Hello Everyone,

With so many people buying musical instruments these days and so many sellers selling them how do you know what is good and what is not? Our company does alot of selling on Ebay but I also do my share of buying also.  For you new buyers this will be helpful. There are some important factors to know about when purchasing musical items, here are some of them:

• What king of feedback does the seller have? You stand a much better chance of having a positive overall transaction if purchasing from a seller with a high percentage of positive feedback. I learned this when I tried to save a couple of bucks and bought something from a seller with some negatives and they were terrible at responding and slow to ship....very slow
  What is the shipping rate? Wow, we just aren't charging enough for shipping I guess...I have seen sellers wanting $37.95 to ship a trumpet. Their sale price is lower than ours but the overall cost of the same product is more than our price. This also means that if you return the item they MAKE MONEY on your shipping charges because most sellers do not reimburse shipping on returns. So PLEASE look at the shipping rate before you commit to an auction
  
• Do they respond to questions? We get so many emails from customers and we work hard to answer them quickly, so when I am buying something many times I like to ask a question or two and see how long the response takes and what the answer is. This is a clear reflection of the customer service you are likely to get if you have an issue such as item lost in transit, damaged, or defective/warranty issues.
  
• Where is the item made? Many of the inexpensive musical instruments you will see on Ebay are made in China. Even many of the instruments we sell are made in China. But some really are so cheaply made they aren't worth a penny, especially if they don't work. You can't get a trumpet for $10, and the phrase, 'you get what you pay for' is very true. So don't go and buy the bottom of the bucket instrument, especially from some shady seller, I see so many of them just raking in the buyers, but their feedback is terrible, and you will likely be disappointed. I find the best thing you can ask a seller is, what is good and what is bad about this product?, good sellers will give you a fair rundown. Look at our feedback and you will see why people do purchase from us, I don't think you will find a better rating for a music store than our, but that's just my opinion....might be a fact though :-)
  
• What is the return policy? (Very important, what if the instructor or school does not approve it?) How long do you have to review the item? Is there a restock fee? Is a return authorization number required? How does the seller handle damage/loss? If you don't feel you see a clear description of return in an auction you should be asking the seller these questions. Being able to return an item without a hassle is a plus these days. By the way where did customer service go???? Airline travel customer service is at it lowest point, banking services are terrible, a good seller will show pride in the face of issues and show genuine concern for the buyer, good feedback can also show this, find a seller with a high percentage of positive, I personally think %99 percent or better is a must if you want satisfaction
  
• What does 'school/instructor approved' mean?  It really doesn't mean anything other than some instructor may have approved it. For string instruments the phrase 'Meets MENC specs' does mean that the The National Association for Music Education, formerly called Music Educators National Conference has set a standard for specifications that a particular stringed instrument must meet before it is MENC approved, which basically means if it has the features required it is approved for use in a teaching environment. So there is a difference and many times the instructor approved label is only an advertising gimmick, I suppose you can always ask the seller to give you the names of the instructor who approved it, but bet you won't get too many answers :-)
  
• How do I know my instructor will like the item? We always highly recommend you print out some auctions and show them to an instructor first before you purchase. Many instructors won't recommend the Chinese stringed instruments but we do very well with them, they are affordable but can need some set up work before they are ready to go. Instructors get deluged with students who need their instrument set up, this is really not the job of the instructor, try to find a local place who for a reasonable fee can do this work. You can save alot on the Chinese instruments but some of them will need some setup work. If your instructor doesn't recommend them ask them to refer you to someplace who can sell you an affordable American made instrument, problem is they are more than most people want to spend, especially since you don't know if the child will stick with it. But some sellers are selling down right crap, so as always, buyer please do be aware, we don't need defective under par instruments being sold to kids.
  

Well I hope that you find this review/guide helpful. Please be sure to place your vote about our guide and the best of luck in your auction experiences on Ebay.

Sincerely,

Rick L
Great Music Products