Ebay Problem...What would YOU do?

[Darkstorm]

Guitar mfg dont scratch out the serial number for 2nd's. Some will stamp a small "B" near the end of the neck into the fretboard. But thats it. I'd file a report with ebay over possibly stolen guitar by seller. And get refund. Scratching out serial number does as you mention, indicate its possibly stolen. And since seller lied to you about it being by mfg, he may have stolen it. Imo

[Cortfan]

If it were me, I would enjoy the guitar. If I buy online, I will have several phone conversations with the seller. If they don't answer all questions to my liking, I just won't bid. You already have your choices. I hope you enjoy it, but do what you think is best for you. It sure is a purty axe, though.

[guitarcapo]

The other thing I'm thinking is that the scratching out of the serial number looks kind of amateur the way it was done. It looks like someone used a coin or something. I would think a factory would have done it with a stamp or something that looked neater. Even a black sharpee. And the seller wants me to send it back. If I inform Ebay I might get screwed totally out of my money. I don't know what to do.

[BoneNut]

You can clearly see the S/N is scratched out in the photos posted on the EBay auction. I wouldn't even have bid on that.

 

EDIT;

Sorry, I see you purchased it. Definitely get in contact with law enforcement and Ebay.

[Belva]

I think it's hot. I'd call the cops. But then you run the risk of never getting a damned penny back from anyone. Strip it down, fill & sand the serial # area, paint it and call it a homebuilt. And try to think of a good answer when you die and go to meet your maker. BTW tell the seller you know it's hot and don't leave any feedback at all.

[Oldskool Texas]

 

If someone sold you a 1960 Gibson...wouldn't you feel it worth a LOT LESS if the serial number was filed off?

 

 

Sure, but this ain't no 1960 Gibson. How much can a $200 Chinese Epi depreciate at this point? Dude, don't get me wrong - I totally respect you as a forumite and a guitarist. But you're making a pretty big deal out of this, even after the guy has offered to disregard his own policy and take the guitar back, minus return shipping. That's as square of a deal as you'll ever get. So which is more important to you - the guitar or the sticker?

[Pewtershmit]

He's offered to refund your money and make the situation right, so at the most I'd say neutral. I would say a negative would be in poor taste since he offered to fix the situation. I love giving negatives to deserving sellers, but if they offer to make it right, they've done all they can do, therefore, have done you right/

[NOS68]

I'd say positive or none at all. I'd bet he got the guitar from MIRC who does scratch out the serial numbers or tape over them, I used to deal with them. He didn't respond about the serial number true, but maybe he forgot. I do it all the time when a customer asks a bunch of questions. You should have asked yourself. If I miss an question important to a customer they simply email back asking again. I apologize for my {censored} emailing skills and answer it.

[DonK]

I'd vote for negative. He understood why the question was being asked about the serial #, and gave an evasive answer in citing it as being a factory second while ignoring the direct inquiry about the serial number.

 

As for a buyer relying on a seller's answer to a different bidder, it's perfectly legit: the seller decides whether or not to make Q&A visible to all bidders. In doing so, a seller is encouraging others to rely on that Q&A.

[Doctor49]

 

I'd vote for negative. He understood why the question was being asked about the serial #, and gave an evasive answer in citing it as being a factory second while ignoring the direct inquiry about the serial number. As for a buyer relying on a seller's answer to a different bidder, it's perfectly legit: the seller decides whether or not to make Q&A visible to all bidders. In doing so, a seller is encouraging others to rely on that Q&A.

 

 

the seller also says bid based on the pictures which show the scratched out number. The op admits he did not look closely.

IMHO the seller laid out exactly what was reasonable for the auction.

The OP did what the seller's disclaimer asks specifically not to do, but he still got a refund offer.

 

Time for the OP to keep it and enjoy it or send it back, eat 40 bucks and move on.

[DonK]

 

the seller also says bid based on the pictures which show the scratched out number. The op admits he did not look closely. IMHO the seller laid out exactly what was reasonable for the auction. The OP did what the seller's disclaimer asks specifically not to do, but he still got a refund offer. Time for the OP to keep it and enjoy it or send it back, eat 40 bucks and move on.

