e-bay sellers who won't provide serial numbers

percussion boy · Post by **percussion boy** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 12:33 pm

Any good reason for this? My impression when someone won't give out the serial # is that they're trying to move hot gear . . . but lately I've run into sellers who seem legit, but fear they'll get scammed somehow if they give the # out.

Are all these people evil? C'mon, tell me.

r0ck1r0ck2 · Post by **r0ck1r0ck2** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 1:00 pm

eBay makes people stupid paranoid...
it's like fairy land where nothing makes sense...

and yet it is what determines current priceing..

8th_note · Post by **8th_note** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 2:51 pm

I've bought and sold a lot of gear over ebay and I've never thought to ask for a serial number and never had anyone ask me. If somebody did ask I would provide the information - I can't think of a way to get scammed by this but maybe I'm naive. Why would you want to know the serial number before you buy?

creature.of.habit · Post by **creature.of.habit** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 4:42 pm

its useful to determine the year the item was made...its imperative to know the serial number when you're buying vintage guitars for example...not the same, but here's a situation where everyone that knows what one's doing asks for the serial number.

rhythm ranch · Post by **rhythm ranch** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 6:14 am

Have you tried asking the sellers what their fear is? I don't understand it either, but maybe there is a legitimate concern that they'd be willing to share.

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 6:49 am

I think they are afraid of people poaching the number to make a counterfeit guitar.

toothpastefordinner · Post by **toothpastefordinner** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 4:23 pm

percussion boy wrote:Any good reason for this? My impression when someone won't give out the serial # is that they're trying to move hot gear . . . but lately I've run into sellers who seem legit, but fear they'll get scammed somehow if they give the # out.

If the serial number isn't closely linked to quality issues (like with old Fenders) you are just being insufferable by insisting on getting this information. Why are you going to make the seller go out of his/her way to look it up if it doesn't matter?

Sellers on ebay get deluged with retarded questions about stuff they sell. I don't even bother answering unless it's relevant, when I sell stuff. If you wrote to me to ask me what the serial number was on a camera or something I would not answer you and you would post to tape op about it.

I would just be selling my camera. It would be a camera I bought and used lightly in a non-smoking home. It would not even be sold "as is". It would be a good camera. You would enjoy it.

Judas Jetski · Post by **Judas Jetski** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 4:57 pm

Oh, it's definitely possible to scam someone if you know the serial number on a piece of equipment. Learned that from a friend who owned a used guitar shop.

If it was me, I wouldn't be in too big a hurry to publish the serial number where everyone could see it. If someone asked me for it, I'd give it. And keep a time-stamped copy of the e-mail where they asked for it, and keep a copy of my e-mail where I told them what the thing is. Paranoid? Maybe. Or maybe just being careful.

But as far as not revealing the serial number at all? Pointless unless you have something to hide. The serial number is an attribute of the gear, just like everything else.

trodden · Post by **trodden** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 5:01 pm

toothpastefordinner wrote: Sellers on ebay get deluged with retarded questions about stuff they sell. I don't even bother answering unless it's relevant, when I sell stuff. If you wrote to me to ask me what the serial number was on a camera or something I would not answer you and you would post to tape op about it.

I would just be selling my camera. It would be a camera I bought and used lightly in a non-smoking home. It would not even be sold "as is". It would be a good camera. You would enjoy it.

WHat if my good camera was stolen and i saw one on ebay that was good and looked like it and you were selling it and then i asked you what the serial number was cause my good camera was stolen and the wonder if you were selling my good camera.. eh? And you wouldn't answer me cause you're a jerkface dingus, the end.

Judas Jetski · Post by **Judas Jetski** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 5:20 pm

In short, tight-ass is the inevitable result of over-exposure to jack-ass.

(I'm not talking about anyone here on the TOMB. But it don't take much action from a theiving bastard to harden yer heart for quite a while.)

percussion boy · Post by **percussion boy** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 10:59 pm

8th_note wrote:Why would you want to know the serial number before you buy?

Why would anyone *not* want to give it -- unless they're afraid it's in a police report or an online list of stolen gear?

I did ask one seller what the problem was, and got a vague non-answer, at which point I let it drop . . .

Knights Who Say Neve · Post by **Knights Who Say Neve** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 2:07 am

Andy Smash wrote:Oh, it's definitely possible to scam someone if you know the serial number on a piece of equipment. Learned that from a friend who owned a used guitar shop.

And how would that happen, pray tell?

I mean, I'm not going to send the guitar or whatever until I have the money...so how can i get scammed by emailing someone the serial number?

centurymantra · Post by **centurymantra** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 6:12 am

One other thing to consider.

Let's say I'm selling a piece of equipment on Ebay and I have it securely packed up, double boxed, sealed and ready to go (which I will sometimes do or have done prior to an auction). If someone asked me for the serial #, this would be an issue of inconvenience and I may not be willing to dig it out, especially if it was something like an unwieldy set of speakers or 90 pound Pass Labs amplifier or something. If the auction had plenty of activity I may not be concerned that this potential buyer would be scared away from my unwillingness to provide a serial #...though I would of course explain the situation to them.

toothpastefordinner · Post by **toothpastefordinner** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 8:27 am

percussion boy wrote:Why would anyone *not* want to give it -- unless they're afraid it's in a police report or an online list of stolen gear?

Because I don't run around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to please ebay bidders who demand information that doesn't affect the value of the item?

Have you ever sold stuff on ebay before? See how the bidders treat you, and then re-evaluate whether or not you want to be a dick about getting information that doesn't matter.

Seriously, fuck ebay bidders. I hate them.

trodden wrote:What if I wanted to buy a bobbydj on ebay

Those don't come with serial numbers.

I could try to describe the smell to you though. Kind of tired, with a bit of snobbery.

Everybody's X · Post by **Everybody's X** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 8:30 pm

quote="toothpastefordinner"

"Sellers on ebay get deluged with retarded questions about stuff they sell."

NO SHIT It is tiresome and I too will list an item and immediately package it to ship. I'm not going to dig it back out to answer a stupid question. As far as a guitars goI will list the serial number

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