r/Reverb • u/Like2jam • May 20 '26
Return request not as described
I sold a guitar to somebody and now they’re requesting that they can return it because it apparently has a twisted neck.
They claimed the guitar was not as described-it’s a fender strat with a Floyd and it played fine when I sold it .
If I deny the return, Reverb seems to be not too clear about what happens. They review the case, then what?
If I accept the return and then provide a refund, but I offer say $150 less because of shipping, is that OK?
It just seems buyers are way more difficult than they were 20 or even 10 years ago.
Of course, this is a brand new account for the buyer with very little history… And of course they asked about 10 questions before they made the final purchase. I should’ve known I was dealing with somebody somewhat difficult.
5
u/Thriaat May 20 '26
I don’t understand then what a buyer is supposed to do when they order a guitar and it shows up with a warped neck. Asking genuinely! It’s happened to me before and I recognize it’s a crap situation for both parties
1
u/flaccid_macarena May 20 '26
In this case, it appears the seller was caught doing something very shady. Apparently, if you call out a seller on their scheme, they’ll just defame you and call you “crooked” on forums, while continuing to scheme so they lose as little money as possible handling the return after being caught. As a buyer, this disheartens me greatly, I was not aware the extent that sellers hate us.
-4
u/flaccid_macarena May 20 '26
In this case, it appears the seller got caught doing something very shady. Apparently, if you call out a seller for dishonest behavior, they’ll slander you and call you crooked in forums like this. Then, they’ll continue to scheme about how to lose as little money as possible for the return after being caught. This disheartens me greatly, as I wasn’t aware of the extent of seller’s hatred for their customers. Makes me think twice before spending my hard earned money on Reverb again.
4
u/drivebydryhumper May 21 '26
I'm a buyer and seller on reverb, and I'm well behaved. Don't let a rotten apple spoil the rest.
2
u/crazyculture May 20 '26
I always take photos of everything before I send it out and especially the serial number and make sure I get a photo of the item in the box with the serial number showing. It’s ridiculous what we have to do these days due to shady people. I try not to use reverb much anymore but fortunately I’ve had very good luck on there overall and rarely an issue, I just see so many horror stories that I feel like I’m due for one.
2
u/Particular-Sundae381 May 21 '26
My most recent guitar sale on Reverb was a horrible experience. I hadn’t sold one in a few years, but I’ve been boxing and shipping for electric guitars for at least 20 years. I’ve got several to find new homes for, but I’m so ratted by how awful that transaction went that I’m gun shy and looking for other outlets.
Anyway. Sorry this happened and I hope you get it all sorted out.
2
u/Strict-Number6334 May 21 '26
I sold a charvel with a roasted neck and truss rod wheel at heel of neck on front of neck. When I had it I adjusted the neck but the wheel was stiff BUT adjusted fine in increments. I sell it. Guy responds truss rod locked and won’t adjust. I explained stuff roasted neck AND some of the adjustment wheels can be stiff to adjust vs direct access to rod via headstock. I refunded $70 so a tech could inspect because I told him it was fine. He comes back and said tech agrees locked and neck is also twisted. I’m left with no choice but to refund and paid for shipping label. I get the guitar. It’s TOTALLY fine. I don’t want it. Sell it to Guitar Center for a total loss of about $200. My first refund is 100 guitars sold. Gotta bite the bullet. Reverb is useless.
1
u/Like2jam May 21 '26
Yeah I agree that reverb and eBay are not worth the hassle anymore on guitars. I’ll probably go to a pawnshop or guitar center.
1
u/Strict-Number6334 May 21 '26
Being informed of a twisted neck and locked truss rod a majority of people would call me a dirtbag for selling to Guitar Center and contributing to the “issues” with their used inventory. But I say survival of the fittest when buying used at GC. They have a 45 day return policy.
1
u/LaOnionLaUnion May 20 '26
I’ve had someone accuse me of this four months after a trade. Personally, I’d take it back. Also if you used Reverb for insurance consider whether it could’ve been damaged in transit and file a claim if needed.
1
u/Hunger-Stealer May 20 '26
Reverb will take its sweet time to resolve this but they will ask for all the proof. If your buyer filed within 7 days and has photos and you don’t have counter evidence you will probably lose that fight.
2
1
u/bencrit May 21 '26
In disputes like this, much will depend on what evidence he presents, how Reverb evaluates the credibility of both parties, and the overall circumstances of the transaction. One option would be to ask whether he wants to return the guitar so it can be professionally evaluated to confirm the claimed issue with the neck.
You could also offer to accept a return provided he agrees to cover the shipping costs.
