Oh, okay, you want to know how to detect an eBay crook--same lesson as in how to become an eBay crook. I don't do much stereo stuff, but have seen this scenario repeated in coins. There are people who have been naru'ed (not a registered user) from eBay three times or more in coins.
1. Get some pictures of the stuff you want to "sell". In coins, I've seen them "steal" pictures from internet auction catalogs, eBay listings, museums, anywhere. In coins, you see a seller with many coins listed, some scanned, some photographed, one coin sitting on a wooden board, the next one on a blue background, a third cut and pasted using Photoshop, etc. If someone has a number of components to sell, he does not photo one on his bbq, a second one on a green blanket indoors, and a third sitting on the floor. He shoots all his pictures similarly, same background, same size, same "look". Someone "borrowing" pictures does not have that choice.
2. Get an eBay handle--if you've been thrown off, get a new isp, use your wife's name, get a P.O. Box..
3. Show you're a good guy--get some positive feedback. In coins, buy a couple $2 indian cents, a silver dollar, or buy some used shirts, a pair of 38X30 used pants, some inexpensive items--pay promptly, get some positive feedback. To detect these guys, look at what they bought, if it's junk, and they bought it all in the last month or two, look out! I may buy junk, but at least I've been buying it for over 4 years.
4. Now list all your stuff. Get it all up at once, so that it sells, is paid for, and get out of town before anyone realizes what happened. Take the money and run. Of course you can't take PayPal or use an escrow service--because PayPal wants their hand in your pants and you have nothing to deliver. For a prospective buyer--just think--how likely is it that someone who suddenly shows up with $50,000 or more worth of pristine stereo equipment, wants to sell it to you, has not been active buying or selling similar items before?
There are always exceptions, I know I've scored some good items off new sellers, but if some deal looks like a dream and all the above is true--it's likely a nightmare. Pass. These guys feed on collectors' greed, desire for rare items, to the extent that people will ignore normal warning flags. To a first look, everyone on eBay looks the same--but all that feedback information is there, use it!
