I've been a member since 2002, that's almost twenty years. Back then you had many free re-lists. Recently this changed to one free re-list. Now I find out that there is no more free re-list. Never did I receive any information from Audiogon about the new re-list policy. I only found out when I went to re-list something that I had paid $28 for that didn't sell in 30 days. Lets see, that's $1 per day for a listing. Anyone else upset abut this?
I stopped listing here when it went to only one free relisting. The fees are tied to listing price as well, so it can be much more than a dollar per day. You can end up taking an expensive bath on listing fees. There are other places to sell without fees or with minimal fees. My business went there years ago.
Greedy, Greedy, Greedy... Very BAD Policy.. I'm close with AudioGon.
After finally getting use to the forums and weird application of deleting post. The auto re-sign up for Insider (100.00) and charging to list and then charge again if it doesn't sell.. It literally cost NOTHING to relist and something to delete the add. WEIRD POLICY. Me and ALL my buddies decided to go somewhere else IF we were going to sell. Quite a few WILL NOT buy because of the high cost..
EX; SR products, what does that cost to run an add? THEN charge for a listing AT ALL and then to RE LIST?.. Makes no sense, with the revenues they collect on sales alone.. That is some serious overhead to feed. REALLY?
I'm pretty sure it's ONLY about the money, because there really isn't 100.00 worth of anything on AudioGoN. It's the actual people that make the forms work.
AG staff need raises BUT, I suggest a reduction in staff and an increase in pay for the ones that DO actually work there (HERE) and not just collect a paycheck.. I'm sure AG has the ol 20/80 rule. 20% of the staff do 80% of the work.. It's the same everywhere..
Kind of like my health care provider charging to fill out forms.. I laughed at that. I asked the simple question, "what do you think your job is, hit the print button", and generate PAPERWORK that shows NOTHING was done, BUT everything is all right.. WELL if something is wrong I have to pay for that EXTRA paper. THAT policy was quickly dropped for me anyway..
I'll get a notice on this one, maybe.. I can walk the fine line if I want to..:-)
Disclaimer: people asking top dollar for expensive often used, sometimes old stuff in uncertified condition need to pay the bills too obviously. There is always Nextdoor or Craigslist or us a mart or sell to a dealer for less who will onslect and certify condition and provide customer service.
Audiogon is a business, sure it not like it was 20 years ago where they were being ripped off by sellers, who sell, then be able to change the ad with another new product and sell it again for free, so new owners if I recall put safe guards into to place so that would no longer be possible. My gripe is no protection if you ripped off, no recourse, but now they did start the escrow account that is a good thing if you are not sure of the seller but then you have the feedback and years on Gon to give you a lot of confidence.
If Audiogon keeps raising its costs to users we won’t have any money left to buy the fuses, wires, expensive goop, and other things we all need. This is bad! Something has to give.
If you don't feel the exposure here garners you a higher price that justifies the cost, then word it that way.
That is exactly what I am saying. I see that you have sold zero items here. Who are you to say what value anyone else places on the service provided? I put my money where my mouth is for many years and through hundreds of transactions. You......not so much.
people asking top dollar for expensive often used, sometimes old stuff in uncertified condition need to pay the bills too obviously.
I had a Pass X 150.5 at $2200 all inclusive and a Musical Fidelity M6 500i at $2500 all inclusive that both sat for several months. Those prices are near the very bottom of HiFi Shark used listing prices. You end up eating a $100 listing fee every time you relist. I have no problem paying the listing fee up front and avoids Audiogon being ripped off. That is part of doing business. Paying the fee over and over again, forget about it. I did what I was entitled to do, which was take my business elsewhere. If they went back to paying the fee up front with free relisting, I would come back. Until then, not a chance.
Taking one’s business elsewhere is obviously always an appropriate thing to do when needed. Nothing new there. I’ve sold a few things here over the years. Nothing went unsold. If it does not sell in the first few days I lower the price. Then continue to do that as needed. Free relistings would seem to favor the seller. I’m not opposed to something that perhaps might temper things a bit and favor the buyer. I do both.
Anyone upset about policies I invite you to my next yard sale. I practically give things away because the yard sale is to get rid of things you don’t want anymore. You would love it. I even give freebies to kids if something catches their eye or some nice person appears to value it but can’t afford the asking price of a few bucks. $1 and 50 cent specials abound.
