Your Necessaries for Selling

Kind of an odd title but ill go with it. Im curious as to what everyone out there needs to know before they sell a ukulele or anything really online to another person. What do you see as red flags that maybe other people would look over.. lately ive been trying to sell my pono and have received a few messages but they've given me a bit of a reason to stop and think before i sell, as this has happened before. Someone contacts me, with a normal hey im interested kind of message. One of my first red flags is when someone immediately tried to funnel me towards using their email as a way of contact instead of uu. My next thing is usually i look to see how many posts they have and if they have any friends or contacts within the site that can vouch for them. Next i usually ask about them in a normal "hey when did ya start playing uke, whats your favorite song to play,size etc.." way and its very surprising to me how many people dont respond back from that. Maybe im too friendly but it seems to me if im going to send an instrument across the country for you then you can divulge a little info bought yourself, is that out of hand? Or maybe they were trying to scam me... My main question is what do you need from a person before you will send them an instrument?

Honestly? Payment. It's a business transaction.

I almost exclusively sell musical instruments online either on Talkbass or UU. In the case of TB, there is a feedback system, and since you have to be a Supporting Member (meaning, you pay around $20/annually) to post For Sale ads, it's a pretty safe environment. I've sold only a couple things on UU, but it's been extremely easy with no hassles whatsoever.

The only times I've ever had red flags come up is when I give someone my paypal address once they say "Yes, I'm interested" and then come back with something like "Will you hold it for ___ days?" or "I'll get with you this weekend."

Follow your gut. If you get a bad vibe, for whatever reason, walk away. All the sales I've made via UU have had all conversation via UU. Sometimes we trade email addresses, for convenience reasons. I've gotten to be "pals" with most of the folks I've bought/sold/traded with. I bought one I was a bit nervous about because the seller assumed I knew less than I do, and had a low post count. Sale was solid, uke is awesome. Bottom line, follow your gut, it's usually right. My opinion.

Agreed, if you listen it's simple to get the sense if the buyer is real, also go back and read the history of his/her posts that can be revealing. I will say after trading way too much on UU (just ask my wife) i'm yet to have a bad experience here, so IME this place is pretty cool for the quality of traders.

One thing i really wish we had is a feedback system, even just a place to leave feedback. I'm based in Canada and occasionally have had people worried about various cross border issues and if i had some good feedback from the people i traded with in the past i think it would be much less of an issue. Just an idea but it is effective on other forums...

I never met a dollar bill I didn't get on OK with.

Seriously, if your uke (or whatever you're selling) is described accurately you have no need for concern selling to anyone.

I have bought and sold about 20 ukes during my time as a uke player and the UU community is generally great to work with. I don't encounter many red flags here, but one is if someone is a brand new UU member and tries to lowball my price right off the bat. I'm not turned off by someone giving me their email address, and I do the same if I'm really interested in a uke, just to give the seller their choice of communication method. (Some people get tired of the private message system on the forum because inboxes fill up fast, you can't attach pictures etc.)

As a seller I don't ask any questions about the user's playing history. I figure they can decide for themselves if the uke is appropriate for them.

I guess my overall advice to sellers here is to not get your hopes up, ever, on making a sale if someone sends you a message. I did that early on and then would feel disappointed if the sale fell through. It's a much more pleasant experience to be patient for the right buyer to come through. Then it's a win-win for you because you know your instrument went to someone who really wanted it, and for the buyer because they weren't rushed into buying.

My brother buys and sells a lot of musical instruments, many on ebay and craigslist (upright basses and others)
The most common scam attempt is on payment.
They want to pay with check/money order/travelers checks.
Response? Absolutely. Take your check to your bank, exchange it for the cash you say it is good for, and give me the cash.
Absolutely, take your travelers checks, exchange them for cash, and give me the cash.

We even had this: My brother-in-law lives near you. I owe him money. I will buy your instrument for what you are asking. I will send a check for that amount, plus what I owe my brother-in-law. If you would simply give him cash for the difference, plus your instrument, we will all win.

Today's color printers can produce documents that look like real checks, money orders and travelers checks. The buyer can say all they want about the validity of the document. We ask them to prove it by exchanging it for cash at their bank.

Funny how they never have.

If they send the do-re-me via paypal or cash it's usually not a problem. Though I do try to check to determine if they have a "habitual return" problem.

I always prefer my email to the uu messages. It is clunky and always filling up. I don't see that as a red flag at all.

As long as it is a member with some history I just need a pay pal account. It is that simple to me. If they are willing pay for it they get it.......pronto.

I am a sales rep as my profession. Biggest mistake is talking so much you talk yourself right out of the sale. When they want to buy, sell it to them. Too much talking usually ends in failure.

