Why I'm quitting Reverb.com...Jeremy the Guitar Hunter
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ธ.ค. 2024
- Over the last few months I've had several hard exchanges with buyers from Reverb.com.
I'm taking a break from the platform because the quality of buyers has dropped off steeply in the last few months.
I love Reverb and stand behind them and their platform. My tension is with buyers.
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Jeremy the Guitar Hunter’s Picks:
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Blue Tortex 1mm Picks
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D’Addario Nickel Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings, Light
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One Spot Power Adapter
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One Spot 8-pedal Daisy Chain
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LR Baggs Venue DI
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Bose L1 Compact
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Must-Have Guitar Toolkit:
Dunlop String Winder
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Wirecutters for cutting Strings
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Snark Tuner
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Paige Guitar Capo
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EBL 4 Bay 9V Lithium ion Battery Charger with 4 Packs Rechargeable Batteries
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Maybe Reverb should require people to read the description before hitting purchase and checking a box to say that they agree to purchasing the item in the condition it is listed in.
I like this idea. I deserves to be suggested to REVERB,.COM.
D R technically when listing there is the option that says “sold as-is no returns”.
Yet here we are I guess. Luckily I’ve not had this issue buying or selling.
@@jackelliott3608 That is just for looks lol, the buyer is always right and the seller always loses any dispute
Reverb could do that but PP is the problem with that..they will rule on the buyers side every time and they don't give 2 shits about anything "signed" or “sold as-is no returns”on Reverb..been thru this same situation a couple of times on ebay..
The problem I can see/theorise with this is that buyers can and will still be complete idiots with this. they'll sign/tick the box anyway, receive the guitar and find something they believe they weren't told and then will complain like hell to reverb about it. If reverb dig their heels in and stand with the buyer you know what that will result in?
Tons of negative reviews, screeching idiots giving 1 stars and complaining that reverb are crooks who try to steal money from people and facilitate liars.
We know this isn't the case, but people who have never used reverb before and are on the fence will see that and think twice. In the end, it's much more likely to hurt reverb than help them.
People just need to stop being fucking idiots, but we all know that ain't happening.
The buying of guitars with the sole intent of flipping them is a huge part of the damn problem in the first place. I buy a pedal, amp or guitar, it stays with me until I'm dead or it craps the bed. I'm a musician, not a flea market.
Amen Satchmo, I am a musician and guitar player, not a marketer.
I think this is part of the problem too, Satchmo Dog. Too many people on Reverb are flipping guitars, they are not real musicians. Reverb has gotten too much into flipping and the true musicians who sell their equipment because they don't play anymore or are looking for something else to try. 400 guitars, you're a flipper, not a musician. I've sold eight guitars that I've had the better part of 15 or 20 years and just don't play anymore, but never intended to score a guitar from an unknowing individual and resell it for a huge profit because the owner didn't know what they had.
Horse shit. I've gone through tons of equipment looking for the perfect (for me) wah, or delay, or guitar, or whatever. I've finally gotten my dream rig, but along the way there's been plenty of equipment that went back on the block for sale after I found something better. It's crazy to suggest that I should take with me to my grave every piece of equipment I tried but ended up not liking. That's just silly.
@@samstewart9249 So you're still playing your first guitar?
No but I sure wish I still had it. An old Kay Broadway Archtop bought used from a drug store. $20.00
The bigger Reverb got, the more likely these kind of situations were bound to happen.
true that.
Sadly....
maybe a membership fee of some sort and then get it back after a good transaction
The EBay scammers have found Reverb.
yiddish rodeo.
I sold a Strat on Reverb recently. The buyer was freaked out that the truss rod was stripped. I suggested that perhaps he try a different Allen wrench as all strats aren’t the same. The next day he was very apologetic and realized he had gone off without thinking it through. Could have been a bad experience for both of us, but worked out when he realized I wasn’t trying to rip him off. Over communicate if you have to.
tomcoryell well done. Lots of people jump the gun and flip out when they need to calm down.
It seems reverb started out as a thing amongst actual musicians but now it’s almost like eBay. A pro or seasoned guitarist is gonna understand used means used and most likely isn’t gonna care to much about scratches or dings . But the beginner or just occasional player is just looking for a New guitar at a used price. No one is wrong but the two don’t mix very well when it comes to expectations.
Well said!
Bradly McDonald Facts. Structural integrity and functionality are the key shopping considerations. Cosmetic damage is mojo.
It's not the beginners or occasional players, it's the damn flippers wanting to squeeze out max bucks on your hard work and effort!
I agree partially. If im paying 3k for a mayones or some other high end guitar and its described as mint that greatly affects what i pay for it. Considering alot of these guitars are right under new pricing its not exactly looking for a deal but skipping a build time wait and or buying what i like. No matter what ALL damage should be disclosed. If u dont photograph every single mark and disclose it then its on u
Bradly McDonald - EVERYONE wants to buy at the lowest price they can. Just like YOU do. The 'problem' is that Sellers too often think their 'precious guitar' (or whatever) is worth a mint because 'they own it'. It's USED gear, period. LOL, and a 5 year old guitar ISN'T 'vintage', LOL!
I personally think it is mad to buy a guitar without playing it
There's a huge number of people who do. If you've got the budget to restrict your buying within a 2-300 mile radius, fair enough, but buying online gives you the world, and thus more rarities at a better price.
That then allows for more budget to have them setup how you like. Many times i've played guitars in shops and been put off by the setup, or choice of strings, only to get the guitar secondhand at a later point in life and be in love with it. It's so subjective really, and in relation to what else you're trying. Some people like to have several guitars that play/sound similar, for me, i like distinction between each one i own, so any quirky character i welcome.
Interestingly enough, i have a friend who buys guitars and they sit on his wall as display pieces, his worst experiences are going into guitar shops and having pressure on him to try before he buys. But he's a collector who adores listening to music, and owning piece of history. If i worked in a shop i wouldn't judge anyone for that, i would be jealous of the budget though! :-(
Yup agreed
Did it 3 times in the last year. Won't do it again. Also, I won't buy anything but pedals or hardware from Reverb anymore. My problem has been dishonest sellers
Yes you are right buying without trying is nuts - but eBay doesn't let you swap email addresses, phone numbers, addresses - so how are you supposed to try a guitar? Buying online is such a bad idea with a musical instrument.
I'm a lefty, so it's tough to find a lot of guitars to play.
I think Jeremy did a great job on the video. He is well spoken and sincere. Jeremy, I’m sorry that you have run into some bad experiences with Reverb and poor customers. I have bought and sold dozens of guitars and amps through Reverb and EBay and thank God have never been through this type of experience. A couple times I had people buy and then I wouldn’t receive payment and Reverb would just repost my item and I was back in business. I have enjoyed working with Reverb and have an item posted for sale now. Too bad that some folks spoil the good things for others. Hang in there and keep making music.
I bought two high end guitars on reverb. I read the descriptions. Asked questions. Looked closely at seller history and pics provided. Both times negotiated fairly. I loved my purchases and the experience. Sorry you had to go through that man.
Congratulations to you Jeremy! Here's to wishing you ALL THE VERY BEST!!! You are APPRECIATED!!!
When somebody decides to sell through a large online service (vs. selling local), two things happen: The number of potential customers increases significantly , and the number potential DIFFICULT customers increases significantly. The same is true if you decide to BUY through a large online service -- the number of both honest and dishonest sellers increases.
If you've decided that conveniences of selling online outweigh the hassles, the best you can do is to add the cost of potential expensive hassles into your pricing and cashflow.
I'm older, and to me it's sad that small, local music stores have gone away and been replaced by large "big box" stores and websites, but that's just the way it is. There are pros and cons for both, but people have chosen convenience and price over local service.
It'd be nice to see local shops of all kinds come back, but it probably won't happen in my lifetime.
