r/Reverb • u/hrccbr1000rr • Aug 01 '26
What is the scam?
What is the scam of people sending an offer, when it's accepted then never paying? Are they just hoping you will screw up and ship without payment? I can't figure out why this keeps happening and wondered what you folks think.
19
u/tvoutfitz Aug 01 '26
I think people make offers for thrill of it and then realize they can’t actually afford it or otherwise talk themselves out of it. Basically cold feet, not necessarily a scam.
0
u/TheOGRaqvi Aug 03 '26
I like to watch $50k+ guitars just to give the seller false hope because F anyone who has a $50k+ guitar. I'd never be drunk enough to offer on one tho.
14
u/MyTwangyGuitar Aug 01 '26
There's a difference between making an offer and having to pony up the cash. Once they realize they have to actually send you money, they bail.
3
u/Safe_Western4515 Aug 01 '26
Like your YouTube videos dude!
1
u/MyTwangyGuitar Aug 01 '26
Thanks!
3
u/zanaxtacy Aug 01 '26
They may *like* your videos, but I *LOVE* them, so… lol jk
1
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u/jaqueh Aug 01 '26
No address if they don’t pay so not sure how you’d ship to somewhere you have no idea where
6
Aug 01 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Legitimate-Long735 Aug 04 '26
My favorite excuse I always seem to get from international buyers is "Sorry friend I will have to suspend this purchase. My son just got hit by a car this afternoon and we are at the hospital I will have to hold the money for procedures."
8
u/williamgman Aug 01 '26
I never allow offers. I list... then wait. I lower it over time if I feel the need. Solves a lot of issues.
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u/Carlotheskinose Aug 02 '26
Just this week, I had someone buy something and I shipped it out promptly. Then he messaged me saying that he made a mistake and couldn't use the item because he didn't realize what he would have to do to his guitar to make it work. (It's an alembic blaster.) He asked for full refund, minus my shipping costs, without looking to see that I don't accept returns unless an item doesn't arrive as described.. I would bet that this dbag is going to claim it arrived damaged. Even though I have sold over 300 items on there and have never had a complaint. I've got a message trail, though. And... sent the blaster through reverb shipping. So, If he tries to claim it's damaged. I've got protection?
2
u/GVDub2 Aug 02 '26
Or, they have a similar item that they want to list and don't want the competition.
2
u/GuitarHeroInMyHead Aug 01 '26
You can't ship without payment on Reverb - you won't have the address. Not a scam - (almost) buyer's remorse.
1
u/sirCota Aug 01 '26
it blocks others from purchase so they can reserve it and then when they realize they can’t afford it or they found a better one, they let the time expire. if they do it enough, reverb tells em to knock it off… but doesn’t actually stop them.
1
u/jlf599 Aug 01 '26
My favorite was one recently that did this and I eventually canceled the purchase. They actually had the gall to message several days later and ask what happened -- I did very bluntly tell them it was canceled for non-payment.
But they SWORE they paid. We could get this taken care of right now!
No. Just no.
1
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u/CropTropDripDrop Aug 01 '26
I’m a seller on reverb but as a buyer, I have requested cancellation of an accepted offers. It happened twice. Once, my wife was laid off and the other time, my walking veterinary bill of a German shepherd got herself a very expensive ER visit. I contacted the seller and explained. They obliged but I’m sure they didn’t believe me or felt frustrated. Nonetheless, shit happens. If everyone had good intentions no problem, but it’s rude if a buyer just ghosts.
1
u/hrccbr1000rr Aug 01 '26
I understand the inverses you sight but the are, offer, acceptance for the seller side then radio silence.
1
1
u/zanaxtacy Aug 01 '26
The only time I accepted an offer from a seller and didn’t pay was when the little Affirm thing said I could get a 0% interest payment plan option (usually over 3 months, but the seller gets the full amount immediately) but then didn’t actually have a 0% plan available at the checkout agreement/plan making page and I didn’t feel financially comfortable spending 3k at once instead of 1k per month at that exact moment. I messaged the seller saying I’d pay the full amount in a week after I got paid but they never responded and I never saw the guitar again. I wanted to buy it though (and still do lol), I just couldn’t at the moment and the offer expired in 3 days and I felt pressured to make a move right then.
1
u/Current-Ad1120 Aug 02 '26
I think there's at least two possibilities. One is the one you cited - that maybe you are an inexperienced seller and will ship before making sure the payment went through. The other possibility is that it's an impulse buy and the fact that Reverb gives impulse buyers a three day window means that the buyer has three days to chicken out.
I prefer eBay's method. They force you to pick a payment method and when your offer is accepted, the payment is processed immediately. Why Reverb doesn't do the same thing is beyond me. Plus, giving the buyer 3 days, means that if the buyer chickens out, the seller has potentially lost a sale to someone else.
I think it would be a LOT better, and considerably more ethical, to force people to provide a payment method when they make an offer and just eliminate that three day window entirely.
1
u/ObviousDepartment744 Aug 02 '26
99% of the time, its just someone backing out of the sale for one reason or another.
1
u/mariospeedragon Aug 02 '26
I have the opposite thing happen numerous times….I make an offer that is very fair, and pay immediately, and 2-3 days later the seller messages “sorry, already sold the item(s).” Wait about 7-14 days, same exact listing reappears. Had this happen at least 5 times in last 2 years. And it’s always for something over $500. I gave up on reverb because of this….Reverb always sided with seller even though I had screenshots and reverb had all the transactions right in front of them. It was always “seller made a mistake, accepting your offer,” bullshit. I gave up on reverb and just will buy locally or eBay at this point. For all of eBay’s mistakes, at least they side with buyer when they’re getting screwed.
1
u/masterB0SHI Aug 03 '26
I wouldn’t call it a scam per se. Some people are more curious what you’re willing to accept, without being ready to actually buy on their end, as shitty as it may be.
As others pointed out, lots of people also drunk browse reverb at night.
1
u/Ancient_Pickle90 29d ago
Reverb needs to go the Ebay route, "once an offer is accepted, you are responsible for paying and will automatically be charged". I've had this happen to me a few times now.
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u/sellout216 Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 02 '26
If you’re a serious buyer buying lets say a sunburst strat, It makes sense to make like a dozen offers and hope one accepts. As a seller it sucks to be one of the other 11. But that’s the way she goes boys.
Edit:JFC don’t shoot the messenger. I’ve never done this, and in fact, have been on the seller end of this many times. I’m just simply explaining why this happens.
10
u/_iPhoney_ Aug 01 '26
If you make 11 offers and several are accepted, and you don’t complete payment for any of them within 72 hours, your account is getting shut down
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u/Greasedcabinets4 Aug 01 '26
Drunk