Is it safe to buy from Audiogon sellers?


Dear audiophiles, 

Is it safe to buy products from audiogon sellers ( person or shop)? I don't want to receive goods contrary to the description on the audiogon web.  Unlike eBay, there seems no guarantee over here? Am I right?  Those who have plenty of buy & sell experience here, pls. kindly give me your advice, My location is fin Far East which is far from U.S.A. Tks.

faust  
faust168
First, I would say that your number one protection from being ripped off is being smart for yourself. Yes eBay has certain protections. But they are not always reasonable and your aren’t always “protected”. Here or on eBay or other major audiophile platforms it is best to keep all the communication on the platform. Also always use PayPal for some credit card info protection and what ever protection PayPal provides. Then I recommend using an American Express card and have a frequent and good relationship with Amex. As opposed to other cards, when you dispute a charge they credit back your purchase price to your account until the matter is finalized. But yes, pay attention to feedback and the communication between yourself and the other party. Look at pictures and ask questions. If things don’t seem right then walk away. As the saying goes “It is better to want what you don’t have, then to have what you don’t want.”
I've bought and sold on Audiogon, but not ebay or elsewhere. I've offered fair prices when selling and received good quality gear at fair prices when buying. I bought from dealer/resellers twice, and I was treated fairly once. I like Audiogon, and I don't expect good used gear to be cheap.
I recently purchased a rather expensive pair of speakers out of Europe (5 figures expensive).  The seller was a business, has been selling on Audiogon since 2014, and had over 800 positive reviews, with zero neutral and zero negative.  I paid with a credit card.  The tracking has them in Memphis, Customs cleared, heading to me via freight carrier, with delivery date pending.  The only thing left to chance at this point is they are as advertised, NIB.  I guess I’ll find out soon enough...  🤷‍♂️
I'm one for one buying here, positive.As noted already, buy smart, check feedback, have a little correspondence first, and if seems way to good to be true look elsewhere.
Dear Audiophile,

Thank you very much for your kind reply.  Your generous sharing has helped me to understand so much about cross border buy & sell Hi-Fi Gears.  Your knowledge will be treasured highly one day when I take action to buy from the States. 

Sincerely gratitude.

Faust