Ebay at its best!

Bridgehouse

The seller is a business seller - his account with eBay is business and thus he has to offer 14 day returns. I was tempted to say he should have just said 'no returns' which of course you can do on a private sale. But he doesn't get that choice. 

Paul_C

Bridgehouse said:

The seller is a business seller - his account with eBay is business and thus he has to offer 14 day returns. I was tempted to say he should have just said 'no returns' which of course you can do on a private sale. But he doesn't get that choice. 

I'm not sure that's true.

Sporky

You can say it.

eBay and Paypal may well disagree.

Bridgehouse

You can set your returns policy to 'no returns'.

Its different if it's an eBay or Paypal dispute though - they treat 'goods not as advertised/broken' and 'I've changed my mind' differently.

For a business seller you can change your mind. For a private seller you need to show its not as advertised or broken etc..

Chalky

Puts on tin hat, prepares to run and says "Real buyers don't ask questions"..... 

bobliefeld

KrisGee said:

Maynehead said:

How exactly did you ask the question to get a reaction like that?

I was very polite at first. He had no clue how to measure the neck depth at the first fret, when I asked him to do it for me he came back with a 11cm (!) result. So I've sent him a neck comparison chart and he still wasn't able to tell me the profile. Eventually I did the job myself, did a bit of research and the neck turned out to be 60s slim tapered - what I wanted.
All that only to find out that he's blocked me, which made me lose my nerve. I gave him the missing info, called him a retard and moved on to next auction.

Anyway, have fun lads:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142150792654

Btw, his item description says: "any questions, please ask"

TBH I can understand why he'd block you, although it's a bit nuclear option.  If someone was asking me to measure stuff, saying my measurements are wrong and sending me charts, etc I wouldn't want to deal with them.  You requests are reasonable but if the guy doesn't really know anything about this sort of thing then it's more trouble than it's worth.  He's thinking next you'll want to know the weight or have pics of the control cavity..

Voxman

OK, for what it's worth here's my two cents worth.  Unlike buying a guitar from a store or person, where you can see, play, and hear it and talk directly, EBay provides only limited information in the form of photos and auction text information.  

The auction seller should therefore be expected firstly try to give as much info specific to the item as is practical - this might include a link (or pasted in specific model details) from the manufacturer - that will give spec info on weight, dimensions, p/up switching options, body & neck woods/type etc etc to those that want it.  Lazy sellers at outset may have to work harder later.  

• If you're looking to bid and there's further information that you'd like to know relevant to the guitar and before you bid, in my book you're entitled to ask it and indeed it's prudent to do so - it's your hard earned wonga! I don't care whether it's asking p/ups, neck radius, width at the nut, weight, wood type or whatever.  If it's important to you, you want to know the answer if possible.  
• If you're the seller, you want to co-operate and be seen as helpful & friendly to attract bids and be seen as a 'straight' good ebayer. Any reasonable seller should therefore be prepared from outset to do their reasonable best to answer queries - if they want to sell gear, they should be as helpful as reasonably possible to encourage the prospect to bid. 
• If you want more pics or clearer pics, sellers should add these - the buyer can only see what you show him.  Some sellers go to great lengths to take good clear helpful photos - others don't - if you're not happy with the pics and the seller doesn't provide better, you might prefer not to bid.  
• If requests start to be unreasonable relative to the guitar e.g. on a (non-vintage) Strat they want you to dismantle the pickguard to see inside, simply say you're not familiar with doing this and don't want to risk damaging the guitar, or that it's too fiddly & you don't have the time to do so. 
• If you're the seller and don't know the answer, simply say sorry but you don't know politely.  
• Blocking someone for asking a reasonable question is churlish and stupid - you could be losing your potential highest bidder, or someone who's prepared to bid and start raising the ante on bids even if they subsequently don't increase their bid.
• To save repeat questions, sellers can post answers they give for other bidders to see - including 'don't know' responses - that way less repeat questions will be asked and/or you can refer them to previous answer.
• If you post you don't know something, someone else looking at the auction might know and tell you, which you can again post (caveating as appropriate that info from someone else) and might help attract bidders
• If you're selling something, put yourself in the position of the potential bidder.  
• If you get a stupid question that genuinely has nothing to with the auction, don't get upset or waste time - just ignore it.  

