Purchasing B&W through Audiogon, any advice?

[audiofan1]

Good Evening,
I have been a fan of B&W for a while and am getting to a point where I can actually purchase them...yaaay! I will most likely be unable to purchase the higher end of the new Diamond series - at least the ones at $15k a pair or greater. I am thinking..hmm, perhaps Audiogon would be a good place to look for 803s's and the like. However, I am afraid of being - how can I say this delicately - shtooped. Are their reliable dealers / retailers that others have had success with through Audiogon? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[leej]

I have used the service several times, but waited for sales within my local area. Or, at least a distance that would be acceptable to travel to. I have seen some with very good feedback, but would hesitate to pay several thousand bucks, without listening to them.
I have had others email me, asking for references for members who I had purchased from. The feedback contains an email link. Perhaps they might share their experience with you.

[omar7631]

I have had nothing but good experience from buying on audiogon. I actually bought my brand new 804s from audiogon, but I always use paypal even if I have to pay 3%. money order or check is too risky for me.

[Glenee]

I have had nothing but good experiences on Audiogon. Knock on Wood. I have purchased and sold over 20 items, and never a hitch. You can read their feedback, although not a perfect indicator should give you some Idea. If they won't give you a Phone Number that's a BIG RED FLAG. If it's a smaller item, under a $1000.00 I ask if they will take a United States Postal Money Order for payment, or pay with a United States Postal Money Order if they refuse that's a BIG RED FLAG. Scammers know that the USPS Postal Inspectors Don't play around when it comes to FRAUD through the USPS. Always send Payment certified mail with tracking Number. If either party doesn't live up to their end of the bargain which you have email's to prove it. They just commited FRAUD through the USPS System and dealing with this is not a good thing when you have to talk to the Postal Inspectors. It's not like some little D.A. who doesn't have the time to prosecute for such a small thing, the Postal Inspectors take all cases serious and will investigate.

[bnieman]

I've been buying and selling on Audiogon for 4 years and I have had nothing but great experiences (knock on wood) too.

When buying I always get a phone number and call to get a feel for the seller. I do as much background checking I can with tools on the internet.

I have also gone and looked at the user's past feedback and contacted previous buyers to see how their experience was. Previous buyers are usually more than happy to provide feedback and a peace of mind, it only strengthens the community.

As others have suggested, get tracking numbers and make sure all shipments are insured. When sending a cashier's check or money order get delivery confirmation for your payment. The bigger the paper trail, the more leverage you have if something goes sour.

And probably the best advice: If it looks too good to be true... it probably is.

[sikoniko]

I would caution on ordering any floor standing speakers. I sold a pair of N804's and they were damaged in shipping. I'd recommend looking for local pickup first and if you order floorstanders, make sure you get original box and freight delivery.

[Relentless]

Good Evening,
I have been a fan of B&W for a while and am getting to a point where I can actually purchase them...yaaay! I will most likely be unable to purchase the higher end of the new Diamond series - at least the ones at $15k a pair or greater. I am thinking..hmm, perhaps Audiogon would be a good place to look for 803s's and the like. However, I am afraid of being - how can I say this delicately - shtooped. Are their reliable dealers / retailers that others have had success with through Audiogon? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I have bought and sold through A-gon for many years and have had good experiences. The only issue that has come up a few times is with FedEx and UPS. Especially if the person is not there when the first delivery arrives and it has to go back to the terminal for a rescheduled delivery. It always seems like they take it out on the package. I got some subs delivered through UPS and they shot rivets in all sides and tried to tell me they must of rolled on top of them. Even with delivery insurance they make it so inconvenient you almost want to just live with the damage. Read there feedback and then read the feedback of the people who gave them feedback, it is a good indicator of who you are dealing with.

[Opus007]

I have bought and sold items with no problems.It pays to do your home work .When ever I sell a item and accept the offer from the buyer I always send my phone number and tell them if they have questions or concerns to call me.If it is a high dollar item I am buying a phone number from the seller is a requirement for me.I also stay in contact with the seller or buyer after the item has beem received.I have bought from as far away as Thailand and have shipped to Thailand and Hawaii.I also offer local pickup and have had buyers pickup locally.Always read the feedback and look for disputes.Audiogon is a great service for those who can not buy new and are looking for a deal and I highly recommend them.One thing to look for is if it looks to be too good of a deal...then it is probably just that.

[Ken49r]

If your going to buy speakers use a Freight service, not a small package service like Fedex (express/ground) and UPS. Both Fedex and UPS have freight carriers now. You want those babies on a pallet, not thrown in and stacked on top of other box's.

With the freight charges it might be cheaper to make a weekend trip and drive to the seller. This way you see and hear before you buy. Makes the whole transaction that much safer for everyone involved.

