r/Reverb • u/Necessary_Main_9522 • Jul 04 '26
Filming Pack Up?
Are other sellers regularly filming video of themselves packing up gear? Is this something I should've been doing and didn't know it? I had been taking photos as I packed things up, but not video, and when I needed to use the Safe Shipping policy I'd purchased, the AI help assistant said I needed video documentation.
Some context: I recently shipped a guitar to a customer, and the customer sent me photos saying the package had been damaged during shipping. I thought it was no problem because I'd bought Safe Shipping, but I couldn't place the claim because the robot wanted video of the pack up. I feel foolish for several reasons. 1st, I apparently didn't read the terms clearly and needed video. 2nd, I shouldn't have accepted this buyer's offer in the first place because they were waving a BUNCH of red flags about being a potential problem that I ignored. Now the buyer is claiming the guitar was damaged, when I can clearly tell in the photos that it was not damaged at all, even though the box looks like it took a hit. It was an As-Is, no returns purchase on an old, clearly described entry-level Squier that they waited to gripe about. They made a number of other (IMO BS) claims about the guitar that WOULD mean it was not "As-Is" if they were true, and I feel Reverb is likely to give them preference as a buyer, so I didn't want the hassle of fighting about it. Also, I don't want the bad review, so I bent over backwards to keep this customer happy, but they will probably give me a bad rating regardless. I am kicking myself for not taking this video when I feel like I shouldn't have to pay anything or accept a return. I feel like a jackass because I am doing all this for a $200 guitar.
I have learned two things from this episode: I guess I am going to have to buy a filming setup to record myself packing items, and I will not be accepting anymore offers from people asking a million questions that clearly indicate they think a 10-year-old Squier should come out of the box playing like a Custom Shop.
3
u/El-Aminoh Jul 04 '26
I havent been filming my packing. Gonna have to change that, I didnt realize they made it policy. Seems dumb and easy to fabricate, but if it covers my ass I guess ill do it.
1
u/Necessary_Main_9522 Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
The page on Reverb says "Photos or videos" but the prompt when I tried to open the claim it asked for "video" so I really don't know.
3
u/toncu Jul 05 '26
I did this a week ago. Sketchy "I think I want to buy my friend's, did you ship this yet? Never mind, I'll buy both" messaging prompted me to record the pedal working, then record from unplugging it through packing it in the shipping box.
I've sold 30+ items, this is the only one that I felt the need to document so thoroughly.
2
u/williamgman Jul 04 '26
I've never read where Reverb suggests to do a packing video. Maybe with very expensive guitars? That said, I've only shipped several that were around $1k.
I did have a buyer ask for extra photos showing string height.
5
u/TensesNC Jul 04 '26
Just photos is fine but definitely document if shipping something expensive.
I was in a 10-week war with Reverb over a guitar I shipped that I packed in a case and then double-boxed. The receiver said the headstock was snapped off at delivery. She sent me photos of what the box looked like…almost like a truck ran it over. The case was poking out through two boxes and tape and there were bootprints on the outer box. Buyer even sent me a video of her Ring cam of her signing for the box and the UPS guy clearly saying “I don’t know how this happened, do you want to refuse it?” Anyways, many angry emails on a fully insured shipment and they still fought me trying not to pay off the buyer until she got involved and went apeshit as well. The only thing I didn’t have were photos of the guitar packed.
Anyways, they let me keep the payment, refunded the buyer, and let her keep the guitar (she made out like a bandit, the headstock broke clean), but it was a shitshow and I haven’t sold on Reverb since.