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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
seanheis1
627 posts
 
Only used once.
"my dedicated audio room never came to fruition"
"liked them so much I moved up the line"

12inch45rpm OP
18 posts
 
And what's up with all these "second systems"? Sounds a little fishy to me.
jl35
4,026 posts
 
there are many lengthy threads here about second systems, like in bedroom or office

big_greg
6,658 posts
 
And what's up with all these "second systems"? Sounds a little fishy to me.
I'm trying to figure out what's "fishy" about the 2nd system in my bedroom, or the third system in my computer room, or the fourth system in my home office.  I won't mention the BlueSound speakers I have out in my garage.  Well at least not as a fifth "system".  Stuff moves around on a regular basis, sometimes from system one to one of the others, sometimes from one of the secondary systems out the door.

Not that I put any of that into my ads, but I still don't get it.


simao's avatar
simao
1,831 posts
 
I used to have a "second system" at my office-- until my wife found out about her.

In all seriousness, though, I do remember an ad here on Audiogon several years ago for a set of avant-garde trios, and I distinctly remember part of the copy: "these are big toys for the big boys".

I guess I wasn’t a big boy, and even if I did want to spend the money on Avantgardes, that kind of smug unctiousness turned me off that seller immediately
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