Warning about eBay. (Even though I love ebay)

[SimpleAsCouldBe]

I just bought a beautiful Eastman MD515 on ebay. It was described as having only cosmetic defects, which I'm OK with. I recieved it, and it was beautiful. The defects were much smaller than I thought, and I was very happy. Then I played it and realized that it buzzed to the point that I could not play in the 7th or 10th position down the fingerboard. I looked closer and realized that the fingerboard was shaped like a "U". Rather dramatically, too. The action was already quite high and I couldn't raise it to fix the problem.

I now have to pursue a return. I'm bummed and probably won't buy a mando online again, despite having bought cars and almost everything else online.

Don't want to scare anyone too much, just mean to say that it's best to buy from someone who:
a: you trust
b: knows when a mandolin is good (like people on these classifieds)

Here's the email I sent to the seller, as evidence of my authenticity:

Dear seller,

I just returned from the luthier. I showed it to him and asked "what's wrong with this instrument" and he said that the instrument had a "bad curl" at the bottom of the fingerboard.

We discussed repair options, and he said that he could replace the bottom of the fingerboard for $100, but he had no faith in the integrity of a neck that was warped like this one and did not recommend I pursue a repair because he was not sure it would work

I am not an expert, but I know that I cannot play it in the 7th position (closer to the bottom). A professional, independent luthier from Troubadour Music Shop in Wayne, PA has confirmed that there is a problem with both the structure and the playability of the instrument.

Your ad stated:
"...nothing structural or that would affect the sound or playability of this instrument."

I find this to be inaccurate. I'm sure you didn't intentionally lie or try to scam anyone, but I cannot accept this instrument, it is not as described (it was described as having only cosmetic damage). I am sorry for your financial problems, but I cannot help you with them.

I have never returned something on eBay before, but I'd like to work together to figure out the best way to do so that will leave us both with positive feedback and good karma.

I have saved the box and packaging and can ship this back to you as soon as we work something out. I will not open a ticket with ebay/paypal until I hear back from you, or Thursday morning, whichever is soonest.

Sorry this didn't work out,

me

[Jim MacDaniel]

Too bad about your experience; I feel for you. As you didn't really clarify in your message to the seller what your terms are for the return, you may want to think about it now so you can advise him so upon his response. (e.g., he covers return shipping and insurance, you split the return costs, he issues a refund within 24 hours of receipt)

Regarding shopping online, among the safest options out there IMHO is the Mandolincafe classified section. Many of the sellers here in fact also offer an approval period in their listings, or are likley open to doing so if not.

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

Sorry to hear about this bad experience, and I hope you can work it out with the seller. Document all correspondence, and make a copy of the auction if you haven't already as backup. If the seller refuses to take the instrument back, you'll need to open a case with eBay to dispute the transaction. eBay has very good information on how that works: http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/item-not-received.html

Good luck and again I'm sorry to hear that this happened. I do think that you have a pretty good case on your hand, and I am optimistic that you'll be made whole in the end.

[Rob Giuffrida]

That sucks man :/ The last time I got ripped off on eBay from a falsely advertised item the guy deleted his eBay account. I don't want this to scare you but I only trust eBay if I am selling something. Wayyy too many con artists and scammers out there. Hope everything works out! eBay and Paypal are really good about stuff like this.

[Nonprophet]

The ebay TOU state that if they rule in your favor the seller must refund you the total sales price plus the shipping cost to get the item to you. Unfortunately, you're on the hook for the cost of the shipping back to the seller.

Good luck with your efforts. Yes, there are some scammers, but I've had to return things a few times and the sellers were great about it, so just go into it with an open mind.

NP

[chriss]

I've also had good + bad experiences on ebay. I've come around to the view that there's odds and probabilities associated with buying stuff there. I do my best to assess the odds, and stay away from things that don't look/seem/smell right. But in the end, buying an instrument there (or anywhere) sight unseen requires trust in the seller that you can return + get your money back if you don't like it. With that in mind, I don't spend any more money on instruments from ebay than I can afford to lose... like you don't play poker and bet more than you can afford to lose. It's a question of the odds, but the odds don't matter once they resolve out into a specific outcome, and if that outcome's negative you're better not having placed a bet that you can't afford to lose.

[barney 59]

Mostly good for me. I don't buy on e-bay unless it is a super deal. If something is for sale from a reputable dealer for let's say $1500 and I can get it on e-bay for maybe $1200 -that isn't good enough. Gotta be lower, I would rather part with some money and know that what I'm getting is what I think I'm getting than go through the hassle of trying to correct a mistake. If the price is low enough to cover the difference if I have to fix something then I'll take the risk. The one area I've had trouble with is when I've bought basket cases to restore. I know they are broken but sometimes you discover that someone has already attempted a repair and botched it or used something like plumbers epoxy to reset a neck. I have gotten some really great stuff off of ebay. Somethings I didn't even know I wanted until I saw them there.

[rgray]

I had a similar experience where I bought a Kentucky mandolin on eBay and discovered the seller quoted specs for the current model and not for the obvious older model (solid vs. laminate). Because I paid with PayPal and filed a "not as advertised" claim, I was refunded the full purchase price PLUS original shipping costs. I can't get to eBay here at work but the PayPal site has the following information:


What is eBay Buyer Protection?

If you bought something on eBay but didn't receive it or you received something that's significantly not as described, eBay Buyer Protection can help.

eBay Buyer Protection covers eligible transactions for the full purchase price plus original shipping charges. Some purchases -- including vehicles in the Motors category, capital equipment in the Business & Industrial category, and Real Estate -- aren't eligible for eBay Buyer Protection.

To qualify for eBay Buyer Protection:

Purchase an eligible item on eBay using an eBay-approved payment method.
Pay for the item with one payment. Items purchased with multiple payments aren’t eligible.
Send your payment by clicking the Pay For It button on the eBay invoice or by clicking the Pay Now button on the eBay item page.
Let the seller know there's a problem with the transaction by opening an eBay Buyer Protection Claim in the eBay Resolution Center. This must be done within 45 days of the payment date.
You can report your problem through the eBay Resolution Center or the PayPal Resolution Center, not both. If eBay decides that you’re eligible for a refund, the money will be credited to your PayPal account.

[allenhopkins]

When I buy on eBay, has to be (1) inexpensive, so if I get hosed I can afford it, and (2) unusual, not something I can buy locally. So I've acquired gems like Chinese resonator ukuleles, a Merrill aluminum-bodied bowl-back, an Oscar Schmidt Guitaro (mutant Autoharp from the 1970's), Howe-Orme mandolinetto, giant Polk-A-Lay-Lee "surfer uke" clone, and such-like. In almost every case the seller(s) have been great, handled any problems promptly and considerately (Polk-A-Lay-Lee headstock broke in shipping, seller sent a check to cover my repair cost).

I'd never go near four figures on an instrument I couldn't play first. Only possible exception would be from a recognized dealer who also sells on eBay. Too much angst with that kind of money at stake.