I'm older too, and agree mostly. But, I've only bought 2 guitars (out of many purchases) over the years from my local guitar shop. One was 30 years ago when I didn't have any other choice because there wasn't a CL, eBay, Reverb, or such. I paid what I came to realize was just over list price and that store kept pricing that way until just in the last couple years, until Guitar Center put a store in. I just bought another guitar there recently because they were actually $30 less than GC on a Jaquar I'd been eyeing for a long time. That's THE only time in all these years I'd seen a below list sale; it literally dumbfounded me for a minute. I did notice that I was the only person in that entire store when I was there. It was very sad indeed, but I can't say I hadn't wished it on them in the past (having competition I mean). You are right about folks choosing convenience and price over local service (I assume you mean local mom and pop store); particularly un-apologetic if the local service was priced high and proud. Unfortunately most folk aren't too nostalgic for "old times" when it comes to convenience and/or money.
@@pearltiger2003 I agree will all of your points. In the past 3 years, I've bought 2 new guitars and a couple amps, and I've bought all of them from GC and Sweetwater.
I know I sound like a hypocrite. But it's a fact of life, and I get it: Any small stores that still exist can't possibly keep a large selection of gear in inventory in any cost effective way.
It's just that back in the day, it was really cool going out guitar shopping on the weekend -- going from store to store...they were all different with different inventory and different staff...it was fun.
Now, you just sit around your house and click on a button and hope they send you a good one. Or you can choose to go to the GC in Springfield or the one in Jersey City or the one in Anytown, but they're all the same crummy store.
There are still some local shops around, and I still stop by every now and then, and if I find a guitar or something I like, I'm willing to pay a little extra to keep them around.
AtomicMug Depends on the local shop. Almost every one I visit is nothing but cheap Chinese Crap at insane prices. We do have one great local shop (Picker’s Exchange) which gets some interesting stuff but for the most part they’ve been forced out of the Gibson/Fender market, are buying for more than the big stores sell, and generally don’t last long. Most of these there’s pretty much zero chance they’ll have anything that interests me, much less at a price I can, and spend all their energy trying to convince me that Washburn or Cort are better than Gibson.
With Boomers and Gen X on the way out, the market of the next 20-30 years will become increasingly saturated to the point that sellers will likely end up dropping their prices significantly. That is, unless the guitar makes some kind of mainstream comeback.
GoddessIn Triptych I suspect you are correct, especially vintage. For one thing, huge numbers of millennials are unemployed/underemployed and/or living with their parents. They have neither cash nor room for multiple guitars. For another, guitars are much better built today. I love my old MIA Peavey and MIJ Matsumoku and Fugigen Gakki guitars, but millennials by and large have no such attachments and may even prefer guitars from Marxist China or Islamic Indonesia, especially being raised on anti-American/anti-capitalist propaganda. How does one make an argument that a Made In America Guitar is somehow better than more consistently manufactured Chinese axes if the person doesn’t even like America? I think people buying guitars today as an investment may have rude awakenings.
If Reverb does not back their sellers who in the hell would want to deal with that. It's hard enough selling an instrument you love, one you perhaps have to let go because of circumstances out of your control or just need money for a different purchase. But WHAT EVER the reason, Reverb needs to back a valid description and no return issue.
You were OBVIOUSLY WRONGED and i for one would do exactly the same. Good Luck!
Hooter Bear I sold a 63" univox/Orpheus tube amp,worked xlt buyer blew up the speaker,**clearly blew voice coil,i got fkd 350$ n I got a damaged amp back by negligence, greeed kills,the same Ol same Ol...I'm still waiting on.my $75 spkr $ to make amp sellable again...yuppies...
You sold a guitar, your not a victim, you sold 400 guitars on reverb and your complaining. Try craigslist for a while. Perhaps you will then appreciate the buyers on Reverb.
@@TheVonzink And your (sic) exactly the person Jeremy is talking about.
D.K. Wilson - your right, we are called customer, and If I though I could get a refund from a guitar I didn’t like. I wouldn’t use Reverb.
Hooter Bear I mean I was lied to flat out n had been a very early respected seller of my personal instruments,to sell a nice orig vintage amp n test it,take pride in packing n making new owner happy,i saw obviously this idiot,prob put a huge load,of vol via a pedal ect n literally blew voice coil off the magnet,then guy says I bought it n now sound???voice coils don't blow off in shipping,ive done mail inst trades n sales over 40yrs n the scumbag used the customers right bs,depute me having flawless customer care,its my stuff I want to pass onto special folks hunting for that tone,reverb said oh well give ya cost of spkr??never saw or head from again,n I don't wanna spend $75 for recovery on amp I'm selling for 300$..alot snooty people buy don't know what they really want n then see something else they want to try,s/h got so $$$ it's taking a bite out alone...reverb got greeed like greed bay...or fee bay... sad but as I say greed kills no doubt...anyone want great early UNIVOX amp w new spkr needed hit me up,tone monster lil el84 power. sure wasn't Marshall stack like idiot bought n cranked it up n overloaded,n there musicians at reverb,then obvious voice coil was blown not damaged in shipping,i made video of amp n tone n me boxing it up....phooohhoooey...
The issue you are facing is that reverb has opened your one man operation to the issues of a major company. You definitely have legitimate gripes, but I hope this video is brought to their attention
Matthew Szerlag Nah. This guy lacks the balls and fortitude to chat or call the blokes at Reverb and provide the facts and stand up for himself. Reverb has been fair in arbitration in my experience. It may not be easy to get someone to engage with you on a real level, but when they do, they’re fair.
The problems of a major company, yes. However, the customer service department department isn’t on the same page. Complaints doesn’t interact with sales. There are two completely separate motives within each.
@@tripppayne8777 Really? Because it's been years and years we are saying that their shipping price algorithm is completely broken and it IS very very obviously... yet not a single change was made. I'm sorry, but between this and the fact that their fees are going up again and again, tell me that we can't trust them as a company as a whole.
Not saying that some people in the customer service aren't really competent, but usually, when you do have to call customer service for this kind of thing all the time, it's kind of a a sure sign that there are SERIOUS issues on how Reverb is being managed. Also, if you had watched the video, you would know that Reverb DID an arbitration and that they were NOT fair. And you do NOT know if he called them or not - in fact, what makes you believe he didn't? That's ridiculous.
Jeremy! You're a great guy! I'm sorry to hear that so many people "these days" kinda just don't practice being adults bro. I used to be more of a people person...I still am,but I'm.more protective of myself now. By the way,I'm a guitarist of at least fourty years,started when I was ten,I'm fifty years old now,and appreciate what you're doing!! Keep it up!!!
I feel for you. I used to sell educational products (high quality material) and I learned a) that one cannot argue with a fool , b) the level of integrity of many people is sadly low. Best wishes for your new direction.
Why is this video that was recorded in Jul-18 showing up in everyone's feed ? The first 15 comments have been made in the last 3-4 days ...
Mystery TH-cam video promotion algorithm.
You are right.
TH-cam's algorithm is totally jacked up, they recently added the "people who viewed this also watched" feature, and it probably messed something up. They're always messing with it and since the site has been around for over a decade, little changes seem to throw a wrench in the works. That's my theory, anyway.
Same twisted thing happened to me. Reverb didn't for a second ask me anything even though my guitar was exactly as described. I said to them if you're not going to protect your sellers how do you expect to stay in business? I left the platform and won't ever go back.
People underestimate how hard it is to be a retailer and deal with unreasonable demands from customers. The adage 'the customer is always right' inhibits retailers from operating in a fair manner that holds the customer accountable for their own poor decisions and reading comprehension of product descriptions. I think there is also a misconception about what a vintage guitar will feel like. When I got my 65 Jaguar it definitely felt more rickety than I expected, but after being around more vintage instruments you realise that its just par for the course. To me, it seems like you're conducting your business with integrity and honesty and I wish you the best with it in the future!
