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How the hell do I buy this bass?!?

#21
Lee Edward said:
🤣🤣 11hr round trip. The bass isn’t even that expensive. It is just ideal for what i am wanting to do.

The seller will ship it, it is just the whole paying someone I don’t know for something I don’t have and trusting them to send it I can’t get over
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11 hours for an affordable bass? Pshaw!

I've driven from NYC to Philly for a cheesesteak (3 hr round trip); from NYC to Boston for some chowder (3 hr each way); to Atlantic City for a Whitehouse Sub (4 hr round trip); to Rochester for a Garbage plate (6 hr each way); and to Buffalo for a chili cheese dog (7 hr each way). Would drive from NYC to New Orleans in one shot regularly (19 hours). I've also driven across the US using different routes 5 times.

Okay, okay. I'm done joking about the difference between driving in the US vs UK. When i lived in Scotland it blew my mind my friends never drove further than 5 hours away.

Seriously, though, if driving to get it is out of the question, and you really want to get this particular bass, PayPal Goods & Services might be your best bet. Offer to cover the fees that Goods & Services put on a paypal purchase. There are buyer protections for PP G&S. Not sure how easy they are to make claims for your money back. But it's better than nothing.
 
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#22
FullumMusic said:
11 hours for an affordable bass? Pshaw!

I've driven from NYC to Philly for a cheesesteak (3 hr round trip); from NYC to Boston for some chowder (3 hr each way); to Atlantic City for a Whitehouse Sub (4 hr round trip); to Rochester for a Garbage plate (6 hr each way); and to Buffalo for a chili cheese dog (7 hr each way). Would drive from NYC to New Orleans in one shot regularly (19 hours). I've also driven across the US using different routes 5 times.
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Reminds me when my german wife's childhood friend was in Boston for a business trip and he told her he was in America and could pay us a visit up to Montreal to have a coffee with us...
I was like yeah to my wife you tell me the guy will now drive 6-7 hours up to here to have a little chat and a coffee ; she said yeah he said he will be here at noon...I laughed.
The doorbell rang precisely at noon...never underestimate the german Zeitpunkt. The guy spent the aftertoon with us we invited him for lunch and he just drove back to Boston...
 
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#23
FullumMusic said:
11 hours for an affordable bass? Pshaw!

I've driven from NYC to Philly for a cheesesteak (3 hr round trip); from NYC to Boston for some chowder (3 hr each way); to Atlantic City for a Whitehouse Sub (4 hr round trip); to Rochester for a Garbage plate (6 hr each way); and to Buffalo for a chili cheese dog (7 hr each way). Would drive from NYC to New Orleans in one shot regularly (19 hours). I've also driven across the US using different routes 5 times.

Okay, okay. I'm done joking about the difference between driving in the US vs UK. When i lived in Scotland it blew my mind my friends never drove further than 5 hours away.

Seriously, though, if driving to get it is out of the question, and you really want to get this particular bass, PayPal Goods & Services might be your best bet. Offer to cover the fees that Goods & Services put on a paypal purchase. There are buyer protections for PP G&S. Not sure how easy they are to make claims for your money back. But it's better than nothing.
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With PayPal, it’s very easy to get your money back if something happens, I had to do it and it really was hassle free. A PayPal account on a Visa credit card is the safest payment method ever.
 
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#24
FullumMusic said:
11 hours for an affordable bass? Pshaw!

I've driven from NYC to Philly for a cheesesteak (3 hr round trip); from NYC to Boston for some chowder (3 hr each way); to Atlantic City for a Whitehouse Sub (4 hr round trip); to Rochester for a Garbage plate (6 hr each way); and to Buffalo for a chili cheese dog (7 hr each way). Would drive from NYC to New Orleans in one shot regularly (19 hours). I've also driven across the US using different routes 5 times.

Okay, okay. I'm done joking about the difference between driving in the US vs UK. When i lived in Scotland it blew my mind my friends never drove further than 5 hours away.

Seriously, though, if driving to get it is out of the question, and you really want to get this particular bass, PayPal Goods & Services might be your best bet. Offer to cover the fees that Goods & Services put on a paypal purchase. There are buyer protections for PP G&S. Not sure how easy they are to make claims for your money back. But it's better than nothing.
Click to expand...
🤣🤣 Yeah I think PP is the way I am going to go with it.
 
