Neg Feedback Deserving Behavior

[mikecd1]

Perhaps the bidding started too soon and the questions too late. The bit about taking your bid back is silly because all the seller had to do was reject the bids. Out of all the questions the one question I would need is the weight. Big difference between a boat anchor and a lightweight bass. I had an ebay seller give a weight then when I got the bass and it was off by a 1.5 lbs and when I asked for a refund he said he saw that weight online somewhere and then got testy. I applaud the idea of getting info first, but not bidding until you're satisfied you have the info you need to make a decision. No sale=no feedback just all our steam over here.

 

[mcnach]

But you have to ask more questions when it's a PITA or impossible to do a return. Maybe the question on action was a little much, but the others seemed very reasonable to me for a custom build where there are no standard specs.

I don't think this thread would have existed if it weren't for the *manner* the OP responded to the seller.

The number or nature of the questions are just decorations on the main issue. We had a seller who was a bit lazy in his response. Maybe he was in a hurry, maybe he could not be bothered, maybe he didn't really know. The question about the setup is a bit funny to me, but again nothing offensive and if I got asked that, I would still answer. I always answer and stay polite until they give me a reason not to.

The OP could have countered in a nice way and see if he could still get the answers he didn't. He instead pretty much suggested the seller was a fraudster. Yeah, that's the end of the conversation for me, if I'm the seller. I would not have replied calling the OP any names, but I'd have stopped messaging.

Manners matter.

 

[ole Jason]

"The Questions Guy" is one of the more annoying people you'll encounter when selling gear. Always wanting to know a bunch of really specific details about the item that I may or may not know. While some people may think it's reasonable to ask a bunch of questions I just automatically assume the guy is going to look for a reason to do a return.

I'm not a jerk about it but I usually politely ask them to not bid if I don't know the answer to all their questions or don't have the time to put into finding out the answers.

 

[Gringo Basso]

I've read 6 pages of comments about a transaction that never took place?
My 2 cents:

 

[projectapollo]

I deduct seller style points for lack of use of capitalization and punctuation and spelling. I prefer to deal with people that communicate in sentences. That said, no deal occurred, so no feedback.

 

[mcnach]

When a buyer starts asking a ton of questions like low action, that's subjective and I tend to shy away from them because that would be the kind of thing where a buyer files a claim and wants a partial refund. I don't know their setup skills or their playing style.

+1

 

[mcnach]

Lmao so this guy has a bass and knows no info then gets upset when you ask the reasonable question or do you have it?
The guy is clearly a jackass.

He didn't get upset when he was asked a reasonable question. He got upset when the OP suggested the seller didn't really have the bass he was selling, in other words, suggested he was a fraudster.

Yes, it was not a terrible insult the way it was phrased, and when talking in person you could probably get away with it. But it was not a great thing to say. The OP forced what came next.

 

[thetragichero]

that's a great price i wish i had money to blow on another bass
the body or neck alone could cost about that much (i spent about 500 each for unfinished body and neck for my #1 strat from warmoth but i'm also picky)

 

[Cave Puppy]

Caveat Emptor - I bought a "new" Hagstrom HB8 off Reverb last year. The thing was such a POS (the truss rod had broken inside the neck plus other issues). Once I contacted the seller (we had many conversations over the phone) he told me all he does is flip instruments, and told me that there are LOTS of folks who do that for a living on Reverb as well. I was asked to take it to an authorized repair center, in this case was GC. They diagnosed correctly the broken truss rod. The seller would've given me a huge discount but who wants a bass with a broken truss rod? The seller reluctantly took back the bass with a full refund then tried to sell me a warwick that would've been dropped shipped as the Hagstrom was (wasn't interested at all). What I'm trying to say is, as others here have noted, is the seller may not always have physical possession of an instrument they are trying to sell. They are often instrument brokers. For this reason I will not ever again buy a used instrument that I can't touch or buy anything of value from Reverb or eeeb. The seller should not have called you an ass, though.

 

[kev451]

He didn't get upset when he was asked a reasonable question. He got upset when the OP suggested the seller didn't really have the bass he was selling, in other words, suggested he was a fraudster.

Yes, it was not a terrible insult the way it was phrased, and when talking in person you could probably get away with it. But it was not a great thing to say. The OP forced what came next.

he never called the guy a fraud. And calling him an ass is just stupid.
Asking if you have the bass is a legit question. If I ask those questions and get that response, I’d ask also. Those aren’t hard questions to answer. As a seller you are the one petitioning money for a product. You should be able to answer some basic questions. I’ve sold quite a few basses. And have always strived to give all info about the basses. And if I didn’t have the info have asked for time to get it. That is the sellers responsibility.

 

[LBS-bass]

he never called the guy a fraud. And calling him an ass is just stupid.
Asking if you have the bass is a legit question.

Yes, that's calling him a fraud. You need to have a pretty good reason for suggesting someone is lying to you about whether they have something they're selling. I don't see any real reason to jump to that conclusion. What the OP actually said, in so many words, was this:

"I don't believe you're an honest seller, and also, I'm the kind of buyer who is going to call your integrity as well as every little detail into question and be difficult to impossible to deal with. Just letting you know up front."

Which is certainly his right, but at that point it's also certainly the seller's right to decide this isn't someone she wants to deal with.

