My how things change in retail, why is it that ebay has become full of supposed 'Guitar Stores' who just buy off ebay themselves, re photograph the guitar then instantly relist for a thousand pounds or so more. Do they think that buyers don't notice? Do they think by making up a lovely company name that we won't suspect they are trading from their mums spare bedroom. I pity the proper dealers like Guitars4You, Coda etc who have to pay a fortune in business expenses and property only to look on the surface as pro as these guys.
The latest I saw bought a '92 PRS that was listed with a B.I.N of £1725 then relisted it for £2899.99. The guy lists very much like that Greenwoods 'store' too, again selling from home and paying minimal if any tax. Maybe we should all do it as it must be so easy? Do they really think buyers don't notice?How can you call yourself 'The real musicians store' yet sell out of a bedroom? Surely that's misdescription? Maybe your council should start charging you showroom level business rates?
There was a '56 Custom Shop Strat with gold hardware a couple of months back from another home seller who likes to make videos to show off his dreadful playing. It was listed as sold on Richtone Music's website for £1699 but this guy persisted in selling it for £2099....wow these home sellers can ask more than a genuine high street Fender retailer now....they must be good. Sadly the guy with the 1994 Custom Shop '60s Strat still has it for sale a year later with his grand markup not reduced, better luck next time.
I don't begrudge anyone profit ( I made more than enough from retail myself) but what I dislike are these fake bedroom stores who hide behind nice pics and logo's. They lack any real guitar dealing skills, they can't source instruments from anywhere but forums and ebay. They are just flipping guitars and avoiding any costs or subsequent costs of sale. One can only imagine what their warranty and set ups are like. I certainly won't be buying from them, support your high street dealer or buy privately at private prices! Rant over.
Comments
i know most of the dad brigade on here will say just to ignore them but it's hard not to get pissed off with the rudeness.
I'm such a bad boy..
(formerly miserneil)
I do object to them bullying sellers and insisting they complete the sale off eBay so they can offer a lower amount (fees innit) and make a bigger profit on their inflated sale. Oh, and your protection goes out the window
If if they want to be an eBay trader (like a shop and not a private seller) then they should play by the rules.
Surely they must have some sort of tax obligation though? I know for instance that if you sell more than seven cars a year privately you need to register yourself as a car trader. It must be the same with the music business?
My issue lies only with these back bedroom dealers masquerading as 'stores'.
I could name 2 Hi-End guitar shops which I have visited in the last month who had a lap top behind the counter constantly monitoring eBay, Reverb and Gumtree. I also know of many vintage dealers who do the same, one of them pretty blatant about it too but he has a 'name' so seems to get away with it.
The trick is to buy at the right price - what the 'bedroom boys' seem to do is buy at or close to market value then put a massive mark up on it on top and then they inevitably get stuck with it. Hardly top business acumen but fair play to them for having a go, I suppose.
(formerly miserneil)
“Theory is something that is written down after the music has been made so we can explain it to others”– Levi Clay
No-one's being forced to buy their stuff.
There was a 'car tuner' near Watford ten years ago who was the loudest guy on the OC forum who masqueraded as an experienced car tuner and indeed his car was a peach, which he said 'his' garage had built. He would recommend certain products for other owners and if you were told different then this was bullshit, this guy knew the truth, his parts were the best -and proven of course.
Now it turns out that a Garret turbocharger for a souped up Nissan Skyline and a DAF (for example) truck may have the same name & same dimensions and outwardly they appear to be the same 5kg snail in the same packaging, but there is a reason why one is £500 and the other £1500. Which do you think the customer thought they had bought and which was the item supplied/fitted. A courtesy car service also masks a rouge trader as you never see 'their premises' that they don't own. All work was done by some chap with a rental lockup who relied on small services and MOT failure work as his bread and butter.
That's just one man for one marque in one owners club forum. The car world is hideously unregulated.