Reverb reading messages between members???

  • Thread starter Thread starter mooncobra
  • Start date Start date
mooncobra

mooncobra

Well-known member
I was talking to a guy on Reverb about buying a guitar. He gave me his phone number to contact him. I didn't want to use paypal and the seller was cool with that. Anyhow, I got an email from Reverb saying they read our PM's to one another and they don't want us talking outside of reverb, and most definitely not making a deal outside Reverb. I was pretty shocked they go reading messages from person to person when something has not been reported, I mean like someone complaining about someone else. The seller was happy to do the deal outside Reverb because he would not have lost the paypal fees. I don't like the idea that they randomly read personal messages to one another. I was very surprised to get a warning like that.
 
mooncobra":2kt5dcvx said:
I was talking to a guy on Reverb about buying a guitar. He gave me his phone number to contact him. I didn't want to use paypal and the seller was cool with that. Anyhow, I got an email from Reverb saying they read our PM's to one another and they don't want us talking outside of reverb, and most definitely not making a deal outside Reverb. I was pretty shocked they go reading messages from person to person when something has not been reported, I mean like someone complaining about someone else. The seller was happy to do the deal outside Reverb because he would not have lost the paypal fees. I don't like the idea that they randomly read personal messages to one another. I was very surprised to get a warning like that.
Click to expand...
It’s software automated, not someone actually screening unless it’s flagfed by the software. I work in IT and this is done all of the time with software that can identify social security, Credit card, phone numbers, etc to make sure there is no information compromised.
 
Their software probably scans messages for phone numbers and email address and flags them for review. I doubt anybody is actually reading every message. It's their platform, I haven't read their terms of use but I'd guess you don't have any expectation of privacy when messaging other members.

eBay also tries to prevent people from doing outside deals. Can't blame them, the seller used their platform which is how you found the item. They aren't in the business of providing free ads.
 
mooncobra":3kiqgt3e said:
I was talking to a guy on Reverb about buying a guitar. He gave me his phone number to contact him. I didn't want to use paypal and the seller was cool with that. Anyhow, I got an email from Reverb saying they read our PM's to one another and they don't want us talking outside of reverb, and most definitely not making a deal outside Reverb. I was pretty shocked they go reading messages from person to person when something has not been reported, I mean like someone complaining about someone else. The seller was happy to do the deal outside Reverb because he would not have lost the paypal fees. I don't like the idea that they randomly read personal messages to one another. I was very surprised to get a warning like that.
Click to expand...
Kinda similar to ebay, in that if you put a phone number or email in a pm it would automatically flag and you'd get a warning message. If you spell out the numbers in a phone number as words you probably wouldn't get flagged.
 
I'll say one thing about Reverb though, I had a douche try to squeeze me for more cash on a 'noisy transformer' in an SLO I sold, I offered new tubes and he said it no it needed a new transformer. I said all SLO transformers are noisy, but feel free to send it to Soldano and let me know what they say. Of course I would be in touch with Soldano to make sure it was legit. Well Reverb basically said that he could keep the amp or they would buy it back. Pretty cool of them.
 
Yeah, it's common for them to somehow screen messages. No big deal. eBay is much harsher about it. I've ended up doing in-person deals from a Reverb posting but I still kicked back Reverbs fee. They offer a valuable service that got the deal done, so they get paid IMHO.
 
eBay sent me a warning last week after I had been discussing an amp I had listed with a guy who wanted it. We didn't exchange personal info at all, other than my saying I lived in Phoenix. Later that day I decided to take the listing down and keep the amp. That prompted an auto-warning from eBay that they suspected I was trying to go outside of eBay.
 
If you read the newest user agreements, it seems that they are really trying to crack down on the possibility of selling outside of the sites now.
 
It's interesting. I've been offering my number and email in most "serious" correspondence. I've spoken to many cats outside of Reverb who are selling, and about a third of my purchases were "outside" of Reverb, but then, I received 5 stars feedback from the Seller (so I guess they stayed in the system and were honest). When I sold some items, a few were legit people who knew me who'd contacted me and we dealt outside of Reverb; when I removed the item, they asked if it was a sale through Reverb and if so, to "be so kind as to process the sale through Reverb for them to get their fees, and if not, thanks kindly for the honesty and professionalism". I thought this was awesome and MADE me want to stay inside the lines with Reverb. Of the items I sold outside of Reverb but with the buyer coming from Reverb, I actually said "Yes", and agreed to process the payment through them. No problem.

Honesty beats greed in the long run - guaranteed... Least that's my philosophy and I sleep well at night. YMMV.
 
It doesn’t surprise me they would scrape all messages and flag messages where people try to sell outside their service. I posted my Hagen for sale and then decided to keep it and when I took it down, they asked me if I sold it on Reverb or outside Reverb.
 
Happened to me a few days ago. Had a fellow send me his phone number in a pm. we texted for half the night, as he was super interested in my Axe FX. He told me he'd sleep on it and let me know in the morning how he was going to do the payment. It would have been nice not to get stuck with pp and reverb fees. It was half the day before i heard from him and just as i was about to text him, i got a message from Reverb that my unit sold and payment was already sent. Im not complaining, i made pretty much the same amount i would have without the fees since i haggled with him a little. Still weird how it worked out like that.

I jumped on the Fractal Holliday sale and got a new unit for $1850 shipped. I got $1525 for mine but got hit with fees and the shipping was $55 to cali from MO.
 
You21 have3 to get45 creative6 encoding8 your34 phone7 number. Sometimes a buyer or seller will get what Im doing but other times they think Im insane
 
Write your phone number in plain letters, encode key words with "star" (i.e. p*a*y*p*a*l) and don't use "@" but (at) instead and you'll be fine. I'm doing that for years. It started on various websites approximately 7 years ago. I must say I work in that field. :lol: :LOL:
 
Nice to know there are a lot of cheap bastards trying to save a few bucks and take advantage of a service being provided to you. Reminds me of people on welfare...ymmv
 
Whowantsamustache":1uyki1sg said:
Nice to know there are a lot of cheap bastards trying to save a few bucks and take advantage of a service being provided to you. Reminds me of people on welfare...ymmv
Click to expand...

Mmmmmh. You're quick to throw stones at random strangers without much reasons. First, I personaly prefer to communicate through my own personal email than using the messenging service of whatever website. Secondly, sometimes you need cash instead of immaterial money that will inevitably fall into your bank account overdraft of the end of the month (i.e. black hole). It's very common amongst poor hard working musicians who don't earn much living their passion. Being cheap and being poor is not the same. Thirdly, i'm often contacted by people living 30 minutes from where I live. Why use paypal when you will meet in person anyway. Seems strange to me. In the end, I don't like being spied by dumb computerized automatons in general. We're heading way too fast toward Big Brother for my own taste. YMMV. :)
 
Ebay's software is now very good at flagging many of the different ways we try to include contact info. I was suspended for 7 days a couple of weeks ago. They caught me once before years ago and still have that in their system. They said if I do it again I am out. I have about 1100 feedback. Reverb is just catching on. Take a picture of your info and attach it to your message. :thumbsup: Can't police that one yet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top