Advice needed on buying musical instruments on Ebay

xxdeebeexx

Hi I'm looking to buy a trumpet but know nothing about them. There is one for sale on Ebay that is just a few miles away from where we live.(less than 3 miles) At the moment it's a good price.
It's the make and model that has been suggested to us by a musician but the seller has a feed back of 3 (3 purchases no sales):

I don't know what to look for when buying, the seller has no track record.
The auction finishes on Sunday 29Th
Any suggestions......

TIA

grandslamgirl

Could you email the seller and arrange for yourself or someone else to go check it out?

cheekeemonkey

Agree with grandslamgirl - also check the details - how long have they had it? do they have a receipt for the original purchase? These just help your confidence that you are buying a 'real' item.

Remember taht everyone started on eBay with a zero feedback and built up from there - a low feedback doesn't necessarily mean they are poor or dodgy just that they haven't traded much...yet - negative feedback tells a different story IMHO.

Also, if you are new to the trumpet - get them to play the instrument in front of you so that you can see it working and that it sounds OK.

Good luck

CM

xxdeebeexx

I think I might Email the seller see if I could view before buying. Or should I go ahead and bid for it and if it's not upto scratch then can I refuse to pay for it?
I would pay cash on collection.
TIA

JohalaReewi

If you bid and win, you will have to buy. If the item arrives 'not as described' you can claim for a refund. For example, the seller says in perfect condition but when it arrives, there is a big dent in it.

The problem with buying a musical instrument is you really need to play it before you buy it just so you can make sure everything is OK Seeing how the item is a few miles down the road, this could be an option. Also find out the instrument's history (where purchased, age, use, service history, reason for sale, etc.) and if the seller has a returns policy where you can return it for a refund if you are not happy with the item.