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Post by yotonic on Jul 24, 2023 18:11:02 GMT -6
I made an uncharacteristic mistake today. My Mom who had a wonderful life was buried Friday and I've been up for days with relatives. A Neve 1066 popped up in my Reverb thread from a seller who "seemed familiar". I bought it and realized immediately it was a fake account when I went to message him. Nothing I could do about it. Paypal has no live support, my bank couldn't intervene at this point because Paypal is the payment processor and Reverb is completely useless. I recently sold something on Reverb where I have transacted for years and they still don't release a payment to me until I enter tracking for the item I shipped. But this Russian hacker whose account they have already shut down is either not having his funds held or that whole "process" is a complete fabrication on the part of Reverb to make it seem like they have some controls on their platform. Reverb told me twice today they can't do anything to stop the payment from Paypal to this scammer. What's more hilarious is that they seem to have training in place for their chat outsourcing to hang up if the questions get too real...LOL     |
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Post by nick8801 on Jul 24, 2023 18:24:47 GMT -6
Happened to me a few years back. Bought a too good to me true u67. Immediately contacted paypal but the whole process took me months and months to fix. Stay on reverb to give you very clear documentation that it was fraud and appeal over and over on PayPal if you have to. I got the feeling they were trying to wear me down. Good luck. Don’t give up!
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Post by mike on Jul 24, 2023 18:26:23 GMT -6
Thanks for the reminder about Reverb and scammers with fake accounts/gear I know they'll eventually make right, but more importantly I'm very sorry for your loss. It's always hard to lose a mom 🙏
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Post by kcatthedog on Jul 24, 2023 18:30:02 GMT -6
Yes, sorry for your loss.
Can you not launch a dispute in paypal?
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Post by yotonic on Jul 24, 2023 18:49:09 GMT -6
Yes I immediately launched a dispute. Unfortunately that takes a month or more, as versus cancelling the transaction immediately or Reverb not distributing the funds which it seems they don't actually have the authority to do or not do when Paypal is involved. I would think Paypal would welcome an early alert that a transaction is fraudulent while it is still pending.
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Post by kcatthedog on Jul 24, 2023 19:07:17 GMT -6
Normally PP does not pay out funds automatically. Hopefully, you get your money back soon. Too many scammers on Reverb, I just stay away now.
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Post by james7800 on Jul 24, 2023 20:16:21 GMT -6
I have noticed a lot of high value items listed for well under market value lately on Reverb. In every case it’s been a brand new seller with no feedback. Always good to check that before buying.
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Post by sean on Jul 24, 2023 21:10:52 GMT -6
Yeah the fakes are out of control on Reverb.
But, I bought a UM57 that turned out to be fake, found where the pictures originated from, and show them to Reverb and I got a refund through Reverb pretty quickly. I’m 99% it was with PayPal and it definitely didn’t take a month
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Post by andersmv on Jul 24, 2023 22:27:15 GMT -6
My advice for Reverb is to set up a PayPal Credit account and pay for everything through it. That way, if it does theoretically take “months” to sort something, you haven’t lost any money. I’ve gotten to the point where whenever I see something that’s clearly fake (I keep an eye out for a few mics regularly, lots of fake Coles the last year), I just buy it and immediately make a claim. Maybe I’ve gotten lucky, but Reverbs sorted every single one of them out in less than a week. PayPal is also quick to jump in because it’s a PayPal credit problem, so it’s their money and not mine.
PayPal credit, even if you just pay it off in full a few days later. It’s an extra layer of security and gives things a healthy amount of time to sort themselves out without actually costing you anything.
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Post by srb on Jul 24, 2023 22:33:49 GMT -6
Reverb has changed soooo much over the last few years. Been buying and selling there a long time (9 years). Tons more unethical 'sellers' and 'difficult' buyers. You shouldn't have to cover your ass for all that, but you do, unfortunately.
Time was, there was live phone support for issues back when the CME folks were running it.
They intervened on my behalf, without my asking, on a "too good to be true" deal. When I called, and told them I'd been shit, they'd preempted the transaction already, suspecting some shenanigans.
Can't imagine you won't get this resolved. Wish it was easier...less frustrating and time consuming.
Most of all, I hope you know peace and comfort in your mom's passing. I miss mine every day.
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Post by Blackdawg on Jul 25, 2023 0:10:25 GMT -6
My advice for Reverb is to set up a PayPal Credit account and pay for everything through it. That way, if it does theoretically take “months” to sort something, you haven’t lost any money. I’ve gotten to the point where whenever I see something that’s clearly fake (I keep an eye out for a few mics regularly, lots of fake Coles the last year), I just buy it and immediately make a claim. Maybe I’ve gotten lucky, but Reverbs sorted every single one of them out in less than a week. PayPal is also quick to jump in because it’s a PayPal credit problem, so it’s their money and not mine. PayPal credit, even if you just pay it off in full a few days later. It’s an extra layer of security and gives things a healthy amount of time to sort themselves out without actually costing you anything. This. And on top of that you should just use a credit card through paypal anyways because then you can just contact your CC company directly and they will also for sure shut that shit down fast. |
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Post by hadaja on Jul 25, 2023 0:26:07 GMT -6
Buddy so sorry for your double loss at this time. I am hoping it will all sort out in the wash for you and the only thing you lose is just some time.
