for me, when it's a high dollar transaction i always try to talk to the person on the phone at least once. Its a lot easier to get a feeling for a person when you can hear their voice. Postal money orders are the hot ticket because, as was said above, getting a fed fraud rap is enough to make a lot of folks think...the postal guys are fairly agressive in persuing that kind of thing.
I got a pair of dunlavy athenas shiped from NC to Ne by covering shipping and a deposit with a PMO and then paying the rest with a PMO COD when the boxes came off the truck. If the boxes are trashed you can put a hold on the rest of the transaction right there. I went to a freight co to get my speakers shipped and it cost less than $300 as i remember. Much cheaper and to be honest i trust those guys more than the UPS guys. the trucking company just looked at the trucks in the are and found one with a partial load to fill and away they went. coordination between the seller and the trucker got a bit tricky but it worked.
That crap about fed ex/ups settling with the shipper is a chief rant of mine. I've had claims on about 30% of the stuff i've recieved and it is a huge hassel. THe seller has his money and sometimes they are in no hurry to settle things, especially considering the cooperative nature of the package services. |
I had speakers damaged via FedEx and they(FedEx) would not deal with me at all. They said they had to deal with the shipper, since he was the one who paid. They shipped the speakers back to him and he got the refund for the damage, not me. Luckily he was a good guy and everything worked out. But I could have ended up with nothing and he could have ended up with two checks, mine & FedEx's and the speakers.
Bottom line, make sure you're comfortable with they guy you're dealing with, just in case there's a problem. |
My speakers came Bax and they still managed to mess em up, 2 310lbs speakers and one guy on the truck....go figure! |
Viridian, when's the last time you made a phone call for a dime? Man you must be old. Actually I remember pay phones in Louisianna costing a nickle. Now I use my cell phone with free long distance.
Best advice is talk to the guy. |
Thank you all for your helpful responses. It gives me a good overview of the lay of the land.
Joe |
Totally echo what Jea48 states.200 lbs. should really be left to Bax Global.Your really stretching your luck with that kind of weight regardless of how the monetary end goes down.Everyone has their comfort level and operates differently,so I wont bore you with mine.If their was 1 sure-fire option we would all do it that way.There isnt....so do your homework and best of luck,Bob |
Good advise given so far but it's not a 100% gauranteed that all will work out! There are only two things that matter with this deal, the seller getting his/her money and you getting the speakers, simple! A few things that could go wrong, shipper destroys the speakers, shipper refuses to pay any claims, seller says I packed them good but don't know how the shipper could damage them, you send the money and never hear anything again from the seller. Don't get me wrong as I'm sure this could be a perfect deal and no problems happening but one must be prepaired for the unknown! Good Luck |
>>"This deal would be for speakers over 6K. "<<
>>"Two packages at 200 lbs each'<<
>>"He will accept only personal check or money order."<<
>>>>>>>>>>>
You have more guts than I do.
The chance of 200lbs each speakers arriving undamaged, good luck. Definitely read the horror stories on speakers damaged in shipment in the Agon archives.
How far away does the seller live from you? $6000 bucks ain't chicken feed.
Is it possible you can pick them up yourself?
Have your checked with any freight companies, what it is going to cost to have these speakers shipped to you?
Is the seller going to ship the speakers in crates?
You do know once the shipper accepts the speakers the seller's responsibility is over.....
|
I would never call a person who inquired about a product that I was selling. They just want to give you their life story. At least, if they call you, they are in for the dime. When buying, I always send a cashiers check or money order, IMHO paypal is a waste of money. If you are very nervous, post a new thread asking for an Audiogon member, with good feedback, that lives in the city that the speakers are in, to go over an look at them. I have done this for others. In the end, if you have even the slightest inkling that anything is not 100% right, pull the plug. We are not dealing with old master paintings here, they made more than one set of whatever the speakers are that you are buying. |
Completely agree about getting to know the other party. It also can be enjoyable. I was selling a pair of Kimber IC's to a guy a couple states away. He wanted me to call him (to see what kind of seller I was, I guess), which I did. We ended up talking about blues music for a half hour or so. He turned me on to "Mighty Sam McClain", who I now love.
Finally, follow your gut. If you are comfortable with the seller, great. (IMPORTANT - Make sure you discuss packing properly!!!!!)If there are some doubt's, don't second guess and walk away. There will be other speaker deals coming along.
Oh, don't forget, you only have one feedback as a buyer, so I am assuming the seller has concerns as well.
Good luck, |
never use money orders, etc. no matter what the feedback. its better to pay the paypal fee. when someone does not have an account there is usually a soap opera and you don't want to be a castmember |
Also you should talk to the seller on the phone, that's a great way for both of you to guage your comfort level with one another. You can often get a sense if a seller/buyer feels right. Good luck! |
Tell him the only way you will make the purchase if he sends them to you COD Cash on delivery). FedEx or UPS will do CODs for an extra $6.00. |
If you use a Postal Money Order, and there is fraud involved it would get the feds into the mix, if that's any comfort. |
First you need to search the archives to get a few ideas on this. On the home page, go to "Discussion Forums", and then type in a target word in the blank space below "Search archives".
Words like shipping, seller, buyer & transaction come to mind.
I'm sure this is covered, however, both of you need to exchange phone #'s & addresses & talk about what exactly is expected. Some points to cover include who will handle a problem if shipping damage occurs, reimbursement, etc. Agree to something specific & communicate this, as most situations that become problems could have been avoided by clear & precise communication.
BTW, I only accept checks/MO. I've had a few people refuse to do biz w/me because of that but they simply lost out on a great deal.
Good luck w/your transaction. |
How about a deposit to cover shipping then C.O.D. w/ certified funds. |
