My list of seller red flags


I’ve compiled a list of annoying things sellers do. If I see any of these red flags I will not buy from them. Ideally every seller should agree to not do any of these before they are allowed to sell online.

- Overpriced
- Don’t talk about any flaws
- Keep re-posting
- Use unrelated keywords in ad so ad comes up when you search for different brand
- Paranoid language like " Cash and Carry only", "No spammers", No Trades...
- Using all CAPS and !!! marks

- Used car salesman lingo like"only $xxx , a great deal, a steal , and the worse, RARE "
- Ad consists entirely of copy/pasted info. from manufacturer website
- Any textspeak
- Gimmicky pricing like $999 or $995 or the worse, random price like $927
- Saying price is "Firm"..

- Reducing price by insignificant amount to bump ad
- Tooting own horn, i.e describing how awesome their product is.. Comes across as desperate to me..
- Seller saying they will lose money or taking a big loss .. Not my problem..

- Selling several items in one ad and updating the ad to say "SOLD" on certain items.
12inch45rpm
I am in sales and I constantly marvel over how people treat me sometimes. I sell industrial products so not everyday items that we would think of. People think they can treat me like crap. Well, guess what, those who do that do not get the best price and if they want to buy somewhere else, that's fine. For those that appreciate the effort I put into researching, designing and sourcing what they need I give them favorable pricing because those are the folks I want to work with over and over.


As a buyer here, I always assume that the initial price listed is based on an amount that allows for negotiation. I will not make an offer on an item unless I am willing to pay the price asked. I simply will make a lower bid because one never knows what the particular situation is. If the bid is rejected I will come back to near the original price. Likewise, when I sell I expect the same. So if someone makes a low priced offer I will kindly reject it and tell them what I am willing to accept. In other words, the first price discussed in a negotiation is just a way to get a feel for the lay of the land. I have actually had people accept my first offer. We both walked away happy.

One pet peeve of mine is speakers. I have found speakers many times that I would be willing to purchase but the person claims, "local pick-up only because I do not have the original boxes". And of course they live thousands of miles from me. So please people.....keep the original shipping cartons! I know it's difficult to find storage space. I keep all mine under the stairs in the basement. When you don't have the original cartons it requires the buyer to have someone create shipping cartons which can be quite expensive on top of the shipping costs.........and that leads to a lower priced offer.
@jollygreenaudiophile2 
"But I will say this anyway. I have sold probably as much used gear as anyone in say the top .005% tier as far as numbers. "     

You have two transactions here. What gives with that?
I want to re-iterate the golden rule that is treat others like you wish to be treated that goes A long way in life and makes for happiness on both sides of the fence
If an item is priced to sell you will not have to deal with low-ballers because it will sell before they get a chance to even see your ad. That is why explicitly saying "Price is firm" is unnecessary. It just makes you look stubborn and will scare away potential buyers.

When I am buying USED items UNSEEN I need to have a very strong positive feeling about the seller. Gimmicky pricing, stubborn language, incomplete details all detract from that happening..

Any price with a 9 in it or has more than 2 significant digits is gimmicky in my book.
My main indicator on a seller (or a buyer), is the quality of their first response:  did they respond quickly?  Were they positive?  A jerk?  Etc.

I think you learn everything you need to know right away.