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NOBD: Am I being too picky?

What should I do?

  • Nothing, it adds to the character of the bass

    Votes: 82 40.2%

  • Nothing, buy a new tuner and pay for it myself

    Votes: 37 18.1%

  • Get seller to pay for tuner/refund

    Votes: 10 4.9%

  • Nothing, beat myself up for not spotting it in the pictures

    Votes: 40 19.6%

  • Carrots

    Votes: 35 17.2%
  • Total voters
    204
  • Poll closed .
#21
I recently sold a GK amp on here, also as-is. I gave the buyer all the info he wanted, with them knowing that the amp didn't work (said in title and description). There were no problems with the transaction, because aside from what I did know, I didn't know why it wasn't working. The buyer knew this, because I was up-front. So, as-is? Yeah, basically...you buy it, then it's your responsibility for any flaws not mentioned/known.
 
#26
I'm not passing any judgements here. I can understand you wanting to get one of your former basses back in the condition you parted company with it. But I also think that if you're the sort of person who's bothered by even minor cosmetic damage, you may want to think twice about ever buying anything used. Even if you're buying something back.

It's in the nature of used equipment that there's bound to be at least one thing not completely right. Most people who shop for used instruments don't weigh minor cosmetic issues too heavily when buying. And most sellers don't expect their buyers to have issues with it either.

Onward! :thumbsup:
 
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#30
thorstiborsti said:
So 'as-is' frees the seller from any responsibility?
Click to expand...
if they took a picture of it or described it and you didn't look well enough, yes.

I list everything I sell on eBay as "as-is" because I'm just sick of buyers who will find the one angle you didn't photograph, complain about a polish swirl or ding it themselves, and want a huge rebate. Then you have to send in the timestamped 360 degree video you have as proof they're scamming liars, but that takes forever for eBay to review. Then other times its just buyers remorse and they'll claim its damaged, or damage it themselves in some location outside of the photo'd area just so they can (try to) return it free.
I say something like "As-is, instrument will have wear and tear from use" - Im not specifying exactly what happened in each tiny insignificant place, because then I have to spell out every single microscopic thing and not miss a single, and I have to describe it well enough for a person with english as a second language to understand clearly.

As good as my attention to detail is, no one buys an item when your sales pitch is just a detailed laundry list of every possible knick and flaw you can discover. Look at the pictures, thats what it looks like. Its a Used guitar.

you'll even get the buyer saying " I did look and I can't see the damage in the picture" - doesn't matter if its as clear as day, theres a month wait for eBay to have some chick in malaysia who's never even seen a guitar before decide if your photos were good enough or not, awesome sauce - I was selling my gear exactly because I have a month to wait for my money... and the buyers know this...

the plus side is, you can get great deals on perfectly good items listed "as-is" because people are so afraid of finality these days. If you want a return policy, go to guitar center and pay accordingly.

Now if the seller had described the item as mint and the finish is peeling up and the frets are gouged, of course thats a different story.

Please keep in mind, I'm not saying OP is a scammer by any stretch of the imagination. Just trying to put into perspective the reason things are described, or not described, as they are, with photographs.


As already mentioned above, its pretty easy to bend back a bent tuner, especially on a bass. I use a cloth like a sham wow inside the flat-jaw pliers to minimize damage. A padded vice works too.
 
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#34
40Hz said:
I'm not passing any judgements here. I can understand you wanting to get one of your former basses back in the condition you parted company with it. But I also think that if you're the sort of person who's bothered by even minor cosmetic damage, you may want to think twice about ever buying anything used. Even if you're buying something back.

It's in the nature of used equipment that there's bound to be at least one thing not completely right. Most people who shop for used instruments don't weigh minor cosmetic issues too heavily when buying. And most sellers don't expect their buyers to have issues with it either.

Onward! :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

My point isn't the damage itself. It's that it was there when it was listed for sale and not mentioned by the seller. And then he lists it 'as-is' just so in case the buyer wants to come back at him for the bent tuner, he doesn't have to do anything.

Thanks for fueling the fire
 
#36
Honestly, having pitting on those tuners (Hardcore aging), without having any of them bent would look fishy to me. A bass that's had enough life to get some corrosion going is gonna run into something, and the most likely piece of hardware to take the hit would be...the G tuner. Plus, it's barely bent. You got back a bass that got away, and in the meantime it got a little more mojo.

Suggestion: Invent a story about the night that happened. Biker bar, a rough crowd, a bullet barely missing you, and on the way off stage, you fought off a crazy guy, using the bass to ram him out of your way. "If you think the tuner got damaged, you should see the other guy." Best to tell the story after you've had a couple beers....
 
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#38
thorstiborsti said:
My point isn't the damage itself. It's that it was there when it was listed for sale and not mentioned by the seller. And then he lists it 'as-is' just so in case the buyer wants to come back at him for the bent tuner, he doesn't have to do anything.

Thanks for fueling the fire
Click to expand...

I don't see where I'm fueling any fires at all. "As is" is very common whenever selling something used. You'd be kind of crazy not to include it these days with so many people playing games when they buy things.

I don't know many people who describe in meticulous detail every single tiny thing about something they're selling. Besides, your definition of "like new" or "very good" or "shows signs of normal wear and tear" may be very different than mine. So you post a bunch of pictures, give a description that says enough, calls out any major issue such as something (i.e. pickup, electrinics, etc.) that isn't functioning, and tack on "as is" to cover any minor things that may or may not bug somebody, and (most) experienced used buyers are good with that.

To be honest, if you took it to a court or mediator, the most they'd do is have the seller give you $50 or so off IF you could establish the seller was doing something deliberately dishonest. On something as minor as that, they'd most likely tell you to "get real - it's a used bass" and dismiss it out of hand.

And as I said, I'm not passing any judgement here. Everything I ever bought new is close to as mint as it comes no matter how long I've owned it. So I can understand you not being happy since you obviously take as good care of your stuff as I do mine. My point was that "used" is used. And even "like new" isn't the same thing as new.

If that somehow offends you, I guess I'll have to live with that. :)
 
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#40
40Hz said:
I don't see where I'm fueling any fires at all. "As is" is very common whenever selling something used. You'd be kind of crazy not to include it these days with so many people playing games when they buy things.

I don't know many people who describe in meticulous detail every single tiny thing about something they're selling. Besides, your definition of "like new" or "very good" or "shows signs of normal wear and tear" may be very different than mine. So you post a bunch of pictures, give a description that says enough, calls out any major issue such as something (i.e. pickup, electrinics, etc.) that isn't functioning, and tack on "as is" to cover any minor things that may or may not bug somebody, and (most) experienced used buyers are good with that.

To be honest, if you took it to a court or mediator, the most they'd do is have the seller give you $50 or so off IF you could establish the seller was doing something deliberately dishonest. On something as minor as that, they'd most likely tell you to "get real - it's a used bass" and dismiss it out of hand.

And as I said, I'm not passing any judgement here. Everything I ever bought new is close to as mint as it comes no matter how long I've owned it. So I can understand you're not being happy since you obviously take as good care of your stuff as I do mine. My point was that "used" is used. And even "like new" isn't the same thing as new.

If that somehow offends you, I guess I'll have to live with that. :)
Click to expand...
By 'fueling the fire' I meant that I was done with the topic but then got worked up again talking about it. I get everybody's point. Bent tuner is not a minor cosmetic thing for me so maybe that's where our difference lies.
 

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