A lot of good advice in this thread, especially on the packing issue. In August, I bought a Paradigm CC-450 center speaker that arrived with thebinding-post assembly torn completely loose due to improper packing. I was at home, but in the rear of my house when it was delivered, and could not get to the door in time to meet the delivery person. They basically dropped the box from what I am guessing was knee-height or higher onto the cement floor of my front porch/stoop. There was another CC-450 in equally good condition (both were on ebay), so I messaged the seller, telling him the tale of the first transaction and stressing the importance of proper packing. He assured me he knew how to pack to prevent damage, so I pulled the trigger and bought the speaker. It arrived a few days later with the exact same damage, again due to insufficient/improper packing. Usually the key to safe transit lies in double-boxing and making sure the item has no wiggle-room inside of the inner box, unless the original box and packing materials are available. Fortunately, I was refunded in both of these cases.
thought on eBay?
I've bought and sold things on eBay, but never $$$ audio equipment. I have had good experiences with Audiogon and AudioMart but I'm cautious about eBay, if only because many sellers often have little history with audio gear. I'm looking at an item that will likely end up in the $4k range from a seller who doesn't accept returns and has almost no record of selling audio equipment but does have an extensive and excellent record of buying and selling other things.
1) In general, would you guys spend many thousands of dollars on eBay if there are no red flags--or do you say "never eBay" for big purchases?
2) Can anyone explain the reality of eBay's policies? I can see the "money back guarantee" if the item arrives "broken, damaged, or faulty." But I've also heard plenty of horror stories out here about companies that offer similar guarantees in theory but are awful to deal with in reality. I'll add that sometimes "faulty" for stereo gear can be a vast grey area.
So, bottom line: would you make a big audio purchase through eBay, especially from a seller with little visible audio experience?
1) In general, would you guys spend many thousands of dollars on eBay if there are no red flags--or do you say "never eBay" for big purchases?
2) Can anyone explain the reality of eBay's policies? I can see the "money back guarantee" if the item arrives "broken, damaged, or faulty." But I've also heard plenty of horror stories out here about companies that offer similar guarantees in theory but are awful to deal with in reality. I'll add that sometimes "faulty" for stereo gear can be a vast grey area.
So, bottom line: would you make a big audio purchase through eBay, especially from a seller with little visible audio experience?