So far, no problems with about 20 purchases. But the point about buyer protection is well taken; buyer makes more of a leap of faith than seller. I recommend calling; get a verifiable work and home phone and go with your gut. And of course, if the person has 20 or 30 sales to their credit, your not likely to get stuck.
Buyer protection question
I notice that many Audiogon sellers do not accept payment via Paypal; they request a money order or personal check. When paying this way, how does a buyer protect himself from the seller simply cashing the check and not shipping the product? I know there are escrow services, but almost no one on Audiogon seems to use them. Thanks.