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It's the new reality - when your lie is challenged, keep on repeating the lie until it becomes true. I would contact eBay, he's obviously lying. Those pics don't show the type of damage that occur during shipping.
Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,122
- 16,793
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- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
When you initiate a return ebay is automatically "involved". Don't communicate, or do anything outside of ebay during the process.
There is a difference between "as new" and as "new". I don't see the ebay link, so it's unclear as to the exact wording in the listing. If the seller is calling it "new", then he would have to be an authorized Fender dealer and it would come with a factory warranty. Describing it "as new" can mean almost anything.
Be sure to include your pics of the damage to ebay. They'll compare them to the auction pics, and decide. Btw, that damage at the neck pocket isn't going to "buff out".
Unless things have changed recently, Paypal will reimburse your return shipping costs and will even sell you a prepaid shipping label for a few bucks (I think I paid $3 for their label last time I did it). Your refund will include the shipping that you originally paid to the seller (if any). The janky seller eats his shipping costs and hopefully is discouraged from misrepresenting items in the future.
If this was Reverb.com, the seller would have a golden opportunity to shaft you for all the shipping costs, even if a refund is granted. Reverb stresses their Sellers Protection Policy, while ebay stresses their Buyers Protection Policy. The significance of the two approaches should be obvious. I learned this lesson a few months ago with a crooked Reverb seller who lied about the condition of a bass. Seller granted me a return with refund, but he was able to keep the $50 shipping I paid him.
I questioned Reverb about this....they said the seller had disputed the damage and had provided them with a "video" that showed the neck to be in perfect condition. And Reverb said that "in cases like this, the seller is not obligated to reimburse any shipping costs." (wait...really? Seller rips me off then keeps the original shipping fee?)
Then, I contacted Paypal about at least getting my $71 return shipping cost back, which they've always done for me in the past with bad ebay sellers. Paypal said that because it was through a non-affiliated vendor (Reverb) my return shipping was not covered under their return shipping policy. This has to be due to the fact that Paypal IS eBay, and vice versa. Big difference. In the end, I lost $121 in two-way shipping costs over a $400 bass.
Naturally, I left the seller a negative feedback for his chicanery. Remarkably, a couple weeks later I noticed Reverb removed that negative feedback from the seller's feedback history. Evidently, these are the lengths Reverb will go to in shielding their sellers, even the bad ones. This type of behavior is a dog whistle for unscrupulous sellers.
To their credit, Reverb did subsequently allow me a $50 gift certificate to apply to a future purchase there after I complained enough about it. I applied that $50 credit to a pedal that I didn't need, but I wanted to at least get get something back out of the whole debacle.
I'll be hard pressed to buy anything else off Reverb ever again.
(rant over, do carry on)
There is a difference between "as new" and as "new". I don't see the ebay link, so it's unclear as to the exact wording in the listing. If the seller is calling it "new", then he would have to be an authorized Fender dealer and it would come with a factory warranty. Describing it "as new" can mean almost anything.
Be sure to include your pics of the damage to ebay. They'll compare them to the auction pics, and decide. Btw, that damage at the neck pocket isn't going to "buff out".
Unless things have changed recently, Paypal will reimburse your return shipping costs and will even sell you a prepaid shipping label for a few bucks (I think I paid $3 for their label last time I did it). Your refund will include the shipping that you originally paid to the seller (if any). The janky seller eats his shipping costs and hopefully is discouraged from misrepresenting items in the future.
If this was Reverb.com, the seller would have a golden opportunity to shaft you for all the shipping costs, even if a refund is granted. Reverb stresses their Sellers Protection Policy, while ebay stresses their Buyers Protection Policy. The significance of the two approaches should be obvious. I learned this lesson a few months ago with a crooked Reverb seller who lied about the condition of a bass. Seller granted me a return with refund, but he was able to keep the $50 shipping I paid him.
I questioned Reverb about this....they said the seller had disputed the damage and had provided them with a "video" that showed the neck to be in perfect condition. And Reverb said that "in cases like this, the seller is not obligated to reimburse any shipping costs." (wait...really? Seller rips me off then keeps the original shipping fee?)
Then, I contacted Paypal about at least getting my $71 return shipping cost back, which they've always done for me in the past with bad ebay sellers. Paypal said that because it was through a non-affiliated vendor (Reverb) my return shipping was not covered under their return shipping policy. This has to be due to the fact that Paypal IS eBay, and vice versa. Big difference. In the end, I lost $121 in two-way shipping costs over a $400 bass.
