- Thread Author
- #1
I’ve been buying and/or selling used gear for well over 30 years now. Other than my first experience with the buyer from Hell (which resulted in a 10 year retreat), most of my 35-40 transactions have been good, although there’s also little doubt that first fiasco made me a good deal more cautious about who I actually do business with.
Lately though, it seems the playing field has deteriorated. Even with following my normal process (phone call, no alarm bells) on my next-to-last transaction with a very expensive item I felt the item was misrepresented (it was advertised as perfect in all ways), and the seller of an item I was interested in buying recently has now flaked - gone radio silent after I told him okay, let’s do this. I wasn’t out any cash thankfully, but I had invested a fair amount of time in researching his somewhat obscure product. Sellers don’t appreciate having their time wasted, but neither do buyers, and I’ve been on both sides roughly equally.
Maybe it’s always been so and I just got lucky after that first disaster, but some of the postings I’ve seen on another audio marketing website make clear to me that, for some of these people, personal adherence to a high ethical standard is not a priority.
The dealers here may be inclined to say I told you so, but has anything really changed or was it always like this? Have the standards and protocols changed while I wasn’t looking? It wouldn’t be the first time I missed a cultural shift.
Lately though, it seems the playing field has deteriorated. Even with following my normal process (phone call, no alarm bells) on my next-to-last transaction with a very expensive item I felt the item was misrepresented (it was advertised as perfect in all ways), and the seller of an item I was interested in buying recently has now flaked - gone radio silent after I told him okay, let’s do this. I wasn’t out any cash thankfully, but I had invested a fair amount of time in researching his somewhat obscure product. Sellers don’t appreciate having their time wasted, but neither do buyers, and I’ve been on both sides roughly equally.
Maybe it’s always been so and I just got lucky after that first disaster, but some of the postings I’ve seen on another audio marketing website make clear to me that, for some of these people, personal adherence to a high ethical standard is not a priority.
The dealers here may be inclined to say I told you so, but has anything really changed or was it always like this? Have the standards and protocols changed while I wasn’t looking? It wouldn’t be the first time I missed a cultural shift.
Last edited:
