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eBay return inquiry

I

Ihaveshingles

Inactive
Dec 24, 2018
404
547
#1
Hi All,
I hope this is posted in the correct place.
I am planning my first eBay purchase of a bass that is roughly 25 years old ,I can see from the pictures from the side that the action is crazy high and I'm assuming the neck has quite a bow in it .I've messaged the seller and he assures me that the action is low and that the truss rod fine.
In my experience older instruments that have the neck bowed very hard like this for a long time tend to settle in and it's quite the feat to get them to straighten out. If I try to straighten the neck on this thing and the trussrod is maxed out and there's still quite a lot of bow can I return this item?
I have a feeling that the seller is actually a guitar player and in my experience a lot of guitar players think that basses with Mile high action are normal LOL
Also , is it frowned upon to message sellers on eBay and ask them for additional pictures?
 
#3
Ihaveshingles said:
Hi All,
I hope this is posted in the correct place.
I am planning my first eBay purchase of a bass that is roughly 25 years old ,I can see from the pictures from the side that the action is crazy high and I'm assuming the neck has quite a bow in it .I've messaged the seller and he assures me that the action is low and that the truss rod fine.
In my experience older instruments that have the neck bowed very hard like this for a long time tend to settle in and it's quite the feat to get them to straighten out. If I try to straighten the neck on this thing and the trussrod is maxed out and there's still quite a lot of bow can I return this item?
I have a feeling that the seller is actually a guitar player and in my experience a lot of guitar players think that basses with Mile high action are normal LOL
Also , is it frowned upon to message sellers on eBay and ask them for additional pictures?
Click to expand...
I just wouldn't buy it.
 
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#7
Ihaveshingles said:
Hi All,
I hope this is posted in the correct place.
I am planning my first eBay purchase of a bass that is roughly 25 years old ,I can see from the pictures from the side that the action is crazy high and I'm assuming the neck has quite a bow in it .I've messaged the seller and he assures me that the action is low and that the truss rod fine.
In my experience older instruments that have the neck bowed very hard like this for a long time tend to settle in and it's quite the feat to get them to straighten out. If I try to straighten the neck on this thing and the trussrod is maxed out and there's still quite a lot of bow can I return this item?
I have a feeling that the seller is actually a guitar player and in my experience a lot of guitar players think that basses with Mile high action are normal LOL
Also , is it frowned upon to message sellers on eBay and ask them for additional pictures?
Click to expand...

The seller says the action is normal. What is normal? Ask him/her to measure the action and give you numbers instead when the bass is in tune. If the action looks high in the pictures, it probably is.

You cannot return the item unless it is not as described, or if the seller does not have a return policy.

I've more than 20 basses, and almost all of them were bought 2nd hand from eBay Reverb etc. I've not gotten a lemon yet, but I ask so many questions and do my homework to make sure what I see is what I'm getting.
 
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#8
bholder said:
If the seller claims the action is low and it arrives with high action, the return would be justified. The seller's words matter as much as, if not more than, the pics.

Still, with doubts like that, I'd just find another bass.
Click to expand...

One man's low action is another man's high. The OP should ask for measurements.
 
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#9
I purchased my '74 Precision on eBay, but only after the seller satisfactorily answered all questions and posted lots of pics. As others above have said, if the seller isn't willing to do so, simply don't purchase the bass.
 
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#10
Ihaveshingles said:
Hi All,
I hope this is posted in the correct place.
I am planning my first eBay purchase of a bass that is roughly 25 years old ,I can see from the pictures from the side that the action is crazy high and I'm assuming the neck has quite a bow in it .I've messaged the seller and he assures me that the action is low and that the truss rod fine.
In my experience older instruments that have the neck bowed very hard like this for a long time tend to settle in and it's quite the feat to get them to straighten out. If I try to straighten the neck on this thing and the trussrod is maxed out and there's still quite a lot of bow can I return this item?
I have a feeling that the seller is actually a guitar player and in my experience a lot of guitar players think that basses with Mile high action are normal LOL
Also , is it frowned upon to message sellers on eBay and ask them for additional pictures?
Click to expand...

I would look at the listing to see what the return policy is for the item. Most people sell their used instruments with a no return policy on reverb (not sure on ebay) and you can only return them if its damaged. IMO a truss rod that does not function as it should is grounds for a return. Of course my opinion isnt their policy so i would look into that first

Regarding whats frowned upon, you are the buyer. You have a right to know and understand exactly what you are buying. If the seller frowns upon this, then you know you can not trust the seller. getting a good feel for the seller is just as important to getting a feel for what you are buying. If you cant trust the seller then walk away.

Where is a link to the listing? that would help us help you
 
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#11
if the action is high and the seller thinks it's low, i see another potential issue - buying instruments from people who know nothing about them tends to be a pain in the butt as they can't answer questions with any knowledge, so they tend to be wrong even if they mean well. go by your eyes, not what the seller says.

you could ask for more pics of the action at the 12th from a few slightly different angles. i wouldn't buy this bass at this point, but if i was considering it, i wouldn't hestitate to ask for more pics. i've asked for more pics before, and most sellers are accomodating. i've been a seller asked for more pics, and i took 'em and sent them over.
 
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#14
I just bought something in "mint condition" that appeared to have scruffs in the photo. I asked the seller and they assured me that it was just the light hitting the item. The return policy was "as is unless it arrived other than described."
Had it shown up with scuffs, without me contacting the seller, the picture would have been part of the description, and I would've had no recourse, even though it's advertised in mint condition.

If it had scuffs and they said it did not, then I could've sent it back for any reason as long as I stated they misrepresented it in the email.

Save all contact info. Take pictures as aoon as you recieve and item.

I don't put much stock in someone's idea of mint or excellent condition.

I personally would pass, because it's more difficult to prove a case to ebay about a bowed neck than scuffs or sratches. There are many instruments out there in great condition where it's not questionable.

Check the seller's rating and if you have a gut feeling that something is wrong, pass on it.
 
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#15
Ihaveshingles said:
I can see from the pictures from the side that the action is crazy high and I'm assuming the neck has quite a bow in it .I've messaged the seller and he assures me that the action is low and that the truss rod fine.
Click to expand...

I wonder if he has even tried adjusting the truss rod? That thing sounds unplayable.

Lots of good advice in this thread. I'd pass on this one.
 
#18
Ask for all the pictures you want, of course. How hard is it to send a picture these days? If this seller won't, or can't, then you know not to deal with that person.

About the neck, I would go ahead and buy it. If the neck is warped or twisted and the truss rod isn't working and able to adjust that, then you have a defective instrument. If you aren't buying a defective instrument, then you certainly are able to return it under a "not as described" procedure.

It's stunning how much power the buyer has on eBay purchases now, which is why I won't sell guitars there (or on Reverb).

But it will serve you in this situation.
 
#19
Thanks all of you for the great replies, and I will proceed with caution ,however the seller has a very good reputation so at least that's some comfort. Definitely at a crossroads as to whether I'm going to pull the trigger on this
 
#20
I never filed a claim with eBay, but the one time I filed a claim with PayPal for a piece of software that was advertised to work with Cisco Webex and then did not after I paid for it. No problem, it's PayPal, they'll cover me. I filed a claim and gave all the information. They sided with the seller and I was denied my claim.
 

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