Boycott eBay!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 14 Jan 2005 7:15 pm

eBay has again raised their prices. It will now cost the average seller over $ 100 to sell a steel; more if you take PayPal. Isn't it time to dump eBay and use other resorces like the Forum or Banjohangout.org or mandolincafe.com? Anybody know other websites that work?

Sonny Priddy · Post by **Sonny Priddy** » 14 Jan 2005 7:43 pm

I Think I Would Use The Forum If I Had Something To Sell.And It's A Good Place To Buy. SONNY.

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Tom Callahan · Post by **Tom Callahan** » 14 Jan 2005 8:23 pm

Yes the forum is nice to buy and sell but I doubt if you could get 800 bucks for a maverick or some of the other junk that is passed off on e-bay.

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Tom Callahan
Emmons S-10
Nashville 400
Dekley S-12

Geoff Brown · Post by **Geoff Brown** » 15 Jan 2005 1:49 am

http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum9/HTML/000890.html

John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 15 Jan 2005 8:38 am

Both buyer and seller are a lot less likely to have any hassles dealing with the Forum, especially if you are dealing with someone who's been a member for awhile. I've had nothing but good luck dealing with Forum members.

eBay- you pays your money and takes your chances!

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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff. Joaquin Murphey transcription book, Rhythm Tuneup DVD and more...

Paul Warnik · Post by **Paul Warnik** » 15 Jan 2005 9:09 am

I am in full agreement-not because of price increases but because I got scammed-I will never use Ebay again-I have had excellent results with the Forum Buy and Sell

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 15 Jan 2005 9:40 am

My grand dad used to say: Don't eat anything if you don't know what's in it! (actually, I think Will Rogers said it first).

I feel the same way about e-Bay. There are so many scams around today that I won't blindly accept the credibility of a stranger!

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 15 Jan 2005 10:00 am

here's a ShoBud that's bein' passed off as a Professional when it's a Maverick
sold fer 960 $ too !

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3774688055&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

Obviously, buyin' from the Fo'Bros here is where it's at & i'll stick to it as much as i can
nevertheless, i have gotten some good deals off ebay
my Zum fer instance !
got burnt a couple of times w: CDs

i keep a list of all of you here that i find on ebay and it's recomforting to know you guys rather than the unknown

i am in favor that we should deal more amongst ourselves Right HERE on the Fo'! Bro'
and send a few $$$ to b0b
it can save a lot a grief....

Jimmie Martin · Post by **Jimmie Martin** » 15 Jan 2005 10:02 am

i second it

Cartwright Thompson · Post by **Cartwright Thompson** » 15 Jan 2005 11:35 am

I agree that the buying process on eBay can be a pit of vipers but I still use it to sell items that wouldn't sell here. Even with the price hikes, it's still a bargain, you still can sell things (to the entire world) for top dollar.

Martin Abend · Post by **Martin Abend** » 15 Jan 2005 11:42 am

I never had any problems with buying or selling stuff on ebay. Never sold any steels, though. But if you are fond of the thing that you want to bid for, it shouldn't be a problem...

MArtin

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martin abend Pedal-Steel in Germany
s-10 sierra crown gearless 3 x4 | fender hotrod deluxe

Daniel J. Cormier · Post by **Daniel J. Cormier** » 15 Jan 2005 12:12 pm

Saw this item also http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3774688055&ssPageName=STRK: MEWA:IT. Crow Bear is right on the money . Guitar is a reworked Mavrick. Sent the seller and email to that effect, But I have seen a correction or received a reply.
Buyer beware.I have sold a lot of guitars, amps and Packseats on ebay after they didn't seel on the forum. A man just has to be careful of the deadheads out there. That is something we do not have to worry about to much here on the forum.
Bon Chance'
Le Cajun de La Louisiana
P.S.
Update : some bought the Mavrick for 960.00 US
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Daniel J. Cormier
PedalMaster Lacquer D-10 Sessions 400 Limited ,ProFex II http://www.cajunsteelguitar.com email at djcormier@cox-internet.com

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Daniel J. Cormier on 15 January 2005 at 12:14 PM.]</p></FONT>

J W Alexander · Post by **J W Alexander** » 15 Jan 2005 5:32 pm

Git yer flamethrowers out, Brothers----here's the REAL deal 'bout FleaBay...........

It's NOT a bad site nor the worst thing to happen to Buyers OR Sellers! Like anything else it's what you do with it or how you use it to your advantage. I've learned over time that ANY item offered "For Sale" on ANY site requires the prospective Buyer to certainly beware. Having knowledge (or considerable informational resources) about items along with asking ALL the RIGHT questions will eliminate nearly every conceivable problem that is so often brought up here.

I am NOT the smartest of people but do know when to ask questions and more importantly when to just back away from something. A particular Sho Bud I was lusting after didn't look quite right and after a few questions not answered to my liking I didn't pursue it any longer. It might have been the deal of a life time BUT I erred on the side of caution and now don't have any regrets or gripes about being "scammed".

