Why so many Flaky Buyers?

I think Jvia said it really well. I guess when you sell used "stuff" yourself, you have to be prepared to possibly put in a lot of work, & probably deal with a certain amount of jerks. Like, you could sell your components to a used stereo dealer, or put them on consignment, but you would get that much less (but hopefully save the hassles). Have you ever sold a used car yourself? You get way more than trading it in to a dealer, but is a GIGANTIC PITA.

I'd like to hear on this thread from any audiophiles who constantly buy & sell stuff on the web & how they manage.
One thing I've read a lot, & firmly believe myself, is talk to the buyer or seller on the phone before agreeing to any transaction! A great way to weed people out, if not foolproof. However I've done way more buying than selling so far, & that's a whole other topic full of potential pitfalls..... I've been sandbagged a couple of times by sellers (real jerks) who agreed to my offer & then suddenly backed out. However you'd also be amazed at how many truly ethical, conscientious audiophiles are out there. Good luck!

Something that Driver said about requesting in-person pickup of an item & then never hearing from them again struck me......Usually when I'm buying a used component sight unseen I request the Serial# from the seller. That is so I can call the manufacturer & ask questions about the version, any upgrades, has that unit been in for repairs, etc. You'd be amazed what you can learn from doing that. But a certain # of sellers never respond again, or get really uptight, when I ask them for that info.....I wonder why? Would be like buying a used car without getting the VIN# first in order to obtain a Carfax report......