Buying a guitar....

John · Post by **John** » Mon Dec 18, 2000 7:42 pm

that will be shipped from out of state..What would be the best (safest) way to pay for the guitar? Does a Postal money order give any protection?

admin · Post by **admin** » Mon Dec 18, 2000 8:08 pm

John: I am assuming that this is a private sale. A money order does not give you any protection but does provide the vendor with a guarantee of funds. I know of no easy way to carry out a long distance transaction that is foolproof without taking advantage of a third party brokerage arrangement. There are online businesses that will arrange this for you, at a price, of course. My suggestion is that you talk to the seller to learn more about him and ask if he or she has done this before and with whom. In short, you have to get to "know" them. I have done this successfully on four occasions but only because I had a strong sense that those doing the selling had the same values that I did. Good luck. I trust that others will add to these comments.

Frank_Somma · Post by **Frank_Somma** » Tue Dec 19, 2000 9:42 am

I agree with Peter. Get to know your seller.
Private sales are most likely to be shady, because the seller can "disappear", especially out of state.
It's the only protection you have. Some, not all of the online services he mentioned, deal with
big ticket items(at least in my experience).
Are you able to drive there?
If it is a shop, you can use a credit or debit card. I'll guess you can access account info from your PC so you can dispute any shady purchases right away.

Either way, I recommend some sort of approval period. Get it in writing(or e-mail). If you're buying off the net it's easy to get suckered.
You want to play it before it stays.

I've bought several guitars privately
and through shops (through the internet and classifieds)and gotten some great deals. I have also sent two or three back. I've used personal checks and the debit card, tracking the accounts on line.

John · Post by **John** » Tue Dec 19, 2000 11:50 am

It's being sold by an individual and i cant travel to play the guitar. I have talked to the seller and he agrees that an escrow service would be the best way to go. What i worry about is the guitar getting smashed in shipping. Is there any protection by using a personal check? Thanks, John

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Thu Dec 21, 2000 3:50 pm

My two cents

Wait until after Christmas when the whole shipping thing calms down .Then all the stress that they guys are having trying to deliver Xmas stuff is over .Plus there are lots of temporary people in all the shipping companies this time of year .
I'd hold off.

then once the madness is overwith ...it will cost you more money ,but if you get it shipped as fast as you can get it ,they (the shipping company) have it less and the likelyhood of things happening goes down.

Insure it for the full value .

admin · Post by **admin** » Thu Dec 21, 2000 4:44 pm

John: I agree with Mark. Wait for the holiday rush to end. Beleive it or not, I have had good service from UPS. Insure it for the full value as sometimes instruments have arrived in pieces. I would also ask to have it professionally wrapped in a guitar box filled with styrofoam beads. If it is cold outside where you are, allow the instrument to warm up slowly particularly if it is a semi-hollowbody or acoustic. Too sudden an exposure to heat from a cold state may result in a cracked finish. Lastly don't have it sent on a Friday or before a holiday weekend. The less it sits around in cold trucks and wharehouses the better, in my view. I wait for a normal week without obvious storms in the forecast and ask to have it send on a Monday or Tuesday so I get it before the week end. Get the tracking number and track it all the way home. I just hate it when instruments are in transport. Patience! Patience! Patience! Good luck. My one cent Canadian.

John · Post by **John** » Thu Dec 21, 2000 10:19 pm

Thanks guys!