People who lie to sell basses

[MattB88]

"Best bass I ever owned" may be true, but it tells me nothing. Maybe every bass that person has is a POS.

I agree and “best bass I ever owned” only applies to them. Everyone is unique and different. It may be incredible but a horrible choice for a different type player. It’s a very loose term at best.

 

[saabfender]

I don’t read any of that “only drove it on sundays” “the best one I’ve ever owned” nonsense. Even if not out-and-Out lies, all that verbiage is irrelevant to the item itself.

The only thing the text of an ad speaks to is nature of the seller, not necessarily the item.

 

[Pimpernel Smith]

Lying is such a fundamental character fault. It gives insight into all of the rest of the personality. It's abhorrent, and corrosive to one's being. And needs to be avoided in all things small and important.

 

[BD Jones]

I've sold lots of instruments over the years (90% on eBay) and have never used the phrases "best [insert instrument] I've ever owned" or "my main player for years" or anything similar. I stick to the facts. I don't even say "it sounds great" because that is very subjective. I list specs, the condition, and mention if the electronics (if applicable) are working and noise free. I also put as many detailed pictures as possible. I've yet to have a complaint (then again, most people don't seem to leave feedback on eBay anymore). I wish more people would put in the effort I do into their ads. Lots of times I will see an ad for something and the pictures are horrible and the information is even worse. When asked for additional pictures or information the requests are either ignored or not any better than the originals. This may be why I don't buy a whole lot of used instruments online.

 

[Rib 13]

well, it probably has a better chance of selling than a bass described as "For Sale: Bass....it sucks, i hated playing it, and it sounds like a well-executed fart"

 

[Bodeanly]

The day after I made that trade the guy put that same music man bass on craigslist, raised the price to 1300 and said "One of the best basses I ever had"

Maybe it actually was one of the best basses he ever had, even if he only had it briefly?

 

[basscapes]

"I think so, Brain, but if they called them 'Sad Meals', kids wouldn't buy them!"

-Pinky, from Pinky and the Brain

 

[Gorn]

These are irrelevant lies. It's salesmanship. Whether it's good or bad is up for discussion, but it doesn't bother me. The clever consumer can see this and if he can't, he has bigger problems in life.

 

[Maynjo]

I got sniped last minute on a beautiful Roscoe that was selling on eBay. The winner ended up getting it for around 1700(a great price). He then listed it a few days later for 2700. It's still there. Highly doubt he's going to sell it for anywhere near that much. It just really pisses me off because I actually wanted to play it. This guy outbid me last minute just to try and flip it. It's probably just sitting in a closet now.

 

[DigitalMan]

Material facts about an item for sale must be true.

The emotional disposition of the seller toward the item for sale is irrelevant.

When you buy a bass the sellers feelings are deemed to be non-transferable anyway.

 

[pcake]

Let it go. We've all made bad trades, some of us just won't admit it.

i've never actually made any trades. i guess it's because of my non-trusting nature.

 

[Rib 13]

I got sniped last minute on a beautiful Roscoe that was selling on eBay. The winner ended up getting it for around 1700(a great price). He then listed it a few days later for 2700. It's still there. Highly doubt he's going to sell it for anywhere near that much. It just really pisses me off because I actually wanted to play it. This guy outbid me last minute just to try and flip it. It's probably just sitting in a closet now.

sometimes its a seller's "sock puppet" account that does this........they are willing to take a lower price if it sells, but they count the 'watchers' as 'product research'....if they think they stir enough interest, they will snipe themselves and relist at a higher price

 

[GregC]

Its not a very good marketing move to say "worst bass I've ever owned"

well, it probably has a better chance of selling than a bass described as "For Sale: Bass....it sucks, i hated playing it, and it sounds like a well-executed fart"

It's not necessary to post that it's the best or the worst, though. Sure, I've learned to look past that puffery, I just wish people would stick to the facts.

 

[mattj1stc]

I always tried to be honest when selling any of my gear. I usually had a pretty good idea of what the current market price was and I tried to take accurate photos. Then again, I was just getting rid of things I wasn't using. People may be more extreme and sometimes deceptive when they're trying to make a living from gear flipping. Really, it's the other side of the coin to all the sellers who complain about all the lowball offers they receive.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

I'm not what you'd call an active seller, but when I do put something up for sale, I at least look at what it's been going for lately before I price it. If someone intends to flip it after I sell it, that's none of my business. As far as statements like "best bass I ever owned", that's the seller's opinion and has nothing to do with whether I find a bass desirable.

As for lying, I would, but I'm too disorganized. As Mark Twain said, the best thing about telling the truth is you don't have to remember anything.

 

[lz4005]

The day after I made that trade the guy put that same music man bass on craigslist, raised the price to 1300 and said "One of the best basses I ever had" it has yet to sell, but I sure have started noticing people use those terms more often, it makes it hard to believe people sometimes.

What about that is that a lie?

 

[ghostinthemach]

maybe that's why I could never be a salesman, I am upfront and honest about anything I sell

On the contrary, that honesty is what makes a sales professional. Without the honesty you are just a con-man and you’ll never build any long-term clientele.

A sales professional has to build a business to prosper. That means repeat customers and all-important referrals.

If you had to feed your family w/o the benefit of having built a business on past performance you’d never survive.

Real sales is a science and done right it leaves a trail of successes based on win-win transactions.

 

[flam]

Saying something is the best you ever owned is just useless filler material, unless you're already somebody regarded as a professional in the area of that object. I really couldn't even get mad at somebody lying about it because it holds so little weight in the first place. Same with any statements about how the object was used. It doesn't really matter as long as it didn't affect the condition.

 

[lfmn16]

i've never actually made any trades. i guess it's because of my non-trusting nature.

I was actually thinking more about these people on TB who claim they've never lost money on a sale, never lost money on a trade, blah, blah, blah.

 

[bolophonic]

"Best bass I ever owned" may be true, but it tells me nothing. Maybe every bass that person has is a POS.

That’s a statement that wouldn’t even register with my eyeballs as I was scanning the ad for facts. Any of those ridiculous subjective bits of flair that sellers insert into ads make me think one thing: this bass is overpriced.