Not sure why anyone (other than the owners) think this is a good path forward but Audiogon has initiated a new membership level. For $100 a year, or $10 a month, you can be an 'Insider' to the site which comes with various perks. The most valuable one is access to the Blue Book. I used to sign up for that when making major sales or purchases, I figured the price (was it $49 then?) was easily covered by appropriate pricing levels it provided. Not sure of the current price but for the new price you get access to forums with only other 'insiders', ad-free browsing and some other perks, I think. Really hard for me to see much value in any of these. Still, in an age of free-for-all-discourse on most forums, with the commensurate repetitions of old arguments, maybe (just maybe) this will make a difference. Personally, I don't see it but time will tell. Let me know what it's like if you're on the inside, I won't be paying.
4 comments:
I'm not a fan of Audiogon.
They nickel and dime you to death with a charge for this and a charge for that and a charge for this and a charge for that etc etc.
There are waaaayyyy too many "Boosted" listings which muddy up an already weak search engine.
Site stability is terrible at best.
I purchased an item, paid for it and then got redirected back to the pay page again and again, yet no transaction happened and I had to find another way to pay the seller.
And now they want to chare MORE to be an "insider"...forget it.
There's that other US audio site that in my opinion is MUCH better.
(No...id do not have any affiliation with that other site)
OK, I had to remove one comment that anonymously listed a personal identifier of another A'gon user. I tried to edit that username out but the software removed the whole thing. If it was your comment - you can send again without that name listed please, the general point remains valid.
Quick read of the A'gon threads on this new Insider option is curious. A manufacturer who I trust commented that he had been automatically enrolled when it started but was then kicked off when he did not want to pay more on top of what he regularly pays to deal there. Sounds indeed like there's a fierce attempt to 'monetize' Agon going on. I wonder if sales are dropping and it's pushing them in this direction? Listings surely seem fewer than previously and there is some stiff competition coming from other sites. Time will tell.
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