Facebook Marketplace v BC v eBay

[ped]

Unless it’s because you’d rather collect or play it beforehand, it doesn’t make any difference if the bass is from the UK or not, ime/imo. The seller takes all the risk - if it never arrives simply get your money back with PayPal. As long as proper insured shipping is used there’s zero risk to you as a buyer. 

[Earbrass]

I've sold 9 items on B/C in the past 7 months, none of them basses, and not all specifically bass-related (including a microphone).  No complaints here. 

 

Edit to add: I sold one item on ebay: from the sale price of £165 I got to keep just £128.28 after ebay and paypal had both taken their cut. 

Edited January 18, 2020 by Earbrass

[dmccombe7]

48 minutes ago, fiatcoupe432 said:

 

I ve sold and bought here and not only bass gear, I bought a camera lens last week and BTW the was a overwater 6 string that sold in minites of being advertised

 

 

I have one of those Overwaters (fretless 6er) and that was a ridiculously low price to sell for that quality.

If you want a quick sale its the only way to go. I've sold 2nd hand basses for lot less than i paid. If i've enjoyed playing it then i've had my money's worth. Think you need to check the market before listing a price and try to be realistic.

If you are not in any rush to sell then you can def hold out for more but for most of us the GAS takes over and we get a little desperate. Well for me anyways 

Dave

Edited January 18, 2020 by dmccombe7

[ambient]

25 minutes ago, MuddBass said:

The one slight issue I have (particulalry when using mobile), is the sheer quantity for equipment for sale from outside the UK. At the risk of suggesting some sort of BCexit, how do people feel about a seperate topic for equpiment for sale outside the UK? Or am I just being stupid?

They have that on Talkbass. The for sale section is split into sales in the USA, and those for Europe.

[dmccombe7]

26 minutes ago, MuddBass said:

The one slight issue I have (particulalry when using mobile), is the sheer quantity for equipment for sale from outside the UK. At the risk of suggesting some sort of BCexit, how do people feel about a seperate topic for equpiment for sale outside the UK? Or am I just being stupid?

I quite like the idea of a sub-section in basses for sale for those outside the UK. 

But then again i do get to see a lot of gorgeous basses when i'm browsing.

If i found the right bass (ie the Kramer DMZ 4001 i'm currently lookng for) i might buy from abroad.

What puts me off is that the bass i'm looking for is from 70's / 80's and without inspecting you never really know what you are gonna get. 

Dave

[AndyTravis]

I do think there should be

”4 string”

”5 string”

”6 string/erb”

”fretless”

subsections...

[fleabag]

48 minutes ago, ped said:

 The seller takes all the risk - if it never arrives simply get your money back with PayPal. As long as proper insured shipping is used there’s zero risk to you as a buyer. 

Not  true.  Paypal is not 100% safe for a buyer

 

[LukeFRC]

I like Basschat.
Folk are generally sound, on a similar wavelength to me and it's the best place for shifting specialist stuff.

FB takes more time if you're looking to buy, and also fills up your newsfeed with pictures off basses. Personally I don't think you can buy from there unless it's local. Selling is ok depending on where you are in the country. 

eBay will take your money and probably shift it for you. For some stuff it's the best place to find stuff...

I like the idea of using Bassdirect. At the end of the day their cut is probably not that much different to eBay/Paypal, and if someone is taking a chunk, I would much rather support a local specialist bass retailer than eBay who aren't the nicest company in the world. 

The big problem I see with Basschat at the moment, is that it's become really only effective at the higher end stuff... cheaper more generallist items (say a squier bass) are more likely to be listed and sold on FB and move quicker. The issues with that I can see are twofold... for the site, is it a valid channel for young folk at the start moving cheaper end stuff around? as there's a risk of the bass chat demographic getting older and older... and secondly for me... things like straps, bridges and odd bits just don't get listed as much as they used too, folk just listing their parts drawers used to be more common, and for someone just wanting a secondhand pickup or something, they just aren't here any more. Pickups are a good example... 

[LukeFRC]

3 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

I do think there should be

”4 string”

”5 string”

”6 string/erb”

”fretless”

subsections...

Filters would be better, so you could actively filter down to what you want to see. 
Subsections mean that somethings just won't get seen enough as you'll loose the more casual but interested traffic. 

