use caution on ebay buys

poppy

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I was just cruisin the ukes on ebay and lo and behold Gman.music has my old OS240SWT that i returned to the factory to get repaired for sale. It was a fine uke but if you look the piece of paper I inserted on the bridge to try and correct the buzz on the first string first fret is still there . It even still has the freemont low g set I put on it! the bridge crack is hard to see but I bet its still there . I sent an email to them and they stated their tech went over the instrument and repaired it all. sure thing!!!!! Love the 240 and I have another supplied by OS and in fact am bidding on another OS but not from this dealer They must have washburn connections some place and it appears they just push rejects out.
washburn called me after I took the uke to their tech and replaced mine because it couldn't be repaired properly, odd. Love the one I have and it don't buzz.
 
Actually hilarious! Love that "repair" they did by leaving your piece of paper under the A string. Just too funny.
 
Interesting to see what happened to your return. I've begun to grow a little suspicious about even "new" items being sold by some retailers, particularly Amazon.com.

I compared a "new" Cordoba baritone ukulele that I received from Amazon against a new one that I got at Guitar Center. The one from Amazon was missing some packaging materials and the strings settled almost instantly when I tuned them up to DGBE. In contrast, the one from Guitar Center had extra wrappings and it took more than 3 days for the strings to get close to settling.

A little more than a year ago, I received a Cordoba guitar from Amazon shortly after the model was released. The guitar was clearly not what was shown on their website. The rosette was different. The tuning machines were different. The binding was different. It had a Cordoba label inside but did not specify the model number. I returned it and later discovered that it was one of the prototypes that was being shown to prospective retailers!
 
Interesting to see what happened to your return. I've begun to grow a little suspicious about even "new" items being sold by some retailers, particularly Amazon.com.

I compared a "new" Cordoba baritone ukulele that I received from Amazon against a new one that I got at Guitar Center. The one from Amazon was missing some packaging materials and the strings settled almost instantly when I tuned them up to DGBE. In contrast, the one from Guitar Center had extra wrappings and it took more than 3 days for the strings to get close to settling.

A little more than a year ago, I received a Cordoba guitar from Amazon shortly after the model was released. The guitar was clearly not what was shown on their website. The rosette was different. The tuning machines were different. The binding was different. It had a Cordoba label inside but did not specify the model number. I returned it and later discovered that it was one of the prototypes that was being shown to prospective retailers!

I've had similar issues with Amazon instruments, weirdly enough...they were all Cordobas as well. I've had other issues with Amazon on non-instrument purchases as well. I think they sell a lot of used merchandise. I actually won't buy from Amazon anymore. I will buy from Amazon storefronts, but not from Amazon directly anymore. The first ukulele I recieved from them came perfectly in tune, there was very little packaging material in the box, and it was very poorly retaped together after someone opened it.

They tried to tell me it was inspected, but there were huge chunks out of the neck and what appeared to be pick marks on the body. I returned it, and the second one I recieved was fine.

It's a shame, but when buying things online (especially instruments and other high ticket items) you really have to check out the seller. There are too many people running stores from their living rooms selling junk.
 
I've had similar issues with Amazon instruments, weirdly enough...they were all Cordobas as well.
My suspicion is that some manufacturers and distributors use Amazon as a dumping ground for their seconds or returns because, unlike most brick-and-mortar stores, Amazon probably does not open and inspect the merchandise. They stock, they pull, and they ship. It's all a matter of maximizing retail throughput for them.

The ukulele that I received came in the same box that Cordoba used to ship it to Amazon. Amazon never opened it. It still had the original shipping labels attached and the sealing tape was untouched. Amazon simply reshipped the same box and its supposed contents to me. It could have had rocks in it and Amazon would probably not had known.

This doesn't seem to be the case with Lanikai ukes sold through Amazon. I had received one with a minor defect and that seemed to be old stock (oxidized strings) but none of the two that I purchased from them showed any indications of having been used, refurbished or repackaged.
 
one thing about amazon though , they have a great return policy and it cost nothing extra. I have gotten some great things there but you have to pick and chose. On line pricing for ukes, if they carry it ,seems best at instrument alley and the manf. warenty is valid if you use them as they appear to be a auth. dealer.
 
