 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: mike
Date: 2002-03-11 22:02
Please be careful when dealing with the seller hornsrus. This person does not know musical instruments and descriptions are vague and inaccurate. The return policy is laced with ways to get even more of your hard earned money. Please pass this on to other musicians. Take care.
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Author: Hobbes
Date: 2002-03-11 23:53
Probably 95% of the clarinet auctions on eBay could be characterized as "vague and inaccurate". This is usually due to ignorance from the seller more than anything else. This is why it is always so important to ask alot of questions before bidding. My favorite questions are:
1. Are you a clarinet player or music store?
(If the answer is no, Assume the clarinet will need an overhaul, no matter what they tell you)
2. What is the serial number and does it match on the upper and lower sections?
(Some clarinets only have one serial number, but avoid if there is a mismatch)
3. Does the clarinet body show any cracks, chips, severe wear, previous repairs, or any other forms of damage?
(If yes, follow-up with an email asking them to take a picture of the damaged area, or just avoid if its something major)
4. Does the clarinet have any broken or missing keys?
(Unless its for a collection, avoid it)
5. Do all the keys spring back freely when pressed?
(Unless its for a collection, avoid it)
6. Will you refund the purchase if the clarinet has hidden damage, other than what you have already described?
(This is probably the most important question, and the one that may make a seller angry. If they say no, or respond in an unfriendly tone, then avoid.)
Do not argue with the seller. If their response is not friendly than avoid. Check their feedback carefully. If a seller has more than 1 negative for every 50 positives, be careful. If a seller has a 1 negative for every 25 positive ratio then avoid.
Hope this helps
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2002-03-13 19:06
Another thing to check out is how long it takes them to reply to your inquiry. If it's too long into the auction before they finally respond, they're probably just replying out of desperation. If they check their emails every day or so (cut them a break over the weekend in case their computer is at their workplace), they should respond within a day or two. Slow to respond to emails is usually an indication they'll be slow to ship as well.
These are not cut and dried rules, just some things I look for when asking questions before buying off eBay. However, I'll add that I've done hundreds of transactions with very few disappointments after following a regime of questions and email replies.
If I'm going to spend a lot of money for an expensive instrument, I want a phone number and usually will give the seller a call. When you talk to someone over the phone you can usually find out a lot more about the person. It is better to spend a few dollars on a phone call than to loose a bunch on a bad deal.
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-03-13 22:18
Mike: what makes you think we're a bunch of idiots?
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