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Pet Peeves - my Rants and Raves

Having been in this hobby for 30 years, I have seen it all. Perhaps it is just me but there seems to be more and more bad experiences being encountered. Not to be a whiner but here are my Pet Peeves and other observations.

1. "Nickel and Dimers" - this drives me nuts! You place a "For Sale" ad where a product is priced at or below the lowest price on Agon (in history from Blue Book)and you still get the lowball offers. I know, just ignore them...what about when they call you? It is a waste of everyone's time. Then you have the people who try to weasel out of paying freight or insurance or Paypal. I had a guy the other day buy speakers and request that I fund insuring them for 2x of what they are worth (this after paying 20% below mkt price and me eating Paypal fees). My advice, this is an expensive hobby. If you cannot afford it, do not waste other people's time. One other story...just last week on a $1k preamp purchase (full asking price) a member removed the batteries from the remote! Talk about cheap!

2. Refusal to call me on an expensive purchase or sale. I don't know about you, but if I am making a multi thousand dollar purchase or sale, I require speaking with that person. Call me silly, but over the years it has been my experience that the "gut feel" of speaking with someone generally is accurate. Particularly when dealing with members who have little or questionable historical Feedback. I find it more and more common for people to refuse to call or provide phone numbers. I know, avoid these people.

3. Packing materials - Is it just me or do packing "peanuts" drive you crazy? Seems like foam or bubble wrap work as well or better and do not get all over your house and the equipment just shipped to you. If you must use peanuts, be sure to seal off the equipment (including tubes) with bags so that the peanuts and residue do not get into the equipment. One other item, always wrap any equipment with a bag or something that protects it from rubbing against the packaging - this includes speakers not just electronics. Even if it is a garbage bag, this is better than nothing.

4. Tire Kickers - people who have no intent at all of buying your equipment but just want to compare it to theirs. If this is your intent, simply state it up front.

OK, these are my opinions. Nothing more, nothing less. Your thoughts or other Pet Peeves or Rants and Raves. It is good to get these out on the table as there are new people coming in. Some simple rules of etiquette may be helpful.
jeffga
gunbei
2,327 posts
 
1. It bugs me too when I'm selling, but you really can't blame a person for trying to get the best deal they can. Whether buying or selling, I just try to be fair.

2. I've been buying and selling on Audiogon for almost six years and I think I've only talked to two people on the phone. I think it ended when a prospective buyer breathed into the phone, "what are you wearing..."

3. I got a preamp direct from the manufacturer that was wrapped in bubble wrapped and floating in a sea of peanuts. The thing that scares me about peanuts is that something might go undetected in there, like a rat or a human hand.

4. Tire kickers are part of the territory too. Sometimes they're just curious A'Goners wondering about the sonics of what you're selling. If you need the cash and are trying to make a quick sale it can be tiresome, but I like talking to people and trading ideas, so no harm.

My simple rule of thumb...and fingers is: "Treat others as you'd like to be treated." That's it.
bignerd100
515 posts
 
Amen.
Scroungers make this much less fun.
Tellthem to go to Goodwill if they want a $15 stereo.
dopogue
1,773 posts
 
I agree with much of the rant, but not the part about PayPal fees. Build the fee into your asking price if you like, but I (and many others, I'll bet) refuse to pay a fee that we consider simply a selling cost. Never paid one and never charged one for stuff I sell. If your Home Depot or whatever started charging you for using a credit card, I'll bet you'd pitch a fit. Same thing exactly, in my eyes. Thaqt's MY pet peeve.

But I do detest those peanuts.
markphd
667 posts
 
One pet peeve I have is when the other party to the transaction doesn't leave feedback.

About the batteries not being in the remote...that's a good thing. You don't know what environmental conditions the shipper may subject the shipment to, or the age of the batteries. Batteries can leak or even explode . Professional movers will not take batteries at all if they know about it, unless they have great confidence in their insurance company. I recently moved across country. When the movers packed, all batteries were taken out of remotes and left behind with paint and other flammables. The least you should do is pack the batteries in a sealed, leak proof plastic bag, maybe even in a cardboard package and well away from the area of the box where the equipment is located.
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