How do you pay? Why?

Sorry to be so prosaic, IIRC = If I Remember Correctly.

Personally, I see the shipping aspect as more the chancier endeavor than the payment. There is far greater control in the funds transfers for both buyer and seller than is in the shipping exercise by far.

You got that right, bro!!!

Jim- the declared value/insurance thing is a bit of a pitfall. The only way you are assured of getting re-imbursed is if its lost AND you can prove you actually shipped it. UPS and Fedex are much less prone to paying an insurance claim on shipping damage; if fact, they will do just about anything to avoid it. USPS is better, but it is pretty bureaucratic AND slow. But they are more likely to pay in the long run.

Interesting about the none acceptance of speakers or high end electronic gear. I had gotten a quote for a subwoofer a few months ago from BAX. They hit me up for a significant fee for excess value insurance, but they did accept it. Maybe things have changed recently. BTW, you will get lower rates with an account and on-line label production with Fedex; don't know about UPS.

My comparison on rates was on-line vs. over the retail counter at Kinkos. It is about 15-20% diff, IIRC.

Grant- The last time I looked at the BAX web site, they had a residential surcharge, so it seems that they must now pick up and deliver to homes. In that case it was a substantial additional charge, but in the past I have received a 42" plasma, a 32" CRT TV(!!) and speakers w/o any damage via BAX. With respect to USPS, there are weight limits and also a low value limit for insurance on international shipments ($600, IIRC). One higher cost alternative is to have the UPS store or Kinko's do the packing. I would double check, but since they are owned by the shipping co, they should not be able to claim inadequate packing. They ARE more expensive on the base shipping charge AND charge quite a bit for packing. Its really a cost-benefit analysis.

As far as problems with the transaction end, I have been burned once on condition (7/10 rated sub arrived fully functional but with 3 chipped coats of paint, dinged corners, and stained cloth) and once on a purchase ("seller" skipped with my $). I have had one outgoing shipment damaged (USPS paid claim after 6 months) and one incoming (UPS approved claim based on 3/16" shipping bolt badly deformed, showing package had been dropped from great height). I have had a pair of monoblocks arrive intact even tho they were both packed with one layer of bubble-wrap, in a single box, with only peanuts around them!!! I watched the UPS guy tumble a SOTA TT end over end down the ramp, and it was fine. I worked in high school as a shipping clerk, and I was trained as a scientist. I understand the physics and mechanics of shipping, so I am pretty darn careful packer. I've probably had 175-200 transactions, so my experience is better than yours.

In terms of payment methods, I agree, as a buyer I want to use pp if its a small item and/or time critical. As a seller I want a wire transfer or USPS m.o. OTOH, if the seller has lots of good feedback, I don't have a problem with a personal or cashier's check. I am most cautious, of course, with overseas transactions (sorry folks) due to higher fraud potential and possibility of misunderstandings, but I have bought from Australia, Hong Kong, France, England, and Hungary, and have shipped to Singapore, Australia, Italy, Spain and Canada, w/o any problems.

The system ain't perfect, but it sure beats getting 10 cents on the dollar in trade like the old days!!!

Everyone should be aware of one issue with cashiers checks and non-USPS money orders. There have been instances of counterfeits used to pay for goods here on Audiogon. If it turns out that you as a seller get one, your bank will look to you to cover the balance, and expect you to go back to the buyer to recover your loss (cold day in ....). Your bank manager may make the funds available to you immediately at their discretion, they may or may not put a hold on other funds in your account, but ultimately, if the buyers bank or other issuing entity refuses to honor a money order or cashiers check, you will be on the hook for the $$. There is another also one other issue here. Unless I am mistaken, there are federal laws covering clearance times for personal checks and they max out in days, not weeks. So if the seller says 2 weeks to clear, either they are misinformed, their bank is hosing them to take advantage of the float, or they don't want to take the risk of being stuck for a $30 bank charge if the check does not clear (and that is probably a legitimate concern when dealing with a low feedback member).

AS far as paying the 3% vig to paypal, I hate to do it, and usually won't on major purchases. If the seller's price is fair, I will offer to pay full price and let them decide if THEY want the funds quickly enough as to cover the fee themselves.

One other point (I promise). There IS one advantage to paypal for a seller besides quick access to the funds; it cuts down on failed deals due to " (potential) buyer's remorse, where financial or other realities set in before they can get to the bank and p.o. I've had my share of "I changed my mind" emails after agreeing to a price and other terms. That is the one advantage of the Audiogon transactor.