My list of seller red flags


I’ve compiled a list of annoying things sellers do. If I see any of these red flags I will not buy from them. Ideally every seller should agree to not do any of these before they are allowed to sell online.

- Overpriced
- Don’t talk about any flaws
- Keep re-posting
- Use unrelated keywords in ad so ad comes up when you search for different brand
- Paranoid language like " Cash and Carry only", "No spammers", No Trades...
- Using all CAPS and !!! marks

- Used car salesman lingo like"only $xxx , a great deal, a steal , and the worse, RARE "
- Ad consists entirely of copy/pasted info. from manufacturer website
- Any textspeak
- Gimmicky pricing like $999 or $995 or the worse, random price like $927
- Saying price is "Firm"..

- Reducing price by insignificant amount to bump ad
- Tooting own horn, i.e describing how awesome their product is.. Comes across as desperate to me..
- Seller saying they will lose money or taking a big loss .. Not my problem..

- Selling several items in one ad and updating the ad to say "SOLD" on certain items.
12inch45rpm
"As for price is firm, it signals someone difficult to deal with."
No, it signals someone easy to deal with. Yes, no, done. Seller does not want to waste her/his or your time.

"It's the market that determines the price, not what you think it is worth."
No, it is the seller that determines amount she/he will separate from an item for.
I find the highest quality used gear here on audiogon. It is why I enjoy buying and selling here so much. You get what you pay for seems so true. Some of time I lose money on good pieces but enjoy selling to someone who appreciates the purchase . I sometimes am able to buy a piece of equipment for a fair reasonable price and it is still high quality and matches item description. So good. Makes the hobby a joy. I can’t always afford new equipment. I learn a lot more on Audiogon forum than I thought possible. Is great. Thank you everyone for posting, good thread.
None of these offenses is worse than the pinball community.  Their latest crap listing is NOB. Meaning new out of box (and with only 50 or 100 plays).  It’s no longer new - and the discount is usually quite small compared with new from a dealer.   The worst of the worse here is better than many of the pinball lowlifes.  
The thought police have arrived here too. God forbid adults can apply ad copy discernment on their own, lol. My two cents: positive feedback. 
When I'm selling something, it's not because I'm desperate, and it's going to be on my terms.  It's usually because I've replaced the item with something else and would like to see the old item go to a good home.  Not to some jerk.  

Yes, I try to make the ad and photos as good as possible and I go out of my way to answer any questions someone might have, even if they don't seem like they're a potential buyer. 

I put things like "price is firm" because... well, it is.  I priced it to sell and have done research to see what the typical used price is for the item.  I don't want to respond to "Will you take _____?" (which is usually around 50 - 60% of the selling price). 

I mostly sell local, shipping takes extra time and effort.  It's an hour round trip drive to the closest UPS store.  If I don't have to, why should I?  Maybe I'll get a little more for the item, but then what's that worth in comparison to my time, which is limited? 

If it doesn't sell right away, what else are you going to do but re-post the ad?  I've re-posted ads for months before something sold.  Someone eventually buys it and more often than not I get what I want for the item.

On the other hand, if someone is polite, sends full sentences in their messages, asks thoughtful questions, and is easy to deal with, I'm more likely to go out of my way for them, give them a little break on the price, or maybe throw in some extra cables.

You catch more bees with honey.  I can't tell you how many times I've sat and shot the breeze with someone who came to buy something and is nice and enthusiastic about the hobby.  I really enjoy those transactions.  Some of the people I've bought and sold with locally have become friends or audio buddies.

When you're the buyer, the world doesn't revolve around you.  The seller has something you want.  How bad do you want it?  Enough to be kind, considerate, and reasonable? 

Don't be a cyrbaby if the seller doesn't kowtow to you.