Safest way to trade ?


Hi to all of you,

I just bought an ARC SP-11 mk II preamp here on the AudiogoN market place and i was wondering how i do have to proceed to be sure to not lose my money, let me explain.
My seller hasen't any feedback yet, the add was very minimalist, there was no photos, but he send them to me on request, the price is very cheap. Also, my greeck seller says he's a 71 years old and don't have the knowlegde and tools to open it and send me some picts of the inside of the preamp.
I am sure that most of you would have past their way after having reading the add, but i have the 'feeling' that this seller is telling the truth. Altought, the experience i have into buying audio products, tells me that i have to be caution and to find a way to insure my money. Paypal doesn't cover the risk if the product does not conform to the description, which is in fact my major problem. The preamp is supposed to have been serviced and retubed 2 years ago.
So what i am looking for is a 'middle man' service or something like that. A third party, that both of us would agree, and that will keep my money safe but also insure the seller that he'll get he's money once i'll have received the preamp and checked it.

If you have any idea, suggestion, or advice please let me know, thanks.
128x128audiofeel_

Showing 2 responses by onhwy61

There will always be some level of risk, but this is how I deal with it. If it's an amount of money I can deal with losing, then I'll take some risk. If it's what I consider a large amount of money, then I always do the transaction face to face after telephonic communication.

As far as having a middleman service insure the transaction, how much are you willing to pay for that service?
Rrog, who pays for the shipping and services done at Audio Research? I can see how that provides protection for the buyer, but for the seller it's an added burden. A typical seller, let's assume an honest one, is selling an item that he believes is fully functional, but there is no way of knowing whether the unit is meeting manufacturer's specs. I would assume that if the seller could offer evidence of a recent manufacturer's inspection and certificate of good health that you as a buyer would be willing to pay more money for that item versus an uninspected item?