@jji666Â wrote:
I always work to engage a seller in a substantive conversation about their gear, audio in general, what have you. Scammers are not usually capable of holding that conversation in a way that doesn't raise red flags.
Exactly this. I might take a chance on an unknown seller on eBay with limited feedback if it's a $100 item, but on the audio forums, with high-end gear that costs thousands, I never make a transaction without talking to the seller first. If he's hesitant about providing his phone number, no deal. If he seems less than knowledgable or less than forthcoming, no deal.
Never had an issue here or on US Audiomart. The last gentleman I bought from didn't have a PayPal account, and working through escrow.com was such a hassle that we abandoned the process halfway through. But we spoke to each other on the phone a few times and after that I trusted him enough to bypass third parties and their hoops and fees ...and I paid him cash (via Apple Pay). Seemed (too) risky on paper — I admit a scam was still possible, though my BS detector told me this guy was for real — but it was no problem in practice. After four or five days I received exactly what I paid for.
I wouldn't recommend this. But I do recommend picking up the phone and getting comfortable with the buyer before forking over the money.