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Change needed at Audiogon

Dear members,

I don't know how others feel about stupid inquiries from non-members about items for sale but I will no longer even bother to answer them. I take great care to word the ads as accurately as possible and include enough photos to properly show the listed item. I also try to be realistic with pricing.

I certainly don't mind being asked to soften my price or to do something a little special for an interested party. But when I list the item as being sold only in the U.S., including original box and manual, and the price is firm with the buyer paying for shipping and then an UNKNOWN person with a Hotmail account asks if I will ship to Canada, lower my price and inquires if the equipment includes the original box and manual I get angry. Can't these people read??

As a verified member I would like to see the owners of this website make two changes. We sellers should ONLY receive emails from registered users that have a REAL email address. I don't mind a buyer's real identity being hidden from me during the initial correspondence but feel strongly that Audiogon should know who they are. I would also like to see Audiogon institute a verified "buyer" service for a reduced fee. I know, as a seller, if a buyer were verified I would take even the lame inquiries more seriously. A verified buyer fee could be quite low and upgradeable to full verified status for the monetary difference.

The benefits would help everyone have a little more confidence with each other. It would provide an influx of revenue to Audiogon. It would save all the sellers the grief of crank inquiries.

I want to close this rant with expressing how much I value my association with the fine folks that provide this service and the community involved. All of my sales and purchases through this site have left me feeling that I have made friends. It's just a few anonymous jerks that need to be filtered out.

Feel better now,
Patrick
lugnut
lugnut OP
1,190 posts
 
My major complaint is that non-registered users can email directly through Audiogon routers. It seems the least Audiogon could do would be to provide a prompt to such people to register prior to the email being forwarded. And what information do you have for these folks as non-members? A Hotmail address. No member lookup, etc. If you reply they have your email address in the response.

Sean, there is always a work-around for the folks using the office computers. It's no big deal to have two member names, i.e. lugnut & lugnut2. Any member doing this shouldn't have a problem identifying themselves and their primary username in an inquiry. In fact, I'm sure that the code writers at Audiogon could make provisions for multiple email accounts in the member account.

I really am not a snob and don't wish to portray myself as one through my affiliation with this site. In fact, I'm the kind of person that would spend a lot of time trying to help someone out regardless of their knowledge base.

I became a verified member because I know how nervous it can be sending money long distance to a total stranger. I think that, at the least, inquiries should be from registered members only and the idea of a verified buyer is just one polite step interested parties can take to make the comfort level rise to the occasion.

Help fine tune this thought so that the folks at Audiogon will at least consider it. I had a fellow from Brazil keep bugging me until I had to block the sender. He wanted me to provide a ficticous stated value and ship three items with three different carriers. I have an email folder labeled "goofballs" if anyone would like to have some interesting reading forwarded to them.
lugnut OP
1,190 posts
 
Marakanetz,

I don't have an ebay account. These cretins simply email me through an ad. I appreciate the securtity features here which protect my email address.
sean
6,231 posts
 
Lugnut, my point was that people posting from work do not want to use their company's email address for their personal email. This would allow the bosses to keep track of how much actual work was getting done and how much time was spent monkeying around on the internet. As such, they have to make use of some form of personal communications method that does not come through the companies servers or email programs. Hence the wide use of yahoo and hotmail accounts by legit office workers.

Having two log-in names would not be necessary under any conditions as A-gon allows you to log in from ANY computer and use your moniker. The only reason that i can see someone using two monikers would be to act as a "shill" in terms of bidding / feedback or to post rude comments that they don't have the guts to be associated with.

I was not accusing you of being snobbish nor anyone else here of such a trait. I find this forum and group of people to be the most relaxed and pleasurable to talk with out of all of the other audio related websites that i visit. I hope that you nor anyone else took my comments that way, as i was only trying to bring up a point as to how "outsiders" or "non-members" might see things. Sean
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joman
167 posts
 
I assume my offer of a goat, chicken, and a dollar three eighty was not accepted in exchange for the speakers you have advertised.
In the marketplace buyers and sellers alike are always trying to push the envelope. I've read disclaimers at the bottom of an add stating that only members will recieve a response. I suppose this might reduce those unwanted inquiries. As far as some fee based security (verification)there will always be someone bucking the system. I like it left up to the individual to filter out the serious from the ridiculous.
alexanderj
139 posts
 
Patrick: I would support changes that increase the credibility of members involved in transactions. Personally I think your proposed email filter should offer the option of limiting inquires to verified members only. The cost of verification is minimal especially in comparison to many of the products transacted here and a willingness of a member to become verified shows at least a minimal legitimate interest.

Verification could go a long way to increasing the professionalism and security of this site. I'm rather surprised it isn't a requirement of new member registration and especially surprised it isn't a requirement for posting feedback.

A little criticism of Audiogon/Webmaster: The verification process could use a lot more visibility. It's not clear from the main page that there even is a verification process no less what the procedure is toward abtaining verified status.
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