Reverb Seller Antics?

[Torren61]

I don't know this to be a fact, I just know it's true, lol. I'm on Reverb scouting stuff and I see a guitar or amp or whatever and it looks like something I would want and under the "add to cart" and "message seller" buttons, there's a notification that says "Predicted to Sell Soon, 1 other person has this in their cart" and I realize that makes me want to snag it before they do. I even get a bit of satisfaction knowing that they WERE going to buy it but I bought it before they did and "you snooze, you lose".

So I have quite a few things in my "watch" list and some of those things have that notification. And those things have been in there for weeks. And then the light bulb lit over my head and I realized it may be a ploy designed for jerks like me. No buyer actually has that in their cart with intent to buy, it may be a shill trick. Hopefully, the longer I live the smarter I'm gonna get.

This one is my best example:

https://reverb.com/item/31921522-1999-gibson-sg-supreme-sunburst

I don't know for SURE that's what's going on with this but I believe it to be so. I've been watching this for three weeks,

 

[Mike Eskimo]

I have learned an awful lot since joining this forum.

Many , many things.

One of the biggest, obviously, due to how many times variations on this theme come up is :

Online commerce is not for everyone.

 

[Switchy]

I'm selling some stuff, and somebody has one of my pedals in the cart, but it still hasn't sold for days.

People are just weird, or don't know what they're doing. Also, tons of people are watching my stuff in general, but it still doesn't sell.

 

[drf64]

Would someone actually use psychological tricks to influence a sale? hmmmm...

 

[Recce]

Could be someone is trying to get their items sold or someone hasn’t hit buy. To easy to find a different item on Reverb to worry about it.

 

[joe_cpwe]

This week I just handed out 3 of 5 stars to a Reverb seller and somewhat negative leaning comments.

Pre-sale I asked him how much wire was left on the bridge pickup I was looking at buying...he said 'enough to wire it for bridge position'. Why not actual length? I found out when I got it because it was real short and turned out not to be long enough for me so I had to splice. Then he hosed up the shipping,,,which I won't get into,,,but it pissed me off.

Not a lot of money at stake, not a horrible experience, but enough not give give a 5 star rating and make me be that much more cautious with on line sales.

 

[Switchy]

Could be someone is trying to get their items sold or someone hasn’t hit buy. To easy to find a different item on Reverb to worry about it.

Doesn't Reverb remind you that you have something in your cart? I mean, eBay will keep hassling you if you do that.

 

[SixStringSlinger]

Virtually every online retailer does this. Go to any site, put something in your cart, leave the site and see how quickly you get an email about "Don't forget to complete your purchase!" or "Do you have any questions?" or even an offer of a discount.

Hell, with some you don't even have to put anything in your cart. Talk about bedsheets within a few feet of your phone and see how quick you get an email from Amazon about great new bedsheet deals.

 

[Shuster]

I too was looking around on Reverb for Empress pedals at decent prices, and noticed just like you,,, People are Pigs!!
I mean, do people even look at the pics they post?! One pedal had so much hair on it, you could have parted it! How do you expect to sell something, when it's that nasty

 

[tah1962]

I sold two amps on Reverb in the passed couple months. Both had the same message “predicted to sell soon, 1 other person has this in their cart”. One amp sold in 3 days, the other in 5 weeks.

 

[Toto'sDad]

I have learned an awful lot since joining this forum.

Many , many things.

One of the biggest, obviously, due to how many times variations on this theme come up is :

Online commerce is not for everyone.

From my general experience with online purchases, I'd have to say, I'd rather purchase a steam ship in the Mojave desert (then figure out how to get it home) that I could actually go look at, than to trust an online seller's description.

 

[rob2]

...other ones include "only 2 left " or "last one remaining"...you're like WTF,I'll have that,phew.....fact is virtually EVERYTHING can be found out there with patience...its a bit like the "Limited Edition" game....some ain't so limited......

