No protection for buyers on Audiogon


I just purchased a set of headphones on Audiogon and was shocked to find out you are to send payment in full to the seller with no protection what so ever for the Buyer. It would be reasonable for a Buyer to wonder if the item exist or if the seller even owners the item. I have a good feeling about the headphones ($300+/-)but there is no way I would send say $20,000 for a pair of speakers to points unknown hoping they will show up in the condition discribed. This all might work for dealers with a record and place of business but what about a individual trying to sell a high dollar item. Who would trust sending them full payment with no recourse? Audiogon has dropped the ball by not offering protections for the buyer like ebay and amazon
zinkz10b
I just had an experience with a new seller here that went badly.  I paid by Paypal per his accepted payment methods.  Paypal took the money from my account and put a hold on the payment to the seller.  He refused to ship the item even though Paypal had notified him that I had paid and that he would receive payment once the item was delivered.  At this point I have no control over the money, Paypal has it.

He asked me to call Paypal and tell them I have received the item so that he could get the money.  I instead called them and informed them of what was going on and they told me to open a case, which I have done.

I also disputed it here on Audiogon.  The Audiogon people were nice, but no help whatsoever.  So the money is gone from my account, and I'll never get the item. 

I am confident the case will be decided in my favor by Paypal and I'll have my money back shortly, but what a pain!  Definitely use a form of payment that protects you and don't fall for any trickery by the seller. 
I bough a cell phone on ebay that did not show up. I had mutable levels of protection: ebay, and my visa. Ebay ended up giving me a full refund after the seller said he shipped it and that is that. This is the type of protection I am saying Audiogon should have.
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