Interesting that you compare the bass market to that of autos.
Most informed people, and certainly those familiar with the industry, know that when you visit a car dealer what you see is not what you get; similarly, that virtually every body shop out there (certainly those hooked to insurance) do bad work and will take advantage of you at every turn. These aren't things worth griping about or trying to change, rather, they're just part of life and if you want to buy a car or get one fixed, you educate yourself and wade in - if you play the game well, you come out fine - If you get screwed, the only one to blame is yourself.
And I'm not saying that salesmen who lie, bodyshops that do hack work and cheat, any of that is ok, because obviously it isn't!
So my question is - where does the idea of "buyer beware" come into play in the world of basses? It's hard enough for a person to learn the basics of buying and/or selling a car, or to understand how insurance and body repair works, let alone the ability to recognize on sight a car that's been wrecked and fixed - and there are infinite resources out there! So when it comes to basses, at what point and to what degree should a person buying a bass or having work done be expected to have his own back and know what he's dealing in? After all, business is business and this is America - making money is always at someone else's expense...
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