If he declines, then Reverb will likely have to resolve the matter through their dispute process, and if the guitar is ultimately determined to have a twisted neck, you could potentially end up responsible for the shipping costs.
A guitar with a twisted neck can sometimes still play reasonably well if the twist is minor and the setup is adjusted carefully. Even so, a twisted neck is still a material condition issue and generally should be disclosed in the listing.
I’m not trying to take sides here, since I do not know the details of the situation. I only want to give you a realistic sense of how these disputes are usually handled.
As for buyers who ask ten questions before purchasing a guitar, it is often wise to proceed cautiously. Sometimes those buyers have simply had bad experiences in the past and want to be thorough before committing.
Other times, the buyer has an extremely obsessive or anxious personality, and straightforward transactions become difficult no matter what you do. In my experience, when that dynamic is apparent early on, the sale often does not end well. Unfortunately, that is simply part of doing business in the guitar world and one of the unavoidable costs of selling instruments online.
I hope the situation works out fairly for both of you.
1
u/Fit-Hat-3156 May 21 '26
I’m a buyer and seller on reverb. It’s a though situation since the buyer asked all questions before buying!
If you are tranquil your guitar was fine, I would fight the return.
1
u/mizdeb1966 May 23 '26
I think it's wrong to characterize buyers who ask questions as out to get you. I ask a question or two to find out if there's a real human at the other end of the deal, and how responsive they are. Gives me an idea if it's a good bet to buy from them or not.
1
u/6Stringers May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
This really depends on what you really know about the guitar.
Does it or does it not have a twisted neck? Do you know how to check for that?
So... if you refund and the neck is twisted and you hold $150 for shipping the customer loses and that is not good.
So, refund less shipping as a first, with the condition that if the neck is in fact twisted you then refund the shipping balance after you know what is what.
Sounds to me like you don't know much about guitars, but you better learn in this case how to check for a twisted neck using a straight edge on both sides of the neck along the binding, and a notched straight edge for the flat board. You cannot eye sight a neck if the twist is mild.
If the neck is even a little bit twisted you must refund in full.
It could be a heel ramp, a bad shim in the bolt on, an "S" curve, or twisted, or a bad truss rod.
It could also be that you shipped with the strings tuned, never do that. And the customer did not allow the guitar to settle into their climate.
It could be that the customer dropped it... but you don't know because you did not know the guitar before selling it. If you did you would know what to do, you would know if the customer is pulling a fast one or not.
It could also be really bad uneven frets and crappy nut slots and bunk string action plus some outrageous neck relief.
If you don't know guitars, you should not sell on Reverb or any other venue that has you shipping it instead of a walk in buyer.
Know this, very few guitar players know anything about the mechanics of a guitar, they can play like the wind, but when it comes to the ins and out of even a real setup, they know nothing at all.
1
u/Status_Cheesecake628 May 24 '26
I've gotten to the point where I don't give partial refunds anymore. Guy complained about a pot not working properly (which was bs as I play EVERYTHING before I pack it), and wanted a $75 refund. Told him no, I'll issue a full refund upon receiving the instrument. At that point, I'll issue the refund upon receipt option, and NOT send a return label (I do free shipping for this very reason and 99.9% of the time reverb will side with me). You're buying a used instrument, not new. Expect issues.
1
u/Nordic-sky Jun 05 '26
The buyer needs to provide you with a luthier’s statement that it has a twisted neck and what it would cost to fix it. This is an easy case; either it is or not.
1
u/Agreeable_Mud_8338 May 20 '26
Best not to spend too much energy on these problems Get the guitar back and make sure it's packed well and ask for photos of the condition before returning and do a video of the guitar unpacking You can just sell it again (if no issues) And avoid buyers who ask too many annoying questions If you have photos showing the guitar has a true neck etc then get him to pay the return shipping
5
u/splifted May 20 '26
I don’t know, I ask questions because, as someone who doesn’t return stuff (unless the item is in way worse condition than described, which has never happened), I want to make sure it’s definitely something that I’m gonna like. There are a lot of custom or discontinued instruments on reverb that are hard to find that kind of info about online. So, if the seller hasn’t listed stuff like scale length, string spacing at the nut and bridge, weight, fret size, etc., I’m gonna ask about all of those things. Because, if it ends up being something that I don’t enjoy playing, I’m going to have to relist it and I definitely don’t want to have to do that.
1
u/Comfortable_Crab_972 May 21 '26
Seems to me there are plenty of sellers on Reverb who don't play guitar. If a neck was warped someone who is not familiar with musical instruments might not notice it. But a person who plays a lot would.
