ebay vs audiogon

Yes its true, there are some lowballers on Audiogon but consider this. Some sellers are asking such ridiculas prices for their gear, as if they were intending on retiring right after the sale. Everyone likes a good deal & I'm no exception but I always treat the lower bidders with respect & just politely say your too low. I myself am guilty from time to time asking the seller to include shipping but if I think the piece is worth the asking price I just simply agree with the sellers terms.

I will agree with Sogood51. I too went on E-bay one time & bidded on a vintage ARC preamp. I thought for sure I won the auction. Last 5 minutes before the auctioned closed I was bidding against a fellow from Japan who obviously was willing to spend much more than I for this product. But despite that I was so determined to win this auction I found myself bidding much more than what this piece was worth, things reached a fever pitch, whew. But in retrospect I'm glad he did win the auction because he ended up paying much more than I would of been happy with. No more E-bay auctions for me.

I agree with Rockvirgo on his point regarding the seller charging the paypal fees (3%). He is right as rain. I contacted paypal one time myself by phone & they specifically said it is illegal for a seller to charge the paypal fees in their ad & said if you see it, it can be reported to them. I never knew that before.

Not everyone reads the fine print when they sign up for paypal. It seems to be a common practice on A'gon to charge these fees in their ads & I'm sure most people thought this was OK. I for one don't want to go to jail for 20 years over paypal fees. Ha Ha just kidding! Nor have I or would I report this to paypal (better things to do) but it is good for the seller to be aware of this fact.

Well guys that is the whole idea behind an instant payment through paypal. I have never yet encountered a buyer that cancelled a credit card payment on me because I already know what I'm selling is right. Check your buyers feedback, then proceed. If your going to hold the item till the funds clear through your bank than you might as well insist on a Postal money order only.

Jmcgrogan, any time you do business on the internet regardless of payment method there will be some risks, were all taking chances just by living. Again check your buyers feedback. When I am looking to purchase, I actively seek out sellers that offer paypal. I don't like sending a money order unless I have to because it takes too long to receive the item. I can honestly say that three out of four items I have sold were done via paypal. Take paypal out of the picture & you may not sell the item at all. If you don't intend on shipping in a timely manner I would make it clear in your ad that you accept paypal but you will not ship until the funds have reached your bank. Remember if you do ship an item quickly & the paypal payment (credit card)is cancelled you can also call the shipper & retrieve the item before it is delivered. You will have to pay return shipping costs. Paypal can also be tied to the buyers savings account which is called a bank transfer. This is a prefered method of a paypal payment with some sellers as it can't be canceled.