The Steel Guitar Forum

Not sure of which area to post this under but I hope it is helpful selling information for steel guitars or other accessories.

I recently listed two items on Reverb and within 15 minutes had a message that someone wanted to buy my item.
But they were unreachable through Reverb messaging.

Message went something like: The interested party's friend/father/relative, etc. wanted to buy it and they wanted me to contact their relative/friend via a text number sent to me the through Reverb message system to arrange a deal.
One message was from out of the US.
I did not respond to these messages..


This happened within 10-15 minutes of listing my latest item.
Both these items were over $300.

I have had many good sales on Reverb, but I have always gone through their system. Hope this helps someone selling a lap steel.

My wife has had a similar experience on Facebook marketplace. Within minutes of listing an item she gets messages asking for a phone number and trying to bypass the safeguards that are in place. I figure legitimate buyers are willing to work with the system.

Your experience is not unique. I recently listed a rescue BR-9 on Reverb.com after it generated no interest here. The first couple responses were similar to what you describe; likewise I ignored them. The instrument did sell to a legitimate buyer after a few days for its listed price. Sellers beware!

I sold a 12 string guild guitar on marketplace last month,The price I listed was an ambit claim expecting lower offers. I almost immediately had a message wanting to buy it, no questions, no haggling, just wanted to pay me by Paypal and have a relative pick it up. I declined and said cash only on pickup and heard nothing more from them.
Sometimes they want the item and will send false notification of payment.
Sometimes they will have the item collected and claim they never received it and ask for a paypal refund.
Sometimes they don't want the item, will "overpay you" accidentally and want the difference refunded.
And any number of other variations.

This seems like it's becoming a common scam attempt on Reverb. I get these same messages for about every other item I list on there. Always something like "my dad wants this item, can you please send him pictures at..."
I haven't found an easy way to report these messages to reverb yet. Has anyone else tried reporting them?

Here is my model for doing business. It is a bit radical but that's just how I roll.
You send me the agreed upon amount of money via Paypal. Then I send you the item. (Obvious exceptions are when dealing with people you trust -- hell, I just recently sent something to a forum member days before he sent me the money).

If that is too difficult, then we will not do business. If you whine and keep trying to make something complicated out of a simple deal, you are just digging a deeper hole.

If a seller is so desperate that they chose to work through someone else's maze to make the sale, well, it's on them. They've chosen to be a mark.

Same thing happened to me about a month ago when I listed my Rukavina for sale. I told them that I don't respond to any third party sales,that they are against Reverb policy and don't contact me again.

Jon Light wrote:Here is my model for doing business. It is a bit radical but that's just how I roll.
You send me the agreed upon amount of money via Paypal. Then I send you the item.

Woah, woah, slow down, I have to pay for something I am buying?

Joe A. Roberts wrote:

Jon Light wrote:Here is my model for doing business. It is a bit radical but that's just how I roll.
You send me the agreed upon amount of money via Paypal. Then I send you the item.

Woah, woah, slow down, I have to pay for something I am buying?

Ok. You seem like an earnest fellow. For this $500 object, give me a strange address to send the thing to and I'll invoice you for the object PLUS ten thousand extra dollars for some reason and I will send you the $9500 overpay. And I will give you my social security number and bank account info so that we can close this deal smoothly.
It only makes sense.

Jon Light wrote: Ok. You seem like an earnest fellow. For this $500 object, give me a strange address to send the thing to and I'll invoice you for the object PLUS ten thousand extra dollars for some reason and I will send you the $9500 overpay. And I will give you my social security number and bank account info so that we can close this deal smoothly.
It only makes sense.

Dearest sir, we hereby bring to your notice that we discussed and arrived to a better conclusion that we can no longer send payment for Rickenbacher B6 until all full $9,500 has payment to Western Union processed fund to Bank of Bangui, Central African Republic.
Get back please urgently with your bank details.

Yours in service

NOT A SWINDLE!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkCDkMvoQzI

Seemed to have touched a relevant topic and I appreciate heads up from everyone.
Finished up selling my last item on Reverb today.

I have met and sold lap steels and accessories to some great folks on the Forum, so I'll close my posts here on a positive note!