Reverb should treat both its buyers and sellers as customers. But in my experience, when push comes to shove, they do not. Only buyers are treated as customers, whose "unreasonable demands" are "always right." Sellers get no such customer treatment.
Exactly, I worked as a server for years and learned that there's a certain percentage of people who are determined not to be happy. They may be trying to scam, they may have OCD, they may just have absurd expectations but NOTHING you do short of returning their money is going to make them happy. The customer most definitely isn't always right.
Jason Allen Yep. I have a friend whose wife is a perfectly lovely woman, but I don’t think she has ever had a restaurant meal where she didn’t feel compelled to complain to the manager about something.
@@mikewhitfield2994 Sounds like she's pretty far from a "perfectly lovely woman" tbh
Unseen Hand - "People underestimate" how many unscrupulous Sellers there are. WHY do ya think 'lemon' and 'right of rescission' laws were created? Yep, scumbag Sellers. The "customer is always right" because it's THEIR money being spent, LOL.
All internet listing/selling companies have adopted a "protect the buyer" business platform. I sell low ticket items on eBay. I needed to sell my Gibson J45. The buyer opened a case against me to return the guitar. I protested but eBay sided with the buyer. It cost me shipping both ways. Live and learn. I re-sold the guitar a year later for twice the original price. That new buyer loved the guitar. Keep the faith. You're a good guy. THanks JJC
It's tricky selling a damaged guitar. I've sold several. What I've done is communicate with the buyer, even AFTER he has paid. "Hey, I'm getting ready to box this up. I'm looking at the top crack. It is just as I said in the listing; it's about 4" long. Please confirm that you know it's there. I know you do, it was clearly mentioned in the listing, but send me an email confirming. thanks"
I worked at a shop where during my time there, we went from one or two sales a week on reverb to two to ten per day. And yes, during that time the quality of Reverb.com customers plummeted drastically. Also during that time, Ebay customer quality dropped so bad that we stopped selling anything except for lots of parts and extra BS on Ebay.
First of all, there's a common Ebay scam that crept into Reverb years ago where a buyer will buy a guitar, complain about it and demand some money back for their phantom troubles. $100 here, $200 there... it got to the point where it was every single transaction. We eventually changed our policies and anytime this happened, we refused to give any money back unless it was a return where the buyer paid the return shipping, and we kept our original shipping cost. This eliminated a lot of the problem.
Our owner was constantly on the phone resolving issues with Reverb. The buyers were constantly rude and hostile. But it was still better than Ebay. My theory was that as more sellers moved to Ebay to Reverb, more buyers moved from Ebay to Reverb.
Reverb always sides with the customer. We were doing a few hundred thousand dollars in sales, making tons of money for Reverb, but they would still side with a newbie buyer who wanted a refund regardless of the reasons. I can't tell you how many "my wife said no" style refund requests we got. Reverb knows that demand is more important than supply and keeps the buyers happy.
Reverb is based on an upper floor of the Chicago Music Exchange. Many times, Reverb will just buy a guitar in a situation like this themselves, solve the issues and sell it for a profit at CME.
When I started that job, it was the perfect situation for me. Mom and pop shop, great luthiers that worked with/for us, a solid customer base, a steady flow of setups and buying/selling/trading of amazing equipment. By the end of my time there, 80% of my day was packing gear to ship and dealing with the worst morons imaginable and eating shipping costs. Since most sales shipped to the west coast, you're talking losing $30-75 each way, on an average of three transactions a day. Some people have commented how they're not a shop so its tougher... it's tougher for a shop paying out more in shipping returns than payroll for the employees every day. Plus the cost of packing materials, the setup time and costs (we always restrung guitars for the buyer unless they requested otherwise), along with our personal time and costs (1,800 miles for me alone in one year). So even though we tripled our sales through Reverb, we increased our headaches by a factor of ten. One could say Reverb ruined that job for me. As much as I love guitars and gear, I never want to do that again merely because you're reliant upon internet sales and Reverb is still the best place to do that. No thanks.
It's really not Reverb's fault, they're doing what every company does: side with the customers. It's shitty people that ruin it for everyone as usual. My advice is to sell to a local store, make less money, but get less headaches and wasted time over bullshit. Is your time and sanity worth losing 40% of the value of a guitar? Mine is. I've got a guitar and amp to sell right now, and I will gladly lose money selling it to a shop in order to not deal with a Reverb buyer.
I wonder what those wife's that said "no" would say if their husbands insisted on selling or returning their engagement rings?
JalenRawley - Don't like selling? Don't sell. Duh. Go do something else for a living. Duh. Welcome to the real world, and stop whining. 😜
@@ModernGolfer That's the point. If you can't handle that the quality of customers online are shit, you need to stop selling on the internet. Reverb isn't going to help the sellers any more than TH-cam is going to police the comments section.
Obviously nobody is whining, but you found it necessary to try and twist it that way. You wouldn't do that in person, because you know someone would knock your teeth out, but over the internet it's okay because you're not held accountable for your actions, just like Reverb isn't holding buyers accountable for theirs. If people had the same social interactions online that they would have in person, this wouldn't be an issue. Thank you for providing the perfect example of this. Nobody comes into a shop and pulls the shit people pull online. It's to be expected now, especially as more and more business moves from Ebay to Reverb.
Bill Sharp
Let’s be real, there were no wives.
Amen, man. You said it. My wife has an eBay business. I did her customer service for 2 years while I was studying in school. It was worse than busing tables for drawing out my more cynical, misanthropic tendency. And eBay being eBay, we almost never got a case resolved in our favor. We had customers steal, tell us they were stealing, leave us negative feedback, and still get the case resolved in their favor. I'll tell you this: the first person to come up with a way to screen bad customers from an online marketplace while still maintaining high demand is going to become devastatingly rich.
Looks like a really nice guitar to me, can't understand why anyone would return it!
The buyer put the bridge on backwards and then did not like the way it played.
A neck break repair and sagging top would be no sale items for me, plus the frets were basically worn out from what I saw in the video. In fairness it looks like he described the problems with the guitar so if you buy and aren't happy just whose fault is it?
@@cathayocean1206 Yep, the buyer clearly didn't have a clue...
@@boboplex A million guitars have had neck breaks and they're sold all the time. It was disclosed. If a guitar's neck has been fixed right it will be STRONGER than the original wood. As long as the price reflects the break it's absurd to say you'd never sell a guitar that had had a neck repair.
@@Vichedges Maybe I phrased it unclearly. I meant I would never buy one that had a neck break repair but that's a personal preference. You are correct that a proper repair is stronger than the wood. Most guitar bodies are 2,3 & even 4 pieces glued together in a press and you don't see them separating in normal use . My personal opinion that this particular 1969 ES-175D is not a guitar I would buy due to it's condition.
I notice behaviors among TH-camrs that may be creating a culture of joyriders for lack of a better term. I wouldn't say customers have a "quality" instead I think websites like Reverb should revisit their policies in order to drive behaviors that are affecting resellers. At the end of the day resellers are their bread and butter. I'm with you man, and I think it sucks you've been put in this situation.
Phil McKnight recently had a video where he went over a guitar, I believe it was a Strat, that he ordered from Sweetwater. He nitpicked the guitar and ended the video by saying "he just didn't love the guitar" so he was going to return it. It's that kind of attitude that is making returns for minor issues more and more common. I frequent a lot of guitar forums and watch videos on TH-cam and the things people will return a guitar for are just absurd.
Jason Allen, as Brad the Guitologist said Philip does a lot of that for video fodder. It’s no wonder a part of the TH-cam guitar culture unfortunately.
Phillip mcknight is the culprit to blame for all of this bullshit
@@Vichedges- exactly why I quit following Phil the Shill.
@@sassycat I never followed him but I watched his vids sometimes when they popped up in my feed, but after he bragged about how much he made and acted like that made him better than the Guitarologist I won't watch anything else he does. The guy is a douche and a fake. I hate fakes. He pretends to be this nice honest guy but the minute he gets some criticism the mask comes off.
