New to AGF... things to watch out for in classifieds?

[slice]

Hello everyone,

I joined not too long ago and I'm planning to become a charter member in order to sell some of my guitars in the classifieds. I'm also interested in buying, and I'm looking for some advice to protect myself from fraud since I've never bought/sold online before.

Thanks

[M19]

The AGF Classifieds is one of the better places to buy/sell. You have a pretty upstanding market of 100,000 acoustic guitar "nuts." I have sold 2 and bought one and all deals went fine.

Ask for (buying) and tell (selling) everything you can about the guitar so there are no surprises.

FS posts must include an asking price, even if you are looking for a trade. They can only be "bumped" once per day unless answering a question or responding to a comment.

Post images. Especially of any flaws. Pictures help, even if only to give the viewers a good case of GAS.

If you can, post a sound clip or YouTube video of the guitar.

Whatever payment method you use (selling), make sure the money is really yours before you ship the guitar. That means, if you use paypal that you transfer the $$ out to your selected bank account, not just that the balance shows in Paypal. They can always void it or yank it back.

Final caveat: the AGF is NOT a party to any transaction, nor liable for any issues that arise (See the FAQ for details).

Happy GASsing!

For buying, stay away from any classifieds seller who demands you only use paypal gift or check or money order. No one will protect you when/if that seller takes your money and either doesn't send you anything or sends you a guitar that was misrepresented.

[SalFromChatham]

I buy and sell on classifieds often. Actually, it used to be where the ultimate sale came from (if I sell a guitar I list is on AGF, UMGF, and the Gibson forum). For me... This is no longer true. My last four guitars have sold on REVERB, where the buyers were not members of any of these forums.

So... Regarding AGF... By all means become a charter member. It's a great forum to support. List your guitars here too... But frankly, I have better luck selling on REVERB.

My sales used to be PayPal. Now they are REVERB direct checkout. Reverb credits my checking account as soon as I ship. Less fees, same protections, and customer service that is always there.

I will never ever deal eBay and PayPal again (and I had a perfect record there too)

[slice]

Thank you all for the advice!!

Originally Posted by FaheyRolls

For buying, stay away from any classifieds seller who demands you only use paypal gift or check or money order. No one will protect you when/if that seller takes your money and either doesn't send you anything or sends you a guitar that was misrepresented.

Fahey, what payment methods are safer?

[Methos1979]

I've bought, sold and traded here on AGF probably 15 high-end ($2k plus) guitars over the past few years and each deal has been great. Make sure you communicate a LOT with a potential buyer or seller and trust your gut. If the person is evasive or seems not willing to go the extra mile then walk away to the next deal. There's always another deal that come along.

Lot's of people ask for Pay Pal gift as the seller because it's the seller that has to pay the fees. But as the buyer you should want the protections so what I do is agree on a price and then I'll add the small percentage to the final deal to pay for those protections. Some people will gladly split the cost of that extra.

Again, make sure you get a good vibe. I like to talk on the phone with people. To a person every deal I've done has been a guy just like me, a middle-aged regular guy that loves playing the acoustic guitar. Don't be offended by low-ball offers. You have to have a little bit of a thick skin to sell online. Posting a guitar you're selling with a 'firm' price is a waste of time. You'll still get low-ball offers. So pad your starting price a bit and know what you're willing to take. It's a game in some respects. Embrace it.

Reverb is good too although I have yet to sell a single guitar there. I find the people here much more knowledgeable and willing to make deals with buying, selling and trading guitars. I will not use ebay any more. In my opinion, AGF is the best for buying, selling and trading acoustic guitars.

Originally Posted by slice

Thank you all for the advice!!



Fahey, what payment methods are safer?

If you're buying via a private transaction with a stranger and not going through ebay or reverb, then I would recommend asking for a paypal merchant invoice from the seller and then paying that through your paypal account funded by your credit card. This entails a 3% fee.

[Blueser100]

Agree with others' comments. I have been a member here a long time and trust buying and selling to my fellow guitar nuts. Have often used Paypal but on smaller items folks have sent me checks.

Another thing is that when selling here, look for how many posts the buyer has and the nature of them. This gives folks a sense of who the buyer is and the level of involvement with our community. Same goes for sellers. I think it adds a level of trust.

