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Does a good deal excuse a terrible seller?

birminghambass

birminghambass

Sep 18, 2002
7,097
8,732
Birmingham, AL
#1
Hey TB, not sure how I feel about a recent deal I made. Bought a bass that was advertised as "gigged for 20 years but in great shape". The seller showed one imperfection in the (several) pics he posted. When I asked about specific issues, cosmetic or otherwise, he stated no and the only issue worth mentioning was shown in the pics. Well I receive the bass and it has SIX different dings that go through the finish and expose the wood, the strap buttons are loose and the screws are completely stripped out, and less annoyingly the bass is covered in filth. Oh and one of the neck plate screws needed to be screwed in another 1/4 inch (not a big deal just odd). None of these were mentioned or could be seen in the pictures, I feel he strategically posed the bass so these could not be seen. When I let him know I was disappointed in the bass he freaked out. He became belligerent and accused me of being a "high maintenance" jerk because I got the bass for $25 less than he was originally asking. In his opinion the good deal I got excuses his lack of details. Thoughts?
 
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#6
Personally, as long as it functions fine, I don't mind a used instrument with a few dings, bumps, buckle rash because I'm a clumsy person. If I buy a brand new instrument, I will be the one to eventually bump or drop it. The strap buttons you described wouldn't bother me because I change mine to strap locks as soon as I receive a new-to-me instrument. However, I expect those to be taken into account in an asking price.

I don't know the price you paid, but if you consider your deal to reasonably cover the wear and various points you indicated, then I think you're fine.
 
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#7
birminghambass said:
Considering the issues? No.
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sorry to hear that. maybe you should have returned it and gotten your money back.

Stevorebob said:
misrepresenting the condition of an item for sale is fraud. No discount excuses that.
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sometimes you can get a better deal when you point out the 'misrepresentations'. it's almost always on the buyer to make decisions about the 'deal'.

also: i can pretty much guarantee that if the OP keeps the instrument = he got a good deal.
 
#11
birminghambass said:
Hey TB, not sure how I feel about a recent deal I made. Bought a bass that was advertised as "gigged for 20 years but in great shape". The seller showed one imperfection in the (several) pics he posted. When I asked about specific issues, cosmetic or otherwise, he stated that there were none to speak of and the only issue worth mentioning was shown in the pics. Well I receive the bass and it has SIX different dings that go through the finish and expose the wood, the strap buttons are loose and the screws are completely stripped out, and less annoyingly the bass is covered in filth. Oh and one of the neck plate screws needed to be screwed in another 1/4 inch (not a big deal just odd). None of these were mentioned or could be seen in the pictures, I feel he strategically posed the bass so these could not be seen. When I let him know I was disappointed in the bass he freaked out. He became belligerent and accused me of being a "high maintenance" jerk because I got the bass for $25 less than he was originally asking. In his opinion the good deal I got excuses his lack of details. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
So any pics of what you bought and what was it that you actually did buy?
 
#14
If everything went down as described in the OP then yes the seller lied about the condition of the bass. Seems pretty cut and dry.

Just out of curiosity, what was the one issue the seller clearly showed in a picture? It must've been somewhat major if they didn't consider all the other issues were worth mentioning.
 
#16
Stripped screws are an easy fix. Four dings vs two dings in the scheme of things isn’t much. That being said, if the seller had been more diligent in assessing the condition of the bass the buyer would have no cause for complaint.
There’s two sides to every story, but becoming belligerent is a bully move designed to manipulate and scare you off. Glad you held firm and got a deal that you feel is right. Enjoy!

Edit: I thought I didn’t post this because I’m kind of uncomfortable with this thread. I guess I posted, then edited, then decided to walk away and all I did was undo my edit attempt. I thought it best to stay away from any possibility of slagging a fellow TB’er. Having never bought or sold anything on TB, and not being a moderator (so it’s not really my place) I’d just like to point out that feedback is there for a reason and the buyer and seller both need to play their part, ask a lot of questions, get more photos, and be comfortable with the sale. Now that I’ve seen the dings in question, I have to agree they should have been noted by the seller.

Filthy bass: inconsiderate.
Undisclosed imperfections: slimy
becoming belligerent: intolerable
 
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