Ebay question

[mkotcher]

First time caller, long time listener.

I fell in love with a 2011 deluxe telecaster and sold everything I had to pay for it including a Les Paul Studio and a Texas strat HHS.

So I get an email from the buyer of the strat that says two strings are buzzing like crazy. This strat was mint, I just bought it in January. Played with my band, etc, no complaints, not a word.

He says he got it and made some adjustments himself. That didn't work so he gave it to his guitar tech. That guy couldn't fix it. Really?!? This is a 2011 and he said it arrived mint.

So now two guys have made adjustments including intonation, strings, etc. I told him I would have preferred he let me know when he received it there was a problem before he started making adjustments. Now he's shipping it back in who knows what shape, but certainly not how it arrived. I take returns but now this guy is royally pissed, threatening, etc.

I let him know if it arrives in the same working order as it was shipped, he'd get his money back. How nice can I be, what more can I do? Did two people jack with this guitar beyond repair? Was it damaged in shipment? Buyers remorse? (he's a first time ebayer btw). My profile is 100% clean.

Would a guitar tech not be able to fix something? Is this bs? This dude is ANGRY, perhaps using intimidation as a weapon.

Btw, I love love love my deluxe.

Thoughts are appreciated.

[dented]

Sometimes you have to let a guitar sit after shipping due to temperature changes and such. It is best to let it assimilate itself to temp and humidity until you start messing with it. This has happened to me before where I thought I was ripped off. I let the guitar sit a day and half and it ended up being just fine.

If it is being shipped back bite the bullet and move on. This buyer sounds like he wants to ruin your day. Just make sure he hasn't swapped out any parts. Keep your 100% and move on. Make sure what you get back is the same thing you sent them.

[harold h]

Dont let him intimidate you. Ebay has changed a lot and a first time buyer has no
clout with them. They will require you to refund him, once you do you will be ok.
If he leaves you nasty feedback, call them and explain you refunded him, he has no feedback,etc. They will probably remove it.

[Joe-Bob]

Lots of times, this is just a scam to get you to refund some of the money.

Besides, strings almost always buzz at least a little bit.

[czook]

Originally Posted by harold h

Dont let him intimidate you. Ebay has changed a lot and a first time buyer has no
clout with them. They will require you to refund him, once you do you will be ok.
If he leaves you nasty feedback, call them and explain you refunded him, he has no feedback,etc. They will probably remove it.

I don't see in the OP that the buyer was a first time ebayer. I would open a resolution case if it gets nasty. Do not refund until you have the money. Once you cancel the sale after the refund, If you do not follow the steps you will still end up paying a sellers fee. I dont think he can leave feedback once it is refunded. You can protest any negative feedback, but unless he agrees it will stand.

[dsutton24]

Would a guitar tech not be able to fix something? Is this bs?

Nah, that's nonsense. As long as the trussrod is intact, the guitar should set up so that it doesn't buzz. All the things that cause buzz -- back bow, low action, broken or low nut slots, etc. are easily repairable. Heck, in the hands of even a reasonably competent tech a broken trussrod isn't the kiss of death.

The most common cause of buzz I see in technicianized guitars is low action. Some of these guys must be afraid of calluses or something. Or, the guy may be using some weird de-tuned open tuning nonsense. I'd bet the guy is just a flake.

My advice would be to not stress about it until you get the thing back. If it's intact, refund his money and don't look back. Hopefully you can produce pictures of the guitar that document its condition at the time of sale, that will help your case if you have to file a complaint.

[TeleTim911]

I agree, he probably pulled it out and started playing it without letting it get used to the new atmosphere. Then he started tweaking on it (and probably didn't know what he was doing since he took it to a "tech"-whoever that may be).

Just get your guitar back, make sure it's in the same shape as sent with the same parts (watch those pickups especially), and then just refund his money. Be done with him. Some people exist on Ebay only to make others miserable (I've dealt with a few, that's why I no longer sell on there).

Sell on CL...face to face, cash only.

[soulman969]

It's not uncommon for a guitar shipped across the country to need to adapt to where it is from where it's been. That's a pretty common thing here in the dry climates out west. So the need to do a new setup is pretty common I would think. We often need to do far more out here.

String buzz? Maybe a problem with the nut or maybe it's just the action that needs and adjustment. Since it played fine for you before you shipped it my guess is that it needed a setup. This is where starts to get smelly. Maybe he's not much of a tech himself but if neither he nor his tech could diagnose and fix that problem then that tech is no tech either.

Your buyer got the right to inspect it to see that is was what it was as represented to be before deciding to return it and you should have exactly that same right upon it's return. What merchant accepts returns without preserving the right to inspect the return to see if it was actually what they sold? That's a pretty standard business practice where I'm from.

His impatience, his anger and his threats make me immediately suspicious that what he's returning is not 100% what you shipped or at the very least not in the same condition as it was when you shipped it. You've offered him a full refund upon return and inspection provided you got back all of what you shipped basic condition of the instrument included.

In my book you're doing the right thing and that's exactly what I'd be doing myself under the same circumstances. Good Luck!

[mkotcher]

Thanks everyone. Very helpful. This forum is awesome.

Mark

[Mike Eskimo]

All other info is useless but this :

When you sell on Ebay you have to be prepared to do full refunds for any reason.

You don't have any choice in the matter - but they let you think you do by having you specify whether you take returns or not .

And , sorry to say, Ebay has a documented history of letting "negs" stand even after you voluntarily gave the customer a full refund.


Obviously none of this is right/fair but - it's reality, so you have to go in w/ that understanding.

[PapaBeef]

I sold a mandolin on the e bay a few years ago.
It was brand spankin new.
I got it as a closeout item & decided I didn't need it. So I sold it.
Still had the original strings & all the protective plastic film still on it.
I sold it as is & stated that no returns would be accepted.
So the guy who buys it contacts me & says he can't get the intonation right.
He says he adjusted the truss rod & tried making several other adjustments & wasn't able to get it right.
The mando had a movable bridge. And even if it moved during shipping when the strings were loose it was easy enough to move it back where it belonged.
Also, I must point out that this was in December. And the guy admitted to taking it out of the case right away 7 starting to mess with the truss rod.
I just reminded him that I would not accept returns & the sale was as is. And since I knew for a fact there was nothing wrong with the mandolin when I sent it, if he didn't know what he was doing he should probably take it to someone who does before he ruins it. And that was the end of that.