 

 

Disagree completely. What looks like a partially scratched out s/n could have been a blur from the flash or any other of a half-dozen anomalies.

 

If the seller didn't want people relying on the Q&A, then he should have blocked it from appearing - it's his option to have it there. If there was an apparent crack in - say - the top, and someone inquired and the seller either said "no", or ignored the question, he'd be guilty of deception, pic or no pic. Pictures can deceive, which is why people ask questions. In this case the question was asked, and the seller evaded it. He deserves a negative.

[underivy]

Someone did ask directly if the serial number on the inside label was intact, and the seller was evasive in his response.

 

It sounds like he hasn't really given you a hard time about it, so I'd probably just give him a neutral say something like: "Serial scratched out, worried it was stolen. Seller didn't mention in ad or in Q/A but offered refund."

 

EDIT: Yeah, yeah. "intact" My thumbs get happy sometimes.

[frankie pajamas]

it's "intact"

[whitegreyblack]

Leave no feedback - start the eBay dispute process ASAP and get your money back. Stolen good are NO good.

[NOS68]

 

Disagree completely. What looks like a partially scratched out s/n could have been a blur from the flash or any other of a half-dozen anomalies. If the seller didn't want people relying on the Q&A, then he should have blocked it from appearing - it's his option to have it there. If there was an apparent crack in - say - the top, and someone inquired and the seller either said "no", or ignored the question, he'd be guilty of deception, pic or no pic. Pictures can deceive, which is why people ask questions. In this case the question was asked, and the seller evaded it. He deserves a negative.

 

 

The guy who asked the ? also asked a bunch of others, the seller could have easily missed it or thought he covered it, or yes he could have been trying to mislead. My point is you don't know. Its on the buyer to ask if he really wants the info. Why didn't the OP ask it again? Trashing a guys ebay rep for your own shortfalls is pretty low IMO. This here is exactly whats wrong with this country, nobody wants to take responsibility for their own {censored}ups. Short and simple the OP should have asked he didn't, I think the seller is going above and beyond to satisify the OP. And no the guitar isn't stolen, thats is what MIRC does to them. Its so you can't get the new warranty on them.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

Sorry but noweher doe sit say the serila no has been scratched off and the guy is clearly trying to make himself look like some kind of bastion of virtue

 

Keep the guitar and leave negative feedback

[Eddie]

If the answer is so cryptic, your job is to ask for clarification. ...But you're making a pretty big deal out of this, even after the guy has offered to disregard his own policy and take the guitar back, minus return shipping. That's as square of a deal as you'll ever get. So which is more important to you - the guitar or the sticker?

 

Agree 100% with this and with your previous post.

 

I'm a bit surprised with so many people jumping in the negative feedback bandwagon. Based on what I read in the actual auction, I would leave him positive feedback, even if the guitar is returned and shipping charges are lost.

[Engl Kramer]

I bought a used Schecter on ebay from a seller in Texas and had it imported to the UK.

It cost me a small fortune which is one of the reasons I will never do that again.

The other reason was that it arrived damaged and with the serial number scratched out.

The damage was a piece of the finish about an inch wide missing down to the wood which had been crudely disguised with black marker.

The seller basically told me to make love to myself.

 

I know that ebay have changed their policies to protect the buyer but at that time all they could do was contact the seller and try to reason with him.

This is even though they knew about the serial number.

 

In the end although he had agreed to pay for repairs he backtracked and I ended up with the bill for that on top of everything else.

 

I would go to him first for a refund and tell him that if necessary you will involve ebay and failing that the cops (i never had that option).

[kujozilla]

You bought it.

 

Bottom line. You should have looked harder at the pictures and been more suspicious about buying from someone on ebay. This guy is probably a pawn shop. Yes, he did probably realize the serial number being scratched out meant it was stolen which is why it was on ebay. It is your job as a buyer to pay attention and ask questions.

 

Positive feedback. Even if you keep the damn thing.

