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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Using The Internet To Safely Purchase An Acoustic Guitar

By Joe Martin

If you are looking to purchase an acoustic guitar through an online site you will need to take your time and research well. Unfortunately, with the internet business market booming, you are likely to find dishonest merchants who wont send the items.

Many people avoid the manufacturer's site because the prices are generally much higher. They can charge retail prices when selling directly to the public and that costs you. This may be just too much of an initial investment if you are only beginning to learn how to play.

Because of this, many people turn to online auction sites to purchase instruments at lower cost. This isn't a bad option, but there are some things to bear in mind while you are browsing and before you pay. Here are a few suggestions that might make it easier to get the best deal on the guitar of your choice.

1. Invest some time into learning about various models and makers of guitars before you decide on which you'd like to ultimately purchase. If you know your requirements for a suitable guitar, you can tailor your search. Read some instrument reviews. These will usually inform you about the ease of using each guitar, and if they'll suit a beginner who is just learning, as opposed to an experienced musician.

2. Use the information to determine what acoustic guitar best meets your needs and then his the net. There are many listing available to browse through. If you want to buy from eBay, take a look at the seller's feedback history before you put in a bid for an item. Feedback is where prior customers rate the transaction and report on any problems they had. Read the negative reports and take a look at the common complaints. Feedback is a great tool to help you find trustworthy sellers. EBay will eliminate sellers who attract too much negative feedback.

3. Before you bid on anything, ask questions. If something doesn't seem clear about the acoustic guitar listing you're looking at, ask the seller immediately. Questions are especially vital if the auction doesn't seem to include all of the relevant details, or even worse, does not include any images of the instrument at all. If you ask enough questions, you'll get an idea about how trustworthy the seller is, and if you're bidding on a solid item.

4. Both eBay and PayPal have buyer protection clauses to protect customers from fraudulent seller practices. Read up on them and use them. PayPal Buyer Protections insures your purchases for up to $1,000 when they are made at sites which use PayPal. This is useful if there is a problem. EBay offers a Security and Resolution Center to handle complaints that the customer is unable to satisfy with the seller. They will mediate for you and protect your account if there is a problem with a seller.

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