Reverb Takes Another Step Down

[Dutchman]

I've been trying to talk to a human at Reverb for nearly a week. It's "Trem" the AI idiot or nothing. Trem likes to take you down avenues that have nothing to do with the issue at hand. And then wanted to close my account.

It's a simple issue. I paid for a pedal, never got it. So I want my money back. Trem insists that I return it. I ask for a brain. He continues to act like I have the pedal. I ask for a brain. 

I didn't get the pedal. Tracking shows the closest that pedal got to me was Seattle. I live in Florida. I call, another voice tells me to use brainless and hangs up. So far I'm out $236.00 and have not spoken to a human.

Reverb... your customer support sux ass!!!

[Biz Prof]

Reverb before Etsy...pretty damn good

Reverb after Etsy...pretty damn bad.

Mergers, consolidations, and acquisitions are never ventured with benefits to the end user in mind.

[Willie G. Moseley]

^^^This. Also true in journalism when some chain purchases small town paper(s) or smaller chain(s). The readership/consumers and longtime employees of a recently absorbed newspaper seem to be treated with indifference and/or condescension  by the new owners. Been there done that  Instead of asking the old guard "What can we do to keep the subscriber base growing or at least steady?",  new owner says "Here's how we're gonna do it." Oftentimes it's a fatal mistake.

Edited April 28 by Willie G. Moseley

[Dutchman]

Just an update. Another week has gone by. No message from seller. Nothing from reverb, they keep telling me they'll contact me via email. Nothing...

Edited April 11 by Dutchman

[ARM OF HAMER]

                    Yep Reverb is trash now, a have a good friend that bought an acoustic guitar on Reverb here several months back and never received it. Please choose from the following options.....................never a real person as you can't get beyond the AI bull. There was a Black Greco 61 reissue SG that was on there long ago [And it still is] that I wanted but passed on for just the same reason. If you can't talk to a real person to resolve an issue, then you know your in trouble.

Edited April 11 by ARM OF HAMER

[scottcald]

On 4/6/2026 at 5:12 PM, Dutchman said:

I've been trying to talk to a human at Reverb for nearly a week. It's "Trem" the AI idiot or nothing. Trem likes to take you down avenues that have nothing to do with the issue at hand. And then wanted to close my account.

It's a simple issue. I paid for a pedal, never got it. So I want my money back. Trem insists that I return it. I ask for a brain. He continues to act like I have the pedal. I ask for a brain. 

I didn't get the pedal. Tracking shows the closest that pedal got to me was Seattle. I live in Florida. I call, another voice tells me to use brainless and hangs up. So far I'm out $236.00 and have not spoken to a human.

Reverb... your customer support sux ass!!!

AI is as dumb as many people in the world. 

[scottcald]

Just to add, I found this, don't know how good the info is:

[Dutchman]

Update! 

"To quickly resolve this issue we would like to send these funds to your Wallet to be able to use right away on Reverb."

I got the money back in my Wallet. All of it. I wasn't going to test to see how long it would take to be credited back to my bank account! 

I gave the seller 1 star.

I give Reverb 0 stars! 

They need a Mr Obvious!

[Jeff R]

I bought a EVH Frankie Relic from a private Reverb seller on a Saturday in January. The buyer created a shipping ticket immediately (allegedly) and plugged in the tracking number immediately so his payment would clear. All cool, probably needed payment to cover out-of-pocket shipping, no problem, I get it.

After two full business days with the shipper's website reporting they still hadn't received the package, I showed seller a screen save and asked when he planned to ship. He said the next day and I caught him in a fib about the tracking number in the process, but I again let it slide because some people simply can't communicate effectively. Third business day, however, no progress. And close of fourth business day, no progress, which violates Reverb's rules.

I can't recall if I initially called the toll-free or inquired via e-mail or AI, but I contacted Reverb directly and provided them a gallery of screen saves of the transaction, saves of me and the seller's messages, saves of Reverb's applicable rules and how seller violated them. I demanded Reverb issue an immediate refund or I'd get my credit card company involved too. Reverb refunded my card entirely in less than 24 hours. The seller's site also disappeared immediately, I assume because they pulled it down.

My two cents is be the squeaky wheel, hit every contact in the above list, and proactively provide what they need to make an immediate ruling in your favor when you get a human. You do all that, knowing that Reverb and eBay historically side with buyers over sellers in hazier disputes, you'll be made whole.  

[cynic]

On 4/6/2026 at 5:14 PM, Biz Prof said:

Reverb before Etsy...pretty damn good

Reverb after Etsy...pretty damn bad.

Mergers, consolidations, and acquisitions are never ventured with benefits to the end user in mind.

I was hopeful it would get better when Etsy sold Reverb to a group with affiliations to Fender and Soundcloud but held off on selling some things to see how it would shake out.  It sounds like it's gotten worse.

[bubs_42]

Again, this is why you “BUY FROM BUBS” 

I will soon be having a rather large sale. Possible as early as next week,  so hold your $$ until then. 

[tommy p]

I remember when I first started using Reverb and had to contact them with some question.  There was an actual number to call and I talked to a real person.  As I recall, the call routing menu was extremely simple.  The person I spoke to was friendly, upbeat, really knowledgeable, and wasn't reading from canned scripts.  It has gotten worse and worse over the years to the point where when I do still use it, I pray to the ghost of Eddie Van Halen that I don't have any trouble.

