The rules here are going to be pretty much the same as in discussion. To read the discussion FAQ, go here: The Discussion FAQ
Rules Specific To Gear
Seeing as this is a forum for a specific purpose (i.e. buying and selling of music-related items) the "no-spam" rule is going to be a little tighter. Topics not on the subject will either be deleted or moved to the correct forum, based upon how appropriate the topic is.
Do not put a number or letter low in the alphabet at the beginning of your topic title to get it to be at the beginning of the listings. If you really want to sell something badly, send me a PM and we'll discuss pinning your topic.
Junior01 was kind enough to compile a list of suggestions to both the buyer and seller for me. I just pasted it here and edited the grammatical mistakes. Here it is:
Buyers are as much responsible when it comes to completeing a smooth transaction. There is such thing as a bad buyer. Here’s a little FAQ for buyer to help you make some good purchase.
1- Ask a lot of questions. Even if it seems to be a stupid one. Better to make sure before you make the actual buy than to get disappointed once the purchase is made. If in doubt go to the respective Q&A forum (Guitar, Bass, Other Instrument, Accoustic or Effect, Amps and their settings) and ask a question on what to look for.
2- Feel free to negotiate. What if you are very interested in an item but it seems a bit pricey? Negotiate! Look around on the web to see how much that item is worth (either new or used). There is a lot of sites that can help you on your quest: http://www.harmony-central.com/ http://www.ebay.com http://froogle.google.com/ or any site run by big music store (Musician's Friend, AMS, Music 123, Ed Roman…)
3- Duty fee is your responsibility. If you want to buy something from someone out of your country inquire in advance of any duty if any and how much in % it could be. (This can, of course, be negotiated with the seller)
4- Don’t be surprised if you are charged a bit more than the actual shipping cost is. Sometimes the seller has to buy good packing material and it is normal to charge the buyer. Of course you can always negotiate those charges as well. Don’t be afraid to protest if you feel those cost are too high.
5- Keep your promise. If you tell someone that you are going to buy an item,make sure you really want to do so. It is very frustrating to re-list an item because someone got the cold feet when the big moment came. So stand by your words.
SELLER
Sellers must make sure that the item gets to it's destination. You are responsible for making arrangements for payment. This is very important if you don’t want to give out your gear!!! Here’s a little FAQ for sellers to help you make a good sell.
1- A picture is worth a thousand words. So whenever possible post a picture of the item for sale (Perry's edit: by this logic, 1000 words will also do). That’ll help the potential buyer, and also it is proven that items for sale sell better when there is a picture. So give yourself a better chance to sell your item. If you don’t have a personal web space there is some free services on the net that’ll host those pictures for you. (www.uploadit.org)
2- Be honest. Describe the item as best as you could including any default (if any). An honest seller inspire confidence and therefore people may be more willing to do business with you.
3- Packing is everything. Make sure that the item is properly packed. It is your responsibility that the item got there in one piece. (Perry's edit: or multiple pieces, if it's meant to be that way. No need to glue it together). Choose a good cardboard box. If you send a guitar, get a box to put the case in and don’t be afraid to wrap the instrument in towels to make sure it stays in place. Use foam, paper, whatever you can get your hands on in order to make the package safe. If it is available get insurance. Usually it is not that expensive and if anything happens to your package during shipping and the buyer doesn’t accept it you won’t lose any money.
4- Don’t overcharge. We all know that shipping is costly but that’s no reason to overcharge for it. You’ll only run potential buyers away. If regular shipping is 20$ there is no reason to charge 40$ for it. Be honest, you can include any cost if you have to buy packing stuff but then again don’t overcharge. Make sure to tell the buyer what the shipping and all related cost can be.
I would also reccomend using some sort of service (eBay, for example) to assist in the buying/selling process. True, they do charge you for the service, but the extra security is worth it.
The main things this forum is going to operate on are honesty and trust. If you don't trust someone, don't sell/buy to/from them. If you're not honest, don't sell./buy something. If someone doesn't pay or ship their item, tell a moderator, but there's not much we can do, so choose the people you deal with wisely.
All in all, have fun, and get some shiny new stuff.