Ebay horror story
Well, I think I can finally tell this story as it MAY be over with.
(going bullet point here due to amount of idiocy on his part.)
Bought PRS Custom 24 from Sweetwater.
Changed 59/09's to Dimarzios. Did not like and decided to sell guitar, reinstalled stock pickups prior to sale.
List my PRS Custom 24 on EBay because it was not selling on forums.
Buyer makes low offer, declined
Buyer makes another offer and states that I should include the Dimarzios also. I respond no, they were sold.
Buyers send another message saying he thought there were EMG's in there. I emphatically say no and respond that I took the Dimarios out and returned pickups to stock. I then state I am not comfortable with his zero feedback and he asks why. Now I know.
Buyer uses Buy it Now and pays.
I package guitar up, put it on UPS next day here at work. During the day (UPS luckily picks up at 4:30) buyer sends text asking to cancel sale due to job loss. I pulled it off UPS and create a cancellation request so I can get my fees back. Buyer declines request and says his sister is going to help pay for it. At this point I am uncomfortable and decide to double box guitar costing me another $5-10 in shipping due to weight added but I thought the added 2 inches around the smaller box I had it in was worth $10. I also sent him a text asking if this is really what he wanted to do and that there would be no returns due to his previous request to cancel. He said yes, that is what he wanted.
Ship guitar. Buyer receives and raves about my packaging and how he appreciated me working with him. He calls and asks how to work the locking tuners. He also tells me at this point that he really didn't like the neck dimension and thought it would be more like a Fender deluxe his boss had, not his ex boss, his boss. I let it go and tell him good luck on sale.
I get call next day asking what is involved in a setup and if I changed the height of the trem. I told him yes, in a way, I did. I had said in my auction that it was setup for 9's which in this case meant I had to adjust spring tension. I did not touch trem, just the spring tension as the trem was coming awfully close to finish if I did not. He also starts to ask about pickup height which I explain is two screws in the mount which he was uncomfortable changing.
Day or two later. Paypal sends an email saying there is a dispute and that the dispute says " I received the guitar, but there are adjustments to the bridges and it doesn't have the stock pick ups. Seller never stated any adjustments except string changes. I either want a $500 partial refund or I want to return for a full refund."
Besides laughing to myself, I am furious at myself because I knew this might happen and should not ship but I am a pretty trusting guy and thought it might work out.
I send paypal copies of his texts and mine about cancellation and let them know I would get them from my carrier if needed. I also sent the pictures of the pickups, the PRS build card showing the 59/09 pickups, a screenshot of another auction with 59/09 pickups and then i send a PDF explanation of a setup, that guitar setups were a preference and should not be covered as "not as described" under Buyer protection. I had provided guitar as listed.
2 days later, I get a email from Paypal saying he would take $300 instead of $500. I call Paypal and ask why they think this is ok, they explain that they have not even looked at the full report yet, just that he had contacted them. I decline and 10 minutes later the case is closed. Great, everything is fine, money is returned to my acct.
He appeals, and loses.
1 Day later, case is reopened, he has appealed again , this time saying that he found proof I had installed other pickups at one time. Yep, as I told him in a EBay message 8 hours before the sale that I had installed dimarzios but returned them to the stock pickups for sale. He also sent me a text saying that because of my handiwork, there were small scratches in between the pickups. Yep, also in the auction which states, some pick scratches. He was not smart enough to figure that out. He loses another appeal.
Yesterday I get a text from him saying I had replaced the 59/09 pickups with HFS pickups.
Ummm, HFS pickups have a rounded bobbin cover, 59/09 pickups are squared off like what was included on guitar. This guy is not bright. There were emails from him where his spelling and grammar were so bad that I could not even understand what he was saying. I am done responding but do have proof of the HFS pickups being rounded.
What did I learn? I'm done selling on Ebay and not really sure on Paypal yet. Hopefully it has not affected my trust in good people.