Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

[RatPoison]

Hi, I am new here. I lurk on here often out of curiosity and have learned lots of things about pickups and which ones would be appropriate for me. and what not. I find that the people here really seem to know their stuff.. which is good ofc..



I dont know where to put this topic so it goes here:

I am eventually buying a guitar and an amp. I'm considering getting the head, and the cabinet for that matter, on EBAY..but my parents question it.

My dad is an engineer who makes **** compareable to the build of an amp head, and says that I should never buy something like that on EBAY because of how far itd ship, and how clumsy UPS could be or bla bla......
my mother works in the fishing rod and reel industry and repeats horror stories told to her by her customers on how they bought reels or rods on EBAY and had their stuff real FUBAR...

So tell me, is it that risky?
How can I tell if the other guy at the end is ripping me? Does the customer satisfaction stuff tell you THAT much of a seller's trustworthy-ness?
Have you had any experiences of note either good or bad?
Have you bought from a trustable person on EBAY (you did a transaction with him or her before), only to have it messed up by cause of stupid UPS guy (or employee of other such service)?

Also, I have the same concerns for used lefty guitars.


And if it matters, the particular amp in consideration is either a 5150 or a XXX.


Thanks

 

[dd12939]

Re: Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

I just bought a cab and a tube power amp on ebay and both got to me just fine. I bought my first guitar on ebay too, no problems there. Yeah, people have horror stories, but I've never had a problem. FWIW

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

It's only risky if the person has no real feedback or history, or you cannot get in touch with them.

It is really risky on inconsistent items like older Marshalls, where it's nice if you can at least hear clips or on the phone or have a friend check it out if it's in another city.

I bought my fave strat from Ebay, and it is AMAZING!

 

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

Re: Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

Only had one problem in 5 years, and looking back, the guy who sold the amp wasn't aware there was a problem.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

I have had one disaster shipping experience with Fed Ex, but no matter how well packed the amp was, it couldn't take a 10 foot fall. That one exception. Never had another serious shipping issue.

Now, on the buying from ebay, I've had remarkable good luck. I always check the sellers feedback, look at auctions he's won, check to see if the items he buys and sells are consistent with what I'm buying. Guys selling beanie babies, golf clubs and guitars generally don't know crap about guitars. Guys that just buy and sell musical gear are a better bet.

 

[jdm61]

Re: Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

It seems like the vast majority of the folks out there on Ebay selliogn musical gear are stand up folks. I have bought a bunch of stuff recently and only had two bad experiences. The problem is when you have aproblem, if you don't get it solved and leave negative feedback, the scammer gets to retaliate and that can prevent you from bidding on certain things unless you essentially beg the seller to let you in.

 

[cream123]

Re: Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

ummm maybe i'm the first to say this but i'd like to greet you the same way they did me not too long ago. let me be the first to say hi, you are gonna have a lot of fun hear, you'll learn a lot as well. my knowlegdge has atleast doubled since i showed up here in november. the seymour forums has a warmer atmosphere than say MusiciansForums, which i don't suggest. In other words, have fun!

 

[RatPoison]

Re: Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

^ thank you cream123 for the welcome, and thank you all for the interesting considerations - keep them coming!!!!!!

are dealers typically better than John Doe, or is that a fallacy?

 

[jdm61]

Re: Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

If you are looking for Duncan or Fralin pickups and want a no hassle experience, talk to Lew

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

I've bought and sold a dceent amount....amps, guitars, fishing rods and reels...

Shipping damages are the unavoidable downfall of doing business online. If something's packed right the odds are it will make it somewhere fine. However for some items the sheer size just makes shipping to expensive. I would never buy a 4 x 12 cab off of eBay. It might be from a local seller used, but never shipped.

 

[RatPoison]

Re: Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

If you are looking for Duncan or Fralin pickups and want a no hassle experience, talk to Lew

thank you, I will keep his name in mind. I do have some SDs I want to buy and give a shot once I get an electric.


more questions..


are there any dealers on this board of used heads and cabs of such high-gain, rip-your-head off nature... 5150s, XXXs, Randalls, Mark IVs, and Marshall/Mesa cabs... that are trustworthy like this Lew fellow? Either stores, or average Joes.

Ok, here's another point. I forgot to meantion this: when I saw a used 5150 on EBAY, the product description stated that the head's exterior had scratches on it (though he stated that the head worked 100%). My dad remarked, "something with scratches must have been used for a long time by a band"..which is obvious. but he reccomends me to avoid items like these completely, since they have been though lots of abuse and may be F'ed up. is his point justified?

