I hope we all realize that when we choose to play in the Audiogon second hand game, there is ALWAYS the RISK of getting less than promised, and it does not have to be on cables only.
How do we know when buying a second hand CD player, amplifier, pre-amp, etc. that the equipment was not previously serviced with non-genuine, or sub-standard parts? For example, I once bought a 5-channel amp on Audiogon, and only after one of the channels burned out a tweeter on my speaker a year later did I find out through service at the manufacturer that the circuit board for that channel was not the original, but a sub-standard replacement with an unstable voltage stablizer. It was the sub-standard board in the amp that killed my tweeter.
I have seen many a times people place ads in the wanted to buy section (below the ad) for broken amps, CD players, etc. of well known brands so that they can put in a cheap fix and then flip for a nice, quick profit, probably on Audiogon also.
Interestingly, I have had the least problems and concerns in buying cables. It is actually the amps, CD players, and everything else that I would worry a lot more....