Rudeness With 'net Sales

Redkiwi, I've been very lucky with my transactions on Audiogon. I have always been very fortunate to deal with friendly and honest people. I'm sorry to hear of your disillusionment.

Agon members Haruo, Robbychan, Genesis168, Billpatterson, and Hendersonrc have been the epitomy of honesty, courteousness, and superior service. And I can't say enough about the great service of Agon vendors Disco and Vinlyvalet. They are among those rare sellers that make you feel like you're their only customer. They have gone above and beyond what I would expect of any merchant. To them, the sale isn't over once payment is received.

I should also mention that many Agon forum members such as yourself, Dekay and Megasam have shared your/their wealth of knowledge and experience, and given this newbie[me] great advice.

The people I have listed above have made my journey through this addicting hobby a pure joy.

I second Usblues' comments. Play on indeed!

Redkiwi, your issue regarding transactions between people in different countries is a very valid point. I can see how both buyers and sellers would be wary of an international transaction.

This is why I must commend such Agon members as Haruo and Robbychan who live in Canada and Australia, respectively. They have both shown the utmost honesty and trust in me, even though I live in Los Angeles, California, USA.

I too have encountered sellers who were very curt or unwilling to offer further explanation of their items for sale. As you said, they may have had bad experiences previously and don't want to go through days of correspondence only to have the buyer unexpectedly bail out. But when I get a response like that my initial thought is that they may be getting an inordinate number of e-mails for the same item I'm interested in, and are trying their best to answer all the inquiries.

That being said, I always try to get a vibe of the person I'm dealing with first. If they seem like nice people and are willing to answer my questions, I feel that much better about buying from them. It can be time consuming, but building a repoire with the other party can help make both sides feel good about the transaction. Heck, one guy even knocked over 10% off the price and said he'd half the shipping with me. And this is without me even asking for a lower price. The price he had listed was already quite fair. So I told him that he was being very generous, and I'd cover the entire 2-day shipping.

Lastly, in my experience the people I've completed a smooth and friendly transaction with ALWAYS leave positive feedback. It can be disheartening when you leave someone good feedback and they don't reciprocate with ANY feedback. Completing a fun transaction and making a new friend makes this hobby that much more fun.