Buying Used Equipment on the Internet

I've purchased a few items from US AudioMart and sold a half dozen or so. I've always had good luck.  This includes items up to about $10K. I look at the seller's feedback and don't purchase anything that does not include decent photos and a description that sounds like it was written by someone who knows what they have. If it's an expensive item (for me, that's more than a couple thousand $), I'll arrange for a phone call and try to check out the seller if possible. 

I always use Paypal for purchase, and unless I know the seller personally I don't use friends & family payment. Paypal provides pretty good protection for the buyer (less so for the seller) if there is a problem.

So far, so good.

Good advice here. If you are new to the game, you might start off with TMR,ebay or this site. Buying used IMO is when you know what your want and looking for a good price. I did one friends and family purchase, but I did contact the person I bought from. I got a good felling from the person and he had what I really wanted. No issue, but it is definitely a gamble. I have even found good deals from dealers overseas. You sometimes have to deal with customs, but I have gotton some very good deals on new audio. Again, nothing beats experience. You never can do to much research.

TMR does painless returns.

The only sure go for "friends and family' is '"on approval."

@aamiransari ,

I, restarted my audio journey 10 years ago, when I finally had some money to spend on a decent stereo. I found Audiogon and it’s marketplace, as well as US Audio Market.

I might have been lucky, but I have had good experiences with all my transactions.

Many sellers allowed me to audition the equipment before payment. Many were very interested in sharing knowledge/opinions. Some became friends.

So, if you are feeling hesitant, and I don’t blame you, try reaching out to sellers. If you can’t demo the equipment, at least call them and speak with them. If you know people, then you can get an idea of whether to trust them or not.(-Kinda like ’Spidey Sense’).

If this still sounds too dicey for you, then purchase used from established dealers like Music Room or Audioconnection, etc.

Bob

Another good place to look is an audio store local to me. The move a lot of used gear and have excellent deals. Echo Hifi