You go to where you can get fair value to both the buyer and the seller. That is why everything I sell also prompts offers to be made. Setting price is not an exact science. I know that when I sell, things start on the low end of sales available sales prices. Hopefully so things will sell quickly. This is a niche market and things don't always sell quickly even at good prices. All of my stuff has sold and I didn't have to pay hundreds for the privilege. Plus, all of the buyers have been happy with the price and quality. Win, win. I have had plenty of yard sales, and do things the same way. This is not a yard sale.
mapman, we are of the same mind when it comes to AG selling/buying policies. I've always bought here, I've never sold here.. All of my buddies were in the middle of "Last Time" upgrades. End of the road (sure it is), retirement purchases.
Everyone decided with the onset of the Covid debacle AG would be the LAST not the FIRST place, to place adds..
Something to think about, increasing cost, no, no, no, increasing SALES... my oh my what a concept.. Charge MORE to sell LESS. Sounds like someones business is in trouble... Sure isn't mine..
The exposure on AG for selling is no different than anywhere else. If you notice though, there are 5-6 pages of stuff selling, not 12-15 like it use to be.. Their GREEDY policies have HURT their business, the pricing reflect that too, plane and simple. Again not my business, mine has never changed... Take it or leave it.. I don't sell stuff, Stuff sells itself..
It's nice to be the king... A kingdom of TWO, all the loyal subject, chicken, rabbits, goats, dogs. OLAY!!
Hat on the floor as I walk around the hat to the beat of the music, (the national anthem is the U.S. Mexican Hat Dance) and my faithful K-9 follows me... THEN I STOP... and slowly back around the hat. Pay attention DOG back up!!! :-)
PAY attention AudioGoN, BACKUP! We back up to START UP and recover.. Hope those pocket are DEEP...and flush,,,
Back when I signed on to Audiogon around '98, they were the only game in town for buying and selling. I used them for both. Then there was Audioasylum, which I tried but didn't have success. Now there's USAudiomart. I have used them with good success a number of times. There are so many ads that unless you have something very desirable, you get lost in the sauce, but if you have patience, it will sell. A couple of times when I was in a hurry or got impatient, I listed on Audiogon with mixed success. Yes, as far as I'm concerned, it is overpriced and not worth the money. There are as many bottom feeding low ballers here as there are an USAudiomart, and at least there it's free.
Nothing is what it used to be. Audiogon is here to make money, its a business. Some don't seem to get that. Honestly, it doesn't bother me, I have always sold here and only once in over 130 transactions, did an item of mine got relisted. Granted, there are too many businesses using Audiogon now and that drives up the prices on everything. In the great scheme of things, there are far more things to worry about than an Audiogon listing. Remember, no one is forced to buy or sell here or use the forums or other aspects of the site.
I was not aware of no free relistings for a featured ad and also Audiogon gets 3 % of the sale as well as stripe or PayPal. which I feel they should get money for the ad only.
I can see where people are upset, but I also see many many examples like one user has had “19 pairs of Wilson sophias” listed for over a year, and the back panel of two Audio research LS 28’s for about the same time without ever changing. Listings get old so they need to either drop the price or end the ad. If your ad needs a renewal you need a pricing reality check.
I can see where people are upset, but I also see many many examples like one user has had “19 pairs of Wilson sashas” listed for over a year, and the back panel of two Audio research LS 28’s for about the same time without ever changing. Listings get old so they need to either drop the price or end the ad. If your ad needs a renewal you need a pricing reality check.
Still posting is free, i do not know how the insider lobby works but this a biz site after all. We are not forced to buy or sell for having the ability to post something. If a seller then add any fees to the selling price. I expect that if trying to sell through a dealer then fees or commission would be much higher.
I have bought and sold a fair amount of equipment over the years. The one thing I have noticed is that if you're looking for something there seems to be many more listings on the other "Mart" site. Lately I have used them for selling as a first choice due to the fees. I have never had an issue. I don't give a hoot about the ads. If the ads are what it takes then bring them on. My guess is that while I like and appreciate the A'gon site, from a selling standpoint they seem to be missing the boat. Take any well known piece of equipment and compare the number if listings on each site. My guess is you will find more on the other site. However, I do like the forum layout better here. My two cents.
