Guy pissed cause I bought his guitar to help him out

[vangkm]

So a guy on here sold me a guitar, a nice guitar for less than he wanted but he needed the cash. Of course we negotiated an agreed upon price. I was excited and sold a number of my guitars to fund this guitar, including my #1 for years (just a lowly LP Classic). I sold it for about half what it's worth locally for some quick cash and a few other nice ones I wanted to hang onto but I also didn't wanna miss this one of a kind guitar.

So the guitar shows up, first thing I notice is it's packaged horribly. The box was cut from a larger box with just enough room inside to fit the case, no packaging materials of any kind at all. By far the worst packaging of any guitar I've purchased online, bought a $150 squier once for my sister and it was packaged better. This guitar cost 18X that.

I take the guitar out of the case and I'm nervous, LPs have had their necks/nuts crack/break with even better packaging than this. Luckily no break though, however the switch tip falls off right away. It lands on the carpet, I go to pick it up and it's in half. I assume it cracked in transit as later I found a little piece of it in the case. I was not 100% sure this was not my fault so I didn't wanna make a stink about it.

I go over the guitar and it's not as described. I bought it fro 3 main reasons: the finish, the neck profile and the weight. The weight was 1.5-2 lbs more than advertised, the neck profile is not as advertised as it was a bit fatter. By now I am not happy but I've never had to leave anyone bad feedback on the forums. I just chose to move on and not deal with the guy I bought it from.

I instantly regretted selling my other guitars and luckily I was able to get my #1 back but I had to pay market value for it. I did not complain nor get angry at the guy, hell I was happy he was willing to sell it back to me. I can't get the other ones I sold back as they are elsewhere in the USA now and the new owners wanna keep them.

So I list the LP that just arrived for sale as I had to spend money I didn't want to nor could afford to so I could buy my old #1 back. Old owner sees the ad and contacts me telling me that I took advantage of him cause he needed the money and that he'll "never forgive me". I was just WTF? From my perspective I did him a favor, a HUGE favor. He needed the cash, obviously I had the best offer or else he would've sold to someone else. So I'm asking market value for his guitar and he's angry because he sold it to me for less than that.

So am I the asshole here? I'm confused, guy needed cash so we negotiated a price and I paid. It wasn't what I expected nor wanted and now I'm trying to sell it for market value. So far it's been a bad experience, the LP is in no way a bad LP in fact it is the nicest LP I've ever had, just not what I expected. Also looking at that LP now reminds me of all the issues I had and now even more so because the original owner is coming at me with all this crap now.

 

[Brians Evil Twin]

This is why I'm so reluctant to buy guitars online privately.

At least if you buy from a dealer, you can return it for a full refund with no butthurt.

 

[PraXis]

Unfortunately, there is always a risk. I bought my LP from a forum member a few years ago and I had an awesome experience. I am never going to sell my platinum studio (unless I was desperate).

I guess the only advice I can give is that you have to rely on other people to become the guinea pigs. If I buy something from here or another forum like TGP, most of the time (not all), I will only buy from someone that has several successful sales and post-sale follow-ups (like when the buyer posted their new toy and gave props to the seller).

Some buyers can be douches as well. I sell on Reverb from time to time, and I package my stuff very well (especially since I get free scraps from the office such as bubble wrap, those air packs, etc) and I got screwed over once, but luckily, it was for a small amount. I sold a multi-fx unit for about $150 and the buyer claimed that there were extra scratches and a couple buttons were broken. There was no ****ing way that I shipped that item in that condition, but there was nothing I could do.. I was forced to either refund the whole purchase and take a damaged item back, or do a partial refund of about $35 for the "new cosmetic damage." I didn't want to get a ****ing damage item back so I took the $35 hit.

I know my example is peanuts, but still. Always. Take. Pictures. Lots. Of. Pictures. Still, you are the new owner, so the product is 100% yours and 0% the previous owner. I would just ignore him.

 

[Guitarhack]

I know there are two sides to every story but it doesn't sound like you did anything wrong. He might be going through a rough patch right now. That guitar might have meant a lot to him, so seeing it being resold so soon after he had to sell it might have been more than he could take. Nothing you did was wrong but he's probably a little emotional. You know how attached guitar players can get to their guitars.

 

[dave b]

You BOUGHT the guitar. It's yours to dispose of as you see fit, at any time, for your own reasons. Ignore him.

 

[redcoats1976]

sellers remorse? he did apparently have the choice of paying your asking price or negotiating as you did to regain your old #1.sometimes both parties get to chalk a deal up to experience...

