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Help Needed with sale of bass


Thunderbird
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[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1478007793' post='3165923']



I would advise very strongly that you do NOT do this, in fact that you do and say absolutely nothing that might imply that you felt any responsibility or liability at all.

If this guy really is a scammer (for £230? sounds more like a newbie or an incompetent to me) then he'll know how to parlay your tacit admission into complete liability.

Just say, as politely as you think appropriate, that there was nothing wrong with the bass when he bought it, and it sounds as if he's been scammed by a dodgy luthier.

Ball --> his court.
[/quote]

I'll reduce my post down to just the FO then :D

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[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1478007793' post='3165923']
I would advise very strongly that you do NOT do this, in fact that you do and say absolutely nothing that might imply that you felt any responsibility or liability at all.

If this guy really is a scammer (for £230? sounds more like a newbie or an incompetent to me) then he'll know how to parlay your tacit admission into complete liability.

Just say, as politely as you think appropriate, that there was nothing wrong with the bass when he bought it, and it sounds as if he's been scammed by a dodgy luthier.

Ball --> his court.
[/quote]

Ma-hoo-ssive +1

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[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1478004045' post='3165869']
IF the bass did require a refret, the buyer should've taken the following steps.

1) Contacted you in a reasonable time (legally distance selling regulations are only 14 days for items bought online so maybe a grace period of 30 days is fair).

2) Explained what they thought the issue was, backed up by a quote from a luthier.

3) Allowed you to counter his thoughts with the paperwork that gave the bass the all clear from your luthier when it was in for a set-up pre-sale.

4) Discussed a compromise (maybe pay half each etc).

By taking no reasonable steps to solve the issue with you and simply pursuing his own idea of an outcome and expecting you to pay, I would feel completely guilt free and point out in your response that you may have been accommodating had you been given an opportunity to independently diagnose and resolve any issues in a timely manner.
[/quote]

Spot on answer!
I really think that the 2 month period between him buying the bass, and then contacting you is way too long. And as others have said, he really should have discussed with you first, before getting the re-fret done. Also, Dave Dearnaley in Cardiff is a top luthier - he wouldn't have charged that much! He may have been scammed by a luthier, but then that would have been avoided if he'd checked with you first, as you'd have asked him to get a 2nd opinion, I'm sure.....

I know what you mean when you say this makes you feel bad. I think I'd be the same. I prefer buyers to check instruments or amps over before handing over any cash. That way, the buyer gets to inspect & check the item, and ask any pertinent questions at the time....

Best of luck with this, but in this case, I don't think there's any duty on you to do any more
A 2nd opinion closer to purchase date, and a compromise for the cost would have been best action

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[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1478009085' post='3165948']
Also, Dave Dearnaley in Cardiff is a top luthier - he wouldn't have charged that much! He may have been scammed by a luthier, but then that would have been avoided if he'd checked with you first, as you'd have asked him to get a 2nd opinion, I'm sure.....

[/quote]

Seriously Marc, I wasn't having a pop at any real luthier - not intentionally anyway. My suggestion was intended to steer Mr. Newbie Scam away from Basschat. If he asked Dearnaley to do a job for him, then that's between him and Dearnaley.

If it reads that I was insulting Dearnaley then my apologies to all.

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[quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1478004413' post='3165877']
Thanks for the comments guys the buyer is asking me for part of the cost
[/quote]

Respectfully decline because the "issue" and course(s) of action weren't discussed first.

And importantly, no agreement was given by you for any costs to be incurred.

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Can only agree with my BC colleagues here that this fellow sounds an obvious chancer You sound like a conscientious chap. Don't allow your decency to cause you to think you owe him anything. You don't. As others say, he should at least have contacted you first if there was a problem with the instrument before getting any so-called repairs done.

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[quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1478001019' post='3165821']
Hi Guys I need a bit of help I bought a bass from a very well regarded basschatter and it was absolutely perfect but I rarely played it as it just was not for me so I sold it on basschat a couple of months ago in the same condition as it was when I bought it for the exception of having a full set up and check over by a very well respected luthier who said the bass was perfect. So my problem begins here the guy who I sold the bass to about 2 months ago has just contacted me and said there was a problem with the frets on the bass and that they were low and he has had to have it refretted at a cost of 230 now I know there was not a problem with the bass and am unsure what to do as why has the buyer taken so long on telling me about this and getting work done without contacting me? I do not want to cause any bad feeling with the other guy but I have to take my luthiers word and the previous owners word over his and the fact the I knew the bass was spot on.Any one here who knows me will know if some thing is not spot on I wont sell it but I do not want to pay out some money that for something that I was all OK what can I do?
[/quote]


Ignore.

If there's an issue with the bass, the new owner should have told you pretty early on, not two month afterwards.
If he thought the frets were 'too low', does that mean that they were uneven and made the bass impossible or hard to play? Or is just his preference? Either way, if not happy with it... the thing to do is contact the seller asap, not go for a refret and then ask for money. That's ridiculous.

Sounds like a chancer to me, to be honest. It just doesn't make sense. The minute he committed the bass to irreversible changes, it is his to keep regardless, as he did it without any consultation.

From time to time to may find a difficult unreasonable person, or a plain cheeky chancer... block & ignore.

It says a lot (good) about you that you worry. I also want whoever I sell something to to be happy with the purchase. The rare occasions when something goes wrong I do what I can to put it right even if it means losing some money, because I don't want to be perceived or even suspected (even if I know it's untrue) as a rogue seller. But this guy you sold the bass to... either he doesn't have good intentions or is totally clueless. Either way, in my view, he lost any chance to be treated reasonably the minute he went ahead and refretted the bass. Two months later as well? :rolleyes:
Nah.

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It would have taken me five minutes after unpacking the bass and having a play to have known if it needs a re-fret, and if it did, I would have contacted you asap to say that I'm not too happy with the fretwork, and then it's a case of possibly sending it back for a refund, or if I really liked the bass then maybe negociate a price for a re-fret, which I'm sure is what most decent people would do.

Two months, no negotiation? he had his chance, just ignore him!

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In all likelihood the refret was done out of preference rather than necessity, I have a 64 Precision with pretty low frets, I wouldn't refret and with a good set up it plays perfectly, but someone else may decide to do it, but that would be personal choice and not a fault with the bass.

Also if you frets are too low for you, it doesn't take two months to realise, ignore him.

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So sick of this issue cropping up on eBay, it is just stupid! I always find being polite but firm, such as offering to call the luthier myself if they can say which one it has gone to, usually gets met with silence.

Had this from a guy who bought a knackered bass off me on eBay. It was knackered, I put photos up of where it was knackered and made it clear it was knackered. Guy pays eighty quid, receives bass, two weeks later says it needs twenty quid of electrics work. He didn't realise I used to live in his home town so when I asked where he was having the work done he couldn't name the shop, so I directed him to one and said I'd call them to check it out but never offered to pay. He never got back to me. A few months later he had the bass up on eBay after an awfully bad attempt at de-fretting with the description "...I have owned this bass trouble free for many years". C0ck.

Edited by uk_lefty
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In this Digital Age, it would be so easy to take 'before' and 'after' pictures, so as to show proof of the problem, and its rectification. At the very least......................................................you know what? Ignore the pillock! He wasn't even worthy of the effort involved to finish my post. :rolleyes:

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