Reverb has become the PayPal of Guitar selling. Sellers know exactly what I mean.
YES. Reverb is shady AF. They're holding payments...making interest on the money and not paying out sellers. This is criminal behavior.
Bingo. I won’t sell anything of value on EBay for that reason
Thanks for the heads-up, I'll stay clear of them and pass this information along .
From Leo: I sold a guitar and was perfectly fair, I didn't even make any money on the deal. It was just a guitar that was gathering dust at my place. I even emailed the guy more detail pictures that he asked about. A week after he got it, he complained about it and demanded to send it back, costing me money. It came back dirty and smelling of cigarette smoke. Then I see his site has a video of him playing it at a gig. It was only a $600 guitar. Some people are just self centered abusers.
"Smelling like cigarette smoke". LMFAO! BTW, "perfectly fair" in YOUR view is not necessarily "perfectly fair" to someone else. "Fair" price is ONLY what a ready, willing, and able Buyer wants to pay to a ready, willing, and able, Seller, not 1 penny more. IF it "cost you money", your profit margin was too low. YOUR fault.
@@ModernGolfer You must be a smoker. Can we get your real name or the name you use on eBay so when selling to YOU specifically we can jack up the margins to account for your anticipated return?
"But I thought you got this for your show man? Shows over"
I know a guy who has a repair shop. I went to his place & the house is FILLED with cigarette smoke (tons of people smoking). I say I gotta make this quick (asthma). We head to his shop & he lights-up a cig, smoking near a customer's vintage guitar. I had to ride home with the windows down (chilly weather), immediately throw my clothes in the washer & wash my hair twice. Horrible. I guess its' true what they say: only thing worse than a non-smoker is an ex-smoker!
@@3dsman No, he only needs to understand the economics and psychology at play.
Most people do not, and it is unfortunate.
I'm sure someone-else has mentioned this, but this is why the rating-system on Ebay is helpful in deciding who to deal with. People generally don't want to damage their rating.
Man, I really feel for you. I'm fairly new to Reveb myself, joined about 18 months ago, and I do enjoy the site but I can definitely see where you're coming from. As (mostly) a buyer I feel like I've seen the average quality of pictures and descriptions decline as well, and it will tend to run off people who take music and guitar playing seriously. Everyone's opinion of a "fair sale" is going to be different, but there's definitely a respectful and professional way to disagree and work through an issue. It seems to me this video is less about a guy who runs a business having a bad run of customers and more about a community centered around a specific interest growing too big and becoming toxic. Sounds like most online games I've played in my life.
Dude, I hear ya! I had a Reverb buyer drop a $2500 Martin he bought from me ... and demand I refund the purchase ... Reverb backed HIM up! Ugg!
if it was videoed,photographed and documented you would have been golden
Did you notify the buyer that he had the bridge buggered up?
The buyer did that during a string change
@@jamancruzel419 so?
This guitar sounds amazing for sure!
Integrity is a good thing sir. You have it in spades brother. I'd buy a guitar from you anytime.
Phil - Well, I'd sure never be stupid enough to paid $2100 for a *damaged* ES175!
The 175 is still for sale, go ahead and buy it, but remember, if you do it's yours no matter what.
I’ve drunk bought on Reverb and eBay. I always take it on myself in a situation like that.
I love drunk buying. It's like getting a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.
I recently drunk bought a Russian 7-string folk guitar from Doff Guitars on Reverb. Guess I'll learn some Russian folk songs.
@@timmiller4130 holy shit I love you
The one bad experience I’ve had on EBay or Reverb was when I bought something while drunk. The seller was a pc of shit, but I still blame myself. Live and Learn!
i sell on ebay. Biggest problem is a large % of shoppers are now doing it on their little smart phones. They see a pic, they see a price - they click buy. They ignore the tiny BLACK STUFF (text) describing item and all its specs. So annoying selling a non-functioning item for PARTS ONLY, making that clear in the post, and getting an angry return request from a buyer bitching you sold them a non-working item. Do your Shopping on a GD Desktop!!!!
This is very true. And reminds me of something I read somwhere..."Do not assign malice to someone before you first consider stupidity."
Stupidity, however, is not a good excuse for screwing over honest sellers.
Yep, in business sometimes there are customers that are more trouble to sell to than its worth. Before shipping something like a vintage guitar, sure would be nice to know more about the buyer and what their level of experience and tolerance is, especially if Reverb would flag any as serial returners and allow seller feedback to stick without Reverb removing it.
The problem with buyers is they want to try things out then return even if you’re return policy is no returns. I sell guitars and effects and whatnot and recently I had a guy return a pedal because he didn’t like it even though my policy is no returns. I’m not a guitar shop so it’s a cost to absorb when people aren’t really sure what they want.
By the way, I don’t think you need the sad background music. Take a break from reverb but I don’t want to cry about it like I’m breaking up with my girlfriend.
Other than that I agree with you 100%.
Haha...i was emotional. It's more that I'm limited to royalty free music. This was something I recorded just for using in the background, but it is a bit sad. Thanks for watching.
Whatever dude, if you don't
like it, you off the audio and just see his lips moving.
Tell them you charge for a 30 day rental if they decide to return it and then charge them a rental fee and make the fee 1/12th of the selling price. :-)
Oneness100 Great idea! Make them pay to try it out. This should be standard practice. Because @Blank Slate it's really not a "problem with buyers" to want to check out a guitar before committing to it. This is why traditionally we used to go down to the local music store and play all the guitars before picking one out. It's a very personal thing to bond with a guitar, and if it isn't right, why should you be forced to keep it? The "problem" is not so much with buyers, but with BUYING without being able to actually play the instrument. This is where instrument buying really differs from other purchases. I like the try before you buy idea, and it should be standard practice. Effects, keyboards, amps etc. could also benefit from this practice. The demo cost should be borne totally by the prospective buyer, paying shipping both ways, and for any damage to the instrument. Without this option, this is one area where online marketing doesn't really shine - sometimes the old brick and mortar store is just better.
The problem with Internet sellers is that they often misrepresent their products.
Back when Reverb was PayPal only, it was really good. Now that there's Affirm and multiple ways to purchase, the deadbeat eBay crowd has moved in. I haven't had a negative experience selling yet, but I don't sell guitars very often. I've heard more and more stories just like this one lately, though. They put too much trust in the buyer and not enough in the seller, so the buyer is right 99% of the time.
How is this reverb fault... These are douchebag buyers with no money...
How are u going to buy a vintage 50 year old guitar then want a refund because it doesn't "play well" that's bullshit.
Chris Clark - Buyer is "right 99% of the time" because it's THEIR money. ANY item is ONLY worth what a ready, willing, and able Buyer is willing to pay for it, and not one penny more. Don't like selling? Duh... keep it. 😜
Nunya Bizness that’s a stupid response to a legitimate point about eBay scammers. Sometimes it’s the seller who gets fucked over. They had to buy something to be able to sell it so tell me how it’s not their money too most of the time? And hey... SPEAKING IN CAPITALS DOESN’T MEAN MORE PEOPLE WILL CARE ABOUT YOUR POINTLESS SHIT lol trolls are usually a bit more on point too so I’m not sure if you’re just a dumb troll or if you’re literally just dumb
@@ModernGolfer This isn't McDonald's. Their motto is "The Customer is always right" because giving away another $3.00 sandwich isn't a big hit to their bottom line. The vintage and used guitar market is a little bit more high stakes than that. There's often hundreds of dollars between shipping and insurance that sellers are screwed out of when assholes like you have buyer's remorse and cry wolf.
Nunya Bizness May you always do business with crooked trash like yourself.