 

[TheX]

You BOUGHT the guitar. It's yours to dispose of as you see fit, at any time, for your own reasons. Ignore him.

This is VERY true. You can ask any price you like, and make all the profit you can. The seller is no longer associated with the guitar and needs to get over it.

 

[VictorB]

This will turn out well.

 

[Fiat Lux]

Best guitars I've bought were from this forum. Sounds like you've had a one off poor experience. Sorry about that.

Like others, I don't think you've done anything wrong.

Cheers

 

[BACzero]

!!Personal opinion warning!!

This is how I see it... You and the other guy agreed on a price and you bought a guitar from him. The guitar arrived and wasn’t as advertised, but you chose not to address the issue. That ends your transaction. Whether you were being a "nice guy" and helping him out is irrelevant. Your deal is complete. The guitar now belongs to you, and you can do whatever you want to with it... whether that's locking it away in a case so it never gets played, smashing it on stage at a gig... or selling it for more than you paid.

There are people who make their whole living re-selling items they pick up for less than they are actually worth, and usually the people selling those items need quick cash. Your reason for reselling the guitar is also irrelevant. Shouldn't matter if you're selling it to recover the guitars you sold, or simply because you know you can make a buck. It's your property now, you can do what you want with it, unless you and the seller had some sort of agreement regarding what you would do with it.

Anytime we sell something we love out of necessity, I think we tend to hope that the person buying it will love it the way we did... but it's unrealistic to assume such a thing. When we sell something at a loss, we expect the buyer to appreciate the good deal, and for some reason… keeping the item seems to display that appreciation. When my uncle was alive, he sold me a MAK-90 for half what it was worth… but the deal was conditional upon my keeping it for myself. I still have it. Likewise, I had an amp and subs for my car that I didn’t need/want anymore. I offered them to my friend’s teenage son with the stipulation that he could have them for free if he was going to use them, but if he flipped them he’d have to split the money with me. He still has them. So I think I get why the seller feels betrayed… but that feeling seems unfounded.

If you’re anything like me, you just don’t like someone feeling like you’ve wronged them, even when you haven’t. Take a deep breath and know that it won’t take long before the feelings pass… for both of you. He’ll get over it, and so will you. He may hold a grudge and never do business with you again, but if this is the kind of thing that happesn when doing business with him… is that really such a bad thing?

Just my two cents, of course.
Sorry… sometimes I tend to ramble.

 

[Tim Plains]

I think you should have sent him a friendly courtesy email that you don't like the neck, it's heavier then he said, that you decided to sell it for those reasons, and even offered it to him if he wanted it back.

 

[Bigfoot410]

I think you should have sent him a friendly courtesy email that you don't like the neck, it's heavier then he said, that you decided to sell it for those reasons, and even offered it to him if he wanted it back.

Think I would have to go with this as well.

I would have because he is a member here and I like it here and wouldn't want to upset or cause trouble for anybody associated with MLP.

I would have offered it back at the price paid plus shipping. At least give the guy the option

It's really up to the OP to do whatever he feels is right and you are well within your rights and privilege to do whatever you want in good conscience. You did no wrong as I see it.

 

[elephantrider]

honestly, eff the seller. you bought it for an agreed price. you don't
owe that person squat after the bill is paid.

it's really that easy. don't lose sleep over a butthurt.

 

[StonedCrow]

Really rub hiis nose in it and offer to sell him back his guitar at below market value, and even offer to hold it for him while he saves up the cash, then offer him $1.00 off the market rate when he eventually comes back to you with the cash.

 

[hecube]

honestly, eff the seller. you bought it for an agreed price. you don't
owe that person squat after the bill is paid.

it's really that easy. don't lose sleep over a butthurt.

I'm buttraged

 

[hecube]

honestly, eff the seller. you bought it for an agreed price. you don't
owe that person squat after the bill is paid.

it's really that easy. don't lose sleep over a butthurt.

Something I learned when I was very young: when something is not yours anymore, it's not yours anymore.

 

[Bobby Mahogany]

I bring nothing new from what I've read so far.

A quick answer as to the guitar not being as described and/or as you understood.

Now it's yours, you can do whatever you want with it,
including sending it to me for free, just to spike him!

I dare you.
Double dare you now.
He's gonna be pissed!

 

[colchar]

You bought the guitar. You own it. The guitar is yours to do with what you wish and the seller has no say in the matter. None whatsoever. End of story.

 

[JCarno]

This will turn out well.

If the seller shows up.

 

[StonedCrow]

Send him a youtube video of you drowning it in lighter fluid and setting fire to it, call it sitational art, that should cheer him up.