Seller Silence

Warranties typically apply to the original purchaser and aren't transferable. That may be why the sellers didn't respond to you.

There are some notable exceptions, such as Bryston.

I understand your frustration. If you get interested in buying something and are met with no response. It has happened to me and by and large has resulted in me not shopping used. When I make a decision to pursue something I want to move forward. A pre-sales rating is an interesting idea. 

LOL, no there shouldn't. What an entitled concept, leave feedback when no transaction happens. Maybe we should leave feedback if the seller uses his dinner fork to eat his salad. There is absolutely no obligation for a seller to answer your questions,  though it certainly would be courteous and beneficial to both parties. 

And let's say, just for a moment, that you could do this, would all of the members here be happy to share the added costs of adding staff to litigate the disputes that would ensue between petulant sellers and aggrieved buyers?

There is absolutely no obligation for a seller to answer your questions,  though it certainly would be courteous and beneficial to both parties. 

I see courtesy as a kind of obligation, one that especially benefits the seller. That said, the buy has the option to walk away or, if the purchase happens eventually, leave a rating of the seller that downgrades them for the communication component of the transaction.

Cleeds has it right.  If the buyer wants this info, the seller cannot provide it, only the manufacturer or importer can. 

There can be a number of reasons the seller didn’t respond.  Send them a second request and if they don’t answer, move on.  Give the seller a few days to respond, not weeks.

I'm not sure about that, certainly the manufacturer could tell the potential buyer how long the warranty is for, and if it is transferable, but wouldn't the seller still need to provide a copy of the original bill of sale, or at least, the original sale date, so that the buyer would know if the product is even still in the warranty period?

If a seller doesn't see fit to respond to potential buyers questions, for whatever reason, although that's the sellers prerogative, obviously the seller must not need/want to sell the item bad enough.  No sweat.  If the negative responses bothered me that much, I'd quickly forget about that seller and look elsewhere.  Happy listening

I have had warranties where they specifically stated whether they were transferable. Seems like a reasonable question to me since the seller is in possession of the warranty and knows if they bought it used or new.

For example,

All Pass Laboratories products purchased new from an authorized Pass Laboratories dealer in North America are covered by a transferable, limited 3-year warranty. This warranty includes all parts and labor charges incurred at the factory or factory specified repair facility, exclusive of any subsequent or consequential damages. Damage due to physical abuse is specifically excluded under this warranty.

For those that commented that warranties do not typically travel with the unit, some stores (both items were being offered by brick and mortar stores) offer a warranty. I bought a number of used Pass units from Reno Hifi (may they rest in peace) and each one came with a warranty.

But this has nothing to do with the issue at hand. A seller that posts items and then ignores correspondence should not be met with excuses. And law suits? Come on. A bad review after a purchase is not immune from those either. 

It’s obvious to me the person really doesn’t want to sell.  Heck, if I was trying to sell a high dollar item, I would want to answer every and all questions quickly.

So by your logic, I should be able to leave negative feedback for every tire kicker that has no intention of buying, but wastes my time anyway, then disappears.

@ozzy62 , +1.

Good point, it's a two way street.

@viridian +2

Mike

Seems to me the issue is courtesy. A timely response would be courteous and show there is interest in selling. An acknowledgment of receipt. 

To me, if you place an ad it is common courtesy for the seller to quickly respond to questions.  No or a very delayed response is a “Red Flag” warning ⚠️ .  Do you really want to trust this seller to complete the sale without delay or issues.  When I experience poor seller communication I just move on to the next listing…

Isn’t that up to you to call the manufacturer and have them explain the warranty? If you purchase gear that’s more than 1yr old, I would assume there is no warranty. If you’re not the original purchaser with an original receipt, I would assume the manufacturer won’t honor the warranty. The fact you want to give the Seller negative feedback when you haven’t purchased the item or had any communication with the seller is dirty in my opinion. I do agree that the seller should have better communication and try to answer your questions. If you have zero communication, just move on. 

I wouldn’t deal with a seller who wouldn’t acknowledge what appears to be a perfectly valid inquiry. It seems the sensible thing to do is simply to move on. 

The seller could have multiple offers to buy and is working with the most likely to purchase. See if the item is taken off the market or marked as sold within a week or so.

Out of courtesy they should at least respond.

Funny you should mention that.  I was communicating with a seller and when I asked about if there was a warranty, they flipped out and said stop wasting my time.  A simple no would have sufficed.  I ended up buying from someone else.  I don’t understand sellers that ghost.  Are you trying to sell it or not?  I’ve had plenty of questions as a seller that could be upsetting but I let it go because I’m trying to sell the equipment.  Let it go and move on.  There’s always another seller.  

Count to 5. That is how long it would take for a seller to respond, even if the response is no. It may just be an indication of rudeness but it also may be a warning sign that dealing with this seller if something goes wrong would be very frustrating. That is why I think there should be a way to allow pre-sale comments.

You want to be able to leave poor feedback for someone you didn't transact with because they didn't answer your question? This isn't facebook where you engage furiously with people at will. P.S. You don't know that used gear is no longer covered by the OEM warranty and that the warranty only applied to the original owner and only if purchased via an authorized dealer? 

proacman 

I think there should be a way to allow pre-sale comments.

That would also work in reverse then, right, where the potential seller could leave feedback on you? Such as:

"Avoid this tire-kicking seller like the plague. I don't know who this guy is but he popped up out of nowhere and his first question was if there was a guarantee on used merchandise. What a laugh! Don't let him waste your time."

To be clear, as a buyer, I understand your disappointment. It's happened to me here. But I prefer to see a seller's non-response as just a good reason to avoid that seller. So I move on.

All of this is what makes dealing with The Music Room much more attractive.