It's ridiculous how reverb never has your back. After dealing with this issue a few times, I decided to see what happens when I don't click on the "as described" button and make my own rules. 15% restocking fee and buyer pays returned shipping. 24 hours to return and that starts after tracking has been added. Solved my problems.
Bang Miller Unfortunately, all those policy changes don't matter if the buyer calls it "not as described."
What if it’s not described but clearly visible in one of the pictures?
@@jonlohrenz5446 Could you re-word your question? It's confusing what you're trying to ask.
Let’s say there is a cosmetic blem shown clearly in one of the pictures on the guitar, but that same blem is not described specifically in your product description. It’s assumed that the buyer should have seen it in the pictures. But then the buyer claims you didn’t mention it even though it was shown clearly in the picture. And they try to use that to return the guitar because the item was still “not as described”?
Can reverb claim you didn’t disclose the blem even though it was shown in the pictures?
@@jonlohrenz5446 #BlemLife
Why can't Reverb have a feature where the seller lists the 'must acknowledge' items as checkboxes that the buyer must check off before they can complete the sale.
Reverb is great for window shopping and seeing what my gear is worth.
Found some great guitars, sold a few to really nice guys, ran across some REAL psychopaths.
It's was really cool, but after 45 transactions, I closed my shop.
Still window shop and price out my gear, but when I get too old Rock, I'm taking my gear to a store for 80% consignment.
Cause selling on Reverb sucks.
I stop dealing with them too. To many people who do not know what they want!
Should show the complaint. Should show the damage to the guitar. Should show the description of the guitar.
Then we can judge.
like
This.
He says he has no issue with Reverb themselves, yet his story claims that Reverb claimed that he was a liar about either his description and/or the guitar's condition.
Either he's not being honest about his side of the story, or Reverb is being REALLY unfair and/or slanderous. In which case, he shouldn't be backing them up as a company. That big makes me skeptical of the story.
Maybe stay safe & sale guitars that dont have issues. Or heres an idea. Fix the issue and then sale the guitar.... or would that just not be profitable??? If not then what makes u think the buyer will come out on it. For me, id never buy a guitar i couldnt look at, play, or see. Id never throw down 2000 bucks for a what if or a maybe. Hey the good thing about is the guy wasnt happy with his purchase and they gave him his money back. Would you have been happier if he would hav just been stuck with it. If its a good playing guitar like you say it is than whats the big deal of reposting it & saleing it to someone else?
nah Reverb has problems
I know your comment is 5 years old, but I 100% agree, plus you can clearly tell the guitar needs fret work.
I've only sold 2 guitars on reverb, around fall of last year sold one and it was flawless the 2nd sold 3 weeks later and I had the exact same experience as you.
Still got the 175?
I do not, I sold it shortly after this video went up.
A friend of mine bought a Fujigen Fender Strat, at least it was described as a Fujigen. Turns out just the neck was. He didn't get a refund. Reverb sided with the seller. What's that about?
Really like the intro and outro playing. Nice work. You should release some of this.
So it's been a year and a half, are you still taking a break from reverb? I found your video to be sincere and informative. I'm trying to sell some higher end studio equipment that belonged to my late father-in-law. I know nothing about it, other than he took very good care of his studio. I am doing some research and I have had the items tested. I don't want to be one of those guys you mention. Any thoughts on where else I could sell studio equipment?
I am with you 100% on this.
I had a similar experience and Reverb stepped in and did the right thing fortunately.
You seem like a good guy and somebody I'd purchase a guitar off of.
If an item is photographed and described accurately there should be NO returns at all for buyer's remorse!!!
I hope it was just 5 sh*theads in a bad stretch and then smooth sailing on the road ahead for you.
Best of luck!!!
I am sorry, I have to abort the video at 5:01 as sound is not fully disclosed with cables mysteriously going off camera then back to amp? What are you doing to the signal, Por fa vor? Is there a CD or PC background track being played here? Jus kidding 😂 I personally would never spend that kind of money to buy online with a description... I would buy a plane ticket and visit you if I wanted it that bad... Vintage buying, gotta kick the tires...
I feel for you, man. It's not just on Reverb either. When I try to sell something on the local ads, say LSN or Facebook Marketplace, I worry if they'll even show up in town to meet me. I've had so many people just not show up and not even message me they weren't coming. If you're not serious about buying from decent people, don't even act like you are. Saves me gas from traveling and the hassle of having to do it all over again.
On the other hand, I recently sold a guitar I've had since 2001, my first "real" electric guitar, a Fender MIM Strat in Midnight Blue, to a guy in Scotland of all places. No middle man (Reverb, Ebay, etc.) was involved. He just liked my TH-cam channel and videos, saw that I was a respectable and trustworthy guy about my gear, and asked about buying it from me. He paid the shipping, paid for the guitar, the whole shebang, and as far as I know, he's giving it an excellent home right now. You just never know how things will turn out sometimes.
Sorry this happened to you, brother. I've been through similar things (not with instruments) on eBay. Lot of shady people out there and a lot of poor resolution teams working for both sites. Hope things improve for you and that your family is settling in to your new home. God bless, buddy.
You're selling a product that the customer really needs to see, touch, and hear in person - yet they have to buy sight unseen. Why not just offer a reasonable inspection and return policy on everything you sell, accept that it's part of the cost of doing business, and not worry about getting bent out of shape? What am I missing here, do you get charged a sellers fee from Reverb even if you end up refunding the buyer on a return or something? How does allowing inspection and return periods hurt you?
If the customer "really needs to see, touch and hear" then what are they doing buying online? What are you missing here? Maybe the reason he sold the guitar was he NEEDED the money? If the guitar was as-described, if it had video, if it had detailed pics, if the "reason" for the return was the "saggy top" which he says he disclosed....that's on the buyer, not the seller. Buyer's remorse is common but unless the product is defective or not as described that's not the seller's problem. I used to sell a lof of different things on Ebay and I sold a relatively expensive vintage game to a guy once and he claimed it didn't work and wanted a refund. I knew it was BS because I tested all my games before selling them. But I accepted the game back, popped it in and of course it worked. I then sold it to the second best offer I had received which was a few bucks less. It wasn't a huge deal but I lost a few bucks and had to deal with the return, reshipping it etc and the buyer was obviously either lying outright or his system was broke. The guy probably decided he didn't really want the game or maybe he needed the money for something else but whatever the reason he put me through some hassle. I have sold a few guitars and luckily I've never had an issue with them being returned but I'm always nervous that the buyer will want to return the guitar which would be a huge hassle and unless the buyer refunds the shipping costs you have to eat those, which in the case of guitars gets real pricey real quick.
He's pissed bc he blew the money
@@Vichedges - Then what are they doing SELLING online? EVERY Buyer is entitled to inspect AND approve of the purchase. And that means the items needs to be 'in hand' to do so. What are YOU "missing here"? Don't like it? Don't sell online. Not really rocket science. 😜
Nunya Bizness No ! buyers are not entitled to inspect & return online purchases if the item is sold “as described “ & it actually is as described. The buyer has the choice to only buy from one who offers returns.
Nunya Bizness A buyer is NOT entitled to “inspect it” (change their mind) if my sale is No Returns! And I’ve sold a dozen guitars that way.
I am so sorry to hear that you have had those experiences. You seem like a really nice guy who is concerned with doing business ethically, which is a great thing. Perhaps it is a better business practice to buy and sell guitars across a number of platforms, rather than just one. I hope that things go better for you.
Buyers remorse is a big part of this. I recently made my first purchase for a used piece on/ off of Reverb.com. It is an older used guitar. Issues were stated. I am able to and did the work I wanted to, to it. All is good. 1975 telecaster is happy to be here.
telecasterbear Good response matey. Yeah, you are a normal person, reasonable and with honest expectations.
A recent bad experience brought me here, thanks for making this video. You are spot on about the quality of buyers. Everyone thinks you’re out to get them and pull one over them. I’m done with reverb for a while. I’d rather just take far less money and sell for cash on Craigslist like it’s 2010 all over again.