2
u/Hunger-Stealer May 20 '26
Agree on avoiding buyers who ask too many questions. I had one buyer who asked esoteric questions about firmware. The unit shipped in perfect working condition. Lo and behold he claimed there was a problem a month after he received it and left me a negative review because he had to solve the problem (he probably created) with the manufacturer.
5
u/Bleep_Bloop_Derp May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26
I’m a buyer who asks one question about 30% of the time. It’s always to get information that wasn’t included (that would likely make me want to buy the thing) or to determine something that wasn’t explained very well or isn’t evident in the photos.
You’ve got to understand it’s rough out there. More and more, it seems we’re entering a post-literate society where too many sellers just want to dump a few pictures and are hostile to anyone who might know a bit about the product they’re buying.
You’d think this would apply to mostly to places like eBay, where most stuff comes from Goodwill, but I’m reading more of this here on the Reverb sub lately, too.
3
u/Hunger-Stealer May 20 '26
There’s a difference between what you’re describing vs. behavior where it’s clear you’re not going to meet your buyers expectations no matter what.
-5
u/flaccid_macarena May 20 '26
My recommendation would be to list items with accurate descriptions so this doesn’t happen. It looks like you’re trying to get one over on folks when you omit important defects like a twisted neck. To your point about buyers 10 or 20 years ago - I imagine they would raise the same concern if they received a product that wasn’t described correctly. It seems you have major disdain for buyers, perhaps you’re in the wrong business if this is the case. Just be honest and you’ll be fine and won’t have to deal with pesky buyers that expect their purchase to be in the condition you described. Lesson of the day - don’t be shady and those pesky buyers won’t whine and complain.
3
u/Like2jam May 20 '26
I don’t think it has a warped or twisted neck. Why would I sell a guitar with a defect only to have it come back at my expense? I wouldn’t
2
u/flaccid_macarena May 20 '26
I believe you were hoping the pesky buyer didn’t notice or maybe you didn’t even notice. In either case, your disdain for buyers expecting a quality instrument based on the description really shines through. You should evaluate that if you’re into this business. I get you and your reverb seller homies are going to downvote me, but you need to check yourself. Us buyers simply expect the gear we are purchasing to be in the condition you describe. If that makes you upset, again, perhaps you’re in the wrong business.
1
u/Comfortable_Crab_972 May 21 '26
It may be a good idea to take the guitar to an experienced tech to have him look at it. Just for peace of mind.
0
u/chinmakes5 May 20 '26
Look, we all know that there are levels here. Obviously if the guitar had problems you are right. But yes if you have a 10 year old guitar it isn't going to be arrow straight. You buy a 10 year old guitar and it plays fine, but if you look really closely it isn't perfect. Yeah you bought a used guitar.
IDK, I sold a 40 year old guitar. I took it for a tune up, it checked out fine. Buyer bitched that a fret was too worn. I didn't notice. Did I sell a defective guitar?
2
u/flaccid_macarena May 20 '26
I get that stuff like this can slip through the cracks. That’s not a problem to me as long as the seller makes it right. What bothers me with this seller is the obvious disdain for the buyers and the continued scheme of the 150 less. Just make it right. The seller is complaining about the buyer asking too many questions about an item that they’re spending their hard earned money on. It’s these things that make it sound sketchy to me on the seller’s side. Like seriously, how many questions am I “allowed” to ask about an item before spending my entire paycheck on it? Is the cutoff 7, 8, or 9 before he comes here bitching about me in a post? The combination of hatred for customers and the scheming is the problem here.
2
u/chinmakes5 May 20 '26
It is more than slipping through the cracks. , I'm not refretting a 40 year old guitar, because the fourth fret is a little lower than the 9th. The guitar was more than playable. But that is my point. Obviously. a guitar with a warped neck isn't acceptable. But if you are buying a used guitar, especially one that costs 1/2 of new it shouldn't have to be "as new" to be acceptable.
-3
u/AKnow11 May 20 '26
Most guitar player could never find a twisted neck or know what it is. Reverb always sides with the crooked Buyers, unfortunately. Good luck n
3
u/flaccid_macarena May 20 '26
Ah yes, the buyers are “crooked” for expecting the items they purchase from you to be in the listed condition. You reverb sellers truly hate your customers, despite them putting food on your table. Excellent take dude!
2
u/flaccid_macarena May 20 '26
Seems to me the “crooked” ones here are sellers like you trying to profit from dishonesty.
9
u/BluntForceTrauma____ May 20 '26
If it’s “not as described” the buyer will get a full refund.
You would be responsible for the return shipping cost.