2. misc-audio
  3. 124886-75423

HESITANT with NEW member sellers

I seem to struggle too frequently with members who are NEW, no history at all, but who seem to have beautiful systems, excellent taste, and are offering very reasonable deal on a very high end piece of audio equipment. 
I have passed up on "mint" Thiel speakers and "mint" REF6 Audio Research due to my fear of being ripped off. 
Is there protection built into AUDIOGON? Has anyone had experience with that?
I prefer Pay Pal, in hopes that they would provide protection...I believe they do..but the same sellers want cash or check....I am HESITANT. 
wahoo101488
lissnr
365 posts
 
I agree that starting as a buyer is the best way to accrue good feedback even if it's relatively small items such as cables or accessories. I never trust stock photos and most of the above advice is very good. Bottom line for me is " if for any reason it just doesn't feel right... then let it go". I also only ship CONUS... Anything else gets too complex ... And remember: if you're doing FedEx or UPS discuss AHEAD of time whether buyer wants or doesn't want "Signature required!!!!"... ( I've had to chase packages at "local" pick-up locations that became extremely inconvenient in time and aggravation). Good luck.
calvinj
2,277 posts
 
Just be careful. Don't allow yourself to be redirected offsite. Wire transfer is risky.  Also watch the misspelled words of the product.  Lol. 30k speaker and scammer couldn't spell.   
mesch
3,397 posts
 
+1 cooper52. I also ask a 'new' seller to call me. A brief discussion helps. 
minorl
1,014 posts
 

It is difficult buying from anyone that you don't know or can't deal with in person vs on line or over the phone.

If one can agree on the purchase with the proviso that I must hear it operate before handing over the cash, then that is better.  I have no problem with a buyer agreeing to a purchase coming by my home to hear the unit in question before handing over the cash.  Which I have done many times.

For me to physically hand over a unit to a buyer, it would have to be a cash deal. If they were buying any other way, the check would have to clear before I ship it, or I would use paypal if the buyer insisted.  but they pay the paypal fee. 

But,  if one cannot go pick up the unit, or have a friend pick it up and pay, then the buyer is taking their chances, unless the money is placed in escrow until the buyer says the unit was delivered in the condition advertised.

Buying anything sight unseen or in this case sight unseen and unheard, is a real potential problem.

I don't have a problem purchasing from a seller with no history.  We all started with no selling/buying history at one time or another.  Someone took a chance on us then.

A few phone conversations with the seller can help reassure me.  Also, red flags are huge to me. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Therefore, if the price is too good to be true, then it typically is.  Pictures of the unit is important.  (not factory pictures).  The seller also has to state to me that the unit works as specified.

If the seller is within a few hundred miles, I'm going to drive and pick up the unit. If the seller won't let me hear it, then I also have a problem with that.

We all know of horror stories of purchases without seeing if the unit actually works, only to hear about the buyer getting the unit home to find it filled with sand, or empty or not working at all.

Also, and here is a big one, is the seller the owner?  is the unit actually theirs or is it a stolen unit?  do you even care? I know I do. I typically write a receipt of purchase to help protect myself.

Out of the country sales or purchases are a problem.  Not quite sure how to handle those yet.

There may be many reasons why a seller has no history. It may be the spouse of an audiophile that died.  they could go to audio stores and try to sell via consignment or on line via web sites like this one.

Remember, there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Be careful and enjoy.

 


Post removed 
More to discover