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

[cooper59]

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.

^^^^^^ i agree paypal gift means you have no protection.stay away from them. my take is diff. i have did 300 trans on eBay with about 20 guitars and never 1 problem. did 2 here . 1 was good and the other was a nightmare. but i would still buy here but do a lot more checking or preferably in person.

[MrDB]

I've not experienced any issues with PayPal. I linked my PP account to a bank account, once I receive notice the payment has cleared I can transfer to the bank before I ship the guitar.

Possibly others have had PP issues. Naturally when you are dealing with nameless and faceless creatures on the internet there is caution that all of us have.

Be as transparent as possible. If someone inquires about your guitar, respond with as much information as you can. I always include my cell when responding so a buyer/seller can contact me and get a little more comfortable who they are dealing with.

Golden Rule applies, in other words.

[PieterK]

Things to watch out for in classifieds?

Banjos.

Watch out for banjos.

They've got a vicious streak a mile wide. They're killers.

[ewalling]

Be careful also of sellers who try to pass their Paypal fees onto you!

Oh yes, and when it says a guitar has only been played for half an hour, that means the guitar was either so crap the seller didn't want to play it, or he's lying!

[MrMartyr]

Watch out for 1950s Gibsons in "seductive pelham blue".

[GraceMusik]

Originally Posted by ewalling

Oh yes, and when it says a guitar has only been played for half an hour, that means the guitar was either so crap the seller didn't want to play it, or he's lying!

Yes, but remember, one man's crap is another man's keeper

[Montesdad]

Originally Posted by GraceMusik

Yes, but remember, one man's crap is another man's keeper

That is true, none of the guitars that I currently own did I acquire as new from a dealer.
All were preowned and passed along

[GraceMusik]

Originally Posted by Montesdad

That is true, none of the guitars that I currently own did I acquire as new from a dealer.
All were preowned and passed along

For sure. And of course there are plenty of other reasons for people to sell little-played guitars other than that they didn't like them. Lots of people have more guitars than they know what to do with because they're constantly buying/selling/trading. Perhaps it's a guitar they bought, but while it was en route another guitar arrived that they got attached to, then they decided to sell the other to justify keeping this one, etc. etc. We're spoiled to have so many great guitars on the market! I've never been much of a cynic when it comes to the things people say in their ad, because I certainly understand how these things go in addition to everything being so subjective.

[mattcran]

Originally Posted by PieterK

Things to watch out for in classifieds?

Banjos.

Watch out for banjos.

They've got a vicious streak a mile wide. They're killers.

Start out with a "banjo killer" and you'll be protected. They're usually pretty plentiful in the classifieds.

[islandguitar]

When purchasing, I find it helpful to get a sense of how experienced the seller is with fully packing the guitar correctly and safely. Years ago when I first sold a guitar to a very experienced buyer, he had some great suggestions as we talked it through which of course I built into my process. Makes for a little more ease as the guitar makes its way to the new owner.

[The Growler]

Just watch out for your wallet.

[Fatstrat]

My advice which may already been covered. ASK QUESTIONS. There's several reasons for this. 1st. You want to find out about the guitar. 2nd, you want to find out how much the seller knows about the guitar and guitars in general. Unknowledgeable sellers often unintentionally misrepresent condition. 3rd. To see how willing the seller is to communicate with you. If they won't communicate to sell the guitar, it's a safe bet that they won't after the sale and a problem arises. HUGE RED FLAG. IMO No reply means WALK AWAY!
Beyond that you really gotta up on guitar conditions and the structural problems to look for. And TAKE YOUR TIME inspecting it. Just last December I bought a local classified guitar in a cold dimly lit evening parking lot. And missed a problem that would've caused me to pass if I had seen it. It happens.

[Carmel Cedar]

I've done two dozen deals in 3 years on AGF (buying, selling, trading). Not one issue, and made some wonderful friends in the process. And learned a LOT - about guitars, and guitar playing.

As others have said - they key is communication. If seller is active on AGF, check out their history. Posts, sales, etc. stays on the forum, so you can size them up and assess their reputation. And, in addition, ALWAYS talk to them on the phone. Your gut will tell you if they seem like solid people. Triangulating between AGF history and live discussion de-risks you more than paypal or any other mechanical protection. If you're dealing with a good person with integrity, things will go well. If you're dealing with a scheyster, you might be protected by the paypals of the world, but even them, a jerk can find ways to make it a bad experience. Best policy is to vet the person - you're 80% of the way to a good transaction by doing so.

A side benefit - if you develop trust with your seller/buyer, you can skip paypal entirely. I do most of my transactions without it, and save both parties the 3% fee. Some sellers on AGF have even shipped me a guitar just on my word - before they even got a check in the mail. Talk about trust!

Those are my thoughts - 24 transactions and 3 years into a wonderful journey with this community.

[J Patrick]

...from the buyers perspective....method of payment is not a big deal....and whether or not a buyer covers paypal fees and or shipping is not a big deal either....they're just part of the transaction...what is important is buying from a seller who has a proven record of sales...you want to know who you're buying from....nothing wrong with asking for references...due diligence is on the buyer...

...from the sellers perspective...its gonna be tough as a first time seller because you have no history...no way i'm buying a guitar from you without some sort of reference unless its an inexpensive instrument and at a crazy low price....then i might take a chance.....best to build a feedback profile on either ebay or reverb before trying to sell on a forum like AGF...if you cant do that you will have to find a way to convince a buyer that you're on the level...

[Slinky]

Guitars!