How does one handle things like this on Reverb?

D

Dogsinplastic

avuncular to no one
Here's the listing I'm interested in:


Here's the "About this listing" verbiage:
"Godin A6

Great Live Playing Guitar

Play Acoustically With Your Band Without Feedback

Has A Couple Of Cracks On The Body On Each Side Of E Strings

Does Not Affect Performance

Original Seller Didn't Specify

Comes With Gig Bag"

Here's our exchange:
Me - Do you have any close ups of the top cracks?
Also, what's up with the neck, is that dark line an indent?
Thanks

Them - The cracks are so thin they can’t be photographed.
The line on the back of the neck is the color of the wood grain.
There are no issues with the neck.

Me - Are they finish cracks or is the top actually cracked?

Them - Yeah, on the top.
Outside of the E strings going vertical

-- > Am I wrong in thinking they didn't understand a basic question?

Me - Sorry if I'm being a bother, I just want to be clear on everything as I've been shopping for a A6.
Just to clarify, I'm wondering if the cracks are only finish deep or if they actually extend into the solid cedar top of the guitar?
Can you mark up one of the images to show where the cracks are exactly?

Them - Yeah, it’s says it’s an A6 Ultra on the headstock photo.
Sorry, don’t have any more time to spend on this.

-- > I know it's an A6 Ultra, as I haven't been looking at the listings for these for years. But why not take two minutes to answer the question and indicate where the cracks are in a picture. Has me wondering if there are any cracks vs. scratches, because this person doesn't seem to know guitars at all.
So my final response is...

Me - Odd to not take the time for a buyer.
Cracks in a top of a hollow/semi-hollow guitar are a serious concern. Finish cracks are not. Wanting to see them and or having them pointed out in a pic seems a simple ask.
Hate to miss out on a good deal for a great guitar, I just needed more details.
I'm sure it'll sell, but I guess we're done.

I would have bought the guitar if they could have addressed my simple questions and shown me where the "cracks" were...as long as they weren't true structural cracks in the top. The images are pretty clean, so I think they may be mistaken, but that lack of even trying compounds a seeming lack of knowledge with more a bit of suspiciousness.

This isn't someone that I want to do any sort of business with now, but I'm confused why a seller would be put off by reasonable questions/attempts to clarify the product's condition before buying it.
 
Buying and selling on Reverb and eBay is very different than retail. With retail sales, the seller will often pamper and indulge potential buyers. Some sellers will do that on Reverb but it’s certainly not a requirement.

This person has a 4.9 out of 5 with 23 reviews, 160 transactions and 100% positive lifetime feedback. They probably think you’re a bit too picky a buyer to be happy buying the guitar.

I haven’t sold anything in awhile. Back when I sold a lot of gear, I tried to discourage certain buyers from buying from me. If someone asked me to take extra pictures or kept asking questions, I’d typically try to broom them away from my listing by being uncooperative. I was never rude about it. It looks as if this seller was polite.

I’m not criticizing you for wanting to know these things about the guitar. I’m playing devil’s advocate.

Based on the exchange, my gut feeling is that you should seek out a more perfect example of this model of guitar. Perhaps that’s what the seller’s gut feeling was as well. Part of the trick to successful selling on Reverb is finding the right buyer.

Perhaps, you are not the right buyer in this instance. Conversely, that’s not the right seller for you in this situation.

Keep looking. You’ll eventually find the right listing and the right seller. A successful transaction on Reverb needs to be a good fit for both buyer and seller.
 
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Pampering and indulging, really?!? Discouraging buyers...weird.

Folks selling on Reverb should know their gear, as well as be willing and able to answer basic questions.

I've never treated potential buyers like asking questions was bad when I've sold on eBay or Reverb. I'll answer any question and provide any detail. Making assumptions instead of answering simple questions is poor salesmanship.

I wanted to buy the guitar and may have done so within minutes of getting simple answers to simple questions (that would've theoretically satisfied my concerns and potentially revealed that the guitar was not broken). I don't need a perfect example, just clarification on vague details in the listing. It's clear I know what guitar this is and that I'm looking at buying a used guitar. It remains unclear, however, whether or not this person knows the difference between a finish/surface crack, an actual crack in a guitars top, or a scratch.

Every other seller I've ever dealt with provided more pictures almost immediately upon request (and often added them to their listing if I didn't buy). Comes across as if this person doesn't the gear they're selling.

