[Greed]

Quote:

Yes I did pay through Paypal and with CC.  I will not pay with gift option unless I had previous successful transaction with the seller.
 
I really like to believe that Matt (ILL-Audiophilac) simply just too busy to ship the amp because it is just couple hundred dollars.  
 
Well, I hope to hear from Matt soon if not then I need to contact Paypal and my credit card company to dispute the charge.  It is too bad, I was hoping to listen to Pico Power this weekend.  

 
Well he has no feedback, low post count, but the positive is he isn't a NEW member, just a recent one. Good luck, wish you the best.

 

[xinghui0711]

I had been scammed once when I used gift payment. It's recommended for buyers to use regular payment to guarantee a secure transaction.

 

[IceClass]

Quote:

I had been scammed once when I used gift payment. It's recommended for buyers to use regular payment to guarantee a secure transaction.

 
NEVER deal with people who want you to pay as a gift via PayPal. Never.
I learned the hard way.
Honest traders won't even suggest it.

 

[Greed]

Quote:

 
NEVER deal with people who want you to pay as a gift via PayPal. Never.
I learned the hard way.
Honest traders won't even suggest it.

 
Haha, come on now... 
 
There are plenty of honest people that utilize the gift option via PayPal. Just don't be ignorant about it. Use feedback, ask specific questions, even call the person. I've used the gift option on some of my sales, both on AudioGon and here on Head-Fi, and my buyers end up happy all the same. Generalizing that ALL traders who suggest or use gift are dishonest is narrow minded. 

 

[xinghui0711]

Haha, come on now... 


There are plenty of honest people that utilize the gift option via PayPal. Just don't be ignorant about it. Use feedback, ask specific questions, even call the person. I've used the gift option on some of my sales, both on AudioGon and here on Head-Fi, and my buyers end up happy all the same. Generalizing that ALL traders who suggest or use gift are dishonest is narrow minded. 

That's not what I meant, but you have the point. I was scammed by a guy who has both sell and trade feedback (1 for each). I didn't have any problem with gift payment before that lesson. Even when I want to sell my own gear, regular PayPal payment is what I would suggest.

 

[Bu11dog]

Thank you all for your supports.  I still not hear back from the seller Matthew Simonetti (ILL-Audiophilac).  I already filed a claim with Paypal and dispute with my credit card company.
 
Sorry to change the topic on this forum.  Let's go back to talk about Pico Power.  I will get one from Justin after I get my money back.
 
 
Quote:

That's not what I meant, but you have the point. I was scammed by a guy who has both sell and trade feedback (1 for each). I didn't have any problem with gift payment before that lesson. Even when I want to sell my own gear, regular PayPal payment is what I would suggest.

 

[xinghui0711]

Thank you all for your supports.  I still not hear back from the seller Matthew Simonetti (ILL-Audiophilac).  I already filed a claim with Paypal and dispute with my credit card company.

Sorry to change the topic on this forum.  Let's go back to talk about Pico Power.  I will get one from Justin after I get my money back.

That's good. Justin has grey Pico Power in stock for immediate shipment.

 

[Greed]

Quote:

That's not what I meant, but you have the point. I was scammed by a guy who has both sell and trade feedback (1 for each). I didn't have any problem with gift payment before that lesson. Even when I want to sell my own gear, regular PayPal payment is what I would suggest.

 
Agreed. I haven't been burned yet from this site, but I sympathize and understand where you are coming from. It just sucks that even people with positive feedback still do that. Makes it tougher for people that have positive feedback and want to save money for the buyer or themselves. 

 

[IceClass]

Quote:

 
Haha, come on now... 
 
There are plenty of honest people that utilize the gift option via PayPal. Just don't be ignorant about it. Use feedback, ask specific questions, even call the person. I've used the gift option on some of my sales, both on AudioGon and here on Head-Fi, and my buyers end up happy all the same. Generalizing that ALL traders who suggest or use gift are dishonest is narrow minded. 

 
Disagree.
The gift option is for sending money not buying goods on a forum. It removes the purchaser's protections and is against the forum's rules of trading.
It is dishonest of a seller and silly of a purchaser. Don't do it. Don't ask it. In the end it just attracts sharks.

