• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Reverb vs Ebay

angrychair

angrychair

Jan 1, 2010
727
947
Park Hills, Mo
#1
I honestly don't understand how Ebay still gets so much business with all their horror stories, but I guess that could be said for any auction/selling website.

Reverb only takes 3.5% fee
Ebay takes 10%

That's HUGE.

I tried to recommend someone selling a guitar on ebay to list it on reverb, and he said "nah I'll stick with ebay."


Are you dumb or just stupid? With what he had listed it will probably end up being a $50 dollar difference.


End rant.
 
#3
angrychair said:
I honestly don't understand how Ebay still gets so much business with all their horror stories, but I guess that could be said for any auction/selling website...
Click to expand...

I've been an ebay seller ( and buyer) for more then 20 years and don't have a single horror story. It's why i keep using them, i've never had an issue not resolved to my satisfaction.

angrychair said:
...
Reverb only takes 3.5% fee
Ebay takes 10%

That's HUGE.

I tried to recommend someone selling a guitar on ebay to list it on reverb, and he said "nah I'll stick with ebay."


Are you dumb or just stupid? With what he had listed it will probably end up being a $50 dollar difference.


End rant.
Click to expand...
Thing is, i'll more than make up that difference in what i can get on ebay versus what it would bring on reverb.

If i had some nice old music stuff to drop, i'd consider reverb, but for the middle of the road consumer junk i use, ebay will bring me more money.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pilgrim and rufus.K
#5
I've had great luck with Reverb so far. Sold 2 basses within days of listing (one within 24 hours), and their shipping rates are awesome. I'm not sure what their buyer protection/return policies are, but I will NEVER sell another instrument on Ebay due to theirs. A lot of buyers now treat Ebay like a retail store - buy something, decide they don't want it, then send it back on the seller's dime. When Ebay decided to side with the buyers no matter what, I was done.
 
#11
I sold a bass on reverb last year and it went well. I used reverb for the lower fees and also it sounded like their seller protection is more robust than Ebay's. I didn't have to use it so I don't know but I've heard from many different people that as a seller you are screwed 95% of the time if the buyer makes a complaint. I do know for a fact that as a buyer it is VERY easy to engage buyer protection at Ebay. Either way I sold the bass for what I would have asked on Ebay as well and came out with more money so that's good.
 
#12
I sold a couple bass guitars on consignment. The shop sold both on Reverb. That means I don't have any direct knowledge of how it works, but it worked just fine for me indirectly. I have never actually managed to sell anything on eBay, so I don't bother. And, I have bought things on eBay, Reverb and from here. So far, so good. I think 99% of people are honest and reasonable no matter where you find them.
 
#13
I ran a side business a few years back as an eBay vendor. We never had any serious problems and we made some good money, but their policies would've seemed very one-sided had we not been willing to RUN it like a retail store, and give people excellent service. Ebays policy is designed to more closely model real retail businesses, even if it hampers the onesy-twosy yard-sale type seller... we sold hundreds of items per month, and eBay made a lot more on us than they did the guy selling a used VCR or musical instrument.

I would never sell on eBay unless I were either, a) running a business and willing to eat it to maintain my reputation, or b) just selling personal trinkets that I didn't care about losing my ass on (which is all I do now). IMO their policies make those two the only viable scenarios for selling on eBay... I would never sell an expensive, fragile personal item on there.

Buying is a different story, you can't lose...
 
  • Like
Reactions: fhm555 and DigMe

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back