Do you trust Audiogon?

Thanks OP. This a classic post some vague baloney, then don't answer questions thread.

You aren't buying anything from Audiogon. It all depends on who is actually selling the item.

I trust Audiogon as much as any online intermediary site like E-bay.

Audiogon has always done right by me.

I trust AudioGon. It's sellers and buyers I'm leary of. I've only purchased a few things over the years and have never had a problem and in fact the transactions were great. But a few years ago there was a dealer on this site that had good feedback. Nothing negative. Then he ripped off 2 people that paid by wire transfer. One for 35K and another for 66K. Both were interstate. After letters from lawyers were sent letters he disappeared along with his business. Since then I've only dealt with my local dealer.

That said in this case both buyers got what they purchased from the manufacturer after seeing proof of the wire transfer. The manufacturer authorized a shady dealer and for that reason they made good. I happen to know this because I was with my local dealer and the manufacturers reps were there for something else and overheard the conversation since they wanted those to people to work with a great authorized dealer. Both those buyers started threads here warning of that dealer so that was the only reason I had any idea what they were talking about.

“honest folks” do “cheat on their taxes”.

eh?

Some of you want more detail.  First, the seller wanted me to divide the payment into 4 payments, each less than $10,000, with a wink toward "avoiding attention".  So, he does not want to be noticed by federal anti-money-laundering screens, nor by the IRS.
Second, the seller wanted to take the transaction off Audiogon and exchange contact information by phone.  That would have left me with no paper trail.
To those of you who criticized my post:

That's all the detail you're getting.  Audiogon has seen the complete email chain up to an including the seller's request to go offline.  I am not naming names or presenting "evidence" because it's none of your business, and also because you're not a judge or jury, and also because I don't need the trouble.  The only authority in this matter is Audiogon, and they don't seem to feel that this is actionable.  I do.  I thought I was doing a public service by warning people that in this case Audiogon showed little interest in using my information to protect YOU.  I already protected myself.  So go put your hostility in a sock.