 

[kev451]

Yes, that's calling him a fraud. You need to have a pretty good reason for suggesting someone is lying to you about whether they have something they're selling. I don't see any real reason to jump to that conclusion. What the OP actually said, in so many words, was this:

"I don't believe you're an honest seller, and also, I'm the kind of buyer who is going to call your integrity as well as every little detail into question and be difficult to impossible to deal with. Just letting you know up front."

Which is certainly his right, but at that point it's also certainly the seller's right to decide this isn't someone she wants to deal with.

Asking someone if they have an item isn’t calling them a fraud....calling someone a fraud is calling them a fraud. Maybe I’m just direct with my wording. I dont beat around the bush so to speak. That’s why to me asking the question is that and that only. The seller could have just as easily asked if the buyer was calling him a fraud it works both ways...

 

[gln1955]

Asking someone if they have an item isn’t calling them a fraud....calling someone a fraud is calling them a fraud. Maybe I’m just direct with my wording. I dont beat around the bush so to speak. That’s why to me asking the question is that and that only. The seller could have just as easily asked if the buyer was calling him a fraud it works both ways...

What do you think the OP was implying with that question?

 

[Skyl3r]

Yes, that's calling him a fraud. You need to have a pretty good reason for suggesting someone is lying to you about whether they have something they're selling. I don't see any real reason to jump to that conclusion.

Among the OP's questions was if the bass has any mechanical or electrical issues. This seems like a question that someone who has the instrument in hand would be able to answer. The seller said they are unable to answer that. Now, my presumption would be that the seller just didn't really take their time to read through the questions given that item appears to already be getting interest.

There's a logical razor I love called Hanlon's razor which states:
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity

I don't think OP's reaction scaled with the seller's response, but I can see how the OP (whether justified or not) arrived at that conclusion.

 

[Charlzm]

The seller's grasp of spelling and grammar is so poor that I doubt he has any advanced knowledge of anything. Move along, no deal to be made.

 

[LBS-bass]

Among the OP's questions was if the bass has any mechanical or electrical issues. This seems like a question that someone who has the instrument in hand would be able to answer. The seller said they are unable to answer that. Now, my presumption would be that the seller just didn't really take their time to read through the questions given that item appears to already be getting interest.

There's a logical razor I love called Hanlon's razor which states:
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity

I don't think OP's reaction scaled with the seller's response, but I can see how the OP (whether justified or not) arrived at that conclusion.

Yeah, we've been through that already. Not all the questions were technical. He had every right to ask them. What he doesn't have a right to do is assume that the seller is being dishonest when the seller says they don't know all the answers.

Frankly, I'm not wasting my time writing a long response to someone who is just beginning to express interest in what I'm selling when there are questions coming in in from that person that I don't know how to respond to. Especially not going to that trouble when I already have interest from other potential buyers who are more knowledgeable about the item I'm selling.

The fact that the seller didn't answer some of the questions doesn't mean anything beyond: Let's start here, I'm going to send you to this link to see if you can get your technical questions answered and if that works out for you I'm sure we'll talk more. If that satisfies you, I'll weigh it and answer your other questions, too.

 

[catcauphonic]

Asking someone if they have an item isn’t calling them a fraud....calling someone a fraud is calling them a fraud. Maybe I’m just direct with my wording. I dont beat around the bush so to speak. That’s why to me asking the question is that and that only. The seller could have just as easily asked if the buyer was calling him a fraud it works both ways...

Word. It's fairly common knowledge that occasionally sellers DON'T have the item, but may be selling something that's in their local pawn shop and tacking on a few bucks.

"Do you have the bass?" is legit. As a seller, I would have answered the questions I could have or explained I was not a bassist, selling it for a friend, etc

I think it's more a case of the written word being misunderstood, especially if you don't know the person.

And yea, feedback leaving here is moot.

 

[kev451]

What do you think the OP was implying with that question?

“do you have the instrument” I mean he did ask the question. How was he to know if the guy had the bass or was selling it for someone else. Furthermore if you are buying used it’s just good practice to get as much info upfront as possible as you don’t want to spend more money just fixing things the seller didn’t disclose. You already spent money on the bass itself and now have to spend more money for things which weren’t disclosed upfront ? Come on now...

 

[LBS-bass]

Word. It's fairly common knowledge that occasionally sellers DON'T have the item, but may be selling something that's in their local pawn shop and tacking on a few bucks.

"Do you have the bass?" is legit. As a seller, I would have answered the questions I could have or explained I was not a bassist, selling it for a friend, etc

I think it's more a case of the written word being misunderstood, especially if you don't know the person.

And yea, feedback leaving here is moot.

You may be correct, but as a seller my first instinct would be to assume the buyer is calling me out for being dishonest and implying that I am trying to sell something that doesn't exist. The way it was asked (do you even have it?) sort of assumes that the seller really should have the bass in their possession.

I guess the main thing there is that we should think about how these things come across. The OP could have asked if the seller is selling it for someone else, for example, and then asked the seller to follow up with that person.

 

[Cave Puppy]

Word. It's fairly common knowledge that occasionally sellers DON'T have the item, but may be selling something that's in their local pawn shop and tacking on a few bucks.

I wish I had known this when I got my Hagstrom (see my earlier post). I was under the incorrect assumption that instruments sold on Reverb were either from B&M stores or private individuals (I know we're talking eeeb here). The guy from which I got my POS Hagstrom was/is strictly a broker. He never even sees or touches any of the instruments he sells. He just drops ship them to the buyer once sold.