M
MistaGuitah
Well-known member
So I paid $2300 for an amp on reverb which was described by the the seller as "brand new" in the first sentence of the item's description. It was listed as "excellent," which makes sense because only authorized dealers can sell brand new. Reverb's description of "excellent" condition is, "Excellent items are almost entirely free from blemishes and other visual defects and have been played or used with the utmost care." The pictures were rather low quality, and at worst they seemed to convey that the amp was dusty, but given the seller's perfect feedback rating and description as "brand new," there wasn't really a reason to question it.
However, the amp arrived in a generic box, wrapped around once with bubble wrap, and some paper at the end, and there was at least 2 inches of space around the amp on all sides of the box. Miraculously, there was no physical damage to the box and the amp worked when it arrived, with the exception of a loose chassis and grill that rattled when moved.
The problem is the amp was not "brand new" at all, but 8 years old, severely scratched on one side that wasn't pictured in his listing. It had other scrapes and scratches all over also. The condition didn't even meet the "excellent" guidelines. There was no factory box, no manual, or anything that a "brand new" amp would come with.
So I contacted the seller and was courteous and respectful, detailing the damage and various imperfections, citing the descriptions, and provided several pictures. The seller's response was:
"That's the risk of shipping. It was sold as is. No returns." and "Everything was shown in the photos." Though that certainly wasn't the case at all because there was no physical damage to the box or anything that would remotely coincide with the kinds of imperfections on the amp, and because that big scratch was not pictured or mentioned in the listing.
So I still kept my cool and tried several times to reason with him. Keep in mind, he never denied the condition of the amp but confirmed it. I quoted his listed policy,
"This item is sold As-Described and cannot be returned unless it arrives in a condition different from how it was described or photographed. Items must be returned in original, as-shipped condition with all original packaging." Obviously, the big scratch alone nullifies the policy.
After trying to reason with him a few times, I offered to accept a $300 partial refund to just keep the amp and move on. Of course, he refused. I submitted a refund request, quoting his policy, the discrepancy in the pictures, and contradiction of his description, but of course he shot down the refund request.
I told him he knows he lied about the listing, used deceptive pics and description, and that it's futile to oppose a refund request. It's like, why refuse and cause problems to try and get away with ripping me off because even if Reverb doesn't side with me, PayPal will. I don't know if the guy is just dumb and cannot understand basic things or if he's such a callous crook that he just doesn't care at all about ripping people off. The dude had no concern whatsoever, no conscience about lying, and didn't even deny anything I disputed. It's like the guy is totally confident he's going to get away with it.
After that, I warned him that I would not only file a claim through Reverb, but that I also have PayPal protection, and that I would leave negative feedback. He basically scoffed and responded with 3 thumbs-up. Therefore, I filed a claim, sent lots of pictures, and left negative feedback. Now it's just a matter of going through the motions just because that punk wants to make it hard to get my money back.
The only thing is, I haven't used Reverb for a long time. Judging by his attitude of impunity, it almost seems like I have to question whether Reverb started siding with frivolous sellers or if they still protect buyers. That is yet to be seen, but I hope they'll get all my money back.
However, the amp arrived in a generic box, wrapped around once with bubble wrap, and some paper at the end, and there was at least 2 inches of space around the amp on all sides of the box. Miraculously, there was no physical damage to the box and the amp worked when it arrived, with the exception of a loose chassis and grill that rattled when moved.
The problem is the amp was not "brand new" at all, but 8 years old, severely scratched on one side that wasn't pictured in his listing. It had other scrapes and scratches all over also. The condition didn't even meet the "excellent" guidelines. There was no factory box, no manual, or anything that a "brand new" amp would come with.
So I contacted the seller and was courteous and respectful, detailing the damage and various imperfections, citing the descriptions, and provided several pictures. The seller's response was:
"That's the risk of shipping. It was sold as is. No returns." and "Everything was shown in the photos." Though that certainly wasn't the case at all because there was no physical damage to the box or anything that would remotely coincide with the kinds of imperfections on the amp, and because that big scratch was not pictured or mentioned in the listing.
So I still kept my cool and tried several times to reason with him. Keep in mind, he never denied the condition of the amp but confirmed it. I quoted his listed policy,
"This item is sold As-Described and cannot be returned unless it arrives in a condition different from how it was described or photographed. Items must be returned in original, as-shipped condition with all original packaging." Obviously, the big scratch alone nullifies the policy.
After trying to reason with him a few times, I offered to accept a $300 partial refund to just keep the amp and move on. Of course, he refused. I submitted a refund request, quoting his policy, the discrepancy in the pictures, and contradiction of his description, but of course he shot down the refund request.
I told him he knows he lied about the listing, used deceptive pics and description, and that it's futile to oppose a refund request. It's like, why refuse and cause problems to try and get away with ripping me off because even if Reverb doesn't side with me, PayPal will. I don't know if the guy is just dumb and cannot understand basic things or if he's such a callous crook that he just doesn't care at all about ripping people off. The dude had no concern whatsoever, no conscience about lying, and didn't even deny anything I disputed. It's like the guy is totally confident he's going to get away with it.
After that, I warned him that I would not only file a claim through Reverb, but that I also have PayPal protection, and that I would leave negative feedback. He basically scoffed and responded with 3 thumbs-up. Therefore, I filed a claim, sent lots of pictures, and left negative feedback. Now it's just a matter of going through the motions just because that punk wants to make it hard to get my money back.
The only thing is, I haven't used Reverb for a long time. Judging by his attitude of impunity, it almost seems like I have to question whether Reverb started siding with frivolous sellers or if they still protect buyers. That is yet to be seen, but I hope they'll get all my money back.
