Buying and selling from/to new/low activity UU members

hollisdwyer

hollisdwyer

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Today a new for sale post appeared in the Marketplace for what many would see as a very desirable Uke. Besides the OP not following any of the guidelines regarding how to post a FS thread, it struck me that new or low posting members may be disadvantaged in these activities because they are ‘unknown’ on UU.

We all know that there are guidelines for posting in the Marketplace but I was wondering if anyone had any constructive suggestions for creating a buying and selling environment that is more comfortable for all involved when one or both parties are either new members or those with very few posts.

My reason for this is that I shortly plan on downsizing my collection by 30%-50%.
 
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I don't think it's too difficult, if a new member reads the guidelines. Posting a uke for sale as a first post will usually cause concern for members, and I think the new member/seller can't post pics for a while anyway. If the seller is serious, they should write a full description and price, with pics, once able. I, for one, don't think it's a good idea to lower the bar for brand new members who may only join here to sell a uke. As an established member, you should be just fine selling some of your ukes here.
 
Ukecaster said:
I don't think it's too difficult, if a new member reads the guidelines. Posting a uke for sale as a first post will usually cause concern for members, and I think the new member/seller can't post pics for a while anyway. If the seller is serious, they should write a full description and price, with pics, once able. I, for one, don't think it's a good idea to lower the bar for brand new members who may only join here to sell a uke. As an established member, you should be just fine selling some of your ukes here.
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I agree with everything you said John. I wonder if new members should have ‘no sales’ period like the no photos period you mentioned?
 
hollisdwyer said:
I agree with everything you said John. I wonder if new members should have ‘no sales’ period like the no photos period you mentioned?
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You may not be able to upload but anybody can link a photo from their website or photo account on the first post by simply using the
 
I can't say that I have sold or bought much in the marketplace. My view though is that the current rules of the UU Marketplace are pretty simple and not that onerous.

Selling on eBay for example is more complicated. If you want to sell online then current pictures are important.
 
It is almost a catch 22 situation. Yes we want ukes available on our Market Place for us to purchase, but there is the trust factor. There is also the issue of someone just joining to be able to purchase an item. I was almost scammed by such a person when selling a Collings tenor here. We do have rules set out and I think adding in a clause of 5 minimum posts over one week before buying or selling might help. But in the end it is always "Buyer Beware" and "Seller take Care".
 
DownUpDave said:
It is almost a catch 22 situation. Yes we want ukes available on our Market Place for us to purchase, but there is the trust factor. There is also the issue of someone just joining to be able to purchase an item. I was almost scammed by such a person when selling a Collings tenor here. We do have rules set out and I think adding in a clause of 5 minimum posts over one week before buying or selling might help. But in the end it is always "Buyer Beware" and "Seller take Care".
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A scammer would have no trouble posting several messages if he wanted to cheat us. We also place a certain amount of trust in PayPal.
 
On the flip side, the fact that a seller has plenty of posts and a history with the forum is not a guarantee that they're not failing to disclose problems with or flaws in the item they're selling. So, whether you're contemplating buying from a new member or a long-established member, Caveat Emptor is the most important rule.
 
As a low poster mostly lurker. My small number of purchases on the marketplace have all been great.

The community seems pretty good here.
 
I belong to an outdoor activity forum that has a marketplace. They have a 50 post minimum rule before a member can buy or sell in the marketplace. The moderators also monitor for people who post rapidly in order to get their post count up. The gear being sold on that forum is mainly under $200, and rarely over $500. The marketplace rules here on UU are way less restrictive, even though the items being sold are much more expensive. I've sold a number of ukuleles and had good experiences. It has allowed me to try out a variety of ukuleles while fine tuning what I want, and passing on some nice ukes to others to enjoy. Due diligence on the part of the buyer is important, as well as lots of details, clear pictures, and good communication on the part of the seller.

The "unusual" recent for sale thread, and people's tongue in cheek responses to it, seem to indicate that we have a healthy skepticism for things that are out of the ordinary. Hopefully that wouldn't put people off buying or selling in the Marketplace.
 
stevejfc said:
Hey Hollis...……..I would be happy to take that Beau Hannam off your hands!:drool:
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Don’t hold your breath.

Seriously though I am very happy with my current collection (who wouldn’t be?) and if I was still living in a house with plenty of storage room, I wouldn’t consider selling anything. But that is no longer the case, we have relocated to an apartment and space is scarce. So I’ve been thinking that it’s time to simplify.
 
hollisdwyer said:
Don’t hold your breath.

