Yeah ad I was referring to says "Just taken in on trade....." when in fact he posted same identical piece of gear back in September 2020. No change in ad content or pics.
What frustrates you the most about seller’s for sale ads?
Audiogon has been in existence for over 20 years now, and if you are like myself, you probably have read thousands of for sale ads. When I read most of these ads, I always feel like the seller is leaving out vital information about the actual product (unit they own) they’re trying to sell. Some sellers are spot on when they sell something. They describe the unit in full detail, but most don’t. To me that’s a red flag and frustrating. For myself, the most frustrating thing is most ads leave out equipment age. If I’m buying something used this is vital info I want to know. If a seller doesn’t know the age of the unit don’t rate it 9/10 and later telI me I don’t know the actual age. One retailer, I will not mention names, always gives you 3-4 paragraphs of how great of business they are, and leaves one sentence at the end to describe the actual product being sold. LOL
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A few things I really hate: When item for sale is the original version of a product, which is now on Mk IV, and the seller lists the original price as that of a new Mk IV as opposed to the original one from 20 years ago, which he’s trying to sell. Another thing I hate is when a seller says something like, "Six month old...blah, blah" when he actually means "I’ve owned the amp for six month" but the original owner bought it in 1982. I find it sort of funny that so many sellers appear to get offended if they're offered something less when they list the price as "firm". IME as a buyer, the price is normally only firm for a certin period of time. After that it's amazing how many sellers are willing to move on their price. Whenever I'm interested in buy something, I always ask the seller this question: What are you willing to let this go for shipped to the 98367 zip code? I do this because I know each seller has a certain dollar amount they're willing to let the item go for and 99% of the time, it's not the asking price. Sometime I'll get a snoddy comment in return. I choose to not purchase from those sellers. But most times, sellers are pretty cool about that question and they'll respond with the lowest they're willing to accept at "that" moment in time. |
Dealer in an Audiogon ad has done it again. Listed a piece of gear as having a 20k retail when it's actually 16k. He must think if it looks like it has a higher retail he can sell it for more. I'd hope most people looking for any piece of current gear will know the true retail price. Yes this does annoy me. |
Another thing that bugs the hell out of me is when I see an ad that claims it’s only a few months old, but they don’t have the original box. This is so common with speakers. Why in the hell would get rid of the original boxes or crates for a 30-60k speaker. If you can afford them and don’t have the room put them in storage for $50 a month for at least a year. |
larshepping said: "It bugs me when sellers don’t say why they’re selling an item. I always want to know and sometimes lose out on an item whilst waiting for a reply." That never bothers me. It used to when I was new to the game, but now I realize that just because the seller wasn't happy with it doesn't mean that I won't be. Now I'm only concerned with the condition and the price. |
Mine is a basic one: It bugs me when sellers don’t say why they’re selling an item. I always want to know and sometimes lose out on an item whilst waiting for a reply. Are you “upgrading”? That’s useful to know because maybe the item isn’t as top of the line as I think. Does an amp not work with your speakers? Maybe I have the same ones. Etc, etc. They don’t have to write their life story, but it’s nice to know the motive behind the sale. |
Speaker ads with one or more driver dust caps or tweeters poked in by a toddler..."does not effect sound". "Rare". Rarity does not equal quality, and it means the piece will be difficult to find parts or repair for. Sales pitches presented as an opportunity for the buyer, when the seller is the one looking to unload this stuff. |
scalar9 said: "Then there is the kind of would-be buyer who disingenuously posts questions” taking issue with the stated condition of the equipment, and/or insinuating it is overpriced due to the lack of original packaging or some other marginal detail. I doubt Audiogon much appreciates such self-appointed equipment police, who inhibit site commerce just so they can take potshots at others’ expense. Instead of dissing the merch — and the seller — move on to the next ad and leave it at that." I personally don't comment on the price of for sale goods; value of an item is to be decided by the buyer. However, I DO take issue with ads that do not honestly state the condition of the equipment and give it an appropriate numerical grade. When I see it, I point it out to the seller, and will continue to do so. If sellers won't "police" themselves, then other members like myself will have to police them. And by the way, I have never had a complaint from the moderators for doing so. |
