Buying / Selling Tips

[charles]

BUYERS & SELLERS:

Protect yourself!
Become fluent in common scams and protect yourself.

Keep copies of all communication between yourself and the other party until your transaction has come to a satisfactory conclusion.

If the deal is too good to be true, it likely IS.

There are ways to resolve things should you feel you are the victim of a scam. Contacting the local authorities of the seller/buyer can help. There are also agencies that handle mail- or internet-based fraud in both the US & Canada.

Communication:
90% of any dispute or problem can be reseolved or completely prevented with proper communication between the seller & buyer.

Payment methods:
NEVER pay or receive payment for anything using a direct wire transfer such as Western Union, as this method is NOT traceable and NOT safe!

Postal money orders are traceable and can be made out to be cashed in both the US & Canada (US buyers - if dealing with a Canadian, you must get the PINK international money order, NOT the green domestic one!).

PayPal is good in that it will keep your payment information private and is secure.

Personal cheques are not a good way to pay. Cheques contain more personal information than you may think.

Be aware that things like bank drafts, money order, cashier's cheques, etc. CAN be forged or counterfeit!

NEVER allow someone to send you a payment for an item for more than the total and then ask that you pay them the difference - this is a common scam.

SELLERS:

Be sure to include all relevent information.
Make sure you know what you are selling, what works, and what does not. Be careful not to misrepresent anything and to cover all the bases to avoid miscommunications. If you do not wish to ship to a certain place or by a certain carrier, make it known in the listing. Also make it clear whether you are dealing in US or Canadian funds.

Packaging Tips:
When packing a guitar, the more padding, the better. Choose a box that allows room for sufficient packaging around the guitar, neck, and headstock. Your local music store is a good contact to get guitar boxes. Make sure to protect the headstock and other vulnerable points. Pack in a hardshell case or gig bag if possible before packaging into a box (use extra packaging such as bubble-wrap even inside the case to keep the guitar from moving or getting damaged).

If you are using any sort of styrofoam or foam product, put the guitar in some sort of bag or protective covering to keep any residue/foam bits/etc from sticking to the body or getting into every nook & cranny.

There are three things that cause damage to items in shipping: Vibration, Shock, and Compression. Secure all items to prevent damage from vibration (movement when in transit and handling). Use adequate packaging around all items to prevent damage from shock (drops, bumps, etc). Fill all empty spaces in the box to prevent damage from compression (empty areas of shipping boxes being crushed from handling or other heavy boxes when in transit).

Ship quickly upon receiving payment
Once you have received payment, get that sucker on its way quick as you can and provide tracking information to the buyer if possible.

Shipping Tips:
Check pricing early. Most if not all of the big shippers nowadays have a way to get pricing online for your package before you ship. This can help you have a ballpark in mind of what to ask for shipping when you get an interested buyer.

Be aware that on large items like guitars, most often it is the dimensions of the box that determines the shipping weight that the price is calculated from.

Be aware that UPS Standard Ground service from the US to Canada often results in a large brokerage charge to the recipient!

Fill out any and all customs documentation for international shipments carefully. Do not inflate the declared value for customs beyond the selling price (as this may result in a customs charge based solely upon this declared value, and really upset the recipient!).

BUYERS:

Make sure you know what you are getting.
Ask a lot of questions and make sure they are answered before making a decision of whether to buy/sell. Some of the questions I normally ask include details on the frets, electronics/pickups/pots/switches, tuner stability, neck stability, prior damage, etc.

Know which method of shipping you would prefer.
Be aware that UPS Standard Ground service from the US to Canada often results in a large brokerage charge to the recipient! It is not uncommon for the brokerage charge from UPS (unavoidable on any item that UPS clears through Canadian customs) to be 3 or 4 times the duty charges! Canada to US shipments do not have this problem. Shipments within Canada or within the US do not have customs concerns.

I personally recommend USPS Air Parcel from the US to Canada.
Within Canada, Canada Post Expedited Parcel or Canpar have performed well at a reasonable price for me in the past.

Don't panic.
Be sure not to freak out if the parcel takes a day longer than you expect.

Be aware that delivery confirmation numbers from postal services may not give you updated tracking information while the parcel is in transit.

Keep in communication with the seller if you have concerns.

Be aware that international shipments may experience customs delays.