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#26
Gervais Cote said:
With PayPal, it’s very easy to get your money back if something happens, I had to do it and it really was hassle free. A PayPal account on a Visa credit card is the safest payment method ever.
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Oh yeah... that's a great point. Using an attached credit card is way safer than an attached debit or bank account. I almost always use the attached credit card on my PayPal.

It's always easier to dispute and not pay for something on credit than it is to get your money back after it's been taken out of your account with debit/draw from account.

And glad your experience was hassle free. I once had an issue where due to some security breach, someone used my paypal to buy a $3000 diamond ring. It took at least a month and endless calls arguing with ebay & paypal and having them refuse to show me any of the information i requested to prove it wasn't me who bought the item. Had my dispute denied several times. Had to close out my bank account and open a new one so they couldn't draw any more money. Then one day i got a robot voicemail saying something to the effect of, "This money is being refunded due to investigations of fraudulent activities on our system." And that's it. No further explanation. Wouldn't explain anything when i called. Took the win and refused to use PayPal or eBay for years until recently.

Seems like they've gotten much better about security and customer service?
 
#27
vinlander said:
Reminds me when my german wife's childhood friend was in Boston for a business trip and he told her he was in America and could pay us a visit up to Montreal to have a coffee with us...
I was like yeah to my wife you tell me the guy will now drive 6-7 hours up to here to have a little chat and a coffee ; she said yeah he said he will be here at noon...I laughed.
The doorbell rang precisely at noon...never underestimate the german Zeitpunkt. The guy spent the aftertoon with us we invited him for lunch and he just drove back to Boston...
Click to expand...
That's amazing.

I've had a few friends from other places do that to me too. "Hey! I'm in [some city on the East Coast of the US]!" And i'm like, ok. You're still 6 hours away. "Oh. Really? Wow. Didn't realize." Yeah. You have a map on your phone. "Well maybe i'll come visit anyway!" I mean, let me know if you do, but 6 hours coming here and 6 hours back seems like a waste of your holiday and a stressful time just to have a drink and a bite with me. I'm not THAT pretty to look at. 😆
 
#28
Lee Edward said:
I’m not against shipping, I want to get it shipped. Just a bit sceptical about sending someone money and hoping they send the bass
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It is what it is. If you can’t reach consensus on the conditions of the sale, and you’re risk adverse, it’s time to move on.

But you might want to consider a seller may be just as skeptical as you are. The swords does cut both ways. I’ve bought and sold a lot of stuff online. I’ve never been burned on anything I’ve purchased. But as a seller I have been burned by dishonest buyers.

Still, there’s a few things you can do to minimize risk.

First, research the seller. See if the site has any trade score and buyer feedback mechanism such as TB has in its member profiles. Also look up the person’s profile and history on the site. Is the account fairly new? Are there any posts under that user name or is it all just “for sale” offers. Does the user have an established online store or a brick & mortar storefront? These are all good indications you’re dealing with a legitimate business or experienced online seller. Scammers primarily follow a hit & run strategy. Here today, gone tomorrow, catch me if you can. So established presence and history is generally a good indicator of legitimacy.

Second, as others have previously mentioned, Paypal gives you some measure of protection as a buyer - but virtually none if you’re the seller. The two times I got robbed selling something Paypal declined to intervene despite me clearly documenting the obvious fraud that took place. So many sellers are now less willing to accept Paypal because of that. Still, if the seller is willing to accept a Ppal goods & services purchase then there’s a good chance they’re on the level.

Lastly, for a really big ticket item ($1K and up) I also prefer to have a brief one or two minute phone conversation with the seller before I pull the trigger. This won’t work for every seller because most people (quite wisely IMO) aren’t comfortable giving out their phone number. And the younger generations do seem to be terrified of voice communication and insist on doing everything via text. So what I usually do is offer them my number and ask them to call me. If they tell me they don’t do that then I politely thank them for their time and walk away.

None of the above will completely protect you from being scammed. But they can go a long way towards reducing the chance of it happening.

Luck! :thumbsup:
 
#29
Lee Edward said:
Hi guys,

So I have found the perfect bass on Facebook marketplace for a project I wanting to do.

Only problem it is at the other end of the country.

The seller is willing to post but obviously I don’t want to send some random person money for something I don’t have and they don’t want to post something they haven’t been paid for.

Is there some sort of escrow service that we could use to hold the money and it is realised once it is either sent or received?
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I dunno, there are tons of basses for sale every day 24-7 IF you are having reservations, listen to that voice in your head that is saying this could be trouble. It could very well be.

