Buying used or sight unseen speakers a bad idea?

Hesson11 has a good point. See if you can call the seller to talk to him directly. I had one fellow call me just to pick my brain, to see where my head was at, before he made his decision to buy. He asked why I was using this item, and why I'm selling it now. We talked about how our systems started and how they got to where they are now. What we liked, disliked, and why. He was comfortable with dealing with me.

I agree buying used is always a risk and yes, the sound can be degraded if the speakers are abused. I like to ask the seller if they are the original owner, if the speakers have ever been repaired and what amplifier was used with the subject speakers. I also make it a point to buy from sellers with all positive feedback. Even after all of that I recently purchased a set of speakers that arrived in very poor condition. Fortunately the seller took the speakers back and gave me a prompt refund. However, it cost me over $100 to find out the true condition of the speakers. A recent post here recommended observing how sellers conduct themselves on the forums. I think this is a good idea because it can tell a lot about a seller's character. This is good to know if you have a problem with a purchase.

Often the best approach, if possible, is to do a pickup and have the units demo'd. That way cost is lower since shipping itself is risky. Also gives you a way to check the surrounds, grills etec. I have purchased over six pairs of speakers this way, and yes I rejected three other pairs.

Seems like a lot of classifieds have appeared recently here on Agon with feedback scores of 0. Perhaps it's just due to the un-economy, and people are needing to raise some money.

I will never buy with someone with 0 feedback again,thats a fact. I attempted to buy a pair of Totem Sttafs. The seller told me they were 6 months old, so I asked him to send me a pic of the serial numbers, which he gladly did. I paid him in full, via paypal. 6 weeks later still nothing but excuses and no speakers. He also stopped taking my calls or returning my e-mails.Finally he sent me an e-mail saying the post officce dropped one and broke it. I told him wanted my money back and finally had to dispute it with paypal and my credit card company. My money was returned within 24 hours after that call. In the meantime, I sent an e-mail to Totem with the serial numbers. The speakers were 9 years old.