All of the above...

Have not had a bad transaction using the UU marketplace. In fact, the folk I've met buying/selling/trading have been stellar. It has been a friend-making experience.

I must admit that I check somebody out via past posts, etc. before I send money on a buy or send an instrument if a trade. I expect folk to do the same of me. Got stuck once on another forum's marketplace, so once burned, twice learned.

I like to check the number of posts before selling. I also prefer using my email rather than UU. It's easier to follow than UU because it becomes a hassle to type below the other person's quote on a phone and eventually exceeds the number of characters.

I wish it was easier for me to communicate Through the UU message link. I find it frustrating to reply and have no record that it was sent plus attachments are easier for me on my regular email.
Therefore I request a switch over to my regular email for further pictures sound bites and such.

As someone who buys and sells a lot, I very rarely look at the amount of posts that the person has. Many of the people that are here who are looking for Ukes are new to the forum and they come here to upgrade, learn, and try to understand about the ins and outs of the Uke.

I accept PayPal only. PayPal is known for protecting both buyers and sellers, and even though I have never had to use it and might find out differently if the situation should arise, reputation speaks volumes. I did have one case where I had to fight for my money back for a service and the fact that I threatened to notify PayPal of the problem caused the amount to be refunded back into my account quickly.

When I sell, it is because the product is not for me. I have built up a number of sales in my time here and other than a damaged during shipment situation, all the sales have gone well. It's not my place to ask them of their history, why they are buying, and I don't even ask why they are selling. If I want it, I will get it and it's not up to them to determine if it is right for me, just as it's not up to me to determine if it's right for them. If I make a mistake, I put it back up for sale. It's all for the search of the mythical "THE ONE".

Using email doesn't matter to me. We all get a gazillion spams. Everyone knows our address. Why not give it to the person who you are about to do business with?

It's for the fun: the destination. The work is the journey.

My .02 which has grown to $40 with inflation.

BigD said:

My main question is what do you need from a person before you will send them an instrument?

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Payment before dispatch, is all you really need. If you have doubts about the prospective purchaser, don't send the ukulele.

:agree:

Describe the item for sale correctly (including any potential flaws), stay rather neutral and don't exaggerate (after all you're not advertising, you're just selling privately), set your terms of trade (payment before dispatch, registered shipment, no return, no warranties, ...)

Having few posts on UU doesn't mean a thing, the buyer might be active in other forums/platforms.

What puts me off eventually is kind of "rude" communication, buyers should be friendly (after all they want to get what I already/still have - and I am not deadly desperate for the cash).
Price negotiations are normal, everybody tries to make a bargain nowadays. But don't make me say "No" to the same price offer more than twice...

I've sold some instruments on other forums and eBay and never got burned - treating others as honest and friendly as you want them to treat you has paid off for me so far.

Camsuke said:

Payment before dispatch, is all you really need. If you have doubts about the prospective purchaser, don't send the ukulele.

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Yup and all sales final except if not as described. ..

Two things that I would like to add to the discussion. First, I don't sell or buy things with private individuals on the internet, that I can't afford the loss. Going along the same lines, there is no such thing as a sure thing in life. Sometimes you just have to stick your neck out and take a chance. Most of the time it works out. But again, I don't take chances that I can't afford to take. As far as ukulele's in particular, I don't see a lot of profit in ukulele scams. I'm sure they are out there, but let's face it, we are talking ukuleles here. It seems like a narrow target for a criminal endeavor. I'm thinking that most transactions that don't go well can be attributed to miss communications, more than out and out criminal intent.

I have sold all types of items from camera equipment, to ukuleles, to very expensive guitars on eBay and UU. I've never had a problem at all. I make sure I receive payment before shipping and I always use Paypal so that I have as much protection as can be expected.

I feel much more vulnerable to scams when I am the buyer. It's easy to make photos look really good, but for the instrument or whatever to be in "not as described" condition upon receipt. Once again, that's why I always use PP.

Louis0815 said:

What puts me off eventually is kind of "rude" communication, buyers should be friendly (after all they want to get what I already/still have - and I am not deadly desperate for the cash).
Price negotiations are normal, everybody tries to make a bargain nowadays. But don't make me say "No" to the same price offer more than twice...

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Around 50% of the sales I've made online, the guy making the low-ball offer is the same one who ultimately buys it at full price. An offer, any offer, is the opportunity to start a selling discussion. Being polite, fair, and open-minded greatly enhances your ability to make a sale. Whether you mean to or not, once you put something up for sale, you become a merchant, and customer service is just part of the deal.