Instrument Exchange seller on Ebay

Ron Victoria · Post by **Ron Victoria** » 9 Feb 2005 2:22 pm

There's been a few instruments that came up on Ebay today and yesterday or the day before listed with outrageous prices. There's an Electar Century and Kalamazoo for over $800!!! Where do these people get these prices from? What a waste of money.

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 9 Feb 2005 2:43 pm

So you noticed those too? There's five of them, all from the same seller, including a National Dynamic starting at $1795.......

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

[This message was edited by Steinar Gregertsen on 09 February 2005 at 02:43 PM.]

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 9 Feb 2005 2:44 pm

Instument Exchange is Guitar Center's vintage department.

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 9 Feb 2005 3:24 pm

Seller name "gcrep" = guitar center rep.
I have seen Instrument Exchange items on ebay--stomp boxes in particular--that were grossly misrepresented as to vintage, condition, and value.

Richard Couch · Post by **Richard Couch** » 9 Feb 2005 4:42 pm

Instument Exchange really is a joke. I've talked to some of those guys in the past and they have no idea what they are doing. Their basic MO is to look at the highest selling prices for an item and then double it. No kidding.

These are the same guys who price mid 70's SF Princetons for $1K and SF Deluxes for $2K or more...

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Some Ric B6's, Some Fender Champs and the useual assortment of bottom feeders...

Denny Turner · Post by **Denny Turner** » 9 Feb 2005 5:08 pm

Instrument Exchange is an overflow outlet for Guitar Center (similar to overflow used-car lots who get cars to dispose of when the main company doesn't want to show or mess with them?). Instrument Exchange seems to have a wanting responsible-business character; And I wouldn't say that if I didn't have documentation. They caught my eye last year listing the same instrument in more than one auction, and then choosing the highest bid auctions to sell to while the other auctions winners complained about being told the item was mistakenly sold already. I documented several examples of this as well as others they were pulling and reported it to eBay and the FBI / IFCC. Shortly thereafter I couldn't find the account they were using on eBay and their business reappeared under a new account monikor. I had not checked back on them for some time now.

If anyone notices any SPECIFIC / DOCUMENTABLE bad business practices of Instrument Exchange (or anyone else), please copy documentation and file an alert notice complaint with the FBI Internet Fraud Complaint Center.

Aloha,
DT
[This message was edited by Denny Turner on 12 February 2005 at 03:12 AM.]

Alan Kirk · Post by **Alan Kirk** » 14 Feb 2005 1:35 pm

I sent an email to Guitar Center asking what this sleazy business was all about. I got a call from some GC jerk in New York -- not sure why he bothered -- who attempted to explain to me that the Guitar Center prices were within market values, as he had checked with several "experts." He also said that using the same picture for all the ads was "eBay's fault" -- actually, as all of us eBay sellers know, it was a seller-caused error of uploading incorrect pictures.

This belligerant no-account was pulling a dominance thing on me, so I told him to "stop wasting my time" and hung up on him. I don't have time for lying corporate apologists.

No one I know is dumb enough to patronize GC, anyway.[This message was edited by Alan Kirk on 14 February 2005 at 03:24 PM.]

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 14 Feb 2005 1:45 pm

I got a call from some jerk in New York

You weren't in so I left a message.

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 14 Feb 2005 2:22 pm

it's nice to know that my 1939 Epiphone Century lap steel has gone up in value.
I paid a mere 350$.
Ron. are you bummed you got rid of yours?

gcrep. that's a good one.[This message was edited by Randy Reeves on 14 February 2005 at 02:22 PM.]

Ron Victoria · Post by **Ron Victoria** » 14 Feb 2005 2:28 pm

Not at all. I've found a whole new world playing Fender Champs and Champions. I like different looking instruments. The reserve wasn't met on that Vega I wanted so the sale fell thru. Now that's a sharp looking axe!!

Alan Kirk · Post by **Alan Kirk** » 14 Feb 2005 3:26 pm

HowardR,

I guess you left the message on my "air" phone (sort of like an air guitar), 'cause I never got it.

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Denny Turner · Post by **Denny Turner** » 14 Feb 2005 3:37 pm

Here's documentation that Instrumentexchange.com is an outlet of Guitar Center; And that the old now-inactive eBay account 'instrumentexchange' was an account of Instrument Exchange / Guitar Center.

Duplicate pictures in EI EBAY auctions is what caught my eye awhile back, ...and upon closer scrutiny discovered they weren't just duplicate pictures, they were separate auctions selling the same physical item! And sure enough, checking IE's feedback showed winners quite upset that "the instrument was already sold" or told a "mistake" had been made (boy did they make allot of similar "mistakes"). I wish I had the time to investigate their current activities closer; Maybe someone else here does.

I haven't seen Instrument Exchange on eBay in quite awhile and thought they had ceased doing eBay business, using their own instrumentexchange.com auction house now; But I would appreciate anyone posting a link here to any item for sale on eBay by Instrument Exchange or Guitar Center.

