I have generally had good experiences on Reverb, but this situation exposed a major flaw in how damaged items are handled when a seller does not use Reverb Safe Shipping.
In my case, an item arrived damaged and non functioning. The packaging was clearly inadequate. The box was thin, oversized, lacked sufficient packing material, and the unit should have been double boxed. This was evident from the photos alone. Despite this, I was required to wait for the seller’s UPS damage claim to be processed before receiving my refund.
This policy is unfair to buyers.
• The buyer did nothing wrong
• The seller chose not to pack the item properly
• The seller chose not to use Reverb Safe Shipping
• The buyer is forced to wait while the seller and carrier resolve their claim
During this time, nearly $800 of my money was effectively held hostage. Many buyers, myself included, are in the middle of active projects and need to move on to a replacement piece of gear immediately. eBay handles this much better. When an item arrives damaged and unusable, the buyer ships it back and receives a refund right away. The seller then deals with the carrier claim separately. That is how buyer protection should work.
In this situation, the seller even accused me of intentionally damaging a rare piece of gear that I was lucky enough to find at a good price, which was absurd. Reverb could clearly see from the photos that the packaging was inadequate and that UPS was very likely to deny the claim. Despite this, I still had to wait. The seller also failed to refund within the required timeframe, which delayed things further until Reverb eventually stepped in and forced the refund.
Reverb needs to reconsider this policy. Buyer protection should protect the buyer first. Carrier disputes and reimbursement should be handled between the seller and the shipping company, not at the buyer’s expense.
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Reverb is where musicians go to buy and sell new, used, vintage and handmade music gear. When Reverb launched in 2013, it was founded on the principle that buying and selling musical instruments should be easy and affordable. Since then we’ve become a thriving community that connects millions of people around the world to the gear and the inspiration needed to make music.
From beginner musicians to collectors, mom-and-pop shops to large retailers, and popular manufacturers to boutique builders and luthiers, millions of buyers and sellers use the site and app. You might even run into some of your favorite rock stars on Reverb!See more
