Rough Reverb Ride

[Rich Cohen]

As I've remarked before another thread.....A California buyer of my F-47 found the neck "too small." "There's one born every moment." Am I saying somethin' about CA buyers? Yes! I think Richard Peterson would agree. He doesn't like'em.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

If you can get both your hands around his neck, it's not too small.

 

[Guildedagain]

^ I love this forum ;] ^

So I called the shop in question to find out who this guy was, they don't know him, and I said do you remember the guitar, "a Sunburst Strat with lots of checking" and the person says "Ohhhh I don't know that was like 100 guitars ago"

I sez, do you have a serial number, notes?

Nope, nada.

But then says, "I think the pot dates were", so I'm like "You had the pickguard off, the neck of and tweaked on the TR"?

Buyer told me "nothing was done to it at all", they just magically knew there was a TR/neck issue, which I still don't believe.

I'm looking forward to having it back.

Weird ride.

 

[Guildedagain]

And this is Reverb's stance on how and when the buyer - who's not a buyer anymore - gets a refund, it seems the bar is set pretty low.

Delivered is all they need to know. Could be kindling in the box, but non buyer gets money back even after just a delivery attempt, whoa!


"Once delivered or the first delivery attempt is made, the refund will be processed."


Technically, they're full of it here. It's a like a kangaroo court. Saying the guitar is "not as described" because I didn't describe something that wasn't there doesn't mean the guitar was "not as described".

I think Judge Judy would have my back on this.

Defective, maybe, but not as described doesn't doesn't accurately describe the issue.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Defective, maybe, but not as described doesn't doesn't accurately describe the issue.

Remember that "as described" also refers to what's selected in the Condition field: Like new, Excellent, Good, and so on.

That's pretty subjective, right? I always downgrade. Like, if I think the item I'm selling is like new, I choose Excellent.

But some people upgrade. That's where a lot of problems begin.

 

[Guildedagain]

I don't believe mint even exists, except in the minds of people with poorer eyesight than mine.

Excellent, nope, too much emphasis on cosmetics.

Very Good, that's the category I choose.

So, very middle of the road category.

The thing is, how do you describe a brand new Fender Custom Shop Relic covered in dings?

If you never played it, then the condition would be "Mint" on a guitar that comes scratched and beat up on purpose.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I don't believe mint even exists, except in the minds of people with poorer eyesight than mine. . . .

Sure it does. If the packaging has never been opened, it's mint.

Of course, most guitars aren't sold in their original packaging. They're out of the box and on the rack. They're not mint. If they're still clean and unblemished, they're like new.

Unfortunately, too many people think mint means like new or even just excellent. It doesn't. I never trust a seller who says mint — unless, of course, the seller also says it's still in its unopened package.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

. . . The thing is, how do you describe a brand new Fender Custom Shop Relic covered in dings? . . .

"Silly."

 

[Guildedagain]

I used to be important enough to hang out at the local Gibson dealer, back before they had enough of Gibson wanting a shop to buy $100k a year in sometimes defective guitars, and while there once got to see them open up a Custom Shop Special order LP in a special order color, and it had some kind of gross boo boo to the top, I heard the top guy there saying "the customer is never going to go for that".

And that was mint in box, unopened.

 

[Guildedagain]

The latest news, it will be back here Monday, and if I'm reading what Reverb said correctly, if I miss the UPS driver - I mean, this is not impossible - they will issue a refund while the guitar is still riding around in the truck, all they have to do is attempt.

And so I wanted clarification from the Cust. Service help on this, total silence.

The Cust Service is as slippery as the buyer who refused to admit someone took the guitar apart and reefed on the TR nut.

One attempt and it's a refund.

If parts are missing or have been swapped out it's on you?

I dunno what's up with Reverb's help but did tell him at the $3k price point, I'm in no mood to get scammed.

Not only that, it's like someone returning a bride after the wedding. I feel like my guitar has been defiled, just really went to the wrong person.

He said it all started because he couldn't play harmonics at the 5th fret, because of "a bow" in the neck.

I don't know if he changed strings, anything.

We never talked about strings, what if he was an SRV fan and put 13's on it?

No clue, or on the packing, or anything.

It just reeks of weird and this is weird too.

So Reverb won't take the money out of my bank account, for two weeks, they put your account in a negative balance and your sales can pay it off or they will take it. Effin weird.

I don't want that money in my account, I can't spend it anyway and it looks like taxable income.

I don't know if Reverb reverses your selling fees, I think I heard they keep it?

Are we being charged tax on shipping of items, tax on the total amount including shipping?

That's another question I need answered.

 

[fronobulax]

Sure it does. If the packaging has never been opened, it's mint.

