The joys of selling a bass

[Silky999]

I have started on my journey of building basses and selling them. At the minute this consists of refurbing second hand bodies or finishing raw Chinese ones, I then add a new Chinese neck, new hardware etc. my plan is to work up to cutting my own bodies and necks as I acquire the necessary tools, knowledge and skills.

 

i recently sold a bass via FB (not to a BCer). The body was a refurb but the neck new with all new hardware, pickups and so on. I won’t ship any bass as I am worried about damage in transit and also I want the buyer to play the bass and not pay/take away until they are 100% happy with what they are buying. Customer satisfaction is really crucial to me and I’d rather someone comes, plays and then walks away if they are not completely happy with either the price, quality or the bass’s suitability for them. I’m not doing this to get rich and it is as much about the pleasure in the making as anything else.

 

So said buyer comes to my house, I sit them down in the lounge and let them have as long as they want to play, examine the bass. We have a chat about basses and bands and they decide that they are happy to buy and I confirm this with them that they are totally happy several times which they are.

 

Fast forward 2 weeks and I get contacted by buyer who says words to the effect of “Sorry, the bass has some proud frets, it needs a fret level and I am not prepared to pay to have it done. It is not playable. I want you to buy it back from me for £50 less than you sold it for. It’s my fault really, I should’ve been more rigorous in my testing” they were basically asking for a refund minus £50.

 

I immediately messaged back and apologised. I offered to do a free fret level and dress, also offered to come and collect the bass to do that the same day and that I could have it sorted and ready for the next day. The buyer then said they would prefer the option of me buying it back. They sent me a video which showed a fret rock on the 19th fret of a 20 fret neck! I know the bass was spot on when I sold it as I went over it with a fine tooth comb. 
 

With a 2 week gap after buying with no contact about any issues, I was concerned that; the bass had been damaged in that time, it could been left in the sun causing wood movement( especially given the recent hot weather) or they just didn’t get on with the bass for some reason and were looking for a excuse for a quick refund.
 

I refused their kind offer and they have finally agreed to bring the bass over for a sorting out.

 

So the question……would you have done anything differently if you were me?

 

I accept that situations like this are part and parcel of selling anything these days but it has been quite disheartening for me as I would never want anyone to buy a bass that they weren’t happy with.

Edited 6 hours ago by Silky999

[itu]

There are very different customers out there. Although your approach is humble, everyone does not think the same way as you do. Be prepared for similar customers, and raise the price accordingly. Think that you sell service, not instruments, and you may find a functional concept.

 

Have you been considering some special neck shapes, light weight bodies, or something that would be your trademark?

 

If I was you, I would learn the offering of few companies. One very good one could be Limelight. I have tried two, and if I was into J and P, the feel and price were very, very good.

 

https://classicandcoolguitars.co.uk/limelight-custom-gallery/

[Burns-bass]

I think you need to consider how you’re selling. A hobbyist assembling basses in your home is different to someone who is effectively operating as a business. 
 

The former has no real obligations to the buyer, the latter does - including giving the buyer the chance to return an item should they choose to.

The problem with buying cheap parts and assembling them is you don’t have any QC. 
 

It’s positive that you’re dealing with it. Hope the bass gets sorted and starts making music.

 

[warwickhunt]

Ultimately if you are a business you'd be obligated to stand by whatever the relevant legal statutes are in any given situation, which could be in your favour under certain circumstances.  I have to say that if I'd bought a bass from a shop/business and a fault had developed in 2 weeks I'd not be impressed and I'd not be accepting any assumption/assertion that it was my fault.  Would I be entitled to a full refund... I don't know but as it wasn't my fault and if I'd lost faith that the product wasn't fit for purpose, I'd not be accepting that I'd be losing £50 for something that is a verifiable issue (being brutal in my interpretation).  

 

I'm afraid that if you are going to do this as a business you are going to be encountering all sorts of individuals some of whom could well be awkward and it's a part of the 'job' that you'll need to develop a skill for.

[80Hz]

First and foremost I hope this doesn’t discourage you from moving forward with building basses. I’ve been admiring your daphne blue jazz (but I already have two jazzes 😆). It’s bad luck to have a difficult customer experience out the gate.

 

What I get from your post is that you want the customer to have a nice buying experience but then not have buyers remorse! Maybe you offer one free service, to be redeemed within a year, with each instrument (adjusting selling price accordingly)? Or match whatever statutory obligation for returns/refunds is common? There’s a bit of a reassurance there rather than, for the buyer, this sense of slight anxiety that they’re buying something from a builder who, as yet, is “unproven” - despite what they may feel about the instrument in person on the day. Personally I need a bit of time to warm up to an instrument and decide whether it’s for me.

 

I think this echoes the point about selling a service, which may be far removed from your aim to enjoy

building basses and cover your costs.

 

If it were me I’d accept the instrument back irrespective of who’s right and wrong in the situation, offer a full refund, chalk it up to experience, and live to fight another day. Path of least resistance and all that, which may well be better for your heart, if not your wallet.

