What say you: Is this fair, or AITA?

About 18 months ago, I listed some gear on this site. I paid the nominal insertion fee for the pay later option. However, I removed the listing after one day as I changed my mind and decided to keep the unit for a 2nd system.

About 13 months passed by and a fellow audiogon user reached out to me via this site’s private messaging system to see if I might be interested in selling the unit as he somehow found my expired/discontinued listing. By the way, I didn’t know expired listings were still searchable. I would have removed it.

I told this member unless he was really motivated - that I was holding on to the unit for a second system. While he was motivated, for a variety of good reasons, we didn’t transact. Nevertheless, we begin a friendship over the phone regarding our shared interest in audio. A few more months or so pass by and my 2nd system needs change so I ping him using the site’s messaging system. Of course, I recognize my mistake - I should have called him directly.

He still wants to buy it and I’m willing to sell it to him for well below my original listing price as we’ve formed a friendship, he’s taken a new job, I don’t need it, he’ll appreciate it, I won’t have the transaction fee applied, etc.

We agree to meet up at Axpona and exchange.

And, that’s when Audiogon hits me with a $275 transaction fee for the original listing amount (30% higher than I sold it for). I contact support to dispute - they hold firm. I, so far, have held firm in not paying the fee - though they’ve tried multiple times to charge my card without my authorization.

A couple of additional points I think worth noting.

I have successfully bought and sold quite a few pieces of gear on this site. They have, so far, earned several thousand dollars from me in transaction fees. I have a perfect record of feedback as well.

The site administrator’s position is that I should pay the fee since we met on this site and used their messaging system.

My position is that I paid an insertion fee and received an unsolicited request from a private party more than a year after I removed the listing. Audiogon did not help me market the unit. Nor did they help me in clearing the transaction, provide shipping support or any of the other related elements that are part of a normal transaction. Nor did I want that help.

Their fee is 30% higher than it would have been if I had gone through this site.

The site administrators have limited my activity here until I pay the fee. I can only post in the forums.

For me - It’s not the money but the principle of it which has left a bad taste in my mouth. I should also note that I have gone upstream considerably in the gear I now own. Future sales through Audiogon would be far more valuable to them than in the past. Indeed, I’ve recently sold several other pieces to/through the Music Room quite conveniently.

I fully understand they need to protect their business model. I’ve been a willing participant for years and have never blinked at paying their fees. However, this seems an overreach to me. But perhaps I’m seeing it incorrectly or unfairly. So, what say you a’goners? I won’t promise to pay the fee if that’s your consensus, but I’ll strongly consider it if you think I’m being an @$$.