Thoughts

VR3
VR3 Posts: 28,611
edited May 2011 in The Clubhouse
A guy on Audiogon wants to demo my speakers....

He has no feedback and is local...

I sent him a message requesting references to feedback from other sites...

Do you guys think I am in the right or am I off base?
- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
Post edited by VR3 on
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  • leroyjr1
    leroyjr1 Posts: 8,785
    edited May 2011
    I would be worried if he's local.
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  • renowilliams
    renowilliams Posts: 920
    edited May 2011
    It pays to be cautious, it would be a good guise, for a criminal to get access to your home.
    "They're always talking about my drinking, but never mention my thirst" Oscar Wilde


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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,611
    edited May 2011
    Yeah - I dont trust people... and I mean no one... lol

    So I am not really open to opening my house to anyone I dont interact with on a regular basis.
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    edited May 2011
    Well set a demo up some place other than your home
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  • cstmar01
    cstmar01 Posts: 4,424
    edited May 2011
    I'm the same way. I wouldn't like someone just coming into my place and seeing everything so I would want for him to show feedback first. Otherwise no way.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,611
    edited May 2011
    I offered him to put a refundable 500 dollar deposit and I would take them to his house for him to demo on his gear in his room.

    Sounds fair to me... shows absolute interest and you get to try it in your room!
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,271
    edited May 2011
    You live behind sticks procede with caution
    2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
    Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
    Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
    Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC

    erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a
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  • reeltrouble1
    reeltrouble1 Posts: 9,312
    edited May 2011
    Send him a picture of yourself that should get rid of him for sure.........

    I have done demo's but have no idea if you should.

    RT1
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  • TouchOfEvil
    TouchOfEvil Posts: 967
    edited May 2011
    Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote: »
    I offered him to put a refundable 500 dollar deposit and I would take them to his house for him to demo on his gear in his room.

    Sounds fair to me... shows absolute interest and you get to try it in your room!

    Sounds like a good idea to me. What better place to demo something than your own room.
    I certainly would not want some random person in my home.
    Of course going to his home poses a threat as well. I'd most likely ask a friend to accompany me.
    Living Room Rig:D
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,611
    edited May 2011
    I would definitely have someone join - maybe two people...
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited May 2011
    For me I have sold some stuff on CL and had folks come over to demo it. I always made sure my wife knew when they showed up, after the deal was done when they left.

    I got lucky in all three cases for myself, but it was something I thought about.

    Most non audio sales (computer parts, amps) were sold at a busy location halfway between both parties, like a Marsh, Speedway, Best Buy where I knew there would be camera's present.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • kingtut
    kingtut Posts: 813
    edited May 2011
    A couple wks ago in my city, a young man answered a CL ad. He was set up by 3 gang-bangers, and they robbed him. The young man chase after the gang-bangers and was shot to death. It's better to be cautious.
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  • gdb
    gdb Posts: 6,012
    edited May 2011
    To take a measure of the guy,meet him for a coffee at the Mall,etc., explain to him why you want to do this, if he's reasonable he'll agree to it. Then .......you can blindfold him until he's inside the house!!!:eek::biggrin:JK but, the meet-up in a public place is a tried and true "filter".:wink:
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited May 2011
    What was your "gut" feeling about the guy following the conversation?We all had zero feedback at some point.Trust your instinct's.
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,611
    edited May 2011
    At this point I do not know...
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,068
    edited May 2011
    He might be as paranoid as you thinking it's a phoney add to lore someone to your place. If you're that scared, paranoid, untrustworhy of people as the norm...only sell to family members or Polkies. Only if you think you can trust them too.

    Come on, just have a few of your friends there when & if the potential buyer comes to your place. There are good, decent, honest people out there you know.
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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  • decal
    decal Posts: 3,205
    edited May 2011
    Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote: »
    Yeah - I dont trust people... and I mean no one... lol

    So I am not really open to opening my house to anyone I dont interact with on a regular basis.

    Sounds like you already have the answer to your question.
    If you can't hear a difference, don't waste your money.
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  • HTguru1982
    HTguru1982 Posts: 1,066
    edited May 2011
    I was robbed about 4 years ago by my neighbors. Was always nice to them too. My gf at the time baked them cookies whenever she could, I practically gave them a car that I no longer had a use for. While I was in the process of moving to a new place, they broke into the old place, stole various computer equipment, tools, dvds, etc. Luckily, I had all of my most valued items, including all of my A/V gear moved into the new house so the loss wasn't too bad but my sense of security was completely destroyed and in a way, that's worth a whole lot more than any material item.