Take care.
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Post by ninworks on Jul 25, 2023 8:31:48 GMT -6
I'm sorry about the loss of your mom as well. I've been there too.
Reverb is getting ridiculous with the scammers. Almost as bad as Craigslist. I have had a couple bouts with them over the last few months. Reverb has always sorted it out but it took a few weeks for me.
I had some problems with scammers on Ebay many years ago but they seem to have figured out how to curtail them. I haven't had any problems with them on that platform for years.
I see lots of very inexpensive SM7b copies on Reverb these days. It's not a mic I really need but if that situation ever arises I'll just get a new one from a reputable dealer. There are probably cheap knock-offs of other gear out there as well that I'm not aware of. I just haven't run across them yet.
Never let your guard down.
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Post by Ward on Jul 25, 2023 8:54:56 GMT -6
Happened to me with a perfect deal on an RCA 77dx. Cloned account on facebook, used cash app.
Complete fraud. $1500 down the drain.
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Post by mcirish on Jul 25, 2023 9:43:57 GMT -6
Reverb has become a much less safe place to buy and sell in the last few years. I sold an interface there a couple weeks ago and thought for sure I was going to get scammed. Fortunately, it ended up working out after I got the manufacturer involved.
You really have to watch who's buying or selling and check feedback. Even then, it's a crap shoot.
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Post by ab101 on Jul 25, 2023 9:52:05 GMT -6
yotonic - so very sorry about the loss of your mom. May her memory always be a blessing.
As to purchases from ebay, reverb or the like, it really helps to get a phone number and talk to the person. So, I usually try to message the seller on reverb and have a conversation where I can ask enough questions to make sure I am dealing with a legitimate seller.
Anyway, I have made claims to paypal in the past, and while it does take some work, it was successful.
All the best to you.
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Post by sirthought on Jul 25, 2023 11:17:33 GMT -6
My advice for Reverb is to set up a PayPal Credit account and pay for everything through it. That way, if it does theoretically take “months” to sort something, you haven’t lost any money. I’ve gotten to the point where whenever I see something that’s clearly fake (I keep an eye out for a few mics regularly, lots of fake Coles the last year), I just buy it and immediately make a claim. Maybe I’ve gotten lucky, but Reverbs sorted every single one of them out in less than a week. PayPal is also quick to jump in because it’s a PayPal credit problem, so it’s their money and not mine. PayPal credit, even if you just pay it off in full a few days later. It’s an extra layer of security and gives things a healthy amount of time to sort themselves out without actually costing you anything. I never thought of this. Good advice. I often use Pay Pal but it's using my American Express. Now that card I believe has a way to do disputes, but I bet the Pay Pal one does better for transactions like this. (I just wouldn't get the Sky Miles!) |
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Post by andersmv on Jul 25, 2023 12:25:05 GMT -6
Again, I have a feeling PayPal sorts things out a little quicker when it's their money on their credit card (and not ours). I don't doubt they drag their feet and are unwilling to do the bare minimum when it's money out of our checking accounts.
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,953 
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Post by ericn on Jul 25, 2023 12:31:08 GMT -6
So sorry for for both of your losses. Reverb usually comes through in the end but the secret is to always pay with AMEX, they don’t fuck around, they don’t like it when the card holder is fucked with and Reverb knows it. Neither is fast but they usually cover it.
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Post by bluesholyman on Jul 25, 2023 14:08:15 GMT -6
Very sorry for the loss of your Mom. Been there.
I have had very good support from Reverb, but I haven't done Reverb with Paypal. Reverb has gone to bat for me with an unreasonable buyer tried to get a refund and wouldn't let up. Very sorry to hear of the troubles you are having and I believe Reverb to be a good group, but I've only been there a few years, after tiring of Ebay/Paypal craziness. Happens everywhere.
