Audioconnection, That Wadia 16 was repaired by Steve Huntley and resold to a gentleman in Rome, Italy. DHL paid for the repair and Steve did it promptly. I refunded the original buyer 100%. Not sure what the point was that you were trying to make?
Since 1975 when I started doing this with Audiomart magazine, I have had the Wadia 16 damage and an Audio Aero Capitole CDP which had the drive damaged by UPS. They paid that claim and Rich at Sig Sound in NY did that repair. I took care of it all and got the repaired unit back the buyer in Canada in a prompt manner.
That is all the damage issues I have had in all this time until the CJ ACT2 and MG3.7 at this same time two months ago. I have undone the CJ ACT2 deal and the seller has refunded my money in full. Still no estimate on that repair but it is no longer my problem. The preamp has been sitting at CJ for weeks and this is week 6.
So, all that being said I think the high end bottom feeders like me and many others support the top end of the high end market by allowing others to move up the audio food chain buy taking new equipment and flipping it after they go off to the next new thing. Obviously, not a perfect scenario every time but it should work to the collective good most of the time.
Unless one has a ton of discretionary funds where you can pay list and sell at a huge loss months later, buying used is the way to go. I have found that the vast majority of audiophiles take care of equipment so as to maximize the value if they want to make a change and sell or trade in the equipment for something different later.