Naturally, I left the seller a negative feedback for his chicanery. Remarkably, a couple weeks later I noticed Reverb removed that negative feedback from the seller's feedback history. Evidently, these are the lengths Reverb will go to in shielding their sellers, even the bad ones. This type of behavior is a dog whistle for unscrupulous sellers.
To their credit, Reverb did subsequently allow me a $50 gift certificate to apply to a future purchase there after I complained enough about it. I applied that $50 credit to a pedal that I didn't need, but I wanted to at least get get something back out of the whole debacle.
I'll be hard pressed to buy anything else off Reverb ever again.
(rant over, do carry on)
B.S.
"It wasn't like that when he shipped it."
"... make sure they weren't normal Mexican finish flaws."
B.S.
If they were "normal Mexican finish flaws", then wouldn't those have been there when he shipped it?
B.S.
Didn't read the whole thread, but saw this:
This might seem anal retentive (because it is), but I started doing this with amps and basses when ordering online or having them shipped. Basically any high-dollar items coming via UPS, FedEx, etc.
I found a spot in my house with ample floor space and a power outlet. I setup my phone on a table and start a video recording. I open the packaging/box as received and run through a full inspection of the item on camera, including plugging everything in. I'm sure this isn't infallible evidence, but I think you have a pretty strong case for disputes/returns if you can show on camera that the item was damaged or flawed right out of the box. This removes you from the equation as the person who inflicted wear & tear on gear if that's what a shady seller might otherwise try to claim. The same goes for making a note of how damaged (or not) the packaging was from transit. I know UPS and FedEx will sometimes fight tooth & nail to reject insurance claims. So I'd rather come prepared with photo and video evidence that the package was decimated by the shipping company by the time it arrived.
If all is well, you spent maybe an extra 5 minutes of time and you can easily clear the video from your phone or camera. At least you've got peace of mind, and a strong starting point to argue your case and shut down the thought of sellers trying to pull anything.
Edited to say I've done this before sending a couple big, expensive amp heads via mail. It was less a concern of buyers trying to pull anything. I simply wanted evidence that the item was in perfect working order before I handed it over to the United Package Stompers.
This might seem anal retentive (because it is), but I started doing this with amps and basses when ordering online or having them shipped. Basically any high-dollar items coming via UPS, FedEx, etc.
I found a spot in my house with ample floor space and a power outlet. I setup my phone on a table and start a video recording. I open the packaging/box as received and run through a full inspection of the item on camera, including plugging everything in. I'm sure this isn't infallible evidence, but I think you have a pretty strong case for disputes/returns if you can show on camera that the item was damaged or flawed right out of the box. This removes you from the equation as the person who inflicted wear & tear on gear if that's what a shady seller might otherwise try to claim. The same goes for making a note of how damaged (or not) the packaging was from transit. I know UPS and FedEx will sometimes fight tooth & nail to reject insurance claims. So I'd rather come prepared with photo and video evidence that the package was decimated by the shipping company by the time it arrived.
If all is well, you spent maybe an extra 5 minutes of time and you can easily clear the video from your phone or camera. At least you've got peace of mind, and a strong starting point to argue your case and shut down the thought of sellers trying to pull anything.
Edited to say I've done this before sending a couple big, expensive amp heads via mail. It was less a concern of buyers trying to pull anything. I simply wanted evidence that the item was in perfect working order before I handed it over to the United Package Stompers.
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That might be anal to some, but I call it going the extra mile to cover your azz. Good stuff, I may start doing that myself.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
To me you have no real "damage" just some slight use blemishes. Some are probably dye stains from a cheap strap. I only bought one bass "new" off the shelf of a music store before, and it already had some signs of use from people trying it out...
When my father bought me this 1954 martin in 1968 it still looked new except for a belt buckle scratch on the back. I look at it like this (and tjh)... I got it to play not to sit in the corner and look pretty... And I have played the $%#& out of it for the last 50 years. I don't care how it looks on the outside. I only care how it plays and sounds which is excellent by the way...
Yeah, that's the criticism I have seen of eBay's treatment of sellers. Sucks for the majority of sellers like you who are honest. I've only sold a few times on there and have been lucky to deal with good, honest buyers (knock wood). I'm also lucky to have never encountered a seller who gave me a hard time. Out of ~350 transactions on there I can only think of 2 times as a buyer when I had an issue and in both cases the sellers bent over backwards to make things right; presumably because they're well aware that eBay pretty much always takes the buyer's side of any dispute.
