How Can You Trust Buying an Acoustic Guitar On Ebay?

[dylanheeg]

the risk is very minimal if you are careful and do your homework

also, the risk is negated by the ridiculously low prices you can find on ebay....dealers can't touch the deals you can find on ebay if you are patient and know where to look

[stream]

My advice would be to carefully read through feedback and look for examples of other music-related sales - preferably guitars similar to what you're looking for. Individuals can offer good deals and be "good" sellers, but I find that dealers tend to be more reliable, and are almost always more willing to back up a sale and provide good customer service. Plus, most dealers realize that if they're selling on eBay, their prices need to be more competitive than the price tags in their physical stores, because they're competing with the entire online marketplace.

Second, look for some specifics, and gauge whether they seem to know the type of instruments they sell. If it says "Hey, this is a 714ce, go to Taylor's website for specs, happy bidding!" then you probably won't want to deal with them. Make sure there's a specific mention of cosmetic condition, and whether the guitar has any repairs or structural issues. "This guitar is in great shape" followed by a quick change of subject usually means there are a few dings that you'll discover on your own

Third, I would recommend funding any PayPal purchase with a credit card. If you never receive the guitar, don't count on PayPal coming to your aid. Your credit card will be much more likely to be on your side.

[stratokatsu]

Electrics, yes... Acoustics, never.

I've learned enough about electric construction and wiring that I'll grab a cheap electric and build it into something decent occasionally... (I'm up to 70% at grabbing the correct end of the soldering gun now!), and I'll shim a neck, cut a new nut, do other adjustments...

On the other hand, my acoustics are what really give me pleasure and I'm scared to work on the good ones myself.

[lossforgain]

I have bought one Taylor off ebay, and the only reason I didn't keep it was because I discovered that Ovangkol wasn't the tone I liked. Great guitar.

That being said, I have had good success with buying both guitar and drum gear on ebay. My reasoning is this: if I am (and those bidding against me are) willing to pay "X" for this piece, then I can turn around and sell it for about the same if it's not the right thing for me. That is, assuming there isn't any undisclosed damage.

Cymbals are great for this -- buying them new in a drum shop, you might get them for half of MSRP, but on ebay they are 20-40% of MSRP. So as long as it's not cracked, buy it, try it, and sell it again for the same if you don't like it.

[pkang]

dont buy guitars online that says, Taylor Serial number: 1998XXXXXXXXXXX or any 19XXXXXXXXXXXX

why cant people photoshop right?

[lossforgain]

Originally Posted by pkang

dont buy guitars online that says, Taylor Serial number: 1998XXXXXXXXXXX or any 19XXXXXXXXXXXX

why cant people photoshop right?

LOL! Too true.

[beachbum205]

Like most things in life, there are trade-offs.

I have bought and sold dozens of guitars on eBay with very few problems. As others have said, you just have to be patient, have plenty of contact with the seller, do your research, and take your chances. The few guitars I have purchased on ebay that I didn't like, I sold on eBay for about the same price I paid for them, so for me, it was well worth the risk.

The other option is to pay 2 to 4 times as much for the same instrument and buy it new. I guess if you are certain that you are going to keep the guitar forever and hand it down to your kids or grandkids, that might be the way to go. But if you think you might eventually want to sell it (like me), that you should always buy used IMHO, and you won't lose a huge part of your initial investment when you sell.

Just my 2 cents.

[TheTaylor310]

My one and only eBay Taylor purchase was done 7 years ago and i bought a 310. It was for a substantially cheap price and whilst the guitar was pretty used, there weren't any particular physical damage or blemish

i consider myself lucky as the transaction went without a hitch (the seller had actually drove two hours to deliver it to me - i didn't drive back then!) and the guitar itself was a true gem, to my ears/eyes. i really loved that 310 and was sad when it got stolen

To each his own, but we should be happy that there's more than one method of buying that guitar we want... and also to sell the guitar we don't want anymore!

[steamfurnace]

I agree with the posters who say if the price is very reasonable, you can always re-sell it for what you have in it. I have bought several electrics on eBay and they were all great. I bought a used Tak acoustic electric, that turned out to be better than I expected. It was described as having two cracks in the top, so the price was dirt cheap. I figured I could have my luthier friend fix it cheaply enough. Turned out they were finish cracks only, so a little finish touch up is all that was required. Stick with sellers with 100 positive feedback and buy with Paypal, and I think your risks are minimized.

[sharkydude50]

1. Get it from a seller with a lot of sales and positive feedback.
2. Ask for a sound clip of the guitar
3. Get, in writing, a return policy- stating the terms of payment (who pays the shipping which way) and how long the return policy is good for (examination period).

I got my Fall Ltd. 814e off the bay, used & unplayed, and also my travel Alvarez (new-from a reputable Power Seller), but I am done with them at this point.

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by denny1948golf

Whenever I've sold on the guitar forums (not ebay), I have given the buyer three days for return at his expense. As long as the guitar comes back in the same condition I sent it, I'll refund the money. When buying, I'd want the same arrangements with the seller.

I agree with this. As a buyer, I'm willing to absorb the shipping fees if it turns out I don't like the guitar.

[Taylorplayer]

How Can You Trust Buying an Acoustic Guitar On Ebay?

In my opinion (with my own experiences going back about 8 years) you basically can't. By that I mean, you can pretty much expect problems (these days).

The only way to be sure is to have full trust in the seller. Otherwise, it's very easy to get shafted.

Sad but all to often true.

[rosewoodsteel]

Originally Posted by emmonsh

my only problem ever online was on these forums[which i now wont do anymore]/ ebay has their reputation and paypal has their security. on these forums their is nothing built in to help you. i have bout about 4 guitars and sold 6 on ebay and never 1 problem. there are a lot of great people here and honest but there is still no recourse if you have problems.

Neither Ebay nor paypal will look out for your best interests, PERIOD.

That said, regardless of where you buy, you must ask all of the right questions and ask for pictures of everything that concerns you.
I would also talk to the seller on the phone and do a reverse phone search to verify his/her address.
Imo, this will weed out most (not all) bad transactions.

[TwoMartinMan]

I agree that, basically, it is a crap shoot. Having said that, I have bought (and sold) many guitars on ebay and have only purchased one that I would call a dud. I soon sold it to someone who was very happy to have it. With that sole exception, the guitars I have purchased have varied in quality from good to excellent...most in the very good range. Maybe I have just been lucky. All you really have to go on is the quality of the photos, the reputation of the seller, and the answers to any questions you ask. After that, it is up to a certain amount of luck.
As long as you go into it knowing and accepting that, you can sleep at night...and maybe come away with a nice guitar at a good price. I have, many times.

[HHP]

One point about Ebay. Often, you can find the model you want there that may never show up at any store you could reasonably get to to try it. The guitars I've gotten off Ebay would never have turned up within 300 miles of where I live.