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How the hell do I buy this bass?!?

#43
The buyer pays before the goods are shipped. That's how buying works these days. No seller wants to ship and wait for payment unless its perhaps Reverb. I like buying from people who have been on my forums for a long time. You could try and talk them into listing on Reverb and pay all the fees....its a longshot. Some people aren't cut out for buying long distance which I understand fully.
 
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#51
Does the buyer have any positive feedback on facebook/ebay/talkbass/reverb/anywhere? Any sort of online presence that would suggest credibility? IMO the more positive online presence someone has, the less of a "random person" they are.

Do interactions on facebook chat set off any alarm bells? Trust your spidey sense.

That's just comfort level though. Yes, more concretely, Paypal would offer buyer protection if the seller will accept it and take the hit on the fees. If it's a cash only thing I'm thinking road trip

*edit...NM sounds like the seller isn't that interested :roflmao:
 
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#53
I definitely don't put Facebook marketplace on the same level of a reputable member of a forum when it comes to buying something remote.
As a Canadian, I did buy a Gibson Archtop from an American seller on a jazzguitar forum many years ago even using Paypal friends and family to save money.
I did it only because the seller was a very reputable one and being active since a long time having many good feedbacks.
The guitar was something I had lust for so many years and since the price was more than fair I could not pass on it...
In that specific case here, the fact the seller don't even want to use Paypal is fishy at best...
 
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#54
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 would consider asking the seller to list it on a site that has purchase protection. Reverb, Ebay -- some place where you get protection if the bass isn't sent. Offer to pay any commission fees to the site with purchase protection. The rating system on these sites may also help keep the long-distance seller honest. Get the bass seller to tell you the exact time he's posting the listing so you can get there first and buy it.
 
#55
PauFerro said:
I would consider asking the seller to list it on a site that has purchase protection. Reverb, Ebay -- some place where you get protection if the bass isn't sent. Offer to pay any commission fees to the site with purchase protection. The rating system on these sites may also help keep the long-distance seller honest. Get the bass seller to tell you the exact time he's posting the listing so you can get there first and buy it.
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Whole thing has gone south now mate. Seller wants me to organise collection from him through a courier. Won’t use PayPal so highly doubt he will be willing to put it on eBay. Appreciate your message though. I will just continue my search elsewhere haha
 
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#57
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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Do you average 90 mph?
NY to Boston is 4 hours in IDEAL traffic.
The points on your license must be approaching a bowling score!
 
#58
Lance Bunyon said:
Do you average 90 mph?
NY to Boston is 4 hours in IDEAL traffic.
The points on your license must be approaching a bowling score!
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I plead the 5th. 😇 ;)

Nah. I've actually only ever got one speeding ticket. Most of those road trips were way back when i had a fast car in college and did drive a touch too fast. But also, not like a madman, and not when there were lots of other cars on the road. I got Staten Island to Rochester once in under 5 hours. Only once, and drove at night. 🤫

And most of those times i listed were vague recollections and could be very inaccurate too. I didn't bother to check google maps nor account for traffic. Although, as a road-tripping college kid with no schedule, i tried to avoid rush hours. A lot of times i would speed home to try and make it back in time to go to class, make it in time, but be too tired and go to sleep instead. 😆

Oh yeah, and i think most trips NY to Boston were leaving from school in Westchester, not in the 5 boros, so i was already an hour ahead of the game.

Flip side, once it took me 5 hours to get from school near White Plains to my parents' on Staten Island in some of the worst traffic i'd ever been in. Normally a 45-50 minute drive. Every alternate route, and alternate-alternate route was f'd.🤷‍♂️

Don't even own a car these days. And i just sold my motorcycle because i hardly ever ride it anymore. That money's better spent on Basses and music gear/software.🤘:bassist:
 

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