Filters would be a lot of dev work though I think. 

[AndyTravis]

1 minute ago, LukeFRC said:

Filters would be better, so you could actively filter down to what you want to see. 
Subsections mean that somethings just won't get seen enough as you'll loose the more casual but interested traffic. 

Filters would be a lot of dev work though I think. 

I never look at 5’s but always get stung by “fender jazz” just to find it’s a fretless...

[ped]

4 minutes ago, fleabag said:

Not  true.  Paypal is not 100% safe for a buyer

 

How so? Claiming your money back for an item not arriving (backed up by tracking) or damaged (photos) PayPal always side with the buyer. 

[fleabag]

The seller could send you anything inside a bass case, if they were out to scam you. Tracking will prove it was delivered. PP dont give a toss if the item has been signed for.

Or the seller could simply withdraw the money,  tick the " item posted " box and close the account.

These things have already been done

[dmccombe7]

10 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

I do think there should be

”4 string”

”5 string”

”6 string/erb”

”fretless”

subsections...

Probably a daft question but being the dafty i am i might as well ask Andy.

Whats "erb"

Extended Range Bass ? i just answered my own question as i was typing it.

Its written and so it shall be posted 

Dave

[paul_c2]

Ideally the section needs filters for different types (eg fretless, 5+ strings, left-handed) (I'm sure you can think of many other ways to classify too) and location/distance. Just like eBay, as a dedicated buying/selling platform, does. 

But someone would need to develop it (or buy and install/implement the plug-in into the forum software).

[lemmywinks]

48 minutes ago, ped said:

How so? Claiming your money back for an item not arriving (backed up by tracking) or damaged (photos) PayPal always side with the buyer. 

If the seller uses Hermes and the package never arrives but the courier has marked it as delivered and forged your signature then Paypal will side with the seller.

 

Happened to me (not off here or even bass related btw) and it isn't an isolated incident by any means.

Edited January 18, 2020 by lemmywinks

[ambient]

1 hour ago, ped said:

How so? Claiming your money back for an item not arriving (backed up by tracking) or damaged (photos) PayPal always side with the buyer. 

I’m actually more worried about being scammed as a seller.

[binky_bass]

There's a lot of hate for eBay here, I have to say I've very rarely had any problems with selling via eBay and usually always get a good price for what I sell. There are a few basic rules to follow to maximize your end sale price and minimize the fees you pay. If it's helpful to anyone, below are the rules I always follow when selling on eBay:

1: eBay offer a maximum £1 selling fee at least once a month, often twice a month. If you can wait, then only sell when these offers come up and you will only pay £1 to eBay (PayPal will still take circa 3.5% but I can live with this).

2: Always set up your auction to end on Sunday between 6pm and 8pm-ish. This is when the maximum amount of people are likely to be in a position to bid. If your item ends at 2am on a Tuesday, no one will be placing that last minute bid!

3: Always start your auction at £1 with no reserve. Placing a reserve may safeguard your item selling for pennies, but it also puts a lot of people off from taking a 'punt' bid. Also, listing your item with a high start bid has the same effect. People love to think they can get a deal and if they bid when the price is low, then there in for the full auction and often bid again. 

4: Accurate title that includes as many words that describe your item that can be picked up when punters search on eBay. No brainer really.

5: Description. So many times I've seen auctions with a 2 sentence description. Go into detail and sell your item to the punters! A good 3 or 4 paragraphs to tell them all about it.

6: Pictures. eBay allows for 12 pictures for 'free', use them all. 12 photos from different angles, front, back, side, etc. The more pictures, then better the end sale price.

7: Postage. Always offer postage!!! Anything can be couriered these days and you can get boxes in abundance from your local supermarket, just ask! You can also buy a 100m roll of decent bubble wrap on eBay for about £20, which will wrap up around 6-8 guitars and give them ample protection when boxed with a little care. If you dont offer postage you are effectively losing 90% of potential buyers. A little effort to pack your item to then be able to offer postage goes a long way!

For me the above rules work a treat, I've sold hundreds of things on eBay and always got around the price I was looking for. I would however say that if you are selling something really niche like a custom 6 string bass that you want at least £2000 for, then the better option might be selling it on consignment at The Gallery or Bass Direct, but they will take 20%.

Russ.