Sad... just sad. Man, I hate that you have had these issues. I actually bought a beautiful American Fender Jazzmaster off of a Reverb seller. My experience was flawless. This is super disheartening. Your video was very well done! Thank you for sharing so we can all be aware of the potential issues.
This is so sad, I have sold hundreds of guitars myself. It has gone this way now. As a seller, you're immediately blamed on Reverb, Ebay or any other non face to face platform. The good times are meeting in person for cash.
Nailed it on the head- I’ve listed a few things on reverb but I’ve been cautious to time wasters and the ultimate absolute lack of protection the seller has- pretty much the same as eBay. Fortunately I’ve sold these items locally for cash where you can cut most of the bull!
please correct me if i am wrong, but i noticed in europe sellers are listing cused ustom shop guitar for the same price as the new ones. I know they are exported but why? 2K for this beauty i would have buy it right away
Custom shops for the same price used as new or same price as non CS?
Thats a beauty,do you still have it? If its a 69’? I would like to maby get it for my first Vintage Gibson depending on the price.Also i know Gibsons,collect Historic les pauls, and know how to put the ABR-1 back on correctley.Its a 1969 Gibson ES-175D correct?
I feel that a bit. I have had one nasty buyer on reverb. I was selling some sampler discs. This lady bought them and messaged me 2 days later they didn't work in her CD player. Apparently she didn't know what reverb was and thought they were regular CDs. Other than that Reverb is great. I have been able to sell about $2500 of small-ticket gear while in college.
A little off topic..what’s the story with that shell pink guitar?
Yes! Let's talk about it....It's a custom partscaster I built with Evin from Rude Guitars in New Orleans. It's not quite shell pink, it's more mary kay in person. I built it to be the perfect strat for me, I don't usually like them, but this one is awesome. I'll make a video talking about it sometime soon. Thanks for watching!
I may be getting old but I miss the days of looking at guitars in person and actually playing them. As much as I love social media it was the destruction of my guitar life. Just being honest.
What are you even talking about? How did "social media" destroy your "guitar life" lol? What does "guitar life" even mean? If you prefer to look at guitars in person what's stopping you?
@@Vichedges What am I even talking about you ask. Lol you say? What does guitar life mean?
Maybe its that I played guitar all day everyday for most of my life. I ran my own repair shop since I was 16 and also had a shop buying and selling and doing repairs and custom building. At times I worked for other stores but most of the time It was my own shop. I liked when customers wanted guitars to play well and be set up specifically for them rather than just pick out pretty colors on the internet.
Any other questions?
@@suavetrainwreck7300 Yeah, the same one since you didn't answer it in that mess. What does "social media was the destruction of my guitar life" even mean?
Yes, but I might go ten years without seeing even one early sixties Greco (or other Matsumoku- or Fujigen Gakki-built) thin line semi hollow body locally, or a late sixties Lyle SG clone.
@@Vichedges Dude, Suave explained himself just fine. People used to come in to an actual store, and he would set up their guitars to their tastes specifically. He provided very personal service, with direct human to human interaction. Totally different than today's online market. Is that so hard to get? (Oh wait, don't answer that, because you just don't get it)
That amp sounds sweet - which model is it? I tried looking it up, but couldn't find a Marshall combo in that size which was so wide, and judging from the placement of the microphone, it has one speaker in the middle. It reminds me of my old Gibson '58 GA-40, which has a slightly bigger/wider cab, similar in size to a Tremolux. Your playing sounds good, and there is money in buying and selling guitars for now, but the market is saturated, and about to crash - from a dealers perspective. Too many guitars, sort of like too many buds in WA-OR-CO, which leads to steep price drops. I love guitars and amps, went to Roberto-Venn back when Jason Lollar was there - he gave me a ride to school one day, when I was hitching while walking - it was his second month, as a teachers assistant - I think he was working on learning how to make pickups at the time. Personal problems got in the way of my career as a luthier/repair person, however, but I never lost my love of music, and especially guitar. Strange thing is, I never played electric guitar until much later, when I moved to Portland, now I prefer electric. After the internet happened in the late 1990's, I started buying and selling on the 'bay, some local transactions too, and acquired quite a harem. Mostly I just bought, with proceeds from being a medicinal cannabis pharmer (hard work!). Later I had to sell most of the instruments, but still have a few left, although I haven't played much in years. Ever hear of the "Boswell Sisters"? You have now - watch their youtube videos and see!!!. "Emerald City Guitars" in Seattle started in the late 1990's, and now the owner is a multi-millionaire, at least his inventory is worth tens of millions, so I'm assuming. There WAS money to be made back then, and still may be to a small extent, but it's rapidly disappearing. There are too many guitars and amps of EXCELLENT quality being produced, and floated about, but too few buyers = a pending crash of the market. This is the golden age of guitars and amps, or a second golden age anyways - I still love the old gear best. Soon it will be the golden age to be a musician with no money, not a golden age for dealers trying to make money though. If In was you, Mr. Guitar Hunter, I wouldn't count on making money in the future buying and selling gear, Reverb or no Reverb - Reverb is only a platform, like Ebay, and the people you deal with can be good or bad on either, or other platforms. You would probably do better doing setups, repairs, and teaching, since you know how to play. Maybe to consulting for people wanting to buy an instrument, helping them to find the right one? Many of the most wealthy guitar sellers don't play very well, but you obviously do, and seem to know about repairing and caring for the instruments. Just saying......
Link us to the original ad
I’ve gotten lucky with all my buying and selling on reverb. All of my customers have been very knowledgeable and forgiving.
With that saying, I don’t think I will buy a guitar sight unseen again. The only guitar I’ve bought that was absolute perfect was a Collings 290 in seafoam green. Everything else I resold. 🥶
I sold a super clean USA Telecaster that the buyer emailed me complaining about a tiny pinhead dimple on the back of the neck that I never noticed. And I check over all my guitars before listing them on Reverb. He demanded that I send him $200 to pay for him having it repaired. The guitar was 15 years old and it was pretty immaculate. Of course I told him that's not going to happen. I even sold it at a very fair price. He was not very pleasant in his initial demand for the money, I know he was trying to pull one over on me. People like that are what ruins things for others
kevin malone - "Pretty much immaculate" is NOT immaculate. You "never noticed", therefore didn't disclose, but you think that's, somehow, the Buyers' fault? ROLMFAO! IF the Buyer would have been smart and purchased properly, he absolutely WOULD have gotten every penny back.
@@ModernGolfer If I was a nefarious buyer, I could make the mark myself and then blackmail the buyer over it. If the seller posted a clear picture of it, then he's in the clear.
I’ve made two purchases on reverb. A pedal that was 150 and a fender made in Mexico, $400.00. Both had problems that was not listed. The pedal didn’t function with a 9 volt battery and the fender strat had fret sprout on every singe fret. Like really bad. But I did keep them both. The pedal thing wasn’t that big of a deal. I notified the seller to ask if he was aware of the problem which he said he wasn’t. I just kept it. I did have to buy a power supply for it tho. The guitar I notified the seller and told him I really wanted to keep the guitar because the finish on the guitar was great. So he gave me 70 dollars back on it. The fret work cost me one hundred dollars. But whatever it’s an awesome guitar now, I wouldn’t trade it or sell it. But these types of things have kept me from buying again on reverb.
Wyatt's dad Honestly could have happened in shipping too. I just bought a open box Ibanez Mikro from Musician’s Friend whose high E side frets could have used for a saw. Sliced up my fingers pretty good right out of the box. I let it acclimate a few days (don’t want to file the frets too short) and surprisingly most of the problem went away. I still have some work to do, but it’s perfectly playable.