However for some items the sheer size just makes shipping to expensive. I would never buy a 4 x 12 cab off of eBay. It might be from a local seller used, but never shipped.

k.. I will just hold reserve on an appropriate cabinet at a physical dealer as opposed to ordering it online.

 

[oldschoolrock]

Re: Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

Absolutely worth it. You can get the best deals on Ebay if you are patient and a smart bidder. I got most of my gear from Ebay except for my triple rect and 61 sg.

I got my vht for $2200 for head and cab...the head alone sells for $3000 new. I got my mark iv for $1350. I got my sl2h for $1400 - NEW!

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

The gear you can get on used prices, DEFINITELY makes it worth the risk I have half the gear I have because I waited for a good deal to come along and I bought used. I only have one guitar that I purchased new.

If you buy from a person that has had an almost flawless selling record dealing the same items you're looking for, then the odds are going to be more in your favor. After a little while dealing on eBay, you pick up on what deals are legit and what are scams.

 

[cellomangler]

Re: Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

I've gotten some great deals on Ebay myself. I also got stung a couple of times and one large keyboard was pathetically packed and damaged. But I've definitely come out ahead. Couple of tips: Ask for more pictures and any additional info if you need it. If the seller responds well, then that's a good sign. Also, you can actually email some of the folks who have bought past items from the seller (check his feedback list) and get some honest responses directly from them. As someone said earlier -yeah, you can leave negative feedback, but then you'll most likely get negative feedback in return and that can make your selling tougher. Bottom line -consider it somewhat of a risk and don't bet your life savings on a deal. One quick anecdote: I bought a beautiful fretless Carvin 5 string acoustic bass off Ebay. It looked great, but you could slide a piece of paper under the bridge a good ways and some paint had lifted up around the bridge (not noticeable in the photos) I contacted Carvin, sent it to them (no warranty), and 2 weeks later they returned it to me totally repaired, paint job and all -even leveled out the pickup output. All I had to pay was the shipping to them. So... sometimes even a little burn turns out OK....

 

[bbking1021]

Re: Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

i love shopping for my musical stuff on ebay, the variety is something that you can't get anywhere else. Just remember for every problem that some has had, there are probably thousands of other success stories. Its worth the risk.

 

[greendy123]

Re: Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

I definitely had no problems with buying from ebay. I got my head and cab from there. The main thing is to get your amp tuned up and checked by an amp tech on you get it. If you getting a tube amp ask for the tubes to be taken out and put in boxes or some sort of packaging. Make sure they wrap everything nicely cushioned and tight. For the cab I would suggest getting it from local dealer or try avatarspeakers for a nice cheap cab.

Welcome to the forum dude.:banana:

 

[RatPoison]

Re: Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

Ok, sure, the trading post sounds good. Once I get enough money for a head I will post a request.

Yeah, having the tech sort though the amp sounds smart; it's likely the first thing I'd do...check its state, tubes, etc. I'd likely replace the tubes with if the head is sent to me with stocks.

can any of you reccomend any online dealers specializing in new and used heads?



unrelated question. what does 'sweet' and 'rude'/'polite' mean in terms of tone? (pickups).


Thanks all, keep the posts coming; and I will look into Avatar, I hear good things about them.

this board kicks ass. :bowdown:

 

[Randy Combs]

Re: Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

I have bought and sold many amp on ebay..I have 2 on there now. Not a problem yet. As far as a 2 x 12, because of the high ship charges, I would recommend a local buy or Musicians Friend.

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

Last I checked, Avatar doesn't ship to Canada. I have bought about 95% of the stuff I have off of ebay and in the eight years I've been doing it, only got ripped once by a seller with a feedback of 2. I learned my lesson quickly. Luckily it was only a $60 rack. I've never recieved anything broken or messed up by shipping--even the Carvin Legacy cabinet that the seller didn't put ANY packing materials around.

I consider myself very lucky, but if I'm buying an expensive piece, I'll spend an hour and scour through the person's feedback and judge the negatives to see if they are legitimate or bullsthi. I've got what's called a "revenge" negative. The guy sold me a DVD, pictured the special edition with all the extras and everything, but sent me the regular fullscreen with no features. After he refused to take back the DVD and give me a refund, I gave him negative feedback. He then gave ME negative feedback even though I had paid him for his auction. Another guy negged me because UPS made an error on his customs charges. This of course is not the shipper's (my) fault, so again, not a trustworthy negative feedback.

Ebay can be good if you're smart. You will learn the hard way sometimes but it's a great way to buy stuff you want cheap and get money for stuff you don't want.

 

[kevlar3000]

Re: Buying from EBAY.... is it really worth the risk

I have bought 12 vintage heads on ebay. I have had minimal probs. Always buy from a good seller !!!!, always ask questions and always get shipping insurance.