Of course, most guitars aren't sold in their original packaging. They're out of the box and on the rack. They're not mint. If they're still clean and unblemished, they're like new.

Unfortunately, too many people think mint means like new or even just excellent. It doesn't. I never trust a seller who says mint — unless, of course, the seller also says it's still in its unopened package.

I wonder how much "mint" as applied to a guitar owes to a "mint" stamp or coin?

Unlike other collectibles, a mint stamp may be in poor condition but still be regarded as being in mint state as long as it is apparently unused.

We often confuse descriptions of condition with other attributes of an instrument.

If you and I walk into a guitar store and I buy a guitar that is sold as new that is a reasonable description. But if I immediately sell that instrument to you without even taking possession of it, calling it "new" is misleading even though the condition remains unchanged.

 

[jp]

Man that bites GA! So much so that it makes me angry , especially the fact that Reverb refuses to acknowledge that they got taken as well by this dirt bag. On top of that, it took your sleuthing to figure out what really happened, something their CSR should have done!

If I were you, I would craft a carefully worded email pointing this fact out to them and voicing your disappointment. To a customer service manager, this is way more valuable to improving their customer service than the lame boilerplate surveys that are always sent out. I also suspect that you're not the only one this has happens to. Scammers always find the cracks in the system, and Reverb should be grateful to you that you debunked the situation and found a flaw.

Hope your Strat arrives in salvageable condition!

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

The latest news, it will be back here Monday, and if I'm reading what Reverb said correctly, if I miss the UPS driver - I mean, this is not impossible - they will issue a refund while the guitar is still riding around in the truck, all they have to do is attempt.

And so I wanted clarification from the Cust. Service help on this, total silence.

The Cust Service is as slippery as the buyer who refused to admit someone took the guitar apart and reefed on the TR nut.

One attempt and it's a refund.

If parts are missing or have been swapped out it's on you?

I dunno what's up with Reverb's help but did tell him at the $3k price point, I'm in no mood to get scammed.

Not only that, it's like someone returning a bride after the wedding. I feel like my guitar has been defiled, just really went to the wrong person.

He said it all started because he couldn't play harmonics at the 5th fret, because of "a bow" in the neck.

I don't know if he changed strings, anything.

We never talked about strings, what if he was an SRV fan and put 13's on it?

No clue, or on the packing, or anything.

It just reeks of weird and this is weird too.

So Reverb won't take the money out of my bank account, for two weeks, they put your account in a negative balance and your sales can pay it off or they will take it. Effin weird.

I don't want that money in my account, I can't spend it anyway and it looks like taxable income.

I don't know if Reverb reverses your selling fees, I think I heard they keep it?

Are we being charged tax on shipping of items, tax on the total amount including shipping?

That's another question I need answered.

Truly weird! Bummer!

 

[Guildedagain]

It's weird, how many times I held that guitar, a little sun shining on it, the vintage details and checking were mind blowing.

It's always felt super blessed to have it, as in how did I ever pull off finding a guitar like this.

 

[jp]

It's weird, how many times I held that guitar, a little sun shining on it, the vintage details and checking were mind blowing.

It's always felt super blessed to have it, as in how did I ever pull off finding a guitar like this.

It sounds like this is karma telling you that you should never let that one go again once it returns home.

 

[Guildedagain]

Yeah, maybe.

I was selling a little BMW 320i I'd been fixing up.

Guy came over to look at it. Car absolutely refused to start.

He left and the car started.

 

[Guildedagain]

Waited all day for UPS driver, website finally admitted they weren't coming by 6:19pm with a 7pm window.

Probably because it was blizzarding all day, supposed to be down - 14º with windchill for the next couple days.

Glad they gave up, conditions out there are turning deadly.

 

[Guildedagain]

Actually, Edit that.

The UPS truck drove through after I wrote this, newbie on board, couldn't find the package shed that is right on the main road, where I would have had to meet him in pitch black and blowing winds.

So then he comes back through in the opposite directions at 6:59, driving slow - clearly a sign of being lost for a UPS driver - and I flashed my DeWalt light at him several times from the front door, but he kept going.

Weirdest non delivery in the history of waiting for a guitar.

 

[Guildedagain]

It gets weirder.

Yesterday, they never came by which is actually rare for UPS, and never declared they were giving up, at 7:30p they were still showing "Out for Delivery".

Third day of watching for the UPS truck all day, this is probably the worst part of all this now. I have to be dressed heavily to go out there at a moment's notice, daytime high of - 15º with winchill factor predicted for today, but it's a lot nicer actually, it's only - 6º.

And the guitar is on the truck night after night.

Last night it went down below zero in the area.

Today is the coldest day of all of this.


Nuts.

 

[crank]

Ever get yer Strat back?