Is this the normal way business is handled?

Ljgj, how will the use of a credit card help to provide leverage if there is a problem?

Thanks.

You always have the opportunity to leave feedback for the miscreant. He agreed to a sale. State the facts.

I agree with Nrchy. You should leave feedback and state what happened. I would use that as leverage or a threat if you will to the seller. A deal is a deal.

Is he obligated to sell to you? IMHO, it depends. Since this is unclear in your post, did he agree to your offer and were terms of the sale set? If they were not, I don't think he is obligated to you just because you were the first person to make the offer. When I sell, I prefer a local buyer.

Just read all previous posts regarding problems with a transaction or even the disputes section. In the best case these disputes typically involve disagreements with condition of the product; worst case they involve fraud.

Another reason I prefer a local buyer is my own experience as a seller. I have purchased 2 sets of speakers on A'gon in the last 1.5 years. Both came from about 2000 miles away. Both came damaged. One seller was no help and the other one I'm still working with. As a seller, I really don't want to deal with this.

As a seller, I have sold items locally for a couple hundred dollars less simply to eliminate the hassle. I don't have to lug the item to Fed-EX. I don't worry about shipping damage. If the buyer gets a chance to inspect the item, there is little chance for diputes over the condition of the item. I get the money right away.

If this seller agreed to terms with you, then he obliged to sell it to you. Both ethically and perhaps even legally (this may be a contract) However, if he did agree to terms and then recanted, the question is what damage have you suffered? The only thing is your loss of time and the misfortune of dealing with a jerk. My suggestion is to move on. The bottom line is you lost no money and chances are someone else will place the same item for sale in the next week or two. Hopefully, you'll even get it at a better price. Best of luck...

Just because someone offers to buy something from you doesn't make you obligated to sell it to them, whether they are the first offer or the 50th is irrelevent. On the other hand, if you agree to sell it to them then you are ethically bound to, even though you may get a better offer later.