 

[Mad Dude]

Yay! Finally got my Pico Power, after five months of waiting.

Looks gorgeous and sounds great too (as far as differences between amps go... which isn't terribly much).
 
I've already mutilated the case though. Has anybody found a case that fits both the pico power and a DAP (i.e. an iPod Touch)?

 

[Greed]

Quote:

 
Disagree.
The gift option is for sending money not buying goods on a forum. It removes the purchaser's protections and is against the forum's rules of trading.
It is dishonest of a seller and silly of a purchaser. Don't do it. Don't ask it. In the end it just attracts sharks.

 
Well, I understand where you are coming from, but anywhere were I can save people some money or myself some, I'll do it if the buyer allows it. Just to be clear, using the gift option is not against the forum's rules, so you might want to reread them. It's only dishonest, if you aren't upfront with it, with the buyer. Bottom line is, lots of people use it that haven't been burned. You just can't be willy-nilly about it.

 

[rudi0504]

Yay! Finally got my Pico Power, after five months of waiting.
Looks gorgeous and sounds great too (as far as differences between amps go... which isn't terribly much).

I've already mutilated the case though. Has anybody found a case that fits both the pico power and a DAP (i.e. an iPod Touch)?

Congrats for your new pico power
Wow you have mutilated your case already
Pleae go to camera shop , they have a lot of camera case that can fit your amp and iPod together

 

[Asr]

I'm thinking about maybe buying a Pico Power but had a battery-related question for those who already own one. Sorry if it's already been answered more than once, but what's the best type of 9V battery to use - Lithium Ion, NiMH, etc? And any recommendations for specific brands?
 
Quote:

Well, I understand where you are coming from, but anywhere we I can save people some money or myself some, I'll do it if the buyer allows it. Just to be clear, using the gift option is not against the forum's rules, so you might want to reread them. It's only dishonest, if you aren't upfront with it, with the buyer. Bottom line is, lots of people use it that haven't been burned. You just can't be willy-nilly about it.

 
Just want to set the record straight here on something about PayPal Gift - with facts, not opinions. First, a payment made via Gift is NOT easily refundable by the seller. If a refund has to be made for any reason, the seller will have to "send" money back to the buyer. On the other hand, a payment made via Purchase of Goods will have a quick "Refund" button available for up to 60 days, in which case PayPal automatically reverses the payment, including the applicable fees. Second, Gift payments don't have the same level of seller protection as Purchase payments - for example, if a buyer sends payment and files a claim (for literally any reason, whether valid or bogus), PayPal will usually favor the buyer (because a purchase wasn't made) and return the funds to the buyer, leaving the seller with no item and no funds. With Purchase payments, on the other hand, there's at least some chance that PayPal will return funds to the seller. With the Gift option, there's absolutely zero chance that would happen.
 
So it really makes sense for sellers to receive Purchase payments as opposed to Gift, particularly for unknown buyers. Really, the only reason that anyone should ever use Gift is for highly reputable buyers, because otherwise any buyer in PayPal can decide to file a claim or not, for any reason whatsoever, even for completely bogus reasons - like scamming buyers who buy an item, receive it, and then file a claim to get their money back. Even for ethical buyers, what happens if the item gets lost in transit? If payment was made with Gift, the seller has absolutely no recourse to get any money back from PayPal. Considering that most sellers don't insure the items that they ship (so that they can't get money back from the shipping courier either), it becomes a lose-lose situation. (This is also why tracked shipping is recommended over non-tracked shipping, so you know whether or not the item was delivered to the buyer and can use that evidence against unethical buyers filing a bogus claim that the item was never received.)
 
So unless you absolutely trust a buyer and know with certainty that the item will get to its destination intact, I strongly recommend against receiving Gift payments. It's really not worth the 3% savings for those unknown variables.
 
I personally require all payments to be made as Purchase of Goods now, because it protects me as a seller if anything goes wrong. Not that anything has gone wrong yet, but it's better to be safe than sorry, right?