Mike Whitfield I’m glad yours is doing better. I had my guitar for about a month and it didn’t improve. I think it was a pawn shop that sold the guitar on reverb. The case smelled so moldy inside, like really bad. I think someone tried to use a humidifier to get the fret sprout to improve. But anyway it’s taken care of now. And wow, that guitar is my favorite electric guitar.
Fret sprout can (and usually does) happen during shipping. If you don't want to deal with that, either learn how to fix it yourself or buy in-person.
GoddessIn Triptych really? Holy shit. But wait why doesn’t it happen when guitar center, for example gets their guitars shipped to their stores?
I worked as a rep back in the 90’s and I never had a complaint of fret sprout.
That strat that I got from reverb was ridiculously bad. There’s no way that damage or shrinkage could’ve happened in the couple days it was being shipped. It was in the summer too. I mean unless it came from New Mexico or something where it’s super dry. But again the case smelled like someone’s old musty sock! Haha so I think someone tried to fix it over a period of time and it didn’t work.
I’m gonna look for this in comments now tho, and see if others have had bad sprout during shipping.
Thanks again.
@@goddessintriptych7046 If fret sprout happens in shipping, it would be super common even in person... Guitars are not made at the stores lol. They are ALL built and shipped from all over the world to get to the stores.
Is that a Lowden in the left bottom corner? Great instruments!
Yuuuup
Hey Jeremy ! I get it ,I'm so glad someone is putting it straight ,and mean it! Thanks much
I sold a high end flute to a guy in California once a few years back and he wanted to return it because it didn't have any magic. I didn't put in the description that there was magic involved but I took it back anyway. I ended up selling it for more to someone else who was not looking for a magic flute. Bottom line, I think, is that if you are selling instruments online you are going to get some returns because of buyer's remorse or musicians are a strange breed or . . . magic. It's part of doing this. Mostly, I've had positive experiences and, from your numbers, seems like you've had a pretty good time of it also. You've just had a little bit of a bad run.
I had a similar experience. Done with Reverb.
We need more knowledgeable music shops.
Won't happen as long as there is Guitar Center. It's the Walmart of the Music industry, and that's NOT a good thing. They bully manufacturers, they violate manufacturers' MAP policies, they pay slow (I have friends who work at two different pedal manufacturers who have told me this), and they only serve to hurt the retail value of all product they carry. And, they make it near-impossible for mom and pops to make money these days, because they bully manufacturers into giving them pricing lower than the mom and pops, and they often sell at or very close to what the mom and pops have to pay for the same product, it's very unfair... but what happens is that manufacturers get upside down to them, and GC ends up owing them so much money that the manufacturers are afraid that if they try to collect enough to get their bills current, GC will stop buying from them, and they'll never see the money they are owed. When MARS music went bankrupt MANY manufacturers were owed HUGE amounts of money and never got a dime of it. Until people stop supporting the "Walmart" of the music industry, it will continue to be hard for knowledgeable mom and pop stores to remain open. I'm a 30 year vet of music retail and have a LOT of experience with this.
I am not so sure people regard guitars as they used to. Honestly, for 2K, I would buy a new ESP instead of a 70s Les Paul for who knows how much. Still, people shouldn't expect factory new quality from a vintage guitar.
eBay putting alot of the old music shops out of business. Guy goes to a guitar shop. Finds a guitar he likes. Searches it on eBay, saves a nickel. I still try to stop in Music-go-round every time I come across one... Buy sticks or heads or whatever.
Name of the pink telly? Seen that thing in many old school videos
I just went through same experience. Buyer said the active bass I sold him was not as described. I got the bass back, had to issue the entire refund, lost the free shipping cost that I always offer, and lost the listing and commission fees. Nothing wrong with the bass. Reverb sided with buyer on the ‘not as described’ claim. Reverb refused to acknowledge my report when I got it back. Then I got bad feedback about how I sold something ‘not as described.’
I feel for you but the other side happens often I bought many guitars and they were often not the way they were described, every time the seller sides was it is as is, but it is a huge risk buying a guitar without seeing it or playing it
It's not a risk if you do your due diligence. The problem with guitars is "as described" can mean different things to different people. I personally think there should be some common sense used when you're buying a used guitar. Unless it's being sold as a closet queen mint collectable common sense says the guitar is going to be in USED condition. Unless there is something major, like a hidden repair or it's a fake, etc, I wouldn't allow the return of the guitar if the original ad featured a detailed description and had video, detailed pics etc. The problem is there are many guitar players who expect a guitar to be flawless and that's just absurd. Just playing a guitar, especially if it's a nitro finish, can result in small dents and dings and wear that you might not even notice. I have a 2012 Midtown and I was playing it the other day and noticed it has a new dent on the top. I have no idea how it got there. Those sort of things don't bother me at all, I buy guitars to play them and expect wear and tear to occur....but to some people that little dent would be a dealbreaker. Dealing with OCD guitar players/collectors would be a nightmare.
@@Vichedges To be fair, I've also seen a lot of sellers intentionally obfuscate flaws in such a way that they have plausible deniability. For instance, they will say in the description something to the effect of "guitar is in excellent condition. see photos", while the guitar in question is listed as "good" condition on Reverb's site, and then have a bunch of poorly lit photos where god knows what's underneath the shadows and glares. Buyer's should overlook these immediately, but I've honestly noticed this on about 60% of auctions that I'm interested in. I don't have time to play 20 questions with every seller on an auction I show interest in. Just pointing out a fundamental problem with buying/selling guitars online.
@@goddessintriptych7046 Why did you reply to me twice with the exact same comment? I got it the first time.
@@Vichedges Different comment in a different thread, but probably the same point. Didn't realize it was you again.
I think a part of this is not seeking too great a bargain - my feeling is if the instrument is seemingly way too cheap it likely has serious flaws and the seller will probably use this as a bargaining chip should you complain. On the other hand if you've paid top dollar, then you should expect and get top condition. Of course it depends what you will accept - I'm simply not that choosy if the problems have been clearly declared (My Martin D12-28 for example was bought knowing that it has a repaired neck break - it sounds great and plays well so I don't give a hoot) but others clearly are.
I like reverb. I buy guitar parts all the time from them. I would never buy an expensive guitar without playing it first. In fact, I would never buy an expensive guitar anyway. My favorite axe is my partscaster with a mighty mite neck
Jeremy's a bit of a whiner, part of the cost of doing business. As an online buyer and seller I've been burned, sucked it up, and moved on.
These days, before I ship an item I ve sold on reverb I write to the buyer to make sure he's read the description.
I've had people trying to send stuff back just because they didn't want it anymore, no other reason...
That’s the best idea I’ve heard yet.
I’ve stopped selling any guitar that isn’t great.
Jeremy Sheppard if you fight a dispute can they make you refund them?
I"ve gotten things off ebay that were not as described. Can't think of any off reverb that were not as described.
Hi Jeremy, you did this video a couple years ago now, have you gotten back to selling on Reverb, especially with their new higher pricing structure for sellers? I'm thinking of selling a couple of my right-handed guitars on there since I've switched to playing lefties.
Fix your guitars before you sell them. Don't expect people to know how to fix them. You'll both be happy this way.
Alternatively, don't buy a guitar that needs fixing if you don't know how to fix them
@@SonofSethoitae When some one that does not know how to fix a guitar buys a guitar he thinks he can fix, its usually been described by the seller in such a way to make the buyer think he can easily fix it. Don't try to bullshit a bullshitter!
@@mayito714 Entirely possible that a seller isn't even aware of damage issues on the guitar. Just another pita to deal with when doing business online.
@@mayito714 since you admit to being a liar, we don't have to believe anything you say.
@@RoeShamBoe I don't buy guitars or play with guitars, I was talking about you guys.
Hang in there brother. These are a few bad experiences out of hundreds that were great. The ones looking for their dream guitars may be the ones to miss out on what you have to offer. Either way respects brother.
Hiram Torres - LOL, true. But not sure anyone's 'dream guitar' is a used, busted Gibson ES175 for $2100, LOL!
