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"Local pick up only" (Reverb) rant...
- Thread starter Mr Wilson
- Start date
Hmmm... Road trip?Whats with the trend of everyone making all their reverb ads "Local pick up only ?
I'm assuming its the ever rising Fees involved ,but man Its really preventing my deals.
I really want a second Jazz 24 to back up my #1 . Theres 4 on reverb that have been there a while. One is too expensive ,the other 3 are "Local pick up only " . I am in upstate NY and no where near any of these guys . I have messaged 2 of the sellers saying Dude I'm Legit ,will you ship the thing ? and they both said "no local pick up only " . I mean do you guys not wanna sell these things ?? If not dont list it .
I've sold on Reverb a number of times. The platform is great to reach people, but the shipping piece is a royal pain.
If you have UPS pack the shipment to try to have some insurance that it will get there in one piece undamaged and you can then say you paid UPS to package it and claim the insurance you pay for it if goes South anyway, not only do you spend a bunch more money to ship it, but also what happened to me last time is always possible; Reverb charged me an extra couple hundred dollars surprisingly due to UPS sending them a bill that they autopay saying I was over on size/weight.
I repeatedly argued all of this because I paid UPS to pack and ship and they gave me the dims and weights to put on the shipping label that I printed in their store at the same time. Reverb finally waived it for me after a lot of fighting and I even had the guy at UPS willing to talk to the guy at Reverb to give them a credit for it, but I would have nearly gotten zero for a $450 sale with shipping included by the time all that was done.
This is why I will not ship again. Reverb told me it was a one time deal with them adjusting and I can't guarantee that UPS won't overbill again and if you don't use their freight discount, you're paying through the nose.
I'd rather nearly give an instrument away locally to someone who is saving some cabbage than to pay some company money to nearly give an instrument away.
I would only ship again if the buyer wanted to pay for it on their own account and relieved me of any liability.
If you have UPS pack the shipment to try to have some insurance that it will get there in one piece undamaged and you can then say you paid UPS to package it and claim the insurance you pay for it if goes South anyway, not only do you spend a bunch more money to ship it, but also what happened to me last time is always possible; Reverb charged me an extra couple hundred dollars surprisingly due to UPS sending them a bill that they autopay saying I was over on size/weight.
I repeatedly argued all of this because I paid UPS to pack and ship and they gave me the dims and weights to put on the shipping label that I printed in their store at the same time. Reverb finally waived it for me after a lot of fighting and I even had the guy at UPS willing to talk to the guy at Reverb to give them a credit for it, but I would have nearly gotten zero for a $450 sale with shipping included by the time all that was done.
This is why I will not ship again. Reverb told me it was a one time deal with them adjusting and I can't guarantee that UPS won't overbill again and if you don't use their freight discount, you're paying through the nose.
I'd rather nearly give an instrument away locally to someone who is saving some cabbage than to pay some company money to nearly give an instrument away.
I would only ship again if the buyer wanted to pay for it on their own account and relieved me of any liability.
I think besides the rising costs of shipping, most buyers are not willing to pay the actual costs to ship, or they expect free shipping. Sellers can't eat all the costs.
You either ship or you don't. I've sold nearly 45 basses on reverb in last 3 years. I did have 1 issue with a buyer, but that happens. I ship, I have lots of boxes and packing material in storage. It usually takes me under 10 min to have bass all boxed and ready to ship. Those saying it's too hard are just lame, those saying they don't want to take the risk, i 100% respect that, but the lack of effort being an issue is just lame for a seller....
shipping large items has become an expensive PITA. I can understand why someone wouldn't want to mess with it.
Slightly jealous of this option. I could get in my car and start driving west... and wouldn't reach the other side of of Texas until about 9 hours later. I always see great East Coast Double Basses here in the classifieds and would love to drive up and take a look at them, but most involve 24 or more hours of driving each way. So it would be at least a four or five day trip just to go take a look at one.
When buying, I look for local; the possibility of needing to return something just adds hassle.
Last week I bought some wiper blades for the car and they sent me the wrong ones, so now I have to return them at my own time & expense to get a refund; I think they'll just go in the bin.
Last week I bought some wiper blades for the car and they sent me the wrong ones, so now I have to return them at my own time & expense to get a refund; I think they'll just go in the bin.
It’s not just the expense and hassle of shipping. It’s the risk of shipping damage - both actual and just something claimed by a shady buyer - that’s a problem.
Sellers are completely at the mercy of the buyer when they sell through Reverb or EBay. Both those sites along with Paypal and the major credit cards will side with the buyer by default.
