Warning about Reverb.com re:pedals

[j0616bass]

My wife's store uses Reverb to sell, but they use it mostly for vintage gear that they have trouble selling locally.

 

[Adamixoye]

Edit: I will also dd, the fact that the online stores flood Reverb is also annoying. I like to view new listings, but 90 percent it seems is stores listing almost their entire inventory. I'm not sure how Reverb could address this, maybe have stores have their own section or something. Sometimes it's good to browse when I can't find anything used, but trying to filter that stuff out is tedious.

Reverb has zero incentive to do this because they get a cut of those sales. You can filter down to just used pedals---doesn't that mostly solve your issue?

 

[hintz]

Never delt with reverb. I always find better deals elsewhere. But thanks for heads up for future purchases. My biggest issue lately has been selling gear actually. I've had several times selling on eBay where the buyer doesn't pay for like a week and then they finally respond with they don't have the money or they changed their mind. I guess evays been on the decline and people just don't care anymore. But it's really frustrating. If you don't have the loot, or aren't sure you want it you shouldn't bid on it,

The last sale I did on eBay the buyer took 4 days to pay, I sent 3 messages to remind them to finalize payment...They did pay but it was truly annoying and I'm done selling anything there, its just not worth it with shipping/sellers fees.

 

[JFOC]

I had this exact same issue when ordering a fairfield barbershop. Said it was available & in stock, turns out it was backordered...

 

[Adamixoye]

I've had a few annoyances on Reverb but ultimately it's been my favorite place to sell over the last two years. It's been far less hassle than Craigslist and the fees, while not great, are much cheaper than eBay. Also I've gotten good prices on what I've sold. More than once I have listed something at a higher price so there was wiggle room for offers and people just bought it outright. Overall, I've never had a serious problem as a seller---the worst is that people take a little bit of time to pay, or don't respond to a counteroffer. But I've never had anyone back out of a deal, etc. So as a seller I would say it's not perfect but no place is. I honestly prefer it to every other place I've sold (TB is the closest).

As a buyer I've had a few more issues but nothing that would keep me from trying again. The worst issue I had was that I paid for an item straight up (the item was not accepting offers) and the guy never responded. When I started filing an issue with Reverb we found out that he was in the hospital and his wife refunded my money. Another time a small company shop never responded to my offer, because they basically abandoned the shop. But when I contacted them directly they gave me a discount that was better than my offer that they had ignored.

 

[TerribleLiar23]

I've had the exact same experiences on reverb as I have had here and on ebay, which is to say no major problems.

 

[iriegnome]

I just finished a purchase from a large retail store on Reverb. But, yes, I did contact them to confirm the listing. The price was low. Shipping was stupid low. Sure enough, the listing was wrong, wrong information, wrong picture. However, since I didn't care that it was a model different and a different color (price was key) they honored the price and I just received my item yesterday. Got to plug it in to make sure we are working, but all turned out well. Never hurts to make a phone call though

 

[Kmonk]

I don't blame Reverb, ebay or Craigslist the problems people often have with sellers. Unfortunately, there are dishonest people everywhere and there is no way for these sites to know if the ads are legitimate or not. I think the vast majority of people who post are honest. I have been buying and selling for years and have only had 2 problems. Both of which were resolved.

 

[The_Janitor]

Send an email to Reverb's customer service department, they don't want sellers posting items that aren't in stock so they'd want to hear about your experiences.

 

[bongomania]

I'd counter that Reverb wants as much content on their site as possible, to increase traffic and user "stickiness", and the question of whether the traffic comes from items not in stock is not their concern.

 

[itsalljustaride]

If you don't have the loot, or aren't sure you want it you shouldn't bid on it,

I mean, that would be logical, which is why it is completely unreasonable for you to think that should happen

 

[itsalljustaride]

The last sale I did on eBay the buyer took 4 days to pay, I sent 3 messages to remind them to finalize payment...They did pay but it was truly annoying and I'm done selling anything there, its just not worth it with shipping/sellers fees.

I haven't sold anything on eBay in ages. It's just not worth the trouble and loss in profit from their cut.

 

[petrus61]

I had this exact same issue when ordering a fairfield barbershop. Said it was available & in stock, turns out it was backordered...

So glad the TB seller stepped up with one at the last minute before I pulled the trigger on one last night! Got a better price too!

 

[joker820]

I think it has more to do with the seller than the actual site. Like many have said, some are good some are bad. My guitarist friend and I are new to reverb and really like the idea as a whole. That being said he did have one seller (individual not a store) back out of a deal on a pedal. He's 2/3 and I'm 2/2 so not too bad all things considered. If you're looking for pedals, Chicago Music Exchange seems to have a great selection of New, Open Box, & Used pedals. Not affiliated with them, just an observation

 

[The_Janitor]

I'd counter that Reverb wants as much content on their site as possible, to increase traffic and user "stickiness", and the question of whether the traffic comes from items not in stock is not their concern.

This is the opposite of what they told me themselves, in person, face-to-face, but obviously you know better.

 

[electracoyote]

Good heads-up on Reverb in general.

Often, sellers on Reverb are simultaneously listing the item on eBay and other outlets. Before you pass up another item for one on Reverb, contact the Reverb seller to be sure they actually have the item.

 

[ThuzzleFump]

Caveat bassor.

 

[AltGrendel]

Most likely you are dealing with other humans and we are a clever and devious lot. Buyers should always beware, no matter where they purchase from.

 

[Mosfed]

Just a quick heads up to those of you who use Reverb.com that you should really make sure you contact the seller before you buy something to make sure they actually have it. Twice so far I have had to deal with this issue.

The first time was with an unnamed store (unnamed because they eventually did right by me) who did not have the pedal in stock and made me wait weeks while they tried to rustle one up from the manufacturer. Since this was a discontinued pedal, I was shocked that they did get one from the company, but it took a while.

Just yesterday I found a great deal on an old BOss BF-2 from Rogue music in NYC. I made sure to email first to make sure the pedal was actually in stock and lo and behold it wasn't. This time, however, I was glad I contacted the store first.

I don't know who is responsible for these things, the seller or Reverb.com, but this is just a simple warning that you should verify stock levels before purchase.

I don't know if the problem is reverb per say, but they should clamp down on this.

Rogue is known for that poopie. You look at their site and they look like they have a million pedals and then...nope...

 

[bongomania]

This is the opposite of what they told me themselves, in person, face-to-face, but obviously you know better.

Check your attitude. My comment was based on knowledge of how many other web businesses operate.