Bob - It is too bad that this problem cannot be solved by your eloquent proclamation. While I have not been 'taken' (yet) by an unscrupulous seller on Audiogon, I have spent valuable time traveling to inspect equipment for sale that did not turn out to be quite as nice as advertised.
In another thread, Zaikesman described his 'grade-creep' theory, which I happen to agree with. It seems that very few people are willing to list equipment at 7/10 (or lower) even though that is probably the rating that a lot of used equipment should receive.
Of course, some individuals intentionally misrepresent their equipment. When caught, I think that they should be tarred and feathered - preferably in public.