[SFCRetired]

It's all a numbers game. I have some pretty nice guitars for sale here and I have had one inquiry. I have sold two in the past month on Reverb and one on Craigslist. The thing I see with AGF is most people here already have nice guitars and the market is not as large. More people will see your guitar on reverb and on ebay. But you have to get used to the watchers, and the low ballers, and people trying to tell you they quit putting black pick guards on HD28's in 94 and you have listed the wrong year on your guitar. yeah whatever dude, just go away.

I would much rather sell them here to avoid the fess associated with the other places, and it is possible, but it may or may not take longer. depends on what you have and what the asking price is. I use paypal myself but I have been 98% a buyer and make payment as soon as I hit the buy button. I haven't had any trouble with being a seller YET. Fingers crossed.

I will always list guitars here as well in the hopes it sells here. But you have to go where the people are and use multiple resources.

[DenverSteve]

The classifieds here is superb for the most part. I (not good for you) never buy from new people anywhere - Reverb, Ebay, AGF... unless they have a great history and/or verifiable reputation somewhere. Otherwise there needs to be some sort of purchase protection for me.

[slice]

I'm realizing that I am relatively naive and have a lot to learn. Face to face is so much easier and less risky... goods for cash on the spot, but online one has to consider safeguards and protection. Y'all have provided me with so much useful information... keep it coming, and thank you!

[NevadaPic]

Originally Posted by themissal

I buy and sell on classifieds often. Actually, it used to be where the ultimate sale came from (if I sell a guitar I list is on AGF, UMGF, and the Gibson forum). For me... This is no longer true. My last four guitars have sold on REVERB, where the buyers were not members of any of these forums.

So... Regarding AGF... By all means become a charter member. It's a great forum to support. List your guitars here too... But frankly, I have better luck selling on REVERB.

My sales used to be PayPal. Now they are REVERB direct checkout. Reverb credits my checking account as soon as I ship. Less fees, same protections, and customer service that is always there.

I will never ever deal eBay and PayPal again (and I had a perfect record there too)

My experience as well. It's a hard sell on the AGF anymore...

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by slice

Hello everyone,

I joined not too long ago and I'm planning to become a charter member in order to sell some of my guitars in the classifieds. I'm also interested in buying, and I'm looking for some advice to protect myself from fraud since I've never bought/sold online before.

Thanks

Selling:

As mentioned, use normal Paypal (not the gift option) to protect buyer and seller. Many folks provide a three day (or longer) approval period with right of return provided the buyer pays shipping and insurance both ways. Provide an accurate description of the item, use pictures, disclose issues, even ones that are no longer issues (e.g., expertly repaired side crack). In addition, provide measurements and specs so folks won't need to ask for them. For example, on a guitar I recently successfully sold here, I provided the following specs/measurements for the acoustic guitar being sold:

Back and sides: East Indian rosewood
Top: Sitka spruce
Fingerboard width at nut: 1 3/4”
Fingerboard width at 12th fret: 2 5/32”
String width at nut: 1 17/32”
String width at saddle: 2 7/32”
Bass side action at 12th fret: 6/64”
Treble side action at 12th fret: 4/64”
Relief at 7th fret: .005”
Saddle height bass side: 3/32”
Saddle height treble side: 5/64”
Neck shape: C - Medium profile
Scale length: 25.59” (650 mm)
Case: Original TKL hardshell flattop

Now, many folks won't care about some of those measurements, but some will.

Buying:

Check the sellers history here on AGF. Longtime members are a safer bet than a newbie.

[slice]

sdelsolray, you mentioned insurance... something I had not considered yet. How does that work... as a seller I purchase shipping insurance, inform the buyer and roll it into the asking price? And as a buyer, I request insurance and accept the additional charge at payment?

Should I, as a buyer, always request insurance from the seller even if it isn't offered in the sale? Not sure if anyone would know this, but is damage from shipping a frequent occurrence?

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by slice

sdelsolray, you mentioned insurance... something I had not considered yet. How does that work... as a seller I purchase shipping insurance, inform the buyer and roll it into the asking price? And as a buyer, I request insurance and accept the additional charge at payment?

Should I, as a buyer, always request insurance from the seller even if it isn't offered in the sale? Not sure if anyone would know this, but is damage from shipping a frequent occurrence?

When shipping expensive and delicate acoustic or classical guitars, even ones well packed in thick walled guitar boxes, I always provide insurance (as seller) or require insurance (as buyer). There's a whole rabbit hole topic about shippers, packing, insurance, damage claims, etc. Perhaps another thread.