 

[tah1962]

I too was looking around on Reverb for Empress pedals at decent prices, and noticed just like you,,, People are Pigs!!
I mean, do people even look at the pics they post?! One pedal had so much hair on it, you could have parted it! How do you expect to sell something, when it's that nasty

Sad but true. If they took the time to clean things up and take good pictures, and give accurate descriptions, they could probably get 10-15% more for the items they’re selling. I’ve been selling on eBay and Reverb since 2000 and still have 100%/5 star feedback rating. I underpromise and over deliver. It’s really a simple formula for success.

But hey, it takes all kinds to keep this world spinning.

 

[Texicaster]

I don't know this to be a fact, I just know it's true, lol. I'm on Reverb scouting stuff and I see a guitar or amp or whatever and it looks like something I would want and under the "add to cart" and "message seller" buttons, there's a notification that says "Predicted to Sell Soon, 1 other person has this in their cart" and I realize that makes me want to snag it before they do. I even get a bit of satisfaction knowing that they WERE going to buy it but I bought it before they did and "you snooze, you lose".

So I have quite a few things in my "watch" list and some of those things have that notification. And those things have been in there for weeks. And then the light bulb lit over my head and I realized it may be a ploy designed for jerks like me. No buyer actually has that in their cart with intent to buy, it may be a shill trick. Hopefully, the longer I live the smarter I'm gonna get.

This one is my best example:

https://reverb.com/item/31921522-1999-gibson-sg-supreme-sunburst

I don't know for SURE that's what's going on with this but I believe it to be so. I've been watching this for three weeks,

Kinda the same as the brick and mortar guy "yea there was a guy interested in it an hour ago and we won't get another for 6 months" tactics.....

 

[Nubs]

I know I put stuff in my Amazon cart when I plan on purchasing something later. That could mean a week, could be a month. And while they do have a feature to "Save for later", I find having items in my cart serves as a reminder I will be purchasing these things eventually.

Now obviously on Amazon you're not really competing with others to buy stuff, so yes there is a bit of psychology involved with the notification others have it in their carts.

Then again if you are selling something on Reverb and accept offers, those who are watching an item will get an email alert when someone has sent an offer to the seller. This is another psychological move on Reverb's part to get the product to sell. And to be quite honest, it can be used to your advantage to get your full asking price. Let me explain:

So someone sends you an offer for your item and let's say 10 other people are watching it. Those 10 people will get an email saying someone has an offer on the table for the item. There are times where someone else will swoop in before the offer timer expires (24 hours) and snag it for full price. So don't be so quick to reply to someone's offer. There are times where it can sell for full price.

 

[Toto'sDad]

A guy in Nashville sold me a five string banjo with a broken neck about fifteen years ago. I'm 99% sure the neck was broken when it went out for shipment. When it arrived, I filed a claim almost immediately with the carrier ( I'm not sure you can still do that, but it was okay at the time). The carrier picked up the banjo the next morning and when the guy got it back he went to file a claim, and found out I had beat him to the punch! He called me, and tried to complain to me about my filing a claim. I told him that I thought it was going to just put too much pressure on his character if he had the banjo back, my money, and the insurance money! He hung up. I got the money, took about a month, but I'm figuring I got awfully lucky. As Mike Eskimo says, online buying isn't for everyone.

I have since bought a few things online, one was another dud, the guy flat out lied about the description. I was wrapped up in a business deal, and just put it aside, and didn't even register a complaint. I finally sold the item for about half of what I had in it. When I buy something online now, I never give any more for it, than I'm willing to outright lose. That way, I can't be disappointed.

 

[kuvash]

From my general experience with online purchases, I'd have to say, I'd rather purchase a steam ship in the Mojave desert (then figure out how to get it home) that I could actually go look at, than to trust an online seller's description.

Too late buddy I already bought it,so there.

 

[Chud]

I have things in various carts for months at a time. Musicians Friend sends me emails about my ABANDONED CART every few days. Lol

 

[Toto'sDad]

Too late buddy I already bought it,so there.

Yea, and I guess you got it on the credit TOO!

 

[Lawdawg]

I'm sure there are some sellers who do this, but honestly after dealing with eBay for many years before Reverb I am almost entirely immune to those messages. Unless it's an item that is genuinely rare and at a price I genuinely want to pay, I just don't care. Most of the time it'll still be there in a week, and if someone does snatch it up, good for them, the same thing is almost certain to come up for sale in another few months.