 

[Greed]

Quote:

I'm thinking about maybe buying a Pico Power but had a battery-related question for those who already own one. Sorry if it's already been answered more than once, but what's the best type of 9V battery to use - Lithium Ion, NiMH, etc? And any recommendations for specific brands?
 
 
Just want to set the record straight here on something about PayPal Gift - with facts, not opinions. First, a payment made via Gift is NOT easily refundable by the seller. If a refund has to be made for any reason, the seller will have to "send" money back to the buyer. On the other hand, a payment made via Purchase of Goods will have a quick "Refund" button available for up to 60 days, in which case PayPal automatically reverses the payment, including the applicable fees. Second, Gift payments don't have the same level of seller protection as Purchase payments - for example, if a buyer sends payment and files a claim (for literally any reason, whether valid or bogus), PayPal will usually favor the buyer (because a purchase wasn't made) and return the funds to the buyer, leaving the seller with no item and no funds. With Purchase payments, on the other hand, there's at least some chance that PayPal will return funds to the seller. With the Gift option, there's absolutely zero chance that would happen.
 
So it really makes sense for sellers to receive Purchase payments as opposed to Gift, particularly for unknown buyers. Really, the only reason that anyone should ever use Gift is for highly reputable buyers, because otherwise any buyer in PayPal can decide to file a claim or not, for any reason whatsoever, even for completely bogus reasons - like scamming buyers who buy an item, receive it, and then file a claim to get their money back. Even for ethical buyers, what happens if the item gets lost in transit? If payment was made with Gift, the seller has absolutely no recourse to get any money back from PayPal. Considering that most sellers don't insure the items that they ship (so that they can't get money back from the shipping courier either), it becomes a lose-lose situation. (This is also why tracked shipping is recommended over non-tracked shipping, so you know whether or not the item was delivered to the buyer and can use that evidence against unethical buyers filing a bogus claim that the item was never received.)
 
So unless you absolutely trust a buyer and know with certainty that the item will get to its destination intact, I strongly recommend against receiving Gift payments. It's really not worth the 3% savings for those unknown variables.
 
I personally require all payments to be made as Purchase of Goods now, because it protects me as a seller if anything goes wrong. Not that anything has gone wrong yet, but it's better to be safe than sorry, right?

 
I've been using the Maha PowerEx Imedion 9.6V 230mAh, and they sound somewhat better than the original batteries included with the Pico Power. They are decently priced, and reliable. Only problem I have with these is you have to have a NiMH capable battery charger. You can't use any ordinary one. It also is reasonably priced, so I got 4 batteries and the charger for just about $100. Not bad. 
 
Here's a link: http://www.amazon.com/PowerEx-IMEDION-Low-Self-Discharge-Rechargeable-Battery/dp/B004NVVPJC
 
In regards to the "gift" debate, I really am not trying to say gift is better than payment for goods. All I had a problem with is the generalization that EVERYONE that uses gifts are dishonest, and that sellers can't be trusted that give the option to gift payment. Certainly, I'd rather do go the payment for goods method, but PayPal is starting to really squeeze their users with these fees. The  fee is now 3.5%, not 3%. It's a matter of dollars difference, but when you are trying to buy something large... say a $2000 AMP or DAC, I usually try to do bank transfer, or other means of payment. 3.5% of $2000 is a lot of money, that is just thrown away to those greedy corps. Anyways, I'm not an advocate for using the gift option, I'm simply saying it is an option, that saves people money. Yes there is risk involved, but that's the chance you take to save some money.

 

[purk]

Justin stated earlier that the li-ion will sound best due to lower resistance, but not as good at driving difficult loads compared to Ni-MH.  If you plan to use lower impedance phones with the Pico Power, check out 8.4 V Lithium Ion battery; otherwise, go with 9.6V NiMH.  I personally use the Maximal Power 8.4  550 mah with great results.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Maximal-Power-9-Volt-Rechargeable-Battery/dp/B0051WZ516/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372101250&sr=8-1&keywords=9+volt+li-ion+batteries
 
http://www.amazon.com/Maximal-Power-Combo-MaximalPower-Rechargebale/dp/B007VIZRAW/ref=pd_sim_e_2