There has been an exponential rise in counterfeit instruments in the past couple of months. It used to be that the counterfeits were knock-offs of professional-quality horns, like the Selmer Reference and Super 80 saxophones. There are now counterfeit student horns out there. And mouthpieces. And reeds. I've seen these horns even from sellers with very high feedback scores, too. I can't keep up with the volume of counterfeits and post them all here, nor can I look at every single horn and tell you which is or isn't a fake, so that's why I'm making this recommendation.
Recommendations:
* If you absolutely have to buy a horn via eBay, buy from someone that specializes in musical instruments. Use Google. Post questions. Check out complaints to the Better Business Bureau and/or your country's equivalent. Go to forums specifically about the kind of instrument you're talking about (e.g. if it's a flute, go to a flute-specific forum) and ask if the seller you're looking at is good.
* A few dealers will ship international and some of those will give you a trial period. Search for those dealers. If you find a dealer that has a good horn, but doesn't specifically say they ship internationally, call or e-mail and ask. Use Google. Post questions. Check out complaints to the Better Business Bureau and/or your country's equivalent. Go to forums specifically about the kind of instrument you're talking about (e.g. if it's a flute, go to a flute-specific forum) and ask if the seller you're looking at is good.
Please note that all of the above does not negate what anyone else has posted in this section. As an example, a Yamaha 23 alto sax is still a good saxophone for a beginner. Just don't buy one from eBay.
Source material:
www.facebook.com
www.kesslerandsons.com
Browsing eBay
Recommendations:
* If you absolutely have to buy a horn via eBay, buy from someone that specializes in musical instruments. Use Google. Post questions. Check out complaints to the Better Business Bureau and/or your country's equivalent. Go to forums specifically about the kind of instrument you're talking about (e.g. if it's a flute, go to a flute-specific forum) and ask if the seller you're looking at is good.
* A few dealers will ship international and some of those will give you a trial period. Search for those dealers. If you find a dealer that has a good horn, but doesn't specifically say they ship internationally, call or e-mail and ask. Use Google. Post questions. Check out complaints to the Better Business Bureau and/or your country's equivalent. Go to forums specifically about the kind of instrument you're talking about (e.g. if it's a flute, go to a flute-specific forum) and ask if the seller you're looking at is good.
Please note that all of the above does not negate what anyone else has posted in this section. As an example, a Yamaha 23 alto sax is still a good saxophone for a beginner. Just don't buy one from eBay.
Source material:
Log into Facebook
Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.
www.facebook.com
Counterfeit & Fake Musical Instruments & Other Dangers of the Internet! - Kessler & Sons Music
“They can’t post it on the internet if it isn’t true.” That was a line from a State Farm commercial several years ago that really stood out to me. The internet is this awesome tool for connecting people, products, services and more. The amount of information and connection that you hold in the...
www.kesslerandsons.com