[emig5m]

I tend to feel much safer buying from someone that you can at least drive half the distance and meet half way so that you can at least visually inspect before handing over the money. I almost bought a used set of 804S from someone in Virginia willing to drive and meet me half way - we just couldn't agree on a price. : I bought my Sub from a guy on Audiogon and was able to go to his house and inspect and listen to it before buying. Speakers is something I definitely feel safer with being able to inspect first. I sold a sub, a pair of 683's, and a HTM61 on Audiogon with no problems. The sub and HTM61 was sold locally and I met them halfway, but the 683's where shipped to Texas via UPS and the buyer said they arrived in pristine condition (I made sure to take pictures and video of the speakers playing with a newspaper with the date of shipment just in case).

[Ken49r]

I was going to buy a pair of new unopened B&W 805s, but when I asked for the serial # the guy gave me a line saying for security reasons he couldn't give them to me.
I offered to drive 400 miles to pick them up from him but he never returned my email. Watched his ad to see if they sold but the ad just disappeared after a week and I never did see SOLD on there.
I still see him on A-gon always selling "new unopened B&W's".

I just sold my DS7's last week through A-gon. Ad is still there. I guess the buyer feels very comfortable because FedEx tried to deliver on Friday but no one was home to sign. I emailed him asking if he was going to go pick them up from FedEx on Saturday or wait for Monday reattempt and he said he will wait until Monday. I don't have that kind of patience. If that was me, I would be at FedEx door at 9am when they opened.

Now that I have had a little more experience on A-gon what I really look for is the feedback. Mainly how long the seller has had the account and also how long the buyer rating the seller has had an account. If they have a history going back a couple years I feel better than someone who just joined.

[emig5m]

I was going to buy a pair of new unopened B&W 805s, but when I asked for the serial # the guy gave me a line saying for security reasons he couldn't give them to me.
I offered to drive 400 miles to pick them up from him but he never returned my email. Watched his ad to see if they sold but the ad just disappeared after a week and I never did see SOLD on there.
I still see him on A-gon always selling "new unopened B&W's".

I just sold my DS7's last week through A-gon. Ad is still there. I guess the buyer feels very comfortable because FedEx tried to deliver on Friday but no one was home to sign. I emailed him asking if he was going to go pick them up from FedEx on Saturday or wait for Monday reattempt and he said he will wait until Monday. I don't have that kind of patience. If that was me, I would be at FedEx door at 9am when they opened.

Now that I have had a little more experience on A-gon what I really look for is the feedback. Mainly how long the seller has had the account and also how long the buyer rating the seller has had an account. If they have a history going back a couple years I feel better than someone who just joined.

Two of the damned guys in which I met in person said they would leave me feedback never did! I even went the extra step to sign a statement and give it to them with the speakers that the product I was selling to them was 100% guaranteed to be in the exact condition and working order that my ad described! So now instead of having positive feedback for all three of my sales, I only have one. Oh well... One thing that helps me is that I've used the same online alias since being online in 1999 so I'm not a person hiding around and trying pop up out of nowhere, scam someone, and then disappear - I've been a member of some online communities with my same name here as long as ten years! I don't really try to sell much stuff online anyway. Normally I can find a friend or family member to buy my stuff...

[Ken49r]

Two of the damned guys in which I met in person said they would leave me feedback never did! I even went the extra step to sign a statement and give it to them with the speakers that the product I was selling to them was 100% guaranteed to be in the exact condition and working order that my ad described! So now instead of having positive feedback for all three of my sales, I only have one. Oh well...

Wouldn't you be able to go through the proper channels at A-gon as you would if you were disputing negative feedback and ask them to give you a positive rating?

Not that it makes a big difference in your case, I'm sure potential buyers viewing your feedback can tell your a hobbyist and not there to make an income off of A-gon.

[Relentless]

Wouldn't you be able to go through the proper channels at A-gon as you would if you were disputing negative feedback and ask them to give you a positive rating?

Not that it makes a big difference in your case, I'm sure potential buyers viewing your feedback can tell your a hobbyist and not there to make an income off of A-gon.

if you sell through the offer system on A-gon the transaction will not be completed on the site until every step is completed including feedback. If they make you an offer through E-Mail, the only thing you can try is to send them some feedback and hope they return the favor when they receive the E-Mail that there was feedback submitted. They are not required to leave feedback in that situation it is just a courtesy. I have sold a few high dollar items that I did not receive any feedback from the buyer. If they are new to Audiogon they may not no better.

[wettou]

Good Evening,
I have been a fan of B&W for a while and am getting to a point where I can actually purchase them...yaaay! I will most likely be unable to purchase the higher end of the new Diamond series - at least the ones at $15k a pair or greater. I am thinking..hmm, perhaps Audiogon would be a good place to look for 803s's and the like. However, I am afraid of being - how can I say this delicately - shtooped. Are their reliable dealers / retailers that others have had success with through Audiogon? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Only if you can audition them IMHO

[audiofan1]

Thank you all for your GREAT feedback on my question, I really appreciate it