On a slightly positive note, I got the email below from eBay recently.  Apparently they are going after deadbeat bidders who don't pay after they win an item.

Starting May 13, 2026, buyers in the US who win auctions on eBay will no longer see an option to cancel orders. Why we’re making this change Auctions on eBay work best when winning bidders follow through and pay. You have told us that canceled bids disrupt your sale, hurt the item’s value, and create overhead. To better protect you, we’ll be removing the option for buyers to cancel winning bids.

What this means for you Fewer cancellation requests US buyers will no longer be able to submit cancellation requests after winning auctions. Auction sales are final While US buyers can still message you directly to request a cancellation, it’s up to you to grant or reject. Our policy states all auction sales are final and fully supports you in declining the request. Protection from negative feedback If the buyer leaves negative feedback due to a declined cancellation, you can request its removal through Seller Help within 90 days of the sale.

FAQs What should I say if a buyer is confused about why they can’t cancel? You can let them know that this is an eBay policy. Once an auction ends and they’ve won, cancellations are disabled and the order is considered final. If they have concerns or questions about the policy itself, they should contact eBay directly. Learn more about eBay’s policies. What if the buyer sends me a message to request cancellation? Per eBay’s User Agreement, auctions are considered binding and buyers aren’t allowed to cancel an order themselves after winning an auction. If a buyer messages you to cancel an auction order on their behalf, you will not be required to do so, however you can choose to if you prefer. Which of my orders are covered by the new cancellation policy? All orders resulting from auctions where the transaction takes place on the US site are covered by the new policy. Does this cancellation policy change apply to eBay Live? No, currently this updated cancellation policy only applies to transactions resulting from auctions on our core US marketplace.

[mrjamiam]

I never understood why an auction winner would be given an option to say "I was just foolin' about."

[Hbom]

I will never understand why eBay, or anyone else, allows counterfeit items to be sold on their site and refuses to remove them when told that they are obvious fakes.

One of the reasons I'll never spend money on eBay again.

[Steve Haynie]

21 hours ago, Hbom said:

I will never understand why eBay, or anyone else, allows counterfeit items to be sold on their site and refuses to remove them when told that they are obvious fakes.

One of the reasons I'll never spend money on eBay again.

There was a seller who sold a $2500 violin that was listed as a reproduction.  Somehow the violin was caught up in payment, and eBay demanded photos proving the violin was destroyed before releasing the money.  

China must have some kind of big investment in eBay stock. 😉  Why else would eBay not be removing a bunch of Chinese fakes?  

[Hbom]

3 hours ago, Steve Haynie said:

There was a seller who sold a $2500 violin that was listed as a reproduction.  Somehow the violin was caught up in payment, and eBay demanded photos proving the violin was destroyed before releasing the money.  

China must have some kind of big investment in eBay stock. 😉  Why else would eBay not be removing a bunch of Chinese fakes?  

It's not just ebay. I tried to get US Customs to go after that ebay seller and was told they couldn't/wouldn't do anything.

[Dave Scepter]

3 hours ago, Steve Haynie said:

There was a seller who sold a $2500 violin that was listed as a reproduction.  Somehow the violin was caught up in payment, and eBay demanded photos proving the violin was destroyed before releasing the money.  

China must have some kind of big investment in eBay stock. 😉  Why else would eBay not be removing a bunch of Chinese fakes?  

Hey Steve, please excuse my ignorance, but I'm not quite sure I follow... what's the problem if it was listed as a reproduction?.. not trying to pick a fight or choose a side, just trying to learn

[Steve Haynie]

The violin was a reproduction that was listed as such.  At the time eBay did not care.  The seller was forced to destroy it.  This was back in the early 2000's I think.  It has stuck in my head because eBay screwed a seller.  

[mudshark]

I pretty much quit buying used gear online everywhere but the HFC or shipped to the local store from Guitar Center, where we could unbox it at the store where something not up to snuff was inarguable. 

 

[django49]

I would maybe expand that to include legitimate dealers (as in those with actual stores). Yeah, that means likely not the potential bargains we used to find on eBay and then on Reverb. But I did get a few really nice and unique items in the past year after they had been posted a LONG time and then came down in price. As it turns out, the stores were selling on consignment and were able to shave the price a bit more by selling direct and avoiding site fees. (In some cases, that MIGHT also allow a bypass on the taxes that were once NOT assessed when going through the sites but now are mostly unavoidable). 

Of course so much is listed by buyers with overly optimistic prices. But that (and age) is another reason I don't chase too many things any more....

Now if only EVERYTHING worked as well as HFC..... One of these days I may break down and get serious about SELLING some more things. I wonder if using Reverb with a local sales option (no shipping) is worth trying(?)

[velorush]

7 hours ago, django49 said:

I wonder if using Reverb with a local sales option (no shipping) is worth trying(?)

Given your more populated location, I definitely think so. Here in the land between the two swamps? Not so much. 😉

[scottcald]

On 4/24/2026 at 9:31 AM, velorush said:

Given your more populated location, I definitely think so. Here in the land between the two swamps? Not so much. 😉

I just picked up something the other day from someone who was only about an hour away.  Why wait 3 days it would take to get a shipment and cost more than me driving and getting it?   So, my one and only experience with that has been good.