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Post by Bat Lanyard on Jul 25, 2023 17:01:54 GMT -6
So sorry for for both of your losses. Reverb usually comes through in the end but the secret is to always pay with AMEX, they don’t fuck around, they don’t like it when the card holder is fucked with and Reverb knows it. Neither is fast but they usually cover it. Been with them forever for mainly for this reason. Yes, plenty of downsides and expensive for what it is but when you're dicked over they're on it and the charge is immediately removed. Depending on the card you also have purchase protections. On another note, got my second expensive unit in the last three transactions on Reverb sent in a barebones box with a couple of Amazon leftover airpads on the top of it. Literally destroyed. I feel like there's an emerging other side to Reverb where sellers are listing nice not-cheap gear and knowingly shipping it ridiculously packed. Not sure what the benefit would be there as it complicates everything. Maybe selling shit that doesn't work. But you'd think someone with 240+ reviews would know to pack something well so it's rather suspect. |
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ericn
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Balance Engineer
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Post by ericn on Jul 25, 2023 18:47:41 GMT -6
So sorry for for both of your losses. Reverb usually comes through in the end but the secret is to always pay with AMEX, they don’t fuck around, they don’t like it when the card holder is fucked with and Reverb knows it. Neither is fast but they usually cover it. Been with them forever for mainly for this reason. Yes, plenty of downsides and expensive for what it is but when you're dicked over they're on it and the charge is immediately removed. Depending on the card you also have purchase protections. On another note, got my second expensive unit in the last three transactions on Reverb sent in a barebones box with a couple of Amazon leftover airpads on the top of it. Literally destroyed. I feel like there's an emerging other side to Reverb where sellers are listing nice not-cheap gear and knowingly shipping it ridiculously packed. Not sure what the benefit would be there as it complicates everything. Maybe selling shit that doesn't work. But you'd think someone with 240+ reviews would know to pack something well so it's rather suspect. The demise of the packaging peanut has lead to a serious decline in the quality of packing. Even dealers seam to suck at packing these days. |
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Post by Bat Lanyard on Jul 25, 2023 22:03:17 GMT -6
Chandler boxes cost $30 a piece but they get to their owners in beautiful shape.
If you don't save the original packaging then at least put something upwards of four or five grand in a box wrapped in a blanket of bubble and put that box in another bigger box. For fuck's sake, it ain't that hard to figure out how to get something safely from point A to point B. UPS is the worst. FedEx will get something delivered in one piece if you follow the former, even better if you overnight where it doesn't sit on a truck forever.
Shipping is expensive these days and sellers need to understand what it takes. Frustrating to have to deal with sending something back because someone doesn't care about it after the sale. And sad to see such beautiful handmade gear just fucking mangled.
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Post by tonygunz21 on Jul 26, 2023 10:04:38 GMT -6
Yotonic, sorry to hear of the loss of your mother, hope you and your family are holding up well.
I had a similar issue on Reverb a couple of months back. I saw an item that was priced just right for it to be a really nice deal, but not too good to be true. I saw that it was immediately getting watchers and added to carts, so I did a quick scan of the listing to make sure it was legit. I know that there are a ton of scam listings showing sellers from outside of the U.S., but this one was from a seller in Nashville and they had a picture. They didn't have any sales history, but I've made a couple of purchases on Reverb in the past where I was the first sale, so I figured I'd move fast before someone else scoops up the item. As I was going through the checkout process, I noticed the seller only accepts Paypal, but it wasn't too alarming, because that's usually how I pay. Well, as soon as I finished the checkout, I saw that the payment went to a person with an email address with a strange domain. Most are going to be your typical gmail, outlook, live, etc. but this was one I've never heard of. I googled it, and pretty much nothing came up.
I immediately tried to contact Paypal to stop the payment, but there was not any live support that I could reach. I contacted Reverb and they informed me that since I paid through Paypal, that's where I needed to open a case. I did, and Paypal ended up resolving the case in my favor so I was eventually refunded. They require the entire resolution process play out, so you'll probably have to wait it out since they give x amount of days for each response. In my situation, during the resolution process the "seller" provided a USPS tracking number that showed "delivered" to the city I live in. The USPS tracking does not show a specific address, only the city so I opened a missing package claim with USPS. I explained the situation and asked them to confirm that the tracking was not for a package that was delivered to my address. They responded within a day or so and confirmed, and let me know that they were aware of scams using their tracking numbers. I'm guessing these scammers are somehow getting access to a database of legit tracking numbers and can just pick one from a particular date that has your city...pretty clever. The scammers were even texting me and emailing me, asking me to close the case with Paypal and that it was shipped, just to give it another day or so. I didn't respond at all, but took screenshots of everything and uploaded it to the paypal resolution case. Reverb also told me that I was covered by them in the event that paypal didn't reverse the payment. Took a few weeks but it got worked out.
Reverb is rife with fake/scam listings these days, almost all show that Paypal is the only payment they'll accept. I used to enjoy just browsing throughout the day, but now it seems like the bulk of the listings for items I'd be interested in are all fake. Reverb really needs to put some type of process in place to detect and block these listings before they even go live. I hope it all works out for you.
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Post by mike on Jul 26, 2023 10:46:28 GMT -6
Good info here as I've skimmed through it to go along with my own experiences on Reverb which have all went well so far by documenting sold items working condition and thorough packaging before shipping & using Reverb safe shipping & stating in description buyers feedback will be given 7 days after item's received (which is when Reverb sides more with the seller), and then as a buyer only buying from those with a high rating of multiple sales.....which leads me to ask....
Is it still the case that all fake gear is from accounts with No sales history? or are there fake sales coming from fake accounts with a previous sales feedback rating?
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