jiminyshiznit said:I've always had great luck with ebay.. I've always received what I expected to receive, and have actually been pleasantly surprised by an exceeded expectation numerous times. This time was different.. while the bass is far from a train wreck, the condition simply does not match the description. The seller said some very specific things, like "frets are like new".. they're not shot, but they're far from new. There's years of wear, but plenty of life left.. how hard is that to disclose/describe? Then there's the "few very minor dings, but they're barely noticeable, and none are through the finish" .. they're very noticeable, and many are through the finish. Next was "none of the usual 'buckle rash' that you normally see" .. well, maybe, but there are dents, nicks and scratches all over the back of this thing... no "buckle rash" though, so I guess that one's my fault. I actually think once this initial frustration wears off, I'll really dig the hell out of it, but still.. I bid higher than I would have on this thing because of the description, which made it sound like it was near mint. I don't mind paying a little extra for something that's in spectacular condition. The photos didn't reveal any of this, I guess due to angles, etc.. he did a great job of showing it in it's best light and didn't show any of the warts, nor did he mention they were there... while I should have asked about every square inch of it, by the time the frets are like new, there's no noticeable dings and no buckle rash, it's easy to fill in the blanks with goodness... the description was simply wrong. Had he disclosed any damage, I'd have thought to probe further..
So, the question is, would you just chalk all that
up to "lesson learned" and eat the amount you feel you overpaid for what you thought was an extremely clean bass? Or, would you... ??? I wrote the seller a note to let him know what I think, but I'm curious if y'all have any thoughts or advice. I think this thing has plenty of mojo and will be a bass I come to love, but I wouldn't have bid nearly as high if the description fully disclosed the actual condition of the bass. I guess I feel a little duped and a little stupid...any words of wisdom?[/QUOTE
I know the feeling): , I just started a thread myself over the weekend, because I got screwed in a Bass purchase on EBay,
Mine came in damaged, with a broken control pot , regardless wether it was damaged in shipping or the Seller knew it was already damaged??? it did not match the description! In which case you should not be forced to keep something ,that does not match what is described in the auction.
All faults should be disclosed even if there minor , so any and all questions are answered. I like you have always had good luck with EBay till this last week.
I wish you The best of luck on what you decide to do.
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ebay.. my luck ran out. Advice needed
- Thread starter jiminyshiznit
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OK, now I'm at a tricky spot.. He just replied with a "surprised you don't like it, happy to refund your money" message, but I'd rather keep it & get a little something back for the bum description.. is that a dicky thing to bring up as an alternative to a full-blown refund?
Yes. Don't bring it up. It makes it seem like you're pulling a scam. His response is friendly and reasonable. Send it back.
This situation will bother you for as long as you own this bass. You won't be able to look at it without thinking about it. Send it back and look for another one.
If you really like the bass I see no problem asking the seller if he would be willing to cut the price a bit due to the fret and wear issues. I would suspect he wouldn't be adverse to the idea unless you got the bass at a real steal. It saves you having to ship it and the seller having to resist it.....
Ya, I was quite surprised, too. I'm fairly confident my situation was a case of a clueless PayPal case handler. I'd not heard of a case like this going for the buyer, either. My credit card company made it right, though, so it all worked out aside from the frustration of going through the whole dispute process.
The moral of the story is to use a credit card with large PayPal purchases, just in case.
Nope. It is a reasonable request for an item that might be acceptable, but wasn't quite as described. If the OP likes it enough to keep it at a reduced price, then asking for a partial refund is certainly acceptable.
Yep. I bought a "78" Stingray off ebay for $2000. Once I received it, I right away noticed the neck was not original and dated '80. I settled with the seller for a $500 refund.
Asking for a partial refund is VERY touchy. If he immediately went for the "please return it", then the OP should return it. Digging your feet in is not going to cut it.
One of the disclaimers of buying online, especially with used instruments, is they are never going to be exactly like you expected. Sometimes better, sometimes worse. Unless it is bought from a store new, there's going to be play. Especially as they get older. It seems that the issues are all cosmetic. If I were the seller and confident in my description I would be asking for a return.
I'm still wondering on a link to see the bass itself.
It's sketchy to ask for an adjustment in my view. It's a common practice used by dishonest buyers looking to scam a seller. Not that the buyer here is dishonest, but the practice of asking for an adjustment has been tainted by dishonest people.
Either way, the buyer won't get much financial satisfaction with an adjustment. The seller has indicated that he's happy to accept a return. That means that the buyer has only as much leverage as 1/2 the shipping cost the seller is out. Figuring that the shipping cost is around $40, that means that the seller can expect to receive a refund of $20. Otherwise, it's worth the seller's while to accept the return and take his chances selling it again on ebay.
OP - will $20 make you happy?
Haha! Of course not. You know that.
haha, I don't mean quality-wise. I mean in the piece-by-piece method. Because Fenders can have parts in one bass that were built over a span of years.
That's a different situation than what is happening here. In your case, the seller thought he had something more valuable than what it was. Faced with a situation like that, the seller is inclined to cut his losses and accept an adjustment rather than relist that bass as a mongrel. In this case, the item is straight, but has a buyer who is disappointed with the bass as described in the auction. If I were the seller of that '78 Stingray, I'd settle. If I were the seller of the OP's bass, I'd accept the return and relist it.
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