[DonK]

 

The guy who asked the ? also asked a bunch of others, the seller could have easily missed it or thought he covered it, or yes he could have been trying to mislead. My point is you don't know. Its on the buyer to ask if he really wants the info. Why didn't the OP ask it again? Trashing a guys ebay rep for your own shortfalls is pretty low IMO. This here is exactly whats wrong with this country, nobody wants to take responsibility for their own {censored}ups. Short and simple the OP should have asked he didn't, I think the seller is going above and beyond to satisify the OP. And no the guitar isn't stolen, thats is what MIRC does to them. Its so you can't get the new warranty on them.

 

 

Haha...the seller is a classic case of "what's wrong with the country": an increasing number of people trying to evade personal responsibility for their deceptive behavior. Selling a guitar with a scratched-out serial number and giving an evasive reply to a direct question about the serial number "is pretty low IMO."

[guitarcapo]

O.k. I should update things:

 

I'm pretty convinced at this point that this IS a factory second and not a stolen guitar. Here's my reasoning:

 

1. The guitar looks brand new. It even has that plastic on the pick guard. If this guitar WAS stolen...it would have to have "fallen off a truck" and been stolen new...which is rarer and it kind of points more to a factory second because previous ownership is "close to the factory"

 

2. On close inspection, there appears to be TWO labels on the inside of the guitar, one placed right on top of the other. The label on top has the scratched out serial number. I'm thinking that it would be hard to stick your hand inside a soundhole and scratch off a serial number, but easy to have a bunch of extra labels with scratched off serial numbers and to just stick one right over the original at the factory. Where is some crook going to have access to extra labels like that?

 

3. People have stated on here that Epiphone does indeed scratch off serial numbers on their factory seconds in blems they have bought.

 

4. It's not a very expensive guitar to go through all this trouble.

 

5. It has new (replacement) tuners and a new saddle. It looks like the factory sends these out "stripped" and they are refurbished.

 

The seller was either deceptive or just careless in describing the guitar, even under specific questioning. The guitar is not "stamped used" or stamped anything anywhere. All it has is the serial number scratched out on the label.

I'm thinking he might have avoided even under direct questioning that the serial number was scratched out in order to get more bidders/better price and not having people think it's stolen...even though it isn't. He DID take a pic of the label to cover this but maybe realizes now that he should have been a little more forthcoming. He might have just been thinking about another guitar when questioned.

 

I really like the guitar's sound and action....and will probably keep it and leave no feedback at all.

 

My main concern was that the guitar was stolen, which I'm pretty convinced now it isn't. I'm thinking the guitar is probably worth less for resale value without the serial number, but it's not worth much anyway. It's not worth taking the $40 hit at this point shipping it back.

[bisticles]

Read . It explains why your guitar *might* have had its serial number scratched out.

 

The reason he gave about it being a factory second isn't true, but it's entirely up to you about how much of a stink you want to raise about it. The scratched-out serial number was in the pictures, so allowing you to return it on your own dime seems fair. He could have been clearer but... *shrug*

 

I'd enjoy the guitar. Looks like you got a good deal on it.

[GCDEF]

 

You bought it. Bottom line. You should have looked harder at the pictures and been more suspicious about buying from someone on ebay. This guy is probably a pawn shop. Yes, he did probably realize the serial number being scratched out meant it was stolen which is why it was on ebay. It is your job as a buyer to pay attention and ask questions. Positive feedback. Even if you keep the damn thing.

 

 

That's nuts. There's only so much the buyer can do and see from pictures. It should be safe to assume that an item isn't stolen and something as blatant as an altered serial number should be disclosed. This is on the seller 100%

[steve_man]

Really, I wouldn't be too worried about resale on a $200 guitar. If it plays well, and does what you want it to...just keep it, leave the guy neutral feedback...explain the problem...and move on. If this was a $3000 Gibson, that would be different...but it's not. So, just play that thing and enjoy it! Looks awesome!

[steve_man]

[YOUTUBE]BZmfo3P8npM[/YOUTUBE]

 

This does not look like a guy trying to hock stolen goods on evilbay...and the serial number is pretty obvious in the pics. But seriously, this thing sounds great! I'd rock that anytime!