Here are my tips enlisted below ( read this as RED FLAG ALERTS) that I use specifically for discerning the authenticity of Olx ads from amchi Mumbai given my colourful experiences dealing with dodgy resellers especially with regard to HiFi gear.
in no particular order..
1) Check the location of the seller. For ex: An ad for an Audiolab 6000a / iPhone 11 and the map location invariably points to a slum, that’s a red flag straightaway that screams FRAUD / DRUG ADDICTS / THIEF / TO BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS!
2) An ad that seems too good to be true usually is just that! For ex: Q Acoustics Concept 500 selling for 50,000 INR
conversely a Telome 2.1ch pair of satellite speakers + passive subwoofer with a vulgar asking price of 30,000.
3) be extremely alert/suspicious of ads selling vintage/ new equipment with descriptions featuring words such as ‘well-maintained’, ‘pristine condition’, ‘hardly used’, ‘mint condition’, ‘never repaired’, ‘ works well but may require a little servicing’, ‘imported directly from Japan’, ‘strictly for audiophiles/ music connoisseurs’, ‘used for only 2 hours’, ‘urgent/distress sale hence selling at throwaway price’, ‘no low ballers pls’, ‘price is non-negotiable’, ‘parsi-owned hence lovingly cared for and maintained to an impeccable standard’, ‘downsizing massive collection amassed over the years’, ‘bilkul badhiya chalta hai’, ‘ultra-rare stuff’, ‘highly sought after’ , etc etc …. I hope you get the drift.
4) Ads with blurry pics taken in poor lighting, pics brazenly copied off the internet instead of the actual images. (morons forget there is Professor Google)
5) After you arrive at their location, seller insisting ‘as their policy’ that due to previous bad experiences all potential buyers are screened by them on their building terrace ( 21st floor!!!) to ‘check your antecedents’ before they take you into their ‘home’ on the 1st floor which eventually turns out to be a glorified pigsty replete with paan-stained walls and malfunctioning/ partially functioning equipment! (yeah I’ve done this too with my heart pounding smh) Turn around and run the other way as fast as your legs can carry you lol.
6) seller insisting that you go unaccompanied to their place!
7) ads rife with hilarious typos.
8) ads stating ‘demo not possible’, ‘first payment then pickup/ delivery of equipment’. Always demo to your heart’s content, check every feature of the equipment under consideration! Ask questions till the seller gets a splitting headache!
9) seller who despite being flagged multiple times as unsafe by Olx keeps deleting ads and shamelessly pops up with a new user ID!
10) seller who keeps changing mobile numbers ( 4 numbers were swapped within a month of incessant back-n-forth texting…)
11) stick to sellers close to your location!
Of course there are always exceptions and you might just be lucky enough to stumble upon a decent seller offering an unbelievable deal with well-functioning equipment at a throwaway price! Wishing you the best of luck!
