Why do some sellers blackout serial number?

[DJWhitJr]

I just had a conversation with someone about this and neither of us knew. I searched "serial numbers" and didn't see the answer so curiosity has the best of me. I never blackout or partially mask the serial number when posting pics of an instrument I'm selling. Why do some do some do some do this and should I be doing the same?

I always ask for the serial number so I can verify the instruments age before I make an offer so I don't understand the point.

 

[staccatogrowl]

According to TalkBass lore: Scammer sees bass listing with serial number posted. Files false police report for "stolen" bass with said serial number and other listed attributes. Makes subsequent claim that seller has listed "stolen" bass for sale. Requests return of "stolen" bass, with other repercussions befalling "thief" seller.

Anecdotes/rebuffs likely to follow.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

According to TalkBass lore: Scammer sees bass listing with serial number posted. Files false police report for "stolen" bass with said serial number and other listed attributes. Makes subsequent claim that seller has listed "stolen" bass for sale. Requests return of "stolen" bass, with other repercussions befalling "thief" seller.

Anecdotes/rebuffs likely to follow.

Had never thought of this angle. I guess if you originally bought the guitar used you might not have the paper trail necessary to legally fight their claim.

 

[gln1955]

According to TalkBass lore: Scammer sees bass listing with serial number posted. Files false police report for "stolen" bass with said serial number and other listed attributes. Makes subsequent claim that seller has listed "stolen" bass for sale. Requests return of "stolen" bass, with other repercussions befalling "thief" seller.

Anecdotes/rebuffs likely to follow.

Has that ever happened? Are police that naive to fall for the scammers claim?

 

[awakefie]

Not sure of that myself.

Some reasons I have heard of:

An unscrupulous person file a police report on a serial # and then claim you stole it?

• I think this would be highly unlikely as a thief would have to go through a huge hassle to get police to retrieve it.

An unscrupulous person wants to file a fake insurance claim and the insurance company requires pictures and serial #s?

• Not sure on this one. I've never attempted insurance fraud so I don't know how it works.

Farming valid high end serial numbers to fake waterslides and slap it on a cheap copy?

• I read a lot on TB about fakes, seems plausible that some jack-wagon would try to pass off a fake with a well applied waterslide logo. Putting a MIA Jazz serial # on a $100 Jazz copy and asking $1,000 for it might work I guess, if the buyer is not versed in the product they are buying.

On CL or Facebook Marketplace I list a photo with a partial (enough to verify the instrument - i.e. I would show a photo so they can see it starts with MX10 on a 2010 MIM and maybe blur out the last 3) and point the buyer to the website the manufacturer puts up to verify (for example, Invalid Link Removed . If they purchase I include the original purchase receipt if I have it.

NOTE: If someone on TB messages me for a serial # I'd probably provide it because we all know TB'ers are not evil.

People are always suspicious of sellers (and rightfully so) but I think always be suspicious of buyers as well.

If people say I'm paranoid and don't want to buy because 3 numbers are blurred out, so be it.

 

[DJWhitJr]

According to TalkBass lore: Scammer sees bass listing with serial number posted. Files false police report for "stolen" bass with said serial number and other listed attributes. Makes subsequent claim that seller has listed "stolen" bass for sale. Requests return of "stolen" bass, with other repercussions befalling "thief" seller.

Anecdotes/rebuffs likely to follow.

That crossed my mind but always went back to thinking the scammer would need proof they originally owned it. E.g. a receipt. Otherwise it's thier word against mine and possession is 9/10ths of the law etc. LOL

 

[Spidey2112]

Federal Witness Protection Program.

 

[awakefie]

Federal Witness Protection Program.

Great! Now I have to move again. Thanks a lot.

 

[bearhart74]

Another thing is bots or people that scrape sites looking for images that someone can use to post somewhere else for sale..

 

[skygzr]

I always blur serial numbers even though I've never heard of that scam actually happening. As long as I'm already in Photoshop taking out all the dings and scratches.....

