Do you trust Audiogon?

I question the OP's cred if he is unwilling to out the perpetrator.

If I had a larger transaction on line (dubious idea to begin with)
I would pay a local retailer with cred to inspect the item and
turn over my payment or let someone not move forward .

@drastic,

“I killed the deal and reported this to Audiogon - what was Audiogon response to your email? 

Audiogon customer service has been outstanding. And yes, I completely trust Audiogon selling / buying process but I also do my due diligence to weed out disingenuous folks. 

I do trust audiogon , and i like the discussions, but i never, ever pay with Paypal. If i wanna buy something and it’is only with Paypal, they always write:no shipments to Belgium. The reason is that too much fraud happend. The most honest way is.: make a deal, give your bank card number and after the amount is on your account and send the  package. Also request all data from the buyer. (Your data may also not be missing).
Just be honest with each other,true Music lovers are generally.

One person's fears are not everyone's. That particular seller may have been able to explain the situation to the satisfaction of the powers that be here at Audiogon. Plus one problem does not make everything that seller did 'bad'. From the OP here's reaction it may be the seller offered some service the op became alarmed at. It does NOT mean the seller was fraudulent. Only that the buyer was fearful.                                                                 
And IMO . if you 'need' to be 'protected' from predators. maybe you should not be buying stuff off a website?     
So with the paucity of info given, I am all for the seller. Sure the seller may have offered to sell outside Agon. Or offered a mode of money transfer that made the op nervous. Perhaps Agon told the seller please do not do this, and he said "OK".      
Now the op is worried. Reads like he worries a lot? Beyond my two cents to respond. I don't care. Doesn't seem like more than a tempest in a teapot to me.
            

Paucity?  How about a dearth?  What a load.