Original Box VS No Box...does it matter?

I don't believe you're out of line about being upset. The seller falsely advertised the product and misrepresented the sale. In addition, I agree with you. The original box is important. It does show a seller who has taken the time and care of the piece and wants to sell it as close to "as new" as possible. No remote? This is false advertising in my humble opinion.

To me, the original box is always a very good thing but may be offset by a trustworthy seller. With lighter, or older items like CD players and cables, I don't care as much. It really depends. The bad thing is when the seller makeshifts inadequate packing material. You just have no way of knowing.
When I ship without the original box, I just make sure it is 1) in plastic all around for dust 2) bubble wrapped on top of that, and 3) padded with 4-5 inches foam/buble on all sides with a sturdy, sized box. It costs $20-40 for this much material and I think most people just don't want to spend it. It's impossible to guage if a seller will pack something that well. Another big problem can be 'how' do you pack a 200lb amp ? Most of the commercial packing material and boxes I've seen are not rated to protect something that heavy. A last point is that I am much more comfortable handing over $X,XXX dollars for a box that actually says 'audio research' on it rather than 'bobs fig farm'.

i have bought 10 pieces over the net recently. some in orig boxes and some not ie. a mac 67 tuner from the early 60s. i have had great results with all so far. i find the best way to gauge the seller is by a phone call. if they speak passionately about the piece...it usually comes in nicely. as for the thread from john 1; you can go to a commercial packaging store and they will make all the arrangements and insurance....it is not cheap.....but i do not know of any 200lb amps that are cheap either. as to your seller...they were dishonest.

I agree with the other posts about dishonesty in advertising the product. However, I will note from my own personal experience that although I take fastidious care of my equipment, I have none of the original boxes on my older (70's- '96) equipment for a very simple reason. Back then, the boxes took up too much space and because most if not all sales were made locally (before eBay and the internet) there was no need to worry about shipping. Now, selling on the 'net is a standard thing and saving the boxes is the only way to go. Bottom line -- get a feel for the seller by telephone, not just email.

I wish I could save all my original boxes, but in my NYC apartment there is simply not enough room. I do flatten some original boxes for storage when I can. Sometimes the original box represents an owner who takes good care of gear, and sometimes it is meaningless. Psychology comes into play here. Why does almost every retail store sell with a ".99" ? Somehow it feels less expensive, even though we are obviously not being fooled. Original boxes feels safer., but have no real relationship to the item being shipped, providing that item is very well packed. Sometimes it helps the item feel newer.