2. misc-audio
  3. 169332-139027

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?
northman

Showing 2 responses by northman

northman OP
236 posts
 
Okay! Thanks everyone. I genuinely appreciate the reassurance. I do find it strange to see a seller who has sold hundreds of vintage car decals or commemorative plates from Luray Caverns and then out of the blue puts Ypsilon monoblocks up for sale. (That's not literally the case here but it's the same idea.) 

Thanks!
northman OP
236 posts
 
Thanks again everyone. I've bought and sold some things over the years but never a big-ticket/niche-market item. 

One thing that does seem true to me from observation is that Audiogon and AudioMart sellers generally have a sense of the audiophile world, know what questions to expect, know how to evaluate equipment. It feels a bit looser to me on eBay. More kinks and stories. (Just yesterday there was a pair of Pass 60.8 mono blocks for auction, sold by a pawn shop going out of business with the seller away for a month. Today the ad is ... gone. It's even gone from my "recently viewed" items.)

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