Do you trust Audiogon?


Recently, I came close to purchasing a five-figure item on Audiogon.  After quickly agreeing on a price, the seller did several things that caused me concern.  Some of them involved proposed violations of banking laws, and others were clear violations of Audiogon's own regulations.  I realized that this wasn't someone I should trust, and I might be receiving a box of rocks or a broken item, and I'd never again hear from the seller.  I killed the deal and reported this to Audiogon.  To my amazement, the seller's account and his listing are intact.
How does this protect honest buyers from predators?
128x128drastic

Showing 1 response by drastic

Some of you want more detail.  First, the seller wanted me to divide the payment into 4 payments, each less than $10,000, with a wink toward "avoiding attention".  So, he does not want to be noticed by federal anti-money-laundering screens, nor by the IRS.
Second, the seller wanted to take the transaction off Audiogon and exchange contact information by phone.  That would have left me with no paper trail.
To those of you who criticized my post:

That's all the detail you're getting.  Audiogon has seen the complete email chain up to an including the seller's request to go offline.  I am not naming names or presenting "evidence" because it's none of your business, and also because you're not a judge or jury, and also because I don't need the trouble.  The only authority in this matter is Audiogon, and they don't seem to feel that this is actionable.  I do.  I thought I was doing a public service by warning people that in this case Audiogon showed little interest in using my information to protect YOU.  I already protected myself.  So go put your hostility in a sock.