How to buy used?

[P7rancher]

Posting on this forum as I want to own B & W speakers. What safe guards do you use to buy used equipment, escrow service, ratings only?

I want to own a Classe/B&W or Krell or Mc Intosh/B&W system but cannot afford new. So how do you buy and where do you buy used equipment and not get XXXXXXX?

I am new at this and need some help, please be specific as to your advice.

Thanks,
Steve

[DeepEndX]

1) ratings (positive/negative and powerseller??)
2) photo (is it directly from the manufacturer's website or is it a photo taken at home/site. If taken from manufacturer's website, ask for a personal taken photo)
3) if the deal is too good to be true then it is (for example: 800D for less than 10k)
4) message the seller and have a few conversation to see is the seller legit (equipment knowledge, background...etc)
5) before you buy, try to ask the seller's telephone number or address to say that you might drop by to check out the equipment

Good luck!

RH

[Lectoid]

Since you said you're new at this, I'll throw in www.audiogon.com. Most of the same rules apply that DeepEndX stated.

[P7rancher]

Do any of you utilize an escrow service when buying audio equipment?

Thanks,
Steve

[RobP]

Hello Steve,

I buy used equipment all of the time, I am in the process of upgrading my system right now to an all Classe/B&W setup. Most of my used goodies come from my dealer, they know what type of gear I am looking for and they call me when it comes in on trade and such. I have bought quite a few pieces from them at prices that I would have never found on A-Gon or online.
I have also purchased a few items online, but have been burnt a few times with shipping damage and people sending me items that were alot worse than they described. Paypal is a great tool for payment on stuff like that, you can always dispute the sale if things go sour. I have also used Escrow.com on a few of my transactions as well with great results.
All in all your best bet is to build a relationship with your local dealer, and buy used from them, you know what your getting up front then.

Good luck!

[chinets]

Buy from your trusted local dealer, or from a friend that treats his equipment like treasure...That is your best bet, as I hate buying anything that is used, unless I knew that person well, and how well he has treated his equipment. And the MOST important reason is the Warranty and guaranty of the manufacturer that you MUST worry about.
Good Luck and Cheers

[KRC]

Watch ebay, there have been alot of scams there in at least the last six months. Even if you watch out for some of the ideas already mentioned, some scammers on ebay are getting good, I closed a deal with a guy who I thought was living just North of Toronto, Canada.......for various reasons the deal did not pass the sniff test.....after getting ebay security people involved, it turns out this scammer actually lived/works in San Fransisco, USA, sorry guys from the USA but this character was good. When the scammer was offering a pair of 804's for $1200.00 CAD and they sell retail for 6K up North here you need to look closer. I agree with the other writer, some good retailers carry good stock of used equipment to which you can trust for quality etc as it is coming from their store.

Kevin

[Ryx]

I buy a lot of used equipment online, and I haven't been burnt yet (although I have had some shipping damage, I hate UPS!) I use E-bay, Audiogon, and Canuckaudiomart. There are a lot of scams out there so you do have to be careful.

One big thing that is missing from the scam giveaways already listed is when a listing on E-bay has the seller asking you to E-mail them directly and not use the E-bay messaging system. Many times these listings will say to e-mail them for the buy it now price. AVOID these, because if you e-mail them directly then E-bay has no history of your conversation with the seller and will not be able to help you when you do get burned. (the whole reason the scammers want you to e-mail them directly in the first place!)

there are a lot of deals to be had in the used market, just use your head and if something seems fishy then leave it be and continue searching eltsware. Paypal has increased its insurance to $2000 now so if you do get burned in a legitimate auction or purchase, you can make a claim and get your money back.

good luck and happy hunting :-)

[RNKC]

I've bought a lot of stuff on audiogon and find it to be quite good. You have to use your own sense though. You can tell a lot about people from the way they write. I will only deal with people who give verbose description of the equipment and not just some copy & paste from the manufacturer's website. I already know about the equipment in general so it's important for me to know about the actual piece that I'm buying.

Pics are important too. If the ad listing has crappy pics or not many pics I ask for a recent photo. I've learned (the hard way!) to always ask for the serial number and to ensure original boxes, manuals, remotes etc are included in the deal too. I usually ask about reason for sale too as that can sometimes be revealing.

Another guy worth checking out is http://www.jbaudiopimp.com/. He's a bit odd to deal with, but I've found him to be honest and hassle-free. The website isn't much to look at but the equipment he sells is in good condition and is good value as well.

I no longer buy high-end equipment from eBay as the scams are too rampant there. Audiogon is quite good but like I said, you still have to exercise common sense.

[Race Car Driver]

Most of my stuff is used/closeout.

If making a big purchase I like speak with the person over the phone and ask general questions, usually you can get a feel how they are. Is it legit, how the equip was treated, the persons knowledge etc. Go over the details, how long they have owned, any damage, bought new, complete with all accys, will it be double boxed, do they stand behind it, etc etc. Dont be afraid to ask questions, and set your expectations.

Some things are just too fragile IMO to ship USP/Fedex. One example was my HTM1, I was lucky and found an enthusiest off ebay 30 mins from me. Picked it up and saw how fragile the tweeter housing is and how easly that WOULD have been damaged if shipped.

Buying used can be smart, if you are smart. Im sitting at about a 70% off MSRP on my equipment now, and am 100% confident I can get out from under it if desired at zero loss.

[misterdoggy]

I buy on lots of different online shopping sites ie audiogon and several European and Indonesian websites. When someone is selling something expensive they dont mind a phone call which is key. Scams usually dont have fixed numbers. Yesterday I sold an amp to a guy with 0 feedbacks on audiogon. I called him up and discovered he was the CEO of a big company. Secretary's answered the phone etc. When buying I speak to the person and see they are knowledgeable.

If you buy on Audiogon or ebay look at the feedbacks. They should have a lot. The advice about the original foto is OK but not a criteria as I dont always take fotos when I sell.

I practically only buy online and have never ever been burnt. You do have to be careful and use your common sense.

[dan87951]

A good seller is willing to give you his phone number and allow you to stop by and see the equipment is probably legit. Even if I don't live in the area I always look up a town close by on mapquest and say im from such and such area and would like to stop by and take a look. Thats a pretty good indication on there intentions.