Posted by Pepper Laing on Thursday, October 8, 2009
I have recently been in the market and seriously looking to puchase a good to great 2nd banjo. Where I live there is virtualy no selection of banjos, afew crappy starters in the $300-400 range, afew Deerings, one Gold Tone OB, and one Gibson, not sure of the madel but they want like $3600 for it and it plays and sounds awful. I know a guy who builds real nice banjos and has a few in the $5-6000 range one of them I really like all the rest of these do not float my boat in the slightest. I believe that you can play 10 banjos all of the same make, model, and set-up and one may just stand out from the rest and really grab you, this has been my experiance over the last 30 years of being a musician, 20 of those years proffessionaly. All that being said I was prepared to buy a banjo from the classifieds here on the hangout because since I have been a member, have found it to be trustworth and helpful. I as a buyer tho am leary about not only, not being able to play the banjo, but scared of shipping misshaps, and fraud. I think as a buyer I should feel free to and almost obligated to ask as many questions about the banjo and the seller, as I feel needs to be asked to ease the fear. It, as a buyer I have found is hard to not ask pertinent questions about the Jo you have decided on out of plain excitment! Well my 1st attempt has been a disapointment and now I`m not sure I will ever buy this way. The banjo and actually I was very very close to being able to purchase 2 banjos from the same seller at the same time, the banjo I had made my mind up on seemed like a fair deal but I felt there was some info I wanted, to keep my fears at bay, but still I was dead set to make the purchase, then the seller e-mails me that there is enough info out there and he feels un-comfortable so we should just drop it. What the ???? does he have to feel un-comfortable about?? I was gonna be the one sending a couple or more thousand dollars, a couple thousand miles away, to a person that I`ve never met or even seen a picture of, as he has no profile piture, no friends on his site etc... I don`t know if the banjo is what he claims, or if it would arrive intact, or at all ect... A real turn off from a buyers stand point. I know from reading blogs, and forums that lots of people have had excellent luck with their transactions, but me not so much. I thought it was all going well tho, that`s what peeves me off! He doesn`t feel comfortable??? Good thing I love my banjo, I just have more love to give, the search continues. I say if the seller can`t take a few legit questions, RUN!!
5 comments on “Buyers vs Sellers”
banjotef Says:
Thursday, October 8, 2009 @8:22:06 AM
You may have dodged a bullet.
Banjov1 Says:
Thursday, October 8, 2009 @8:25:27 AM
You're right on that Pepper. If you don't feel 100% comfortable that the seller is giving you honest and thorough answers to ALL your questions, then drop pursuit of the deal. Especially if it's a sight unseen situation as most of the classified banjos are on BHO.
Good luck with the search
Tony
gottasmilealot Says:
Thursday, October 8, 2009 @8:41:17 AM
If you're not comfortable with a transaction or the other party, don't make the deal.
Banjobrothers Says:
Thursday, October 8, 2009 @10:58:27 PM
Sounds like a seller a friend of mine had bad luck with at the bho recently..keep looking pepper and I hope you find the right banjo.
dan Johnson Says:
Monday, October 19, 2009 @8:13:58 PM
Yeah, something stinks there. I would guess you were lucky. I bought my Stelling off the BHO and had no problems but I'm sure there are a few clinkers. Always ask for telephone number and discuss the banjo on the phone. Make a bullet list of the questions you want to ask and check them off as you go down the list. Makes everything easier. Good luck!
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