• 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.

Sorry, I am not a delivery service.

#21
I would way rather deliver if they're in town than have strangers coming to my house. Your worried about a disgruntled person asking for a return? You should be way more worried about a disgruntled person knowing where you live. Best yet, public meet up.

Regardless of where the meeting is, I'm armed. I've been lucky so far and not had any sketchy interactions, but I know of folks who haven't been so lucky.
 
  • Like
  • Sad
Reactions: charliethomas, ajkula66, E2942 and 3 others
#22
Before I bought an upright bass I told a coworker that I was going to this guy's rehearsal studio to check it out. 3 or 4 different people chimed in saying they'd be scared to do that. It hadn't crossed my mind to be worried until that moment but yeah, strolling into some stranger's industrial space in LA with hundred dollar bills in my pocket was probably pretty stupid. Turned out to be fine. Conversely, once I bought a pedal from a Craigslist seller named Junior who wanted to meet in a parking lot at night - and I did, but it kinda seemed like he was considering killing me. Maybe that's just how Junior's face appears to guys like me who've never done hard time.
 
  • Haha
  • Sad
Reactions: murphy and E2942
#23
I must be too trusting, but I regularly go to people's houses/apartments to check out gear I'm interested or have them come to my place so they can check out what I'm selling and I have never had an issue. You can usually tell if someone's a nutter by the way they communicate with you beforehand. I might just be setting myself to get murdered or robbed though. I doubt it.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: murphy, 00null00, dmt and 1 other person
#24
murphy said:
I used to always invite people in....Jam on my gear...Have a nice chat.
Same in reverse...

But now , I think the world is a bit different....I still treat people with dignity and respect.
Maybe not coming in my home anymore....or maybe....I don't know
Prob not like we used to.
Click to expand...
Same here. Stuff I post for sale I always specify that first contact is via text only, I don't and won't answer random phone calls. Texting back and forth tends to weed out a least some of the scammers and tire kickers and gives me some idea of what kind of person I'm potentially dealing with. If they can't follow that simple request I ignore/block them. Once I sense that the text conversation is coming from someone who's at least semi-serious and not dangerous-sounding I'll schedule a time to chat via phone call and I call them. Once we've spoken by phone and I can get a sense of what kind of person they are I'll agree to meet at a mutually agreed to location to have them check out and/or purchase my item. Occasionally I'll go to their place if it's not too far, sometimes have them come to my place, but mostly it's a QT under a camera, a cop shop, music store etc. Selling stuff these days is almost more trouble than it's worth, HOWEVER doing it the way I do it I'm yet to have a bad situation occur.
 
  • Love
  • Like
Reactions: Relsom and murphy
#26
If there's a local music shop, music school or venue that you do business with, ask if they would mind you using their place as a meeting site. I've done this a couple of times and it works great since they usually have amps, outlets, etc. if needed. Of course always ask first and let them know when you're planning on being there. I wouldn't do it more than a couple of times a year, but it will depend on your relationship with the business.
 
#28
waynobass said:
:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

Right, not like the good old days when human skin could deflect blades and bullets.
Click to expand...
I'd say it was easier to literally get away with murder back before we all carried tracking devices and were on camera everywhere. And carried federal photo ID. When I was a kid my dad's NY State driver's license was this unlaminated typewritten paper card with no photo.
 
  • Like
  • Wow
Reactions: waynobass, murphy and mcnach
#29
Memphis Soul said:
I don't like going to people's houses to buy or have them coming to mine. I like to meet at a local public place. It's too easy to be robbed and murdered nowadays. If I'm selling anything they can't come back to me anyway because they don't know where I live. If buying something I just have to trust the people when they say it works. I bought one of the best basses I ever owned this way.
Click to expand...
I have lived in major metropolitan areas for the near quester century I've used cl and have never felt threatened or in danger whether having them come buy my stuff or going out to buy theirs. I'm happy to meet at a cafe or even the cop's but that's only at their request. I've had literally hundreds of interactions. The worse I've experienced was annoyance.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: murphy, mcnach and Wyrdlow
#30
PennyroyalWe said:
I would way rather deliver if they're in town than have strangers coming to my house. Your worried about a disgruntled person asking for a return? You should be way more worried about a disgruntled person knowing where you live. Best yet, public meet up.

Regardless of where the meeting is, I'm armed. I've been lucky so far and not had any sketchy interactions, but I know of folks who haven't been so lucky.
Click to expand...
Wow dude you must live in some mean place. I've never owned a gun or thought I might need one. I've used cl to buy and sell in Oakland, Nashville, Chicago, Calgary & LA. I do communicate before hand and have shined off a few people I thought sounded weird but nearly everyone I meet has been very cool and we have a nice time in the transaction.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 00null00, crobasster, mcnach and 2 others
#32
I sell things on Nashville CL from time to time.

First, they are NOT coming to my house

Second, I am NOT going to their house

In either case, I could be walking into trouble in this crazy world. Not doing it.

I always meet them in a very public place in the daytime, and if something's pings my sonar talking to them, I tell them to meet me in the parking lot across the street from my local police precinct: I find their answer tells me everything I needed to know.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dust2Dust, monsterthompson, EdO. and 1 other person
#33
The only problem I've had was meeting a guy at a public parking lot to pick up a free rack. I'm pretty sure he was carrying. I don't mind paranoia, but I don't want two to the chest because somebody's car backfired. The other issue I had with Craigslist was when I was looking for a gym partner to keep me honest and actually go to the gym. This was before I knew that I shouldn't do that on Craigslist. Well, after some back and forth pleasantries he suggests we should try the sauna after we work out. Ugh.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: steamthief
#35
MultiScaleMale said:
The other issue I had with Craigslist was when I was looking for a gym partner to keep me honest and actually go to the gym. This was before I knew that I shouldn't do that on Craigslist. Well, after some back and forth pleasantries he suggests we should try the sauna after we work out. Ugh.
Click to expand...
so, how was the sauna? ;)

People are people. Weirder people gravitate to bigger cities, so as not to stand out so much. Or to find other like-minded weird people. Which I guess makes them not so weird.

Deliver an item for sale? Common wisdom is no -- buyer can then renege, and you've made effort for nothing. But I have delivered sometimes -- for older people in less-populated areas -- with no trouble. I even recently accepted a return on a pedal -- even though the buyer had tried it first. Of course, I wasn't ever going to sell him anything again ... but then he paid me $20 for my trouble. Well gee. People ain't necessarily all bad.

So it's all on individual basis. Do what you feel comfortable doing; make exceptions if you feel like doing so. There's money, and there's relationships with people, and you may favor one over the other, or not -- and maybe not to the same degree today as yesterday. We're not running a business; gear sales are just turnover for other gear.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dmt
#37
I'm case-by-case on this. I don't deliver unless I'm super motivated to sell, and/or they live close by. Actually, come to think of it, I don't think I've ever done this. General rule is: buyer comes to location designated by seller.

And I generally avoid giving buyers my home address, but I have done so in cases where I've spoken with people on the phone without a Spidey sense tingle.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dmt
#38
9d83cq2uj7051.png


smurfco said:
I might just be setting myself to get murdered
Click to expand...
It only takes one time.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
  • Wow
Reactions: bulldean, Bass Viking, Naturekev and 7 others

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back