Many customers have written asking for advice for how to conduct safe transactions on our Trading Post. For those of you who are unaware, we sponsor a mailing list and Web page devoted to helping people buy and sell used equipment.
Obviously any transactions that occur as a result of contact made on our trading post are exclusively the responsibility of the individuals involved. Sweetwater Sound makes no attempt to verify the validity of any of the facts posted, or the individuals themselves. It is a forum for those who use it and must be used responsibly by those who use it.
Saying that, I can offer a few basic tips. The first and foremost concern I have when transacting on the Internet like this is to have some reliable contact with the other party. If they seem “flaky” that is a red flag. How easy is the person to reach? That’s a clue. Talk to them; if they sound on the up-and-up then they probably are.
Most of the transactions I have seen involve a unit being shipped COD to a recipient who is waiting with a Cashier’s check, or some other secured funds, for a previously agreed upon amount. When the package arrives you may (depending upon the driver) be able to do a cursory inspection of the package before handing over the check. The person sending the gear and waiting for the check is at slightly more risk here, but he or she does have an address. There are many resources on the Web where addresses can be verified. If the address where the equipment will be shipped is a business, it may be worth a call to make sure the person actually works there. If not, I would find out why he wants you to ship it there before shipping. If it is a residence it is usually fairly easy to verify who lives there. Again, if all looks good and everything checks out then you’re at less risk.
The bottom line is trust. You have to have communication with whomever you are to transact with such that you get a feel for them and can trust them. This works fairly well, but is subjective. You have to use some judgment here. If someone is savvy enough and determined enough to rip you off there is little you can do about it. The good news is that in our experience (and we have a LOT of experience in this area) 99.9% of all people you will potentially transact with have honest and honorable intentions (at least that’s what we’ve found in our customers).