SGF is a great site for exchanging ideas and gear but that doesn't guarantee anything. I'd like to think we're all honest, forthcoming and NOT out to conceal something in order to make a quick sale but those questions and knowledge is just as important here as anywhere. Ricky Davis has been a tremendous help in my own knowledge-seeking and question-answering. I'll add that a recent transaction I had here went slightly awry since I was given the wrong mailing address and it was "suggested" maybe I'd taken the PayPal money and just not sent the items. After a few terse emails the mistake was discovered but yet the buyer never acknowledged their part but did go on to gently complain it wasn't exactly as expected. This just goes to show not every transaction goes perfectly even if it originates here!

I've found things through eBay that would take me 100 years of ad checking and guitar show attending to find and most of them at bargain prices, too! Steel guitars are not understood by everyone so we might want give benefit of doubt to those just trying to sell something. Don't assume or accuse a Seller of scamming due to their (possible) lack of knowledge. Politely explain the misinformation if so inclined and then move on----or just move on anyway!

So that's what I think..............

Denny Turner · Post by **Denny Turner** » 15 Jan 2005 7:58 pm

I returned to this message chain to present some opinions about the subject. Thankfully JW just expressed most of my similar opinion quite well.

I think most Forumites recognize and endear that the SGF is BY FAR a better place to do business than just about anywhere-else online ...IF an item can be sold here at the desired selling price.

I have bought hundreds of Steels, Guitars and related items on eBay ...and could not have done so anywhere else with the selection and efficiency afforded by eBay. I have had a few "terse" moments with some eBay Sellers, but I've also studied the eBay and internet bizness law enforcement systems and know quite well how to respond quickly in-kind to any problems, which in the vast majority of cases are worked out with VERY little time & effort. BUT, STUDYING the eBay system is paramount to detecting and avoiding problems before bidding and after "winning". There are any number of forums and privately produced CD-ROMS a person can study ...but isn't really worth the considerable time & effort unless a person is going to do considerable business at eBay.

A search here on the SGF for > eBay scam < should produce a good education on problems with eBay buying and selling along with great ideas about same. (Although even those 2 selective words should still bring up a jungle of unrelated postings to wade through).

To reconcile problems with eBay Sellers / Buyers who desire to do reasonably good bizness on eBay, ...eBay's Feedback and resolution system motivates Sellers & Buyers to work things out amicably; BUT eBay's "hands-off" resolution system is "worthless" with a Seller or Buyer who won't resolve a problem in personal contacts. If anyone ever gets burned on eBay, they should do some homework first via a search here on the SGF for "IFCC" (Internet Fraud Complaint Center) operated by the FBI Internet Fraud Task Force who coordinates a comprehensive consortium task force with several govt and private agencies, particularly the local District Attorneys' detective offices in every jurisdiction of the USA; Which means that the IFCC can and will have a law enforcement detective right in a Seller's own locale telephone or knock on the door of problematic online Sellers (and Buyers as the case might be); And I personally contact the local DA's IFCC task force office to get ahead of the power curve and make sure they quickly plug into the FBI / IFCC complaint. Of course that will only work if you have pre-determined that the Seller does exist at the contacts and location specified in his/her contacts that should ALWAYS be established before payment is made.

The FBI / IFCC task force takes small, nefarious, internet problems just as serious as larger / wide-spread scams & problems, ...because the vast majority of internet business problems are with small individual deals which the FBI wants to make clear they will not tolerate fraudulent business in either.

I had to medically retire from my main bread-winning career in 1996; And seeing that handwriting on the wall beforehand, I started buying Musical instruments and setting up a small Guitar teaching / repair / buying-selling shop as a new career. As that shop buisness grew I began a rather large-scale remodeling last March ...gearing up to do online selling in expansion of my past smaller online and local business. Within the next few months I will have prepared to do a much higher volume of online business. Taking a cue from a number of other Forumites, I plan to advertise items right here on the SGF first for a period of time before additionally listing items on eBay; Which to me seems like a quite wise avenue for the many SGF vs eBay reasons discussed here on the SGF.

With all that said I hope we hold a strong appreciation and loyalty for the profoundly good work b0b and our SGF community has done with the Steel Guitar Forum. I might further suggest that Steelers might consider carrying an extra gig bag or road case with small items purchased from b0b, to re-sell, ...such as strings, CD's and instructional material, ...things that could/would indeed be sold in the process of inquiries we "all" get rather regularly at gigs. That seems to me to be a rather easy / good / efficient way for the SGF to establish a flow back to b0b for his excellent efforts ...in a win-win manner for everyone.

THANK YOU b0b; THANK YOU Fo'Bro's.

Aloha,
Denny T~

Loni Specter · Post by **Loni Specter** » 16 Jan 2005 9:16 am

I've bought and sold a few items on eBay costing over $1,000. with great success. The vast world market that ebay has opened has revolutionized the classified industry. You just gotta be smart about their feedback system.
I believe now that ebay has raised it's final value fee to 8% we will see more items exchanging hands on this SGF site.