    I guess the point I'm trying to make is just be careful. I would be hesitant about letting anyone I didn't know into my home. That you can be robbed by people you trust makes it difficult to judge a person or a situation such as yours. Use caution...
    Display: Sony 42" LCD
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited May 2011
    Did you engage in a telephone conversation,,or just swap e-mails?.Anytime I have ever bought or sold,,Agon--Craigslist,etc,,the sale was always preceeded by a phone conversation. If someone wanted me to fork over a fee prior to audition,,I would walk away,,cause in my mind,that would raise a suspicion-- good luck with the sale.
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • Sherardp
    Sherardp Posts: 8,038
    edited May 2011
    Be careful, pack the 9mm or 45 just in case. Better to be safe than sorry. Definitely demo offsite if that is possible. It would pose as a perfect opportunity to check out the place, see what's easy to grab and get out of there.

    A guy I purchased my 1st bike from shared a story with me after we became great friends. It turned out all 4(we both brought buddies) of us had guns just in case the deal went down wrong. Moral of the story, trust no one. In the end we just laughed about it.
    Shoot the jumper.....................BALLIN.............!!!!!

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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited May 2011
    Jesus guys,, we are talking about a speaker deal,, not coke.
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
    edited May 2011
    Always use caution. However, I'd say that most run-of-the-mill thugs aren't as likely to be trolling Audiogon as they would, say, CL. The idea of meeting him while others are present is a good one. I would at least have to have a pretty good conversation with him prior to letting him know my address. A good way might be to gauge his knowledge of audio. If you can peg him as a semi-audiophile, I'd say you're ok. Real audiophiles don't rob or harm people. :smile:
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  • amulford
    amulford Posts: 5,020
    edited May 2011
    Jesus guys,, we are talking about a speaker deal,, not coke.

    Yeah, but you can't be too careful anymore. The kid has some nice stuff, he ain't selling some $25 speakers...
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited May 2011
    Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote: »
    I offered him to put a refundable 500 dollar deposit and I would take them to his house for him to demo on his gear in his room.

    Sounds fair to me... shows absolute interest and you get to try it in your room!

    Except he doesn't know you either. It's a tough call, if you have so much distrust perhaps you stop buying and selling stuff via the internet. You can't have it both ways. Certainly take precautions, but if it were me and you told me I had to put $500 deposit down and you (a perfect stranger) had to come to my house, I'd certainly think about why I couldn't come to your house.

    Just sort of playing devils advocate, but there is some truth in there too.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • fishbones
    fishbones Posts: 947
    edited May 2011
    Do whatever makes you feel safe! If you do have the guy come over to your house, I would recommend that if you have wife/kids - that they not be there when he shows up for safety's sake.

    I have met with people at my home before from CL for a speakers sale, but had a phone conversation with him first and felt comfortable with him...he was bringing his wife with him, which helped...made sure my family was somewhere else for the appt...and had an equalizer in the closet as a worst case scenario. It went without a hitch and they were really nice people, but obviously that's not always the case. If you do it, having a friend present is a good recommendation.

    EDIT: I would agree that if I was the other guy and you wanted me to give you $500, and then wait for you to show up at my house, I'd be suspicious of you. JMO
    ..... ><////(*>
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,004
    edited May 2011
    Trey, just have him see them at your store. Best of all worlds. You have gear to hook them up too, employees present and you are in a relatively populated area. You know, there was a time you didn't know me from Adam and I came to your pad to pick up the VMPS.
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • DaveHo
    DaveHo Posts: 3,501
    edited May 2011
    I've demo'd speakers to people I don't know. Demos happen in the garage with inexpensive spare gear. Door to the house is locked, keys are not on me. This has always worked out fine for me. In my experience, buyers just want to verify the stuff works, not give it a lengthy audition.

    -Dave
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited May 2011
    A few people have let me demo their speakers in their homes. Two of them had well over 100K systems. I thought to myself at the time how stupid it was to have a stranger in their home. I was more worried that someone else would steal it and I would be blamed. It would be optimum to set up some equipment in a garage as mentioned above. As I type this I realize the best method would be to know you have enough insurance to cover everything and enough documentation to prove what you have. You never know, the guy could be perfectly honest but tells a friend who tells a friend who needs crack what you have.
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited May 2011
    madmax wrote: »
    You never know, the guy could be perfectly honest but tells a friend who tells a friend who needs crack what you have.

    I just about spit Diet MD on my computer screen after reading that...I am tempted to put it in my sig lol...
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,611
    edited May 2011
    Good advice...

    Tom I spent a weekend with you in Georgia... if you were a bad guy it would have came out in your drunken state I am sure ;)
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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