A call to use the system A'Gon has in place...

I agree, I have listed an amp here as a 6/10 and you will not believe how many people get scared off over that rating. they all think the amp is a piece of junk. a 6/10 is to expected with something over 5 years old.

most persons would have rated the same amp an 8/10 or 9/10, albeit, contrary to the A-gon rating system

Heres a thought. Everybody needs to go back and read the information on grading again. IT HAS BEEN CHANGED!! The age of an item is no longer a consideration except in the mint 10/10 category. In all other ratings age is not mentioned-only condition.

My only objection to the Agon system is a 9/10 rating says lightly used, an 8/10 rating makes it seem like it has a cosmetic flaw. Suppose you are selling a piece of quality gear, that you have used and enjoyed for a year. Its not lightly used. It has no cosmetic flaws. So what is it , and 8 and 1/2. I feel this needs to be clarified. Thanks.

I tend to like the rating system ,but don't think there should be a 10/10 unless its new or just open box . I think most users are pretty good but others take advantage of the system a bit...I try to under rate a bit and try to provide the right picture of the product before the person gets it.

i don't like the nine myself. i'm selling a couple of pieces i purchased here as nines and downgraded them to 8's i the ads i posted. i think that alot of sellers don't read the ratings and definetely don't read the in depth ratings. of course some are overrating due to bias or dishonesty. i think many sellers rate their items as an afterthought. anyway it's very subjective. i consider brittany spears a 6.

aloha keith

Everybody knows my 9 is different than your 9. We are working with the integrity of people. There's lots of differences there as well.----BUT, we gotta start somewhere.--- I'll always shake my head over a person buying something at 65% off and expecting BETTER than NIB. I think the age factor is important. A product less than a year old should be close to nib.--- Unless it is priced at 30% of new.---Jeez, you want new---PAY FOR It---This IS a used sight after all. It should work like a new piece and look like a new piece from 2/3 feet away----- That's a 9 for me.

Some good points, however I think what's important is that there is a system in place here and it doesn't matter if we like it, but need to follow it. This kind of forum may help A'Gon moderators fine tune the system into something we like better, but I'm a little tired of reading ads that say someting like I've used the gear for a few months, and am rating it a 10/10. A 10/10 is not something that has been used for a few months, no matter how well taken care of it might have been. I have never bought something here that I feel was completely misrepresented, I'm lucky I guess, but wanted to start a string that might contribute to the betterment of A'Gon.

mdomnick,you are correct about the rating guide,it is rarely used the right way,either people underate their gear to make sure the buyers who look at the gear under a microscope for flaws dont freak out or they go berzerk & flat out lie about the condition.

there is a guy selling an amp calling it MINT IN EVERY WAY even though it has a smashed glass face panel with no mention of how the glass got smashed so badly.

feedback is also part of the reason why some underate their gear,i read a negative feedback a guy got beacuse of a dusty control knob.

lots of flaws in the rating system & feedback.

mike.

Since some have brought up feedback--- I often read where a person has a negative from a situation where goods and money never changed hands.---(sold to some one else--boy am I mad, ect)--Sounds like the guy I don't want to sell to either. I think with however many buyers and sellers we have here, getting everybody to agree is like hoping for world peace---nice thought--- just ain't never gonna happen.

I agree. People need to take a look at the guidelines. I got into a disagreement with a seller who had an item listed at a grade for which it did not qualify. He listed his item as 10/10. The amp he was selling has been discontinued for a number of years. I brought this to his attention.

He responded by saying if I ever contacted him again he would report me to AudiogoN. I of course responded to his foolish threat! So far I have not been banned!?!

How could anyone claim an item old enough to be discontinued for several years, and used could qualify as 10/10?

If people see this happening the sellers should be contacted and their ads should be corrected.

I tend to underrate my own gear because I don't want people to complain when it arrives. I'd rather have someone be unexpectedly pleased than disappointed with the quality of something I sold to them.