Screw it. The guy misrepresented in the ad. I would send it back. It looks like a bunch of parts thrown together. I can promise you one thing, its NOT an American Standard. I hope you used paypal. Even if he doesn't take returns, you can still say that the item was not as presented in the ad and send it back. Next time, post a link and ask for opinions BEFORE you bid. How much did he take you for?

Thanks guys. Iv'e opened a dispute with paypal and intend to get every one of my £540 British pounds back, equiv. around $900 USD. back!!

This is why I avoid eBay like the plague for guitar purchases - honest people get ripped off every day.

Unless I can play the actual guitar I'll be paying for before I fork over any money, I don't even want to know about it.

Just my two cents worth - good luck to you, Mandrum. I hope it all works out for you, mate.

+1

I buy the odd parts here and there but I've been stung before when buying guitars with out trying them out first.

Good luck with your dispute!

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Pending Greatness

Its too bad because there are still honest people selling,but the are few and far between.In the past I have bought a 75 silverface super reverb and it was in great shape and all original.I would probably stay away from guitars though,too many fakes and too many snakes,if you know what I mean.I think Ebay has got to be more dilligent to crack down on these people.

The problem is twofold, as I see it - too few people with any practical knowledge of what they really want are buying guitars online, and too many people willing to take advantage of this fact are prepared to sell them online.

I could be wrong, but that's how it seems to me. Although I know there are some honest sellers out there, they're vastly outnumbered by the opportunists who are willing to take advantage of the inexperienced buyer.

As an Ebay buyer and seller myself, I'm gonna toss my $.02 worth in here...

The number one problem with Ebay...or even Craigslist for that matter isn't so much the "scammers" as much as ignorant and/or greedy buyers. I've seen it many times on this forum and elsewhere....they saw, they wanted, they bought...and then they whined their butts off cause they got screwed! It's that whole mentality that says "I gotta have it before someone else get's it..." and when it comes to things like this, I'm sorry but you can't really blame the seller for a buyer who is simply an idiot.

With Ebay and Craigslist both, you have every opportunity to ask questions and to -verify- what it is that you are buying!!!!!!!! While I'm not cracking on the OP specifically here, in this case the buyer could have gotten the serial number and checked with Fender to verify the authenticity of this instrument...or even posted said pictures here -before- he/she bid to get some opinions. -ASK- for pictures of the stamps in neck pocket and on the heal of the neck and if the seller isn't willing or able to provide them, just walk away. And never...never, never, never allow yourself to get caught up in a "bidding war". Personally if I'm considering a purchase on Ebay (or any other auction)...guitar, parts or otherwise, first and foremost I will make sure that I -KNOW- what said item is worth then I will simply post my MAXIMUM bid...the most that I'm willing to spend based on the items condition and related value (and the seller's feedback of course) and that's it. If I get it at that price, great...if I don't...there's PLENTY of other fish in the sea!

I'm sorry if this sounds rude or mean spirited but I've said this before and I'll say it again...if a person is too lazy, stupid or greedy to take a few minutes to verify what it is they are actually buying, they deserve what they get! I"m sorry but this type of mentality is no different than the proverbial "little old lady" who stands at a check out line with her purse wide open and then complains about how "thief's are always taking advantage of old people"...you -ONLY- have yourself to blame for your own ignorance and greed when it comes back and bites you in the butt! Seriously...was someone literally standing there twisting your arm with a gun to your head?? -NO ONE- forced you to buy that "fake"...you had to make a conscious choice to hit that "Bid Now" button. People get taken advantage of because people -LET- themselves be taken advantage of...and then they can't be bothered to take responsibility for their own actions!!!!!! "Oh...I did something stupid...it must be someone else's fault!"...riiiiiiight. I'm sorry if that hurts anyone's feelings, but it's true.

