No wonder nothing sells: wire transfer only


Seems big ticket items not only carry big prices but also big risks. 
Many sellers,  selling ultra priced equipment  are only willing to accept wire transfer as payment. Where’s the protection for the buyer? Speaking on experience, I would never send anything over $1000. to anyone no matter how good their feedback is without some sort of protection as a buyer. Maybe it’s just me, but nightmares do exist and can come true!

hiendmmoe

Yeah, trust is a two way street. I mean, the lack of trust is a two way street. That's mostly how it is, but not always.

Would you trust a long time Audiogoner more ? I would, generally speaking, but still wouldn't wire substantial amount. $500 no problem.

How about sending half the payment thru Zelle as a buyer, and the other half when the buyer received the product.

I was faced with exactly this issue when buying a Holbo turntable from Slovenia.  (I live upside-down on the other side of the world).

The choice was an up-front direct bank transfer, or a premium for PayPal.  In the end I trusted Holbo and went the direct transfer route, partly because it was easier than setting up a PayPal transaction.  Holbo shipped as soon as my funds were cleared, and delivery was fast and smooth.

Normally I prefer to us a credit card, together with PayPal if the vendor supports this option.

Europeans sometimes do ask for extra if you want to use paypal, usually 3%-5%.