There are a few things anybody can do to make a transaction flow.
I've always relied on the phone call & serial # for my biggest clues. Way too many examples to mention but if you're trying to make a deal with a DEALER (let alone an individual) and they won't give you the SN, it's time to look elsewhere.
I also look at both the feedback received & what that person left, so I can get a better idea of whom I'm about to contact. In the case of no feedback, make the phone call to get a feel for who the person is. I've made a handful of deals w/folks w/no feedback & they all turned out very well.
I'll admit I'm a bit jaded by ebay but more than likely it's just the enormity of the place. The more traders there are, the more likely you'll run into a bad one.
Leaving out the retail price doesn't bother me but giving a piece an inflated rating does. I just passed on a preamp because the pics didn't match the rating & the follow-up was a waste of time.
Speaking of pics, I generally avoid those items that have none, for all the obvious reasons.
I've also been accused of 'buying' feedback, as how could just a regular audiophile have so many transactions? Let me tell you, it started getting expensive, so I had to cut back.
I've always relied on the phone call & serial # for my biggest clues. Way too many examples to mention but if you're trying to make a deal with a DEALER (let alone an individual) and they won't give you the SN, it's time to look elsewhere.
I also look at both the feedback received & what that person left, so I can get a better idea of whom I'm about to contact. In the case of no feedback, make the phone call to get a feel for who the person is. I've made a handful of deals w/folks w/no feedback & they all turned out very well.
I'll admit I'm a bit jaded by ebay but more than likely it's just the enormity of the place. The more traders there are, the more likely you'll run into a bad one.
Leaving out the retail price doesn't bother me but giving a piece an inflated rating does. I just passed on a preamp because the pics didn't match the rating & the follow-up was a waste of time.
Speaking of pics, I generally avoid those items that have none, for all the obvious reasons.
I've also been accused of 'buying' feedback, as how could just a regular audiophile have so many transactions? Let me tell you, it started getting expensive, so I had to cut back.