Having also been a long time member and seller here and other sites I'd offer that if something doesn't sell in a month it was priced too high. If I don't get "Action" on my listing within a few days to a week of posting it- meaning some questions, some conversations or offersI know it's priced too high. I lower the price to point that generates interest. Just like with real estate and cars - it's ultimately about the price. At some price point EVERYTHING will sell. It may not be to your liking but things sell at the point the market determines. And, I think its much better to drop price sooner than later on an item in order to get activity on it. It's really rare that a "full price" buyer appears out of the woodwork 3.5 weeks into a month long listing.
From a business perspective, when you see Canuck and US Audiomart’s listing volume grow (they definitely have more ads then they did 5 years ago) Audiogon is either happy with their model or continue increasing their fees to cover diminished revenues. I don’t know and frankly I’m just happy I have options. I slowed down my business with Audiogon when they moved away from protecting buyers/sellers properly and would not discipline/remove unscrupulous members. They are so inconsistent and reckless in this regard. It’s really terrible how they deal with these issues as opposed to the prior owner who kept a safe haven. You are on your own with Audiogon if you have an issue unless it’s absolutely black and white but how many issues are.
I am not currently selling anything. Last year was a big buy/sell year for me. In my experience when I was selling I rarely needed to re-list. If you know your market and product and price correctly it will often sell in the initial 30 days. Some people don’t price correctly and their ad sits there for months and months....so yes, these folks are going to be frustrated. My perception of Audiogon is that we have the best audience for selling high-end gear. I have used US Audiomart as well. I would often list on both for additional visibility. I always pay up front so it is simply 2% of your listing price. On the extreme there is eBay that wants about 13% of the final sale price. Audiogon offers a well designed website with great support and these fees are not unreasonable. They essentially spoiled us for many years.
You think these policies and or fees are bad. Go sell something right now on Ebay. What a crock of sht. I have never felt so taken advantage of and disappointed in my life. Google: "Ebay new fee schedule" or "Why did Ebay drop Pay Pal?"
I too have been a part of this community from early on. A fact of life is that thing change. I also understood when A’Gon was sold by its original creators that change of ownership meant change of minds and ways, perhaps different priorities. I like this place, but with all due respect, I have from time to time questioned if it is really getting better for the citizenry. One only needs to look at current activity here, the policies and conditions, and look elsewhere to draw their own conclusions… This used to be the place to buy and sell. Those days may be well gone. With the Mart and the Shark it’s a different story. Do you see a rich and vital community being fostered? Do you feel rewarded to be a part of this community? Because otherwise, there are a lot of other places to be… just saying. My hope is that this forum continues to be a relevant and a healthy place to share in the love of this wonderful hobby. Otherwise truly, what is the point?
I was unaware before I listed a few of my tubes here tonight that relisting charges you all over again. That is unfortunate. To the guy who compared this to eBay, it sure is bad over there, but I have a store there and pay $20.00 a month with free listings for everything until it sells. I have nearly 300 active listings at any given time. They of course have their own set of issues, one being that if a buyer decides they want to screw you, there is not a thing you can do about it. They could send you a box of turds on a return and you are stuck paying the refund. Paypal, while still buyer leaning, is much more diligent in a dispute than eBay. You have a fighting chance at least. They actually look at your listing, and in some cases even require a pro to certify there is a problem before closing a case in the buyer's favor. None of it is easy for sellers these days anywhere, and if I have to pay for every relist here, I am not keeping these listings up past 30 days. Thanks for the convo it was informative.
This is not fair , and they get 3% of the advertised price if I had a speaker up for $5k and reduce or take less I still get charged 3% with many people going yo u.s Audio mart there should be free ads until it sells ,they still get 3% of the sale , as well as PayPal or stripe, PayPal is another story ,especially for sellers.
Lots of crybabies here. If you priced your equipment to sell instead of being greedy on the price asked, you would not have to worry about paying to re-list the unsold item. We use these forums without paying anything, where do you think the money comes from to keep this place operating? I am more worried about the rising costs of insurance, gasoline and food products. The lowest worry for me would be with Audiogon pricing. Seems many here want it all for nothing.
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