Hi Folks,

I am thinking of locking u[ some used gear and wondering with all the changes in the market where the most trustworthy site or sites might be?

Brian

I like eBay still.

Yeah, ebay is major here in europe. I find myself buying things from the UK and Japan all the time, and the delivery is great.

Do they protect you from getting ripped off? Like buying a keyboard that is malfunctioning etc? Is there a return policy of any kind?

Ebay is good for buying, expensive for selling. It's a world market so you can expect to pay the going rate. Not many great deals sneak by. There are some guarantees and protections, not least of which is that a seller can be badly hurt by a bad review. I have used Ebay many times both as a buyer and seller and have not been burned badly, although one buyer said my item was damaged in shipping and I had no way to know if he was lying or not. The buyer is protected better than the seller.

Another choice is Reverb.com. I have bought a couple of things from them and they were as advertised. Not sure about guarantees there.

I will be going to the annual Orlando Guitar Show in a couple of weeks. I don't know if there are any near you but you can spend all day shopping and testing all kinds of gear. Don't think they have keyboards though.

eBay is tilted towards the buyer now.
I don't sell anymore on Ebay. Way to treacherous.

I second that, Ronnie. You are secretly forced into a 30-day return policy.

I sold a heavy pro amp (QSC 1500watt) for pretty cheap + shipping because I dont gig anymore and figured someone should get some use out of it. It cost me over 80 bucks to ship the damn thing.

The bozo buys it, and then 2 1/2 weeks after it is delivered to his doorstep he complains that turning the volume pots is "scratchy." I tell him I will buy him some electronic spray, and that the amp was tested and working fine. I ended up having to refund him 100% AND eat the shipping. I talked to eBay multiple times and protested that someone should not be able to complain 18 days after they receive something that was "no returns accepted" and that a scratchy volume pot was just a maintenance issue on pro audio gear. I could have refunded and PAID to have it shipped back to me (another 80-100 bucks) but I let the douchebag win and keep the amp AND his money. That will teach him!

I still use eBay but I am very conscious of what it would cost to have it shipped back in the long run because whether you allow returns or not, eBay forces you into a 30 day return policy.

--TC

I've gone back to old school equipment buying -- local music stores and pawn shops. E-bay has been a good place for me because I look at the person selling it. I also make sure to ask at least one question - How they answer that, if they answer can pretty much define what I will be receiving verses what is described.
Should add I have gone from Nashville to Ft Campbell so the local music/pawn shops are fertile hunting grounds.