[LukeFRC]

To be fair @binky_bass your points 4-7 would be good applied to basschat too? 

[binky_bass]

Absolutely true. 4 - 7 are just common sense really! But so many times people list things for high prices with terrible photos, no description, no postage and complain when it hasn't sold. 

4 - 7 should be employed for anything you sell on any site! 

[Hellzero]

Thanks Russ.

I've always thought that BC should provide a template for the selling ads that could help a lot people not knowing what to put in their ads.

And dammit, ship your items, you'll sell everything you want. That's the key. Otherwise simply put an ad in the local xeroxed paper for the 25 homes down the street, if you want to be sure to keep your items.

@binky_bass and I have been buying, trading and selling for years all over the world without real problems. And even then, there has always been a solution.

Edited January 19, 2020 by Hellzero
Spelling

[howdenspur]

11 hours ago, LukeFRC said:

I like Basschat.
Folk are generally sound, on a similar wavelength to me and it's the best place for shifting specialist stuff.

FB takes more time if you're looking to buy, and also fills up your newsfeed with pictures off basses. Personally I don't think you can buy from there unless it's local. Selling is ok depending on where you are in the country. 

eBay will take your money and probably shift it for you. For some stuff it's the best place to find stuff...

I like the idea of using Bassdirect. At the end of the day their cut is probably not that much different to eBay/Paypal, and if someone is taking a chunk, I would much rather support a local specialist bass retailer than eBay who aren't the nicest company in the world. 

The big problem I see with Basschat at the moment, is that it's become really only effective at the higher end stuff... cheaper more generallist items (say a squier bass) are more likely to be listed and sold on FB and move quicker. The issues with that I can see are twofold... for the site, is it a valid channel for young folk at the start moving cheaper end stuff around? as there's a risk of the bass chat demographic getting older and older... and secondly for me... things like straps, bridges and odd bits just don't get listed as much as they used too, folk just listing their parts drawers used to be more common, and for someone just wanting a secondhand pickup or something, they just aren't here any more. Pickups are a good example... 

I also like Basschat. There are people I've bought and sold from on here without a thought as I know they are regulars and well thought of. And that's without checking feedback.

I have also successfully used a retailer on a commission basis (for guitars), where you can argue that they have a wider audience and the higher price they can command largely offsets the commission.

[binky_bass]

An example:

I recently sold a Crafter Acoustic on eBay, it went for £230ish. Someone else selling the exact same model without postage and a starting bid of £150 hasn't had a sniff of action and it's been on eBay for months. Postage is key! As well as (IMO) following the other rules! 

Now my ex-Crafter is happily being played somewhere in North America courtesy of eBay's international shipping programme. 

[Hellzero]

And I have hundreds of examples like this. ^^^

[Burns-bass]

I have always had good experiences when I’ve spoken to the buyer and met in person. The poor experiences on any sales platform have been when I have either sent or been sent an instrument, amp or part. Given the pressure couriers are under, I’m just it prepared to risk sending an instrument anymore.

I don’t know which platform earns you the most per item. I decide what price I’ll accept and I’ll wait until I’m offered what it’s worth. I won’t use FB for personal reasons (I’m against the platform and while my protest is pointless, ensuring me or my children aren’t exposed to it is the best I can do) but I do use eBay. 

Personally, I would prefer to sell here as it supports the community and I have never been ripped off or scammed and I’ve met some genuinely lovely people. This site has also been an invaluable resource that has helped me a lot, so cheers all!

[binky_bass]

8 minutes ago, Burns-bass said:

Personally, I would prefer to sell here as it supports the community and I have never been ripped off or scammed and I’ve met some genuinely lovely people. This site has also been an invaluable resource that has helped me a lot, so cheers all!

I agree with this, but I have listed things on BC that have either never sold or taken a long time to sell, whereas on eBay it will be sold within a week. 

BC is a great place to sell if you're happy to potentially have to wait a while for a buyer. Where I often buy a poorly treated guitar/bass to fix up and shift on, eBay works better for me as I want the guitar out the door and sold ASAP. Horses for courses and all that! 

I have bought and traded MANY things on Basschat, usually trading high end basses. Something you can't do on eBay. So for me, both serve different purposes. Mass selling - eBay. Trading - Basschat.

Edited January 19, 2020 by binky_bass