Sassafras

Neck depth isn't the easiest thing to measure.
Supposing his measurements are 1 mm out?
Now you've got an excuse to open a case for a refund due to an incorrect listing.

WezV

Sassafras said:

Neck depth isn't the easiest thing to measure.
Supposing his measurements are 1 mm out?
Now you've got an excuse to open a case for a refund due to an incorrect listing.

This is true, most peoples description of neck shape are also unreliable.

I now give accurate measurements and a profile drawing.  its still pretty meaningless compared to actually playing the neck

Chalky

@Voxman - You talk like the buyer is a customer and the seller is a shop. That's a fundamental misunderstanding. The buyer is doing the seller no favours by buying the gear. The seller is not desperate to sell.

For all my Ebay sales, apart from contact details and address to pick the item up, final buyers have not asked questions (with one exception).

Voxman

Chalky said:

@Voxman - You talk like the buyer is a customer and the seller is a shop. That's a fundamental misunderstanding. The buyer is doing the seller no favours by buying the gear. The seller is not desperate to sell.

Nobody said anything about desperation! But it is not dissimilar to a shop because you only put something on Ebay if you're looking to sell it.  Principal is the same...ebay assumes a willing buyer and a willing seller. If you want a min price you put on a reserve or make it buy it now. Shop sells items at a set price with possible room for some reduction. Only difference is that shops sell as a business whereas individuals usually choose to sell...but sometimes a private sale is driven by financial need. 
.

DLM

Voxman said:

 Principal is the same...

I have to agree: http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/skinner wenger.jpg

Modellista

Chalky said:

@Voxman - You talk like the buyer is a customer and the seller is a shop. That's a fundamental misunderstanding. The buyer is doing the seller no favours by buying the gear.

A bizarre assertion.  Look above - this seller has a business account, therefore is a professional trader, an online shop, if you like.  Clearly this is a customer-shop relationship.  And in business, personal favours don't come into it anyway - the money is the "favour".

Voxman

modellista said:

Chalky said:

@Voxman - You talk like the buyer is a customer and the seller is a shop. That's a fundamental misunderstanding. The buyer is doing the seller no favours by buying the gear.

A bizarre assertion.  Look above - this seller has a business account, therefore is a professional trader, an online shop, if you like.  Clearly this is a customer-shop relationship.  And in business, personal favours don't come into it anyway - the money is the "favour".

Excellent point! 

Chalky

Voxman said:

modellista said:

Chalky said:

@Voxman - You talk like the buyer is a customer and the seller is a shop. That's a fundamental misunderstanding. The buyer is doing the seller no favours by buying the gear.

A bizarre assertion.  Look above - this seller has a business account, therefore is a professional trader, an online shop, if you like.  Clearly this is a customer-shop relationship.  And in business, personal favours don't come into it anyway - the money is the "favour".

Excellent point! 

Er, no. Read @Voxman's long post and he is talking generically about Ebay sellers, not Ebay business sellers and not the original OP seller.

Voxman

Chalky said:

Voxman said:

modellista said:

Chalky said:

@Voxman - You talk like the buyer is a customer and the seller is a shop. That's a fundamental misunderstanding. The buyer is doing the seller no favours by buying the gear.

A bizarre assertion.  Look above - this seller has a business account, therefore is a professional trader, an online shop, if you like.  Clearly this is a customer-shop relationship.  And in business, personal favours don't come into it anyway - the money is the "favour".

Excellent point! 

Er, no. Read @Voxman's long post and he is talking generically about Ebay sellers, not Ebay business sellers and not the original OP seller.

Yes, my post was generic - I just meant it was an excellent point re that particular EBay seller!

Dave_Mc

Chalky said:

For all my Ebay sales, apart from contact details and address to pick the item up, final buyers have not asked questions (with one exception).

How do you know they didn't buy because they didn't like your answers?

Chalky

Dave_Mc said:

Chalky said:

For all my Ebay sales, apart from contact details and address to pick the item up, final buyers have not asked questions (with one exception).

How do you know they didn't buy because they didn't like your answers?

True, but they are mostly weight, neck shape and fretwear. Though one did ask what is the back story behind the guitar!

Dave_Mc

LOL

To be fair, those things you mentioned could well (legitimately) put people off.