Just have a condition of sale be, acknowledging a list of identified conditions of the guitar. I've sold and bought hundreds of guitars in my local used market, and never had one come back, never had anyone contact me even to ask anything post sale. The only reason is, I give people as much time as they want to actually sit down and play, and inspect the guitar. I take very detailed photos for my listings and write accurate descriptions. The only way to combat your specific problem is to have an agreement in place that the purchaser agree's to, before pulling the trigger.
I am not a guitar player (synthesizer guy), But does a hollow body electric sound that good and mellow!?
I’ve had 3 instances in the past year that were terrible with reverb. Also, I’ve sold tons on there up until now... got off of Reverb, and honestly it works better just finding and seeking out local sales. Hope it all works out man!
I stopped using reverb. The customer is always right, so if he suffers from buyers remorse, it is the fault of the seller. Unfair.
This is a problem with different platforms. For example, people don't read or understand descriptions on craigslist. I actually had a woman say "I only read the title". As for myself, I message sellers on Reverb. If they don't get back to me, I move on. Too bad the immature don't read descriptions or watch videos.
Irrelevant. It's ALWAYS up the Seller (at least in the U.S.) to fully and completely disclose, whether the Buyer asks any questions, or not. That's how it SHOULD be.
@@ModernGolfer irrelevant that the interested party doesn't read the description? Yes, the seller should be putting everything in the description, but the party should read it. Going by a title only is foolish.
I'd never buy or sell a used guitar without face to face interaction, playing it, and a handshake to seal the deal. Keep it simple... Pedals, electronics sure; online is fine.
Just sold a guitar and guy wants a refund cause it buzzes and something about lock nut not fitting right. I am thinking he change the strings
Hey Jeremy, good upload +3
I totally feel your complaints - I used to work at Sam Ash and then Guitar Center so I understand a bit about music retail. But I'll say, customers would hit us with that jive all the time, we'd lay out the red carpet for them and be 100% transparent about any manufacturer defects, weird warranty claims, etc. And the customer would still shoot a high ticket sale down if it just wasnt in their budget or if they hadn't really dreamed of that purchase.
Unfortunately, many of the people walking into music stores are just buying things on pure impulse and they're going to return a lot of stuff. The worst is dealing with those repeat customers who are very informed, yet inconsiderate and will stretch and abuse the return and exchange policy. I had a guy return 3 guitars over 2 weeks because of the color. Got one guitar exchanged it, then got the same model twice, different color..it's tough shit, theyre going to keep doing it.
My advice would be avoid those people at all costs. As soon as that problematic customer returns a guitar, try your best to sell it to ANOTHER person. Hide the guitar do whatever so that Mr. Problem Customer can't get it, then you dip into your book of leads and call everyone and their grandma about that guitar. Don't let problem customers have nice gear! Let them shell through the shit after you've sold off your most pristine wares.
I think a possible solution would be Reverb allowing sellers to require a minimum purchase history (especially for pricey items). This could weed out a lot of nonsense.
Ok, same be said for purchasers. Lets rate them based on some of those factors. The customer you should be satisfied. That does not mean they are right. One more thing, I've dealt with this since buying guitars from shitty pawnshops, the ones that are always scheming thinking they are investing. Its a fuckin guitar. Used. Shit even brand new they have problems. You know full well going into used what you are doing. Stop being naive. Or playing naive.
csu111 - That's fine IF Reverb has a minimum SALES history (AND 100% positive feedback) before allowing sales of "pricey items", as well.
Nunya Bizness - and then you guitar doesn’t sell and then you quit listing it on reverb and then they go out of business and your back to eBay. From a sales person who appreciates and and all customers this sounds so petit and clueless.
Reverb should really set up a thing that when the buyer agrees to buying something "As Is" they shouldnt be able to return stuff unless the items arent as described. Reverb is always going to side with the seller so that way they look like the good guys. Stuff like this really sucks when people change their minds. At least you got the guitar back and it wasnt beat to crap when you got it.
Lucas - Absolutely NOT. EVERY item sold (in the U.S., anyway) SHOULD come with, at least, a 30-day, 'no questions asked' 100% refund policy. In fact, not having such policies is WHY 'lemon' and 'right of rescission' laws were created. Reverb, et. al. SHOULD always "side with the Seller". EVERY time.
Nunya Bizness Dude, that is insane. This is USED merchandise.
You sold me a 1973 Telecaster and it absolutely is one of the best guitars I have ever owned and at a very fair price and well described.
Lars Mickelson Lars!! I miss that one. It’s magical!
I got a 72 thinline american tele. It's probably fairly similar. And you know what? It is fucking awesome lol.
I've purchased a lot of instruments in my life (violins, violas, cello, piano, guitar, mandolin, clarinets, flutes, saxophones, etc) I have learned if you are going to spend thousands on an instrument, make sure it is the RIGHT instrument. If I was going to spend $2k on a guitar, I would not buy it without seeing and playing it first. It's one thing to buy a cheap instrument sight unseen. If you want to spend that money, go to a local store first.
Man, I’m sorry to hear you had these troubles. By the way, your playing is gorgeous!
Reverb is owned by Chicago Music Exchange. I have never had a good experience with them. I deal with my local mom and pop shop almost exclusively anymore.
Even worse, now owned by etsy
Dealing with the public can be harsh. Best of luck.
I have picked up on some of the flaws in reverbs system. The thing is, if a scenario like yours escalated past reverb you and your customer. As in the customer taking the complaint to court. 99 out of 100 times the judge is going to rule in favor of the customer. Reverb is making the best business decision by "nipping the problem in the butt". Reverbs decision is also the best decision for you. There is alot to be learned here.
You stated that you had sold 300-400 guitars up to the point of having 5 failed transactions. That is fantastic ratio. Definitely something too be proud of.
No matter what you do, you will have situations like you have experienced. Ultimately, all you can really do is, do your best too avoid them ( which I believe you do).
Dont quite. Dont give up. Build these senarios i to your business plan. Expect these types of transactions to happen. For instance. Set weekly and monthly sales goals, in terms of units sold/moved and revenue. If you set a weekly goal of 4 units. 16per month/4 weeks. Plan a expectation of 1 unit returned. These numbers are just an example. Then at the end of 4 weeks/month review your actual sales against your projected sales. If you met or exceeded your goals, reward your self and/or employees. If you didnt reach your goals. Re-stratigize and set new goals. If you look at it all in terms of numbers on paper, the little things start to not matter. "Dont sweat the small stuff and treat the big stuff like small stuff".
From the numbers you gave and assuming your selling guitars at a profit. If you were a employed manager by a company, running the business your running now, and you gave you weekly/monthly/annual reports to the business owner, you would be getting a pat on the back and a bonus.
Keep up the good work. Dont give up. If you need any advice id be glad to help.
Bryan Keith Excellent advice.
"99 out of 100 times the judge is going to rule in favor of the customer" - Not even close... ever heard of caveat emptor? it's a legal principle baked into American jurisprudence.
AMEN!!! I knew before I even watched the video exactly what you were gonna say! Good Luck to you in the future brother!
Thank you Jeremy, your every word has resonated with me. I have bought and sold some wonderful guitars myself and it is a fact that no two are the same, they each have a character and almost a soul of their own, and whilst I would always prefer to buy or sell a guitar I have seen and played, these days this is not always practical. So like you, I put a lot of faith in the buyer and/or seller to give a true description of the guitar I am buying or to accept my description when selling, and, touch wood, I haven't yet had a bad experience. I generally find the guitar owner community (especially for vintage guitars)seem generally to share a mutual passion for these wonderful instruments so it's like dealing with friends. I have yet to use Reverb.com so your experience has alerted me to proceed with a degree of caution. I much prefer to deal directly via a reputable source that is tried and tested. So I shall look up your instagram page and who knows perhaps we can do a deal together, though I am based in the UK.