I've probably walked away from hundreds-thousands of "The Deal of the Century" things over my lifetime. .I also haven't lost a bunch of money trying to buy something that wasn't to be. The hundred or so internet deals that turned sour posted on this very board should be a cautionary tale for all.

That said, more deals go down without a hitch. BUT, as the old saying old saying goes: If you can't afford the loss, don't take the risk.
 
#31
I'm in the fortunate spot of having a network of UK-based musician friends who I know in person and trust (UKMG - a former uk.music.guitar newsgroup). This group has used this network a few times over the years to perform a relay service on the understanding it might take a few weeks. I sold a Thunderbird copy to one of them several years ago and he was more than happy to wait.

Otherwise, I'd be just as nervous about selling a bass via classified ads, let alone buying one. I've refused to sell basses in the past due to fear of being scammed. It's easy to say use Talkbass or Basschat members to perform a similar relay, it still relies on a lot of trust in strangers!

If you do decide to buy it, PayPal G&S against a credit card as others have mentioned (remember, credit cards purchases are protected via section 75 on purchases over £100) and use a reputable courier service with tracking and pay for shipping insurance. Get the seller to take photos or video as the item is being packed and do the same when you get the item and open the packaging. This way you have some cover if something goes wrong, such as getting scammed or damaged in transit.
 
#34
ga_edwards said:
I'm in the fortunate spot of having a network of UK-based musician friends who I know in person and trust (UKMG - a former uk.music.guitar newsgroup). This group has used this network a few times over the years to perform a relay service on the understanding it might take a few weeks. I sold a Thunderbird copy to one of them several years ago and he was more than happy to wait.

Otherwise, I'd be just as nervous about selling a bass via classified ads, let alone buying one. I've refused to sell basses in the past due to fear of being scammed. It's easy to say use Talkbass or Basschat members to perform a similar relay, it still relies on a lot of trust in strangers!

If you do decide to buy it, PayPal G&S against a credit card as others have mentioned (remember, credit cards purchases are protected via section 75 on purchases over £100) and use a reputable courier service with tracking and pay for shipping insurance. Get the seller to take photos or video as the item is being packed and do the same when you get the item and open the packaging. This way you have some cover if something goes wrong, such as getting scammed or damaged in transit.
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Anyone in Portsmouth going to Middlesbrough? 🤣
 
#35
Lee Edward said:
I’m not against shipping, I want to get it shipped. Just a bit sceptical about sending someone money and hoping they send the bass
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Now I’m confused. You want to ship but you don’t trust the process, a process that won’t change, which means you need to change your feeling about shipping, or you need to seek alternative methods of acquisition. If it helps, before the advent of paypal, SOP for long distance purchases was send a money order, then the item was shipped. I’ve done a lot of transactions that way and had excellent luck doing so. That said, if I didn't trust the seller I’d go to them with cash, provided of course I was going after the perfect bass for my situation.
 
#36
fhm555 said:
Now I’m confused. You want to ship but you don’t trust the process, a process that won’t change, which means you need to change your feeling about shipping, or you need to seek alternative methods of acquisition. If it helps, before the advent of paypal, SOP for long distance purchases was send a money order, then the item was shipped. I’ve done a lot of transactions that way and had excellent luck doing so. That said, if I didn't trust the seller I’d go to them with cash, provided of course I was going after the perfect bass for my situation.
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I don’t trust sending some random person off Facebook Marketplace money that I don’t know and hoping that they send the item.

I think PayPal might be the best option for sending the money
 
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#38
Lee Edward said:
Hi guys,

So I have found the perfect bass on Facebook marketplace for a project I wanting to do.

Only problem it is at the other end of the country.

The seller is willing to post but obviously I don’t want to send some random person money for something I don’t have and they don’t want to post something they haven’t been paid for.

Is there some sort of escrow service that we could use to hold the money and it is realised once it is either sent or received?
Click to expand...
Yes, there are a number of online escrow services. Just use Google and you'll find them.

I moderate a couple of automotive forums, and there ARE scammers out there. I recommend that members use escrow services any time they buy a high-dollar items.

For example, there's Escrow.com (Escrow.com | Never buy or sell online without using Escrow.com.) which will pay the seller only when the parts have been received and the buyer releases the money. The fee for a $300 purchase would be $18.90, which the buyer can pay.
 
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