Then there’s the shipping companies. Ever try to file a claim with them for a lost or damaged shipment? Good luck. “Signature required” for anything other than booze is a joke as well. Once the driver drops it on the porch - it’s delivered. Period.
Then there’s the new income tax reporting requirements. Something I’m seeing more and more sellers are trying to sidestep by only doing local pickup cash only sales. Sure, you can still get caught conducting business under the table. But the risk of getting caught is extremely low for most people who are only selling things occasionally. At least until tax authorities start requiring Craigslist and their ilk to start reporting users when the aggregate dollar value of their listings exceeds $10k a year. As in:
Taxman: “Hey taxpayer! You’ve listed twenty items with a combined stated value of twelve grand. Did you ever actually sell any of them? Because we didn’t see any of that income reported on your last return. Could you look into that and file an amended return if it slipped your mind by accident? If you still have the items that’s all well and good and sorry to bother you. But we may decide drop by and ask to see them if that’s the case. So if you simply forgot, please correct your tax return and payment soon?”
Only be a matter of time. Big Data is everywhere these days.
Sellers are completely at the mercy of the buyer when they sell through Reverb or EBay. Both those sites along with Paypal and the major credit cards will side with the buyer by default.
Then there’s the shipping companies. Ever try to file a claim with them for a lost or damaged shipment? Good luck. “Signature required” for anything other than booze is a joke as well. Once the driver drops it on the porch - it’s delivered. Period.
Then there’s the new income tax reporting requirements. Something I’m seeing more and more sellers are trying to sidestep by only doing local pickup cash only sales. Sure, you can still get caught conducting business under the table. But the risk of getting caught is extremely low for most people who are only selling things occasionally. At least until tax authorities start requiring Craigslist and their ilk to start reporting users when the aggregate dollar value of their listings exceeds $10k a year. As in:
Taxman: “Hey taxpayer! You’ve listed twenty items with a combined stated value of twelve grand. Did you ever actually sell any of them? Because we didn’t see any of that income reported on your last return. Could you look into that and file an amended return if it slipped your mind by accident? If you still have the items that’s all well and good and sorry to bother you. But we may decide drop by and ask to see them if that’s the case. So if you simply forgot, please correct your tax return and payment soon?”
Only be a matter of time. Big Data is everywhere these days.
I just figured it was because of the new PayPal bs. They send you a 1099 form now for anything over $600 annual in sales. Then you have to provide proof that money was not pure profit or pax taxes on it.
Therefore cash and in person is the way to fly.
Therefore cash and in person is the way to fly.
It's not PayPal, this is the Internal Revenue Service thanks to laws passed during the height of COVID. For years you had to sell $20K or 200 sales to trigger a 1099 from any of these online sites. This is the first year it's been lower to $600. Keep all your receipts and you shouldn't have to pay much if anything. Most owners incur a slight loss when they sell things especially if they are the original owner.
Keep your receipts is a message I need to send back in a time machine.
It is more of a business for you . For me it is passing on equipment to someone else . I agree that if you are trying to make a buck then you should either suck it up and ship , or never moan about lack of business .
And I am very jealous of this option . I am at a time in my life where priorities change . Time is not money . I can always get more money , time is a finite resource .
Isn't it wonderfully ironic that the name of the law that was passed including this $600 threshold was called American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Actually not, these were all personal basses from collection. I was on a tear for 3 years buying about one a month, would try it out, decide to sell or keep. Thats how i had so many to sell. But yes, i've never had any anxiety on shipping a bass, it is what it is....everyone do "them"...You are limited by not shipping though
On reflection , I may be being over cynical but I have a low opinion of humanity in general . We tend to remember bad experiences and let that memory overshadow the good if we are not careful . But I am sure there are courier companies over here that you could use to send two cannonballs to the next town , and in a matter of days they would lose one , break the other and then deny all knowledge of ever having seen them .
Carriers for sure break things, loose things, and give you a hard time with insurance claims. I’ve been through all three.
The other and probably most likely factor is local pickup people want cash / Venmo and to bypass reverb for sale. They’re essentially using reverb as free marketing in hopes someone will see it and be able to come in person.
The other and probably most likely factor is local pickup people want cash / Venmo and to bypass reverb for sale. They’re essentially using reverb as free marketing in hopes someone will see it and be able to come in person.
All good here, just wanted to mention i wasn't a business, just an over buyer of basses, lol
^These are the main reasons I don't ship anything big and/or expensive.