[Burns-bass]

17 minutes ago, 80Hz said:

First and foremost I hope this doesn’t discourage you from moving forward with building basses. I’ve been admiring your daphne blue jazz (but I already have two jazzes 😆). It’s bad luck to have a difficult customer experience out the gate.

 

What I get from your post is that you want the customer to have a nice buying experience but then not have buyers remorse! Maybe you offer one free service, to be redeemed within a year, with each instrument (adjusting selling price accordingly)? Or match whatever statutory obligation for returns/refunds is common? There’s a bit of a reassurance there rather than, for the buyer, this sense of slight anxiety that they’re buying something from a builder who, as yet, is “unproven” - despite what they may feel about the instrument in person on the day. Personally I need a bit of time to warm up to an instrument and decide whether it’s for me.

 

I think this echoes the point about selling a service, which may be far removed from your aim to enjoy

building basses and cover your costs.

 

If it were me I’d accept the instrument back irrespective of who’s right and wrong in the situation, offer a full refund, chalk it up to experience, and live to fight another day. Path of least resistance and all that, which may well be better for your heart, if not your wallet.

Excellent advice.

[Silky999]

Thank you for all the views and comments and this is going to be part of life’s journey of lessons and experiences.
 

I always endeavour to be completely open and transparent with my adverts for anything I sell including any issues etc (Daphne blue one being a fine example) and I always treat people how I or a member of my family would expect to be treated. I am absolutely transparent in my adverts that these basses are my first efforts in bass building and again why I insist on collection so that the buyer meet me and do their due diligence.

 

I do believe that for THIS bass for THIS issue at THIS price point at THIS stage of the dispute, my at least trying to resolve the offending fret is proportionate and fair prior to discussing a refund. From what I can research, as this was a collection on FB Marketplace then it is very much buyer beware if I wanted to be an arse (which I am not). There is a 14 day return from date of sale under Consumer Regulations for businesses for delivered items (this wasn’t) but this is outside that window anyway (again if I wanted to be an arse, I’m not Andertons lol). 
 

I have only sold 2 self built basses at this point……one buyer has messaged me numerous times saying what I fantastic bass I had made and how much they love it and then this one with both the build processes being no different in terms of the QC I did prior to sale/collection.

 

It could be that I am doing my own legs for the basses I currently have for sale in this forum by even posting about this topic but quite frankly being open, fair and honest in my dealings with others is more important to me than any potential lost sales and part of this process is to canvass the opinions and views of others as a check and balance. If you can’t honestly reflect on things when they go well or not so well then you can never learn from them.

 

Anyway, I’m make sure it gets resolved. 

 

 

[80Hz]

I think your sticking point might be around “due diligence”. What diligence are you expecting from the buyer? Just to be sure that they like the instrument when the sale takes place? Or do they need to be doing due diligence of your QC?

 

Once we get into “buyer beware” and two week windows etc anxiety levels are going to be rising. Let’s be clear: you seem to be implying that these are early builds and there might be things that aren’t 100% perfect. Fair enough. Especially given your price point.

 

I have no doubt the bass left you with a nice fret job. It’s also plausible to me that a fret may have lifted over a couple of weeks: I was playing a P bass last night that has definitely changed with the warmer weather and become buzzier. And that’s just sitting at home out of sunlight.
 

Your offer to sort the fret is entirely reasonable but if I was your buyer I’d be asking myself - is there anything else I’ve missed? I think that’s where the refund request is coming from and where a bit of reassurance is needed in future.

[Silky999]

Due diligence in relation to effectively and advertised as a used bitsa £200 bass being sold on FB Marketplace which you collected and played on collection (no issues) and then had for over 2 weeks (no issues) to then find an issue at the 2 week point that is so severe (rocker on 19th fret) that it is unplayable. 
 

I maybe doing the buyer a complete injustice and obviously I will sort the issue out. Other possible scenarios for the buyer are;

 

I now don’t like the bass and can’t be bothered with the hassle of selling

 

i needed a jazz bass for a gig/studio job and now can’t be bothered to sell it.

 

I’m short of cash and can’t be bothered to sell it. 

The buyer dropped/damaged the bass 

 

The fret has moved due to the heatwave. 

the new neck has settled/aclimatised to a new environment causing the fret to move. 
 

the seller (me) didn’t check the frets and playability (I did)

the seller (me) is a completely incompetent buffoon and scammer who knowingly sold a pile of excrement bass (I’d like to think I’m not)

 

All I can do is offer to get it sorted for free and provide my version of the tale of woe for others to form their own opinions. 
 

 

[prowla]

Someone buying a used bitsa for £200 can't expect too much, but OTOH they could get a used Squier for similar.

If the seller enthuses that they've put a lot into the build, set it up, and so-on, then perhaps the buyer could take them at their word.

It's possible that the buyer got GAS and then someone else looked at it and went "hang-on, it's got issues".

Given that you mention "customer satisfaction", it is possible that the buyer took you to be a business and is therefore viewing it as a fault with a retail purchase.

They might've become disillusioned with the whole thing.

I'd be wary of buying Chinese parts and tarting them up, as their quality can be questionable - I've had a couple of howlers.

Mostly "yebbuts" from my side, but I do hope it gets sorted satisfactorily for both sides!