My suspicion is that some manufacturers and distributors use Amazon as a dumping ground for their seconds or returns because, unlike most brick-and-mortar stores, Amazon probably does not open and inspect the merchandise. They stock, they pull, and they ship. It's all a matter of maximizing retail throughput for them.

The ukulele that I received came in the same box that Cordoba used to ship it to Amazon. Amazon never opened it. It still had the original shipping labels attached and the sealing tape was untouched. Amazon simply reshipped the same box and its supposed contents to me. It could have had rocks in it and Amazon would probably not had known.

This doesn't seem to be the case with Lanikai ukes sold through Amazon. I had received one with a minor defect and that seemed to be old stock (oxidized strings) but none of the two that I purchased from them showed any indications of having been used, refurbished or repackaged.

I agree. I think it's more common on the evil bay, but I think Amazon dabbles. I have never bought a Lanikai off Amazon so I can't comment on that.
 
Most of what is on Amazon is from individual sellers. Amazon does have a warehouse and sells products from that warehouse, but the other side is that they list products they do not have in their warehouses, from individual sellers. Amazon at that point is basically kinda like the "Priceline.com" of regular everyday products. More of just a portal. There is good and bad with that. One of the good is that it gives you a central point to aire complaints or injustices with the sellers it deals with.
 
Most of what is on Amazon is from individual sellers. Amazon does have a warehouse and sells products from that warehouse, but the other side is that they list products they do not have in their warehouses, from individual sellers. Amazon at that point is basically kinda like the "Priceline.com" of regular everyday products. More of just a portal. There is good and bad with that. One of the good is that it gives you a central point to aire complaints or injustices with the sellers it deals with.

You have to look and see where it's coming from. There's something you click on (been forever since I shopped Amazon) where it gives you prices from other sellers. The cheapest one is always on top.
 
You have to look and see where it's coming from.
Yes. The product page will specify if the order is (a) sold by Amazon and fulfilled by Amazon, (b) sold by Retailer X and fulfilled by Amazon, or (c) sold by Retailer X and fulfilled by Retailer X. The latter category is "fleaBay-esque".

All the ukes I purchased from Amazon were in category "(a)". That gives me free shipping since I have a free trial of Amazon Prime.

There's something odd even about orders that are sold by Amazon and fulfilled by Amazon. I just ordered a gift under that category and it's shipping from New York. My understanding is that they don't have a fulfillment center there. I'm guessing that the product might be coming straight from the product's US distributor (i.e. a "drop-ship" as it's called in the shipping business) or perhaps it's being fulfilled by some other entity that Amazon has sub-contracted with.
 
Yes. The product page will specify if the order is (a) sold by Amazon and fulfilled by Amazon, (b) sold by Retailer X and fulfilled by Amazon, or (c) sold by Retailer X and fulfilled by Retailer X. The latter category is "fleaBay-esque".

All the ukes I purchased from Amazon were in category "(a)". That gives me free shipping since I have a free trial of Amazon Prime.

There's something odd even about orders that are sold by Amazon and fulfilled by Amazon. I just ordered a gift under that category and it's shipping from New York. My understanding is that they don't have a fulfillment center there. I'm guessing that the product might be coming straight from the product's US distributor (i.e. a "drop-ship" as it's called in the shipping business) or perhaps it's being fulfilled by some other entity that Amazon has sub-contracted with.

Yeah my ukes were all ordered directly from Amazon. I also don't like how sometimes it takes over a week just for them to pull it from the shelf and get it in the mail. I think that kind of time frame is unacceptable when a product is in stock.

I think Amazon was very good when it first came into being, but I think it's gotten too big for it's pants.
 
I've bought plenty from ebay, and a lot of it is listed as new. In fact though a lot of it i bet is either refurbs or minor cosmetic issues stock. With the refurbs you never find out usually but the minor cosmetic stuff you don't tend to notice until a while down the line.

It's why its so cheap. Right or wrong you don't get nothing for nothing
 
Yeap, I agree. I purchased a Lanakai Tenor and it had a flaw in the grain that I would never have purchased in a shop. It doesn't seem to affect the sound and the flaw has sort of grown on me, making it a bit unique, but still, they knew it would never sell in a buyer preview sale.
 
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