I would also like to take a moment and say a few words about "fakes". I won't go in to too much detail here but I would like to add that just because something is a "fake" doesn't by default mean that it isn't worth the asking price. At the last guitar show I went to, there were actually two fake Strats from two different sellers. The one was supposedly a MIM Standard with a hardshell where the seller wanted $250...I honestly wouldn't have paid $100 for that guitar even with the hardshell! LOL! Good logo, -cheap- guitar (it was a Bullet with an MIM logo). The other one however...simply had "Fender Stratocaster" on it...nothing to indicate MIM, MIA or anything else really. The logo was clearly faked but for the $450 the guy was asking, it was actually a -very- nice guitar...excellent quality parts, excellent finish, great pickups, very well assembled and setup, primo neck and well worth the $450. I wanted to mention this because there's some folks here who would buy something like that...and then go ballistic because they thought they were buying a "real" Strat. Real or not though, it was a very good instrument and well worth the money.

Also, this past summer I bought a Strat body off Craigslist. In this case the seller claimed it was a "pre-80's American body". I took one look at it and it was clear that it wasn't a real Fender body...pre-80's, American or otherwise. Even as I was looking at it, the seller swore up and down it was "real". However, the seller only wanted $25 for it, it was a real alder body and it was a perfect fit for the neck I planned on using, so I grabbed it. Once I was able to verify that it wasn't a real Fender, the guy changed his story to "well, that's what the guy at the store said". At that point he did offer to return my money but even through all of the B.S., it was still a good deal and it was exactly what I was looking for....made for an excellent "partscaster" .

With that I will say that I've done close to 400 transactions now on Ebay (mostly as a buyer) in about a 10 year period and in all that time, I've only gotten burned -twice-. The one time...yea...I got greedy and I forgot to check the seller's feedback. Had I of checked the feedback I would have seen that the last 6 transactions from that person all had negative feedback. In this case it was for a $6 PC sound card...I chalked it up as an inexpensive lesson learned. The second one was for a Carvin mixing board. I won the auction at $50 but then the lady tried to charge me $350 for shipping...my guess is that she thought she was going to get more in the auction than she did so she tried to rake me on the shipping to make up for the difference. In this case I got quotes from both Fed Ex and UPS...both around $70 (only $35 with my corporate discount), which I then provided to Ebay and Paypal. I never actually got the mixing board but I never lost any money (or credibility on Ebay) for it.



It's simple really...never assume that a given seller is going to be honest...or that they even know what the hell they're talking about. -ALWAYS- know exactly what it is you are buying and never let your "passions" over power your common sense. If you are a -smart- buyer and you're able to control your "I want it now" attitude, you'll do ok most of the time.

Again, just my $.02 worth...I sincerely hope that someone learns something from it.

Jim

Jim,

Thanks for your 2 cents worth. That was good and educational.
Sometimes we have to learn our lessons the hard way. Done my share.

Thanks to the guys who were helpfull, to you guys I owe a pint!! However, Jim, who rattled your cage man!!!

I said myself I should have researched, certainly better, before buying. I am most definitely not stupid nor am I GREEDY. In the UK both Fender and particularly Gibson guitars are WAYYYYY overpriced (import tax, e.t.c e.t.c.). Can you seriously blame a guy, in times of recession and all that, for trying to get a good deal? And If you were sorry for being rude you would have LEARNED by now, wouln't you? I most certainly have been educated today, but not by you Jim, actually you could do worse than learn something yourself, "no one likes a smart arse!"

I always use paypal, that's how stupid I am, and that's why I have my money back in two days guarenteed by Paypal. I should also agree with the earlier, much more helpfull comments, for I for one have had some crackin' deals from ebay, just obviously don't know my Fenders that well yet. Who is perfect Jim, show me one brother.

It is a shame though, and although I understand the angle you are coming from, as an upstanding citizen I just don't agree with you. I say this in that it is the crafty ones that are involved in anything, trying to get one over us that are misleading people and who, in my opinion are problematic in this world. Lawers, dodgy sales men, polititians and their like! Not the cool, unassuming, poor however giving and talanted but sometimes insecure musicians, the ones without the Armani suits...Ok I am going on, but you have walked head first into this fella.

On ebay, if more people were decent, and most of my buys I have to say have been fantastic, it would be better, however, perfect does not exist, just no harm in looking for as close to it as you can get to it when you are looking for a good guitar with limited coin! I really can't see what I have done wrong! I could have done things in a different order, however I think it's quite cool to have a little trust left at the age of 37.

Was the guitar a good price for what it was described as?
Damm right.

Would I go through it all again?
At the chance of landing a good guitar at a good price, HELL YEAH!!!