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I recently posted photos of my NEW bass including the serial-number, but i have a clear bill-of-sale from the seller.
The local pawnshop once told me I could take photos of instruments, but no serial-numbers, because of the exact problem mentioned above. Apparently it was a PITA for them to prove the instrument hadn't been stolen.
Well, it's next to impossible, & I think they actually had to relinquish the instrument to the police!
Pawnshops around here take photos of the sellers & report serial-numbers to the police.

 

[awakefie]

I recently posted photos of my NEW bass including the serial-number, but i have a clear bill-of-sale from the seller.
The local pawnshop once told me I could take photos of instruments, but no serial-numbers, because of the exact problem mentioned above. Apparently it was a PITA for them to prove the instrument hadn't been stolen.
Well, it's next to impossible, & I think they actually had to relinquish the instrument to the police!
Pawnshops around here take photos of the sellers & report serial-numbers to the police.

What a coincidence! I was just surfing around about this and found your 2018 post on thegearpage.net about the pawn shop. If anyone would know the ins and outs I would think it is a pawn shop guy.

 

[coyote1]

If I am selling three sunburst Jazz basses on eBay, I cannot show a serial number. Else a buyer might get one that is not what was in the pic, want the sunburst one that WAS in the pic, point to the serial# that was in the pic, and say YOU DIDNT SEND ME THE ITEM IN THE PIC IM CALLING THE EBAY POLICE.

So you delete the serial#.

 

[birminghambass]

TB logic: I'm going through ebay right now looking for serial #s. I'll make a list and then call my local police to claim that these basses are all in fact mine. Then I'll just sit back and wait for all of my new basses to arrive!

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Not sure of that myself.

Some reasons I have heard of:

An unscrupulous person file a police report on a serial # and then claim you stole it?

• I think this would be highly unlikely as a thief would have to go through a huge hassle to get police to retrieve it.

An unscrupulous person wants to file a fake insurance claim and the insurance company requires pictures and serial #s?

• Not sure on this one. I've never attempted insurance fraud so I don't know how it works.

Farming valid high end serial numbers to fake waterslides and slap it on a cheap copy?

• I read a lot on TB about fakes, seems plausible that some jack-wagon would try to pass off a fake with a well applied waterslide logo. Putting a MIA Jazz serial # on a $100 Jazz copy and asking $1,000 for it might work I guess, if the buyer is not versed in the product they are buying.

On CL or Facebook Marketplace I list a photo with a partial (enough to verify the instrument - i.e. I would show a photo so they can see it starts with MX10 on a 2010 MIM and maybe blur out the last 3) and point the buyer to the website the manufacturer puts up to verify (for example, Invalid Link Removed . If they purchase I include the original purchase receipt if I have it.

NOTE: If someone on TB messages me for a serial # I'd probably provide it because we all know TB'ers are not evil.

People are always suspicious of sellers (and rightfully so) but I think always be suspicious of buyers as well.

If people say I'm paranoid and don't want to buy because 3 numbers are blurred out, so be it.

The waterslides....

I recently bought a Dick Dale signature waterslide for a tribute instrument (I put it next to a decal of him...under the pickguard). In buying this item, I saw the sellers other items...."custom" serial numbers. Gross.

 

[DJWhitJr]

So I guess there is no way to delete a previous pic in a post of serial number? I went back to one of my posts and don't see how to remove it.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

So I guess there is no way to delete a previous pic in a post of serial number? I went back to one of my posts and don't see how to remove it.

The risk is small and I have yet to hear of an actual real-life example, but see if you can still edit the post. Then use the Backspace key to delete the pic just like it was text.

 

[Claymore]

If someone claimed they were selling a vintage instrument from a particular year, how is the buyer supposed to confirm that without seeing the serial number? (unless the seller posts pics of dated pots or neck)

 

[DJWhitJr]

The risk is small and I have yet to hear of an actual real-life example, but see if you can still edit the post. Then use the Backspace key to delete the pic just like it was text.

It won't let me edit the original post so I reported it asking a moderator to see if they can delete the pic. I agree the risk is small.

 

[Basslice]

I would think that if it had actually happened to any of the thousands of TB users in the last 10 years, we would have heard a full accounting of the story. I have read all the same reasons, but never actually heard of it happening. I have a lot of things on my plate to worry about. This is not one of them.