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Cases of duplicate listings found between 9-7-03 and 1-9-04:

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RARE '54 Fender Tweed Twin Low Power Item number: 2556501746
RARE '54 Fender Tweed Twin Low Power Item number: 2556501619
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DANELECTRO Silvertone Item number: 2556501731
DANELECTRO Silvertone Item number: 2556501612
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GIBSON LES PAUL STANDARD Item number: 2556501714
GIBSON LES PAUL STANDARD Item number: 2556501604
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FENDER Brown Delux Item number: 2556501701
FENDER Brown Delux Item number: 2556501601
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Seventy's Fender Pro Reverb Item number: 2556501590
Seventy's Fender Pro Reverb Item number: 2556501695
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Ovation Viper Item number: 2556501688
Ovation Viper Item number: 2556501579
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Gibson ES 345 1962 Item number: 2556501572
Gibson ES 345 1962 Item number: 2556501680
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orpheum 1830 Item number: 2556501672
orpheum 1830 Item number: 2556501561
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Hartke Transporter 210 .... 2557875337
Hartke Transporter 210 .... 2557877052
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item=2558063058
item=2558063061
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item=2556501731
item=2556501612
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item=3700810339
item=3700908968
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item=3700810339
item=3700908968
=====

I have personally heard many complaints about instrument exchange ...although I have never had a bad experience doing direct business with Guitar Center store supervisors (many if not most floormen a bit too green still). A good thing about Guitar Center is that they can access the database of all their stores to locate a particular instrument. I stopped doing business with them when I learned that instrument exchange was one of their gigs.

Aloha,
DT~
[This message was edited by Denny Turner on 14 February 2005 at 06:04 PM.]

Alan Kirk · Post by **Alan Kirk** » 15 Feb 2005 7:26 pm

Well, gcrep810's auctions have ended. Here are the results:

1960s SEKOVA HG-91 VINTAGE LAP STEEL GUITAR LAPSTEEL NR $695.00 -- 0 bids

VINTAGE 1960s AIRLINE LAP STEEL GUITAR LAPSTEEL *NR!** $795.00 -- 0 bids

VINTAGE SUPRO STUDENT DELUXE LAP STEEL GUITAR LAPSTEEL $795.00 -- 0 bids

VINTAGE 1960s SUPRO LAP STEEL GUITAR LAPSTEEL *NR!* $895.00 -- 0 bids

VINTAGE NATIONAL 1930s LAP STEEL GUITAR LAPSTEEL *NR!* $1,795.00 -- 0 bids

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Dave Boothroyd · Post by **Dave Boothroyd** » 16 Feb 2005 12:02 am

America voted, and America decided,
"How much? You must be joking!"

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Cheers!
Dave

Alan Kirk · Post by **Alan Kirk** » 17 Feb 2005 4:09 pm

All the lap steels that previously got 0 bids have been relisted at the same prices. I guess the "Duh Factor" hasn't quite kicked in yet.

My question is: How can people like this actually get jobs? Shouldn't they be pushing shopping carts?

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Paul Arntson · Post by **Paul Arntson** » 17 Feb 2005 7:47 pm

Isn't this practice somewhat like spamming?
Eventually 0.01% of viewers will sucker in and then the profit is made.

Loni Specter · Post by **Loni Specter** » 17 Feb 2005 8:22 pm

I emailed them with a shipping question about the National Dynamic for $1,800.
I told them it was more then double the going rate for them and I wanted to know if it included shipping to Mars.

Denny Turner · Post by **Denny Turner** » 18 Feb 2005 12:47 am

Yep; gcrep810 is sure'nuff GC's Instrument Exchange.

And checking their ID history it looks like eBay is not aware (if they even care) that gcrep810's / Instrument Exchange's previous User ID was 'instrumentexchange'. I took about 45 minutes trying to wade through eBay's notifying system; but it is such a quagmire of self-serving hear-see-speak no other evil, I gave up.

Aloha,
DT~
[This message was edited by Denny Turner on 18 February 2005 at 01:00 AM.]

steve takacs · Post by **steve takacs** » 18 Feb 2005 1:55 am

Alan, no; people like this should not be pushing shopping carts since that type of work would require an honest effort on their parts. steve[This message was edited by steve takacs on 18 February 2005 at 01:55 AM.]

Karl Oberlander · Post by **Karl Oberlander** » 18 Feb 2005 9:22 am

The local GC here is Austin has had a National D-8 with case that is a legit 1947 model (if memory serve me correctly). But they have it priced at $2000 or something like that. And it's been sitting there for about 3 years now. I told them no one would pay that for it. I actually offered them $500 for it but that was too low for them.

The local guys are OK guys that are mostly musicians that need a day job to make ends meet. But they still don't know diddly about steels of any kind.

Having said that I have to admit that I did buy a 1963 Gretsch 6119 with it's original case from GC in Dallas a few years ago. I think they were asking around $1350 for it but I offered $800 tax title and license. And they took it. So I guess if you deal with a local you can... well deal with him.

But I agree with the online comments earlier. I wonder what these guys actually do that brings in any money. 'Cause they never get any bites on eBay.

Keep it twangy!

Kobe

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Gibson D-8 Console Grande - Stringmaster T-8 - Alkire EHarp D-10
Fender Super Reverb
kobe@austin.rr.com
http://home.austin.rr.com/kobeco

[This message was edited by Karl Oberlander on 18 February 2005 at 09:24 AM.]