Things that frustrate me about for sale ads: 1) stock photos on any item, especially an expensive item, with a note that reads: pictures to be added later or available on request. 2) Not being able to answer rudimentary questions: age, hours on tubes and past repairs. 3) Lack of response to questions and offers. 4) Not including photos of serial # or unwillingness to provide the serial number. 5) Asking top dollar and then making me work to get answers to any of the above questions. 6) Rating gear much higher than its actual condition. |
Then there is the kind of would-be buyer who disingenuously posts “questions” taking issue with the stated condition of the equipment, and/or insinuating it is overpriced due to the lack of original packaging or some other marginal detail. I doubt Audiogon much appreciates such self-appointed equipment police, who inhibit site commerce just so they can take potshots at others’ expense. Instead of dissing the merch — and the seller — move on to the next ad and leave it at that. |
@tonykay There is one East Coast company (I won’t name) that sells often here but their prices are so high that I always know it’s them. I remind them occasionally that their prices are double the "average" price on the Audiogon Bluebook. They tell me they don’t care because business is good for them, but I see their items sit here for many months before they sell, if they sell. Very often, their products are flawed in some way, but they still ask ridiculous prices. If you’re a frequent shopper here, you know who I mean. R Oh yeah I constantly laugh at their ads. Ridiculously overpriced and WHY do they think most of us are stupid to pay anywhere near the asking price LMAO. Oh but I am sure there is that ONE person who will not know any better. |
@stereo5 haha i agree but some gear are indeed rare -- small maker, few units sold, hand built etcetc, expensive to start - no assurance they are good buys used... completely item-specific other gear are excellent, sold in large numbers, popular due to performance value and availability due to production scale on part of the maker... their being plentiful on the used market is a good sign, not a bad one... many newbies misjudge this aspect |
Dronepunk, If you pay with a Credit Card using Paypal and there is a problem...contact your Credit Card company NOT Paypal. Your CC company overrides anything Paypal can do. On NUMEROUS occasions I have had problems and I have always won the case going thru CC. Sometimes you can even keep the item AND get your money back on top of it. |
The single biggest complaint I have is sellers listing “used” gear as “mint “ condition. Happens over and over and not just here but anywhere where people buy & sell. Don’t know about you guys, but mint condition where I come from means as new. New, not used. Untouched except for examination, not used for 6 mos. As new, not with scratches and dings! I’ve seen sellers list items as mint or near mint and tell you what repairs are needed! Don’t piss down my leg and tell me it’s raining lol! |
@dronepunk , @geof3 - also agree. I find it kind of insulting when adverts say "buyer pays paypal fees". The seller knows exactly what these fees will be. Just adjust the price accordingly. Paypal protects both buyer and seller. Would you ever buy a new product from a store that told you that you had to pay credit card fees? |
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Putting time sensitive info in the ad, and not updating it when rerunning the ad. For example. "Just Reduced" when the price has remained the same for 6-12 months. "1 week old" when the ad has been running for months. Putting the current retail price in New Retail Price when the item was bought 10 years ago, and the model has been revised substantially. Ads ending in "...complete !!!!" |
On a couple of occasions, I saw a dealer offering a used or demo product at an incredible price. When I contacted him, he told me that the product sold a few days ago and for some reason he wasn't able to take the ad down, but he would be able to work with me on a new one. Nice try! The other thing I find weird is that some ads have been running for months. They disappear after 30 days only to reappear a few days later. The funny thing is that the asking price is always the same. Don't understand what the deal is there. See Sonus Faber or Manley amps as an example. |
Back in Oct 2020 sent a message via ad here on agon in public "ask seller a question" it was never answered. Now in March 2021 the ad for same item is reposted by same seller (dealer ad) that says "Just taken in on trade". 5 months later Just taken in! What's more is the same question I asked was answered by dealer now. Wow |
I am with Stereo 5 on the grill thing. I have owned 3 different pairs of speakers where the grills were attached with caulk by design. It was not a trivial thing to remove them, you would be risking damage to the speaker and/or the grill, and they were integral to the design. For the most part, I agree that pictures should be taken of speakers without grills when possible. In some cases it is not. I guess if that is not acceptable for some, they should look elsewhere. One of my peeves is when the condition is not properly rated. You see an ad stating 9 of 10 condition. Then when you look at the pictures there is a scratch on the front face. Depending on the size of the scratch, that piece is a 7 at best. |
