Change needed at Audiogon

Glen,

I really don't have a problem with Hotmail, it's just that a non-member is totally invisible when using it. Nearly 100% of such inquiries are beyond lame in my limited experience.

My major complaint is that non-registered users can email directly through Audiogon routers. It seems the least Audiogon could do would be to provide a prompt to such people to register prior to the email being forwarded. And what information do you have for these folks as non-members? A Hotmail address. No member lookup, etc. If you reply they have your email address in the response.

Sean, there is always a work-around for the folks using the office computers. It's no big deal to have two member names, i.e. lugnut & lugnut2. Any member doing this shouldn't have a problem identifying themselves and their primary username in an inquiry. In fact, I'm sure that the code writers at Audiogon could make provisions for multiple email accounts in the member account.

I really am not a snob and don't wish to portray myself as one through my affiliation with this site. In fact, I'm the kind of person that would spend a lot of time trying to help someone out regardless of their knowledge base.

I became a verified member because I know how nervous it can be sending money long distance to a total stranger. I think that, at the least, inquiries should be from registered members only and the idea of a verified buyer is just one polite step interested parties can take to make the comfort level rise to the occasion.

Help fine tune this thought so that the folks at Audiogon will at least consider it. I had a fellow from Brazil keep bugging me until I had to block the sender. He wanted me to provide a ficticous stated value and ship three items with three different carriers. I have an email folder labeled "goofballs" if anyone would like to have some interesting reading forwarded to them.

Marakanetz,

I don't have an ebay account. These cretins simply email me through an ad. I appreciate the securtity features here which protect my email address.

Sean,

You're right about not needing double monikers. I apologize for not thinking that one through. And no, I don't think anyone misunderstood your comments previously. I sure didn't.

Joman,

I may have to take you up on your offer. As I recall, I had countered with 2 Nubian goats and six square feet of your living room including the coved ceiling. Maybe we can firm this deal up now. How about doing business and we can eat one of the goats?

For the curious, Joman is a previous customer and lives in Idaho also.

Angela,

I respect your position. Perhaps I should have done a search before posting this thread. In any event, it's hearing peoples opinions that help me wade through the many variables. I don't agree with your characterization that Audiogon is not here to protect us. They have my credit card number, email address and home address which is protected. They also have some sort of resolution process for disputes which offers a certain amount of protection. It's just a matter of how much protection that is offered. I agree that if one can't stand the heat to simply get out of the kitchen but the owners of this site have implemented features that were discussed here in the forums. At least nobody is getting bent out of shape on this particular topic.

Marakanetz,

The verification process is one in which the billing address of your credit card matches your physical address. It at least shows that a person isn't doing business out of a P.O. Box.

I'm going to drop out of this and absorb the input. I thank everyone for their views.

Patrick

This thread will soon drop off the "New Today" page. I would like to thank everyone for their thoughtful replies. I believe that a few of the readers didn't quite "get" my first sentence regarding NON-MEMBERS & HOTMAIL. That is my complaint. The verified status I spoke of was simply an attempt to raise the comfort level of everyone involved.

That being said, it comes as a surprise the ability to become verified is a U.S.-only opportunity. The only reason I would not sell to Jeffloistarca is that I don't have a clue about the trappings of taxes, duties, extra shipping fees and the like. Other threads posted here detailing packages held for customs inspection only make me more nervous of international business. If Audiogon wishes to become an international site a method of verification world-wide will need to be implimented. With only a few pieces of personal gear to sell I have decided that the possible grief is not worth the risk of selling international.

I got slammed (in a polite way) by several Hotmail users who are members. Once again, it is the NON-MEMBERS that I was complaining about.

It was just last fall when I made my first purchase here at Audiogon. Prior to contacting the owner of the items I purchased I first registered and in my email I explained that this was my first attempt here at Audiogon to purchase goods and assured the seller of my genuine interest in the products. Perhaps it's just me and my sense of being polite but I figured that this fellow didn't solicite directly to me and since I was, in a sense, invading his email inbox that I ought to take care with my correspondence.

This world is made up of folks that over-communicate, under-communicate and everthing in between. Personally, I tend to favor the over-communicate method. I recently got an email from a life long friend with this being the email text in it's entirety:
Pat,
I bought a Jag today.
Bill
Well, being a car guy I assumed it was a Jaguar and wrote back asking what model and year it was. He replies that it's a Cataraft. How was I to know? I'm not a mind reader.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that (leaving the malicious people out) without the privelidge of face to face negotiations we, as buyers, have a moral obligation to provide a minimum ammount of information to the seller. I sense that some of the posters here wouldn't agree with me on that one and would counter that it's the sellers lot in life to deal with it. That's true. Once it's (an email) in your inbox you must deal with it in some fashion. I don't believe it's unreasonable for users of this site to register. That's Audiogon's call, not mine. It's my choice to use this site or not and I will continue to do so because it's the finest site of its' kind on the planet.

Thanks again to EVERYONE that posted. This is a wonderful group of people with opinions as varied as our systems. It's interesting to note that every poster here IS a member...........

Happy listening,
Patrick

Okay, I'm going to swallow hard and appologize to the Hotmail users. It's the anonymous non-members that get my Nubian Goat. I'm sorry. Any Hotmail users want to accept my apology?
Patrick