Change needed at Audiogon

I consider Audiogon to be the ultimate website for those of us unfortunate enough to choose high end audio as our hobby/lifestyle. It is a blessing. Do you remember when you had to advertise your components in the back of Stereophile? All the wacko calls? The two months it took for your advertisement to appear?

I welcome any bothersome question or unreasonable offer on the equipment that I advertise for sale or auction on this website. Many of those initial "unacceptable offers" have become mutually agreed upon transactions and many of those "stupid questions" were important to the good person who needed clarification. I appreciate the opportunity to reach as many of us as I do for the tiny sum that is asked when I list a component. To me all of the responses to my advertisement is the whole idea behind listing an item, to create interest.

I do completely agree, however, with the expansion of the verification process. I believe that it lends credibility to both buyers and sellers alike. There are always going to be people on the Internet who will look to take advantage of someone else through dishonesty. The verification process may not stop that from happening, but it can certainly help to limit it from happening. I know that for myself I often speak to the person that I working with on purchases over $500. I think that it makes us both feel more comfortable. I also generally prefer to work with people who live within 100 miles so that I can physically see what I am paying for and that those who are purchasing from me have the same opportunity.

Just my thoughts on the subject.

Drew

I'll also take all the inquiries that I can get; you really never know. But I completely agree that members make better traders than nonmembers - likely from experience.
The funniest one I ever got was a nonmember who wanted to base his offering price not upon fair-market, but upon what *I* paid for the cables I was selling. I said what I had to say to close the deal, but he was getting them at about 25% of retail which was actually somewhat below fair market, so I didn't lose any sleep over that one. Of course I lost $ on the deal; I sold at about 50% of my purchase cost. At least they're finally outta here & they found a reasonably good home.

Personally, I don't understand why you would get offended or upset at someone sending you a simple email, pressenting some other options or asking some questions that you may or may not have considered originally!..it's all communication and negotiation really. I can't tell you how many hundreds, yes hundres of times I've told someone I was selling something to(or buying from), that I would only take/pay this much for an item, or only fullfill specific guidelines or options, only to later change my mind due to circumstances changing, or me/them changing our minds!!! ...that's life, and it's all negotiable!
If people are so EASILY offended at simple inquiries, may I suggest there are some deep personal issues that need to be adressed!...and they really shouldn't be dealing with people, or selling in the first place!...or they simply dislike people...one or all of the above.
can't we just all lighten up a little?
Hey if one simply doesn't like someone's email, they can simply delete it!...no emotional outrage necessary.
Oh, BTW, I have a hot mail account I use here. And I've sold hundreds of audio items over the net in the last 7 years!..and have only possitive feedbacks on any and all the forums I deal on...

This thread will soon drop off the "New Today" page. I would like to thank everyone for their thoughtful replies. I believe that a few of the readers didn't quite "get" my first sentence regarding NON-MEMBERS & HOTMAIL. That is my complaint. The verified status I spoke of was simply an attempt to raise the comfort level of everyone involved.

That being said, it comes as a surprise the ability to become verified is a U.S.-only opportunity. The only reason I would not sell to Jeffloistarca is that I don't have a clue about the trappings of taxes, duties, extra shipping fees and the like. Other threads posted here detailing packages held for customs inspection only make me more nervous of international business. If Audiogon wishes to become an international site a method of verification world-wide will need to be implimented. With only a few pieces of personal gear to sell I have decided that the possible grief is not worth the risk of selling international.

I got slammed (in a polite way) by several Hotmail users who are members. Once again, it is the NON-MEMBERS that I was complaining about.

It was just last fall when I made my first purchase here at Audiogon. Prior to contacting the owner of the items I purchased I first registered and in my email I explained that this was my first attempt here at Audiogon to purchase goods and assured the seller of my genuine interest in the products. Perhaps it's just me and my sense of being polite but I figured that this fellow didn't solicite directly to me and since I was, in a sense, invading his email inbox that I ought to take care with my correspondence.

This world is made up of folks that over-communicate, under-communicate and everthing in between. Personally, I tend to favor the over-communicate method. I recently got an email from a life long friend with this being the email text in it's entirety:
Pat,
I bought a Jag today.
Bill
Well, being a car guy I assumed it was a Jaguar and wrote back asking what model and year it was. He replies that it's a Cataraft. How was I to know? I'm not a mind reader.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that (leaving the malicious people out) without the privelidge of face to face negotiations we, as buyers, have a moral obligation to provide a minimum ammount of information to the seller. I sense that some of the posters here wouldn't agree with me on that one and would counter that it's the sellers lot in life to deal with it. That's true. Once it's (an email) in your inbox you must deal with it in some fashion. I don't believe it's unreasonable for users of this site to register. That's Audiogon's call, not mine. It's my choice to use this site or not and I will continue to do so because it's the finest site of its' kind on the planet.

Thanks again to EVERYONE that posted. This is a wonderful group of people with opinions as varied as our systems. It's interesting to note that every poster here IS a member...........

Happy listening,
Patrick