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Receiving a Bass heavier than advertised

#82
timmus said:
I'm confused...weight as stated is 9.4 lbs...your scale says 9.14.47 lbs. What is your scale actually telling us? 9.14lbs 14oz? If that's the case, the bass is lighter than what was advertised. Maybe it's reading weight in decimal numbers which would still be under 10 pounds (9.1445 pounds). Also, having worked in a cal lab for a few months (even doing scales), most calibrated scales outside of a temp/humidity controlled lab are still by off +/- 5% (8.5 > 9.6lbs)
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Pocket Dave

Post in thread 'Receiving a Bass heavier than advertised'

Digital postal scales measure pounds, ounces and hundredths of an ounce.

So, 9 pounds, 14 ounces and 47 hundredths of an ounce is about an ounce and a half under 10 pounds.

OTOH, fractional definitions are commonly used to express weight in pounds with one decimal point. 9.4 pounds = 9 4/10 pounds.

Yeah, it’s confusing. Best to confirm with the seller up front.

Is it false advertising? Who knows. Is it posted in error? Yes. Return it? Depends. What’s your level of discomfort? It’s an 8.07-ounce increase over what’s advertised.
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#86
Ol Sparky said:
I still think Basses should be weighed on the lower strap pin while holding it vertically instead of lying horizontal on a postal scale.
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It's certainly a lot easier to just lay it down. Or were you expecting a different result in weight?

IMG_3717.webpIMG_3715.webp
 
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#87
Ol Sparky said:
I still think Basses should be weighed on the lower strap pin while holding it vertically instead of lying horizontal on a postal scale.
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Much easier to skew the measurement if you are holding it up though. If the bass is balanced sitting of its own accord (ie not touching anything else but the scale) on an adequately large scale than the weight should be as accurate as the scale is capable of.
 
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#89
I think the big factor here is, can you pay this bass comfortably without shoulder pain? If you like the bass then maybe try a 4" soft leather strap. You can get them from GC. I had a similar experience where they did post a photo of the bass weighing 8.5 lbs and when I got it I knew right away that it was more like 9.5 lbs. Sweetwater showed the same model weighing in at around 9.4-10lbs. I loved the bass but at 75 it was too heavy for me and I had to send it back.:crying:
 
#92
crazycloud said:
If the seller didn't post a pic of it on a scale, then there was no misrepresentation. You should have asked for it to be weighed, and if the seller didn't or wouldn't, you should have walked away, or suck it up since you bought it. If I was the seller and you returned it because of your assumption, then I'd refuse and be really peeved, but in much more direct and less polite language.

Personally I weigh all I sell, with a pic just so no one can return because of this.
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What are you talking about? He said that they posted it at 9.4.
 
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#96
This thread reads like the tower of Babel. lol
The OP was asking how others handle a discrepancy and his was in the neighborhood of 1/2 pound weight difference(in the end). That's not nothing and if it bothers him he should IMO at least speak up even if he's not asking for a refund. If it is a deal breaker, ask for a refund, if no big deal suck it up or if it bothers him perhaps ask for a discount? Since we haven't seen the actual ad we don't know if the seller accepts returns anyway and then there's the whole innacurate or misrepresented or half-assed weight situation we've dragged on about. It sounds like the OP is bothered so depending how much he's irritated those are the three options I see depending on the wording of the ad and whatever the stated terms are. Since Reverb was sold (last year?) they seem really slow in the customer service area and I worked my problem out with the seller after ten days while still waiting form them to do something. He saw something so why not at least say something? At the very least it might help the seller do a better job next time and he might offer to do something to help make it right.
 
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#99
Mister Magic said:
9.4lb = 9lb 6.4oz.

9lb 14.47oz - 9lb 6.4oz.

8.07oz difference.

If someone is listing the weight of anything as x.4lb, I would expect that to be accurate. You start putting in decimals on the weight of an instrument and that implies accuracy.

If you are weight-sensitive, a half pound is a significant amount of weight. Plenty of people spend a lot of time and $$$ to drop 8oz from a bass. I'd have no problem returning that unless it was described as an approximate weight.

I always make sure to list weights in my ads as both. So, 8.5lb (8lb 8oz) to eliminate any confusion. I also ask for weight clarifications from sellers if they do not list the weight both ways, which they usually do not.
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Exactly. It’s not that hard.
 
#100
Mister Magic said:
9.4lb = 9lb 6.4oz.

9lb 14.47oz - 9lb 6.4oz.

8.07oz difference.

If someone is listing the weight of anything as x.4lb, I would expect that to be accurate. You start putting in decimals on the weight of an instrument and that implies accuracy.

If you are weight-sensitive, a half pound is a significant amount of weight. Plenty of people spend a lot of time and $$$ to drop 8oz from a bass. I'd have no problem returning that unless it was described as an approximate weight.

I always make sure to list weights in my ads as both. So, 8.5lb (8lb 8oz) to eliminate any confusion. I also ask for weight clarifications from sellers if they do not list the weight both ways, which they usually do not.
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100% agree, with all of it.

I'll be that guy and say the quiet part out loud. Sellers frequently lie about bass weights, knowing that the heavier stuff is harder to sell.

Anyone who's concerned about accurate weights**, and has bought enough basses online from private parties over the long run, will have noticed that when the stated weights turn ot to not be accurate, they are virtually never lighter than the weight that was stated.

** When TB posters try to demean other players for their weight concerns, what they're really saying is "you don't know what you're talking about". Which is dumb as F because seasoned players have refined their preferences over a long time through trial and error, including their prefered weight ranges. (not that there's anything wrong with being dumb as F)
 
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