Eh...I think this might qualify as "damage". Doesn't affect functionality, but the bass def can't be described as "new" or even "as new". Evidently, the OP paid above the going rate of used ones, in order to get a pristine example. If that's the case then he didn't get what he paid for, so why accept getting punk'd ? Who does that?
I've been using EBay since the late 1990s. The seller seems like an inexperienced individual with no grasp of the realities of selling.
Most of those blemishes look like they'd buff out, I use an old piece of carpet and "scratch out" very carefully, but that left to neck pocket looks like damage for certain, pretty much automatically giving the bass no more than a good condition rating. Anyway, guy can't pull any crap. He clearly stated in his listing it was in new condition. It's not. Now, if he provided pictures that detail those marks then you'd be in a deal, but I've gathered that is not the case here.
I can almost guarantee you he's going to be a di*k though. He'll probably sit on your refund for as long as he can. Either way, you're getting your money back. I trust EBay a great deal.
Most of those blemishes look like they'd buff out, I use an old piece of carpet and "scratch out" very carefully, but that left to neck pocket looks like damage for certain, pretty much automatically giving the bass no more than a good condition rating. Anyway, guy can't pull any crap. He clearly stated in his listing it was in new condition. It's not. Now, if he provided pictures that detail those marks then you'd be in a deal, but I've gathered that is not the case here.
I can almost guarantee you he's going to be a di*k though. He'll probably sit on your refund for as long as he can. Either way, you're getting your money back. I trust EBay a great deal.
Wow. That sucks. I've sold a couple of things on reverb since their fees were cheaper, but that story scares me buying from reverb ever again. I guess if I have to buy a bass online, it will be on here. I hope the sellers are more honest here.
That seems like a really good idea. I think I will do that next time. I just never expected someone to not describe their item truthfully.
That's what I thought, also. The stains would bother me considering the description, but those are cracks in the finish. That would be a deal breaker for me, if "new" were anywhere in the description.
Yeah I am afraid he is going to pull something during the refund. I'm sending the bass out tomorrow morning since the post office was closed by the time I got out work.
I'll update this thread again if the guy decides to be difficult.
You ain't A.R. or you woulda read the whole tread first.
I don't think he has any control over the refund. PayPal will give you your refund and take it out of his account. If he doesn't cover it, he won't be able to do any more selling on eBay. Any sales he makes in the meantime will go to cover his "overdraft". I sold a pedal on eBay once to a fellow in the UK and TWO MONTHS LATER I woke up to an email from eBay/PayPal saying the buyer wanted his money back and my PayPal had a $750 negative balance. The guy claimed he couldn't get it to work, tried different basses, active & passive, different cables and voltage adapters. I took it back, plugged it in and shot video of me using it, showing it worked perfectly. I sold it again on eBay a few weeks later for more than the first guy paid, and THAT sale stuck!
As long as you have an electronic tracking number that shows it being delivered, you're in good shape. I've even heard stories of a scammy buyer returning an empty box and getting their refund - PayPal only cares about that electronic tracking number, they don't actually bring any brains to bear on the issue.
So I guess the lesson learned here is:
If Buying, use eBay
If Selling, use Reverb
Oh he can hold it, for a period of time anyway.
EBay let's/forces sellers and buyers to work out their disputes within a given time frame. If a refund hasn't been issued by X date, EBay will then get involved, but they aren't going to go into the guys PayPal account after four days of sitting on a refund.
Things may have changed - it's been a while since I've done anything like that. You might be talking about the 7-day (or is it 10?) waiting period, between the time you open a dispute and the time it closes. Either party can close the dispute early, or it will automatically close at the end of that period. THAT may be the point at which you get your refund.
Some sellers just hate dealing with refunds. It doesn't sound like this guy works EBay for a living, so he probably, as a common seller, is just frustrated that he is having something returned. I'd say yeah, it's annoying dealing with returns, but he didn't list his item honestly. That fact alone justifies a return, end of story. Also, why would you damage a new bass in multiple areas just to return it? Doesn't hold any logic.
You're good, guy might throw a tantrum by holding your refund for a couple of days, but you'll get your money back. Don't worry about it.
