0 feedback sellers

A couple of phone calls to test their validitity, prefferably a local sale, and/or depending on local and price of unit, a credit card through Paypal.

Many times you can tell through a phone conversation whether it is indeed an audiophile you are speaking to, or just some guy selling stolen goods.

I am also leery of buyers with 0 feedback.

Cheers,
John

Nothing personal Ryhno, but I would not allow your 'uncle' to come to my house. I do not just allow strangers into my home. I always feel a person out on the phone first if I have not met them. I have never had a problem (knock wood) dealing with audiophiles. I can tell in a phone converstaion whether the person knows stores, equipment, sonic characteristics, etc, whether the are a 'normal' audionut or a person who just wants entrance into my home because I have expensive stuff in there. I also have a wife and children to protect.

If I do not know the person, I will ask for his personal info (phone home and work/address/etc) and check it out first. I also have been known to check driver's license's at the front door. I don't think I'm paranoid, but I am careful about local sales. I will not put my family at risk to sell some audio equipment.

Unsound, I'm no fan of Paypal either, but I do find that being able to use a credit card has 'saved' me on at least one occasion. Paypal was of no help, but the CC bank was of plenty of help and saved the day. Paypal does offer me an opportunity to use a CC to make a private purchase. If not buying local, I would not buy a large ticket item from a seller with 0 feedback without using a Credit Card, period. I'll only pay cash if I can see/hear the unit in person, have high trust in the seller, or it is a smaller item such as cables or tweaks.

But hey, that's just me, and my kids do say that I'm crazy, so take it for what it's worth.

Cheers,
John

Joe, LOL. I just don't see who would allow a stranger that they haven't even talked to over the phone into their home. Well...maybe if they were selling Girl Scout cookies. :)
I would be willing to meet the 'uncle' at XYZ supermarket parking lot, but he would not have my home address.

Chadnilz, I have done many transactions out of my home, and only checked ID a couple of times. Most experienced AudiogoN guys I know and trust even if I haven't met them in person. It's the guy with 0 or little feedback and no forum posts that concerns me. As for being beaten to death on my front porch, most here who know me know that is not one of my concerns, I can handle myself (see how scared Joe (Trelja) was?). :)
In fact, I'm so large that I often intimidate others without even trying or knowing it.
Now being shot to death on my front porch is more of a concern. That's why you need a thorough screening process.

No process is perfect, but if a guy has never heard of Wilson, Krell, Conrad Johnson, BAT, Audioquest, Shunyata or a million other audio companies, he is not coming to my house. This is an obvious tip. So all you would be criminals out there, do your homework. Read some hi-fi magazines, go to some stores, read some forums, search the archives and then you could fool me into letting you into my home. :)

How the hell did we get to this from 0 feedback sellers???
I've never had a problem with a 0 feedback seller coming into my home. :)