Seriously though I am very happy with my current collection (who wouldn’t be?) and if I was still living in a house with plenty of storage room, I wouldn’t consider selling anything. But that is no longer the case, we have relocated to an apartment and space is scarce. So I’ve been thinking that it’s time to simplify.
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I don't know your storage particulars, but I have created storage space by using bed risers and rolling narrow depth storage trays.
 
Buying only from people who have bought and sold here before is like someone trying to get a job, but he has to experience. He can't get experience till he gets a job.
 
anthonyg said:
I can't say that I have sold or bought much in the marketplace. My view though is that the current rules of the UU Marketplace are pretty simple and not that onerous.

Selling on eBay for example is more complicated. If you want to sell online then current pictures are important.
Click to expand...

I've both bought and sold, and it did seem pretty simple. (Especially buying, LOL.)

I have been fortunate enough to have all good experiences, but there have been some posts in the marketplace that I didn't feel confident about, (whether I was accurate on that, I don't know), so I guess we just have to use caution and hope for the best. But, overall, this is a good community.

I do try to look at previous posts by the person, (are they active on the forum? Did they ever mention anything about that particular ukulele before?), and use that as a guide, too.

2 things that people don't always include in the sales posts, but I personally would like:
Nut width.
Was it in a smoke-free environment?

But, maybe I'm the only one who finds that information helpful.
 
Jerryc41 said:
A scammer would have no trouble posting several messages if he wanted to cheat us. We also place a certain amount of trust in PayPal.
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The post in question had no price and asked for pms instead. Scammers love to do their scamming in private.
 
hollisdwyer said:
Don’t hold your breath.

Seriously though I am very happy with my current collection (who wouldn’t be?) and if I was still living in a house with plenty of storage room, I wouldn’t consider selling anything. But that is no longer the case, we have relocated to an apartment and space is scarce. So I’ve been thinking that it’s time to simplify.
Click to expand...

Haha, similar storage situation, but I just realized last night that my one uke for sale won't make any difference to my storage situation as it's a sopranino and I've got it in it's gig bag, which is inside a soprano gig bag (so double bagged). When it's gone, I'll still have the empty soprano bag. :-/
 
Jerryc41 said:
A scammer would have no trouble posting several messages if he wanted to cheat us. We also place a certain amount of trust in PayPal.
Click to expand...

That is why I said Buyer Beware, Seller Take Care. In a nut shell it was his first post, wanted lots of pictures asked all the right question so seemed legit. Agreed upon Paypal......then things got sketchy, kept wanting to change method of payment. Finally wanted an invoice from me and my bank account info so he could deposit the amount from the Philippines.

I was born at night but not last night so I pulled the plug. I called him out in public and he tried to smear me, didn't work. You just have to use common sense. I have bought and sold lots...and I mean lots of ukes here and never an issue.
 
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My two cents: don’t use PayPal friends and family. Just conduct the transaction through a third party that has some kind of insurance for the transaction.
 
DownUpDave said:
That is why I said Buyer Beware, Seller Take Care. In a nut shell it was his first post, wanted lots of pictures asked all the right question so seemed legit. Agreed upon Paypal......then things got sketchy, kept wanting to change method of payment. Finally wanted an invoice from me and my bank account info so he could deposit the amount from the Philippines.

I was born at night but not last night so I pulled the plug. I called him out in public and he tried to smear me, didn't work. You just have to use common sense. I have bought and sold lots...and I mean lots of ukes here and never an issue.
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I’ve bought and sold a few here myself and there was never a problem but they have always been to people who are at least somewhat active in this community. You get a feel for who someone is when you can read their posts. It was that Moonbird FS post that made me think that a newbie buyer or seller would be disadvantaged as we are all very aware that there are a lot of bandits out there.
Personally I’d rather use PayPal and pay the sellers fees when I’m buying and F&F when I’m selling as then I know that PayPal would be on my side of any dispute and not rip money out of my bank account if some scammer tried to pull a fast one.
All the people who have ever purchased from me have always appreciated the extra care that I took in packing and in my full disclosure as to the condition of the instrument. I have always felt the same way in my dealings with UU members. I guess your motto of Buyer Beware, Seller Take Care is a good one Dave and, sadly, very necessary in our world today.
 
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