AVSA CLASSIFIED COLUMNS

[christowp]

Like all audio enthusiasts I often have a look at the classified section of AVSA on line. I have also used this to both buy and sell equipment. Of late I have become a bit annoyed by advertisements for goods avaialble with no price, only make an offer. When enquiring about prices sellers indicate have often indicated clealry that they were testing the ,market for possible prices and will take best offers or advertise later when they know the value of goods. Probably a lgitimate practice but can be a nuisance to serious buyers as sellers just use the space to assist with their pricing.

Another annoying practice is when sellers post no telephone numbers or email and only the contact seller option is available. Many times they do not respond to enquiries. The last problem is when sellers respond and say the goods are actually broken and being repaired 

This has happened a few times to me and a few folks I know and I feel it is a bit of time and resource wastage to advetrtise in a specilist column when you either do not really want to sell or just want confrimation fo value of items. Just my opinion and maybe these are actually noraml practices which I am unfamiliar with.

     

[GearSlave]

What you experienced above is hardly the accepted norm and I'd be surprised if it happens a lot. I've certainly never experienced it. What has been happening, I believe, is that scamsters has been scrutenising AVSA for possible suckers. A real pity, as it's such a wonderful resource for someone after some decent kit.

[Byrd]

Another annoying practice is when sellers post no telephone numbers or email and only the contact seller option is available.

I don't advertise my telephone number in adds. I will provide that to a person after I have vetted them via written communication first.

The "contact seller" option you are refering to is I think the "respond to add" option? That actually opens up your usual email client to email the dude - so I am not sure what you mean by no email addresses are available?

[Andrew]

Hi Chris,

I'll take a look into your complaints. But the 'respond to ad' does send them an email, and if they don't reply, I'm afraid that's nothing we have any control over. But I wil ltake a look at the no price one and see if we can tighten it up.

Cheers,

Andrew

[christowp]

Thnaks for your response folks.

Byrd I think I got that mixed up: yes respond to add does allow one to email the seller, its the no response to this I am sometimes unhappy with. But as Andrew indicates this is beyond anyones control.

I hope that the scamsters and other chancers who abuse the ads forum can be weeded out - make an offer or better make a reasonable (decent offer), check reviews on google and make an offer are bit too convoluted for this kind of trading

regards and thanks for a good space to buy and sell audio kit. 

[Andrew]

Regrettably there are scammers everywhere, and both ourselves as well as AV Forums have listed a series of warnings as to new ploys, as and when we get them. You just have to be as careful as possible, and follow those guidelines to a T to protect yourself.

[Raffs]

What has been happening, I believe, is that scamsters has been scrutenising AVSA for possible suckers.

For those that have not experienced this watch out for a group that go by the name of Yusuf 

[Gilton]

As a new member to AVForums, but a long-standing user of the classified columns, my experience has been largely positive. I have bought and sold numerous bits of kit advertised in said columns. There was a palpable sense of community and trust among the people I interacted with. It is therefore disturbing to read that scam artists are now targeting the AVSA website. There also seems to be an increasing trend of people not responding to emails, which is a great pity.

[Andrew]

You just have to follow some very basic rules - until you have the money in your hands/cleared and into your account, you don't part with the equipment, no matter what 'proof' the buyer gives you. Usually if you make that non-negotiable, the scam artists go elsewhere.

[naughty]

the other alternative is to purchase from people you know and have conversed with for a very long time up to now but the problem with this is that now and then there are offers on there that are absolute bargains - and another option is for AVSA to consider a rating system like E-Bay uses - where each successful transaction earns you a point toward your positive or negative feedback - if thats difficult then they could maybe implement a trusted sellers/buyers list based on feedback from classifieds users then you know who to trust or not just like on the speed and sound forum

[Andrew]

Hmm, we're an awfully small company - we just don't have the facilities to do that sort of thing. I know that here, in this forum's classified section, a couple of the guys have done up a list of recommended sellers. But as you say, sometimes there are great bargains, but the sellers are new and unknown, which makes a problem...

[PAPPA3]

A personal gripe is with newbies getting excited about stuff they see when entering the forum, committing to buy, but then not following through - just deadly silence after the initial flurry of excitement.  Don't proceed with negotiations unless you've first done your homework and actually have the cash.  Like the verse, "Who goes out to war, and does not first consider if he has the strength to fight his opponent?"

Everyone has to start out new, but this has led me to preferably deal with established forum members. 

[placebo]

I have purchased two items from the classified and in both cases the sellers were very helpful and obliging.My latest purchase were the B&W WM6 outside speakers bought last Monday