Pulling the trigger on pricey equipment

If I was buying gear which was more than a few hundred dollars, especially if several (or more) thousands, I'd drive/fly to the seller's and meet in person to see/touch/hear the gear first. Less risk once the seller knows you not only know where they live, but are also willing to pay them a personal visit, if necessary.

Be patient and wait for the item to be available within driving distance. I drove halfway to Maryland from Jersey for my speakers.

What about using Facetime. That way you get the meet the seller... and actually see the equipment you're buying.

I think everyone who uses Audiogon shares and empathizes with your concerns. Fortunately, I have had only enjoyable transactions here but it does take a degree of luck and almost a second sense about the party on the other end of the transaction. The most important thing is to try to strike up a conversation with the party you will be transacting with, both through e-mails and on the phone and follow your instincts. I can think of a few occasion's where I was interest in purchasing something and the response just put me off and made me wary. Obviously, in those cases I just drop it. Not worth the risk, and indeed there is a risk factor. On the other hand, it provides you with the opportunity of putting together a system of a caliber you might otherwise not be able to afford to.

I like that Facetime suggestion.

Also, a feedback score of 30 is, what, 8 transactions or something like that. Not so many, but okay. I always look at the timing of the feedback to see if the seller has been active for awhile, or has it appeared all of a sudden?

Contact some of his/her feedback providers and ask them to verify and for more detail. Any names on there you recognize from the forums or your own transactions?

I usually try to check out a seller (buyers too) via LinkedIn and Google. There could still be fraud if someone is pretending to be someone else, but it's comforting to see that the person is an engineer or physician or whatever. If you have a physical address, there's even more you can do online.