It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:52 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 6 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: Serial Number Question
Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2016 6:06 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2009 12:58 pm
Posts: 53
After reading a fair number of posts on this forum I've noticed that some people ask for "identification help" but will not post full serial numbers, posting something like "..serial number V+6 digits" instead.

Is there a privacy, security, or other reason for this that I'm not understanding? Is there any reason not to post full guitar serial numbers online? Any wild guesses? Should I avoid posting s/n's? I can't think of a reason why I wouldn't.

Curious??

Thanks.


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Serial Number Question
Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2016 9:51 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 4:49 am
Posts: 661
Location: Cambridge UK
dpe94 wrote:
After reading a fair number of posts on this forum I've noticed that some people ask for "identification help" but will not post full serial numbers, posting something like "..serial number V+6 digits" instead.

Is there a privacy, security, or other reason for this that I'm not understanding? Is there any reason not to post full guitar serial numbers online? Any wild guesses? Should I avoid posting s/n's? I can't think of a reason why I wouldn't.

Curious??

Thanks.
I would say it's a matter of personal preference. How much personal info do you want to put in the public domain? OK, it's only a guitar, and it's unlikely to affect you, but it might provide info for forgers/fraudsters to 'sell' a non-existent Strat online. IE: Innocent buyer checks s/no out and finds it matches a white AmStd (yours), pays for it, then finds the seller doesn't possess it (because you do). Or some similar scenario.

Having said that (and worked for many years in this area), there are much easier ways to make money fraudulently! And if I've sold a guitar via eBay, I've included a photo of the full s/no, because if I'm buying I want to see that too. So I'd consider any risk to be low, especially as buying a guitar off eBay without going to see/play it isn't ideal, in my opinion. That, of course, would reveal any con straightaway. I've only done it once, but I checked the seller out very, very carefully!

It's a bit like having your name as part of your email address. I'd always advise against it, because it makes identifying you far too easy, but most people seem to do it!

This is just my opinion, of course.

Cheers - Peter.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Serial Number Question
Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2016 10:23 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Sun Sep 08, 2013 8:50 pm
Posts: 4602
Location: ˚ɷ˚
dpe94 wrote:
Is there a privacy, security, or other reason for this that I'm not understanding? Is there any reason not to post full guitar serial numbers online? Any wild guesses? Should I avoid posting s/n's? I can't think of a reason why I wouldn't.

I see two reasons.
One is that old school people never divulge more information than what is needed, out of principle. I can support that.
The other reason is less benign: people who believe there might be a chance that the guitar they bought was originally stolen. If posting the serial number, the guitar can be repossessed. That's a contemptible reason.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Serial Number Question
Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2016 10:29 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:50 pm
Posts: 7998
Location: ʎɹʇunoɔ ǝsoɹ pןıʍ
Not to mention insurance fraud.
Make your your serial number public and someone might decide to make a claim using prints of pics they gather from the ID-question thread.
If you're like most people and don't keep new gear receipts for life (I do) you might find yourself in possession of a "stolen" guitar.
Even keeping all my receipts, I still never post full serial numbers online.

_________________
Image
Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Serial Number Question
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:43 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 2:11 pm
Posts: 820
Location: Iowa, USA
BMW-KTM wrote:
Not to mention insurance fraud.
Make your your serial number public and someone might decide to make a claim using prints of pics they gather from the ID-question thread.
If you're like most people and don't keep new gear receipts for life (I do) you might find yourself in possession of a "stolen" guitar.
Even keeping all my receipts, I still never post full serial numbers online.
That's something I never thought about (Insurance Fraud). I have sold guitars on Craigslist, and always took a (close-up) pic of the serial number, thinking the same as Peter S:
Quote:
I've included a photo of the full s/no, because if I'm buying I want to see that too

I too, keep all receipts of guitars I buy new. And I have to admit, I never really thought of any gear that I DO buy used to be stolen because of the circumstances, and atmosphere of the exchange in real time.
Perhaps I should be a little more careful in the future?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Serial Number Question
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2017 12:50 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2017 6:15 pm
Posts: 66
I have noticed a few people selling already questionable Stratocasters on craigslist aren't listing the serial numbers and when I ask I get no response or a "no you have to see it in person" kind of answer. I think it's BS. If a thief/dishonest/scammer wanted a serial number, all they have to do is go to a pawn shop or any guitar store to get it.

_________________
I love all music, minus country and gangsta-rap. Don't hate me!
:P

Image

Don't copy my new awesome Avatar! (Even though I know you will anyway)


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 6 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: