As an international buyer who's purchased some large, heavy and expensive items from Audiogon I've found that lots of things get lost in translation in emails. I've found that a simple phone call (followed up by an email to keep things formal) often clears things up that umpteen messages can't.
With regards to payment, I would like to point out in fairness that many sellers refuse to accept PayPal when dealing with international buyers, and insist on bank transfers. That then shifts the risk all the way to the buyer who then is left with a difficult choice: proceed with the transaction and risk an expensive lesson, or drop the sale altogether.
With regards to payment, I would like to point out in fairness that many sellers refuse to accept PayPal when dealing with international buyers, and insist on bank transfers. That then shifts the risk all the way to the buyer who then is left with a difficult choice: proceed with the transaction and risk an expensive lesson, or drop the sale altogether.