In forums like this you meet decent guys willing to help, you meet people who are witty and fun, you learn stuff and then you meet obnoxious people who get off calling people stupid, greedy e.t.c. I am fairly well educated with a music degree and a masters in EDUCATION may I say however not particularly well to do financially.

It's been fun Jim, however I have my money coming back, Iv'e learned a lot from the guys on here about Fender guitars, you've had your say, I have had mine, shall we just wrap this up now an call it a day for this post.

In other words Jim, please don't return another post back trying to put me or my fellow bargain hunters down again, getting me into some smart arsed one-up manship game. Life is defo too short for that stuff!

Thanks again to all for all,

All the best,

Kind Regards Mandrum.

So mandrum,

Let me get this straight. You agree that you got a quality instrument at a good price,



but you're also going to use paypals "get out of jail free" card and get your money back?

Are you sending the guitar back to the "dodgey" salesman?

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My Rig: Guitar into Pedals then into Amps and out into Speakers.

+1. Although if you look at the string spacving at the bridge, it lines up perfectly with the PUP pole pieces so maybe the bridge has been swapped out also.

Still great looking guitar though!

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MIM Std Tele, MIM HSS Strat, Homemade Mongrel Tele, Blues Jr, Champ600, coupla pedals...sweeeet!

HWY1s have the narrower MIM/Import spacing

Aaah! That explains that then. learn something everyday. Cheers.

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MIM Std Tele, MIM HSS Strat, Homemade Mongrel Tele, Blues Jr, Champ600, coupla pedals...sweeeet!

Well impulse 7

Thats a great post man, try making your own sometime.

However I am sure if you re-read the post of which your post has been constructed, you may be able to answer/understand those questions/points yourself.



To fill in the obvious blanks here, of course not with the same seller for the same guitar but otherwise doh!



I'm not in Jail dude.



I did not say 'he' is 'dodgey'. I think from what Iv'e written you could constrew that though. I think your infinite wisdom on all matters e-bay, which is not what my question and post is about is possibly confusing your mind.

To add, on feedback from this forum, which is darn good by the way, plus gut insticts and all, I will be returning the guitar. I don't know wether this salesman is 'dodgey' or not, I am just not that sure (including my experience having played the guitar). As others have said, the advert was misleading, only even if the seller was not clear about the fact he bought the bits himself and stuck them together. The guy later told me this info himself (I had actually asked him for more info on the guitar earlier, and he decided to give me it, strangely, after I opened the dispute). I also, after searching, found the case on Amazon new at $40, not quite the expensive luxuary case he 'later' described it as.

Now go and write your own posts dude before you try taking me on. And just before you start hitting me back with my own words about one-up manship, I only would defend myself when attacked, not the best trait of web forums I might add, however, as I had said in an earlier post, there are cool people in this forum who want to sincerely tackle peoples questions, and there are those who just want to try an look smart.

Youve failed on both counts dude.

I wouldn't bag on this buyer too much. The seller's ad appears to be intentionally misleading. This thing is labeled as "American Stratocaster" when it has a Squire body? He never uses the name Squire anywhere in the info, and instead uses classic vibe. I didn't connect classic vibe with Squire until I googled it because I'm not familiar with Squire guitars. Yes, the guys is at worst guilty of not doing his homework before hitting the bid button.
No one deserves to get the raw end of a deal on an ebay contract just because a seller tried to slide one under the radar.
Most people on this forum know what to look for because they have been rockin out and blogging for years about these gits. On the flip side, there are plenty of intelligent buyers that may be new to Fender products that don't know how to spot the bad ones. Unfortunately, most buyers turn to the forum when they think they may have been hosed, and not before they raise the Patel.
I have chosen to abide by a simple rule that eliminates any possibility of getting a fake or misrepresented unit, including a 30 day satisfaction guarantee, a lifetime limited warranty, and all from a local seller. Yes, I only buy from authorized Fender dealers. When I brought home my 08 MIA Standard, I returned 2 units that I was not 100% satisfied with, had the store send away for another unit in a specific color, haggled on price, got the replacement unit delivered to my office without any shipping cost (personal favor from a great Guitar Center sales rep), and ended up with the perfect guitar. Its worth the extra money.