[msing539]

I don't know if it exists or not, but I think we could benefit from a network of audio brokers. By that, I mean people in different countries and cities that could help facilitate a transaction for audio gear.

There are many times I want to buy something from overseas, but the seller is unwilling to ship. Same thing with local sales--some sellers only want to exchange cash locally, or offer a significant discount for local pickup. Sometimes PayPal is not the normal way to pay for goods in a country.

In my mind, the way it would work is a seller has an item they're unwilling to ship to your location. The buyer contacts a trusted audio broker in that area, pays them the cost of the item plus a predetermined fee/percentage set by the broker, they purchase the item and test it, then send it to you. The issue I see with this is that the burden of a damaged item falls on the broker, but maybe there's a better system here... maybe you pay both the seller and the broker fee.

I'm just brainstorming and would appreciate some thoughts. Is there something like this already? Like an Instacart for audio gear?

 

[SDBiotek]

Most personal audio gear and headphones don't cost enough to warrant the large mark-up in the overall purchase price for this idea to work. There are freight forwarding services that more or less perform this function. I have had a few Head-Fi members in different countries use them (I would ship to an address in the continental US, and then that item would be repacked and shipped onto its final destination country. I am not sure which specific services they used. eBay also has its own international shipping service.

 

[msing539]

But a freight forwarder doesn't test functionality, right? I have shipped to someone through one and the package took weeks to get to that person. Maybe that's not the norm, but my limited experience with them.

There are some rare instances where I want a headphone and it's priced locally below value. Let's say it's worth $800 used and they have it for $700, and I can't find it anywhere else. Personally, I'd be willing to pay the $100 difference to have someone trustworthy send them to me.

Just an example, though it has happened to me.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Are you talking mostly about used gear that you want to verify, rather than new, off the shelf gear that's unobtainium where you are?

If so, I don't think anybody in the middle is gonna buy gear and take the chance it's faulty and be willing to eat that. And just be glad you're where you are, buying anything and/or having anything shipped in most other countries is a nightmare of many magnitudes more than what you have to deal with.

I think the local currency deal is something we can help each other out on once in a while. In some countries though, even minor purchases get scrutinized and somebody can find themselves in hot water if they get accused of running a business or laundering money when all they tried to do is help people buy audio gear.

My credit card expired after a few years and I had to go to the branch to pick up the new one. I got to answer 30 minutes worth of questions about where my income comes from blah blah blah which is incredibly stupid because it's once a month like clockwork, from my employer (global company) by direct deposit, everything traceable. At the end of the inquistion the woman apologized for the grilling and said the new anti-money laundering regulations for banks required this fiasco...

The world is a big mess right now, and it doesn't look it's gonna get better any time soon.

 

[SDBiotek]

Yes, probably the service I mentioned doesn't typically do any testing, or probably even any real cosmetic inspection. I have also had a sale where the buyer had a relative in the US, so I shipped to that address, and I assume he paid his US relative to cover the international shipping and insurance.

 

[msing539]

Are you talking mostly about used gear that you want to verify, rather than new, off the shelf gear that's unobtainium where you are?

If so, I don't think anybody in the middle is gonna buy gear and take the chance it's faulty and be willing to eat that. And just be glad you're where you are, buying anything and/or having anything shipped in most other countries is a nightmare of many magnitudes more than what you have to deal with.

I think the local currency deal is something we can help each other out on once in a while. In some countries though, even minor purchases get scrutinized and somebody can find themselves in hot water if they get accused of running a business or laundering money when all they tried to do is help people buy audio gear.

My credit card expired after a few years and I had to go to the branch to pick up the new one. I got to answer 30 minutes worth of questions about where my income comes from blah blah blah which is incredibly stupid because it's once a month like clockwork, from my employer (global company) by direct deposit, everything traceable. At the end of the inquistion the woman apologized for the grilling and said the new anti-money laundering regulations for banks required this fiasco...

The world is a big mess right now, and it doesn't look it's gonna get better any time soon.

Yes, that's primarily it... used gear that you can't easily get somewhere else or aren't willing to wait months for one to pop up.

I think it's different from country to country, but who knows. My thinking was FF or bank wire between the buyer and broker. Then whatever local system is in place for the broker to protect themselves financially.

Just an idea... At least I know who I'm calling if I need something from the Czech Republic.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Yes, that's primarily it... used gear that you can't easily get somewhere else or aren't willing to wait months for one to pop up.

I think it's different from country to country, but who knows. My thinking was FF or bank wire between the buyer and broker. Then whatever local system is in place for the broker to protect themselves financially.

Just an idea... At least I know who I'm calling if I need something from the Czech Republic.

The only problem with this idea is, given the temperatures we've had in the last few weeks, the beer I was gonna send you boiled off and now the bottles are empty, but shiny and sterilized

 

[msing539]

The only problem with this idea is, given the temperatures we've had in the last few weeks, the beer I was gonna send you boiled off and now the bottles are empty, but shiny and sterilized

Time for cryo!

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Time for cryo!

<wipes back the tears> Don't think I haven't been