We clearly disagree on selling and buying. Previous sales and ratings have nothing to do with me or my potential purchase.
 
Dogsinplastic said:
Pampering and indulging, really?!? Discouraging buyers...weird.

Folks selling on Reverb should know their gear, as well as be willing and able to answer basic questions.

I've never treated potential buyers like asking questions was bad when I've sold on eBay or Reverb. I'll answer any question and provide any detail. Making assumptions instead of answering simple questions is poor salesmanship.

I wanted to buy the guitar and may have done so within minutes of getting simple answers to simple questions (that would've theoretically satisfied my concerns and potentially revealed that the guitar was not broken). I don't need a perfect example, just clarification on vague details in the listing. It's clear I know what guitar this is and that I'm looking at buying a used guitar. It remains unclear, however, whether or not this person knows the difference between a finish/surface crack, an actual crack in a guitars top, or a scratch.

Every other seller I've ever dealt with provided more pictures almost immediately upon request (and often added them to their listing if I didn't buy). Comes across as if this person doesn't the gear they're selling.

We clearly disagree on selling and buying. Previous sales and ratings have nothing to do with me or my potential purchase.
Click to expand...
You’re expecting every Reverb seller to operate the way you do. That’s unrealistic. But, obviously, there are sellers on Reverb willing to bend over backwards. This just wasn’t one of them.

Your questions were answered, at first. I’m not saying that the answers were enough, nor that you should have been satisfied with them. The seller tried to cooperate at first, then blew you off. They let you know they weren’t willing to spend more time and they were not rude about it. They were simply abrupt. They probably did not know for certain the nature of cracks in the guitar.

Don’t take it so personal. Buying and selling is transactional. Anyway, I don’t think that was the right guitar for you. Right make and model but wrong condition. And, it was definitely the wrong seller for you.

Shake it off. There are other guitars. Be patient. Keep looking. Maybe next time, the seller will cooperate more the way you would act.

Best of luck.
 
Answers to your questions were bizarre. Like AI gone crazy. Like calling customer service, getting nowhere so, you plead over and over, REPRESENTATIVE. Equally bizarre is how do they have a good rating?
 
Couple observations

The seller isnt providing you with the info you need to make a decision. Move on.

You dont like the sellers communication/lack of responsiveness. Move on.

This was probably the purchase. Title doesnt really inspire confidence:
Godin A6 Ultra Cognac Burst - AS IS, Needs Repair, FIX, Project
Gary S. – Mar 2nd, 2020

Cut bait and fish elsewhere.
 
Definitely fishing elsewhere. Honestly, as soon as I saw the price and the pics it all seemed too good to be true. The pics make the guitar look immaculate barring the weird grain pattern on the back of the neck...and the saddle being significantly lower that one normally sees on A6s.

People are supposedly trying to sell products, but without the knowledge or willingness to answer basic questions. Whether it's a Reverb front for an actual music store or Joe/Jane Bloe trying to move any product they should be able and willing to provide more details when their descriptions lack specificity.

There's no reasonable justification for the lameness of this person's bad and unwilling communication. It's no big deal though, I was just bored last night and thought I'd rant a bit here. More surprised that me finding this seller to be lacking interest in closing a sale could be spun to be an issue with me...
 
I found a pic of your seller...

IMG_2207.jpeg
 
Dogsinplastic said:
Definitely fishing elsewhere. Honestly, as soon as I saw the price and the pics it all seemed too good to be true. The pics make the guitar look immaculate barring the weird grain pattern on the back of the neck...and the saddle being significantly lower that one normally sees on A6s.

People are supposedly trying to sell products, but without the knowledge or willingness to answer basic questions. Whether it's a Reverb front for an actual music store or Joe/Jane Bloe trying to move any product they should be able and willing to provide more details when their descriptions lack specificity.

There's no reasonable justification for the lameness of this person's bad and unwilling communication. It's no big deal though, I was just bored last night and thought I'd rant a bit here. More surprised that me finding this seller to be lacking interest in closing a sale could be spun to be an issue with me...
Click to expand...

It looks like that seller is moving a slew of gear in/out so maybe they just cut bait on overly inquisitive buyers and play the odds someone else is going to come along who will buy with less effort.

I wouldn't give this whole thing another thought, tbh.
 
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