a dissatisfied customer.
I've purchased no less than 5 basses from The Bass Place and have had nothing but positive experiences with them. Prices are always reasonable (if not smokin'), they worked with me to find the right bass, and even gave me decent trade in value on a bass I had purchased elsewhere. I've spent hours in their shop without buying a thing and they never once made me feel unwelcome. Their language may be a little gruff in this instance, but who can blame them given how the OPs handled of the situation. The "Bad Americans" comment says it all. FTR I have no affiliation with The Bass Place other than being a long time satisfied customer.
