Head-Fi Classifieds Rules & Guidelines
(Updated May 2023)
Head-Fi Classifieds is a place for active community members to buy and sell privately-owned audio gear. For common questions regarding the use of Head-Fi Classifieds, please visit our Head-Fi Classifieds FAQ and Walkthrough.
Head-Fi Classifieds is a private gathering place for members who have been registered for 30 days, have made at least 15 posts on the forums, and have enabled two-factor authentication (2FA) on their account. Use of this area is at your own risk. The use of the classified system is a privilege and not a right. Head-Fi reserves the right to close, edit, or delete any listings as the moderators and admins see fit. Head-Fi also reserves the right to alter the requirements for posting a classified for any member or group of members at any time.
Head-Fi Classifieds access can be removed. Head-Fi does not allow rapid-posting to gain access to Head-Fi Classifieds, and doing so will result in the loss of access. Creating a second account to try and manipulate sales, evade removed access or get around negative feedback received will result in an immediate, permanent, and irrevocable ban.
Head-Fi (hereafter "We") does not monitor the postings on the site for accuracy or reliability, and makes no warranty as to the accuracy or reliability of any information posted on the site. We do not guarantee or have information regarding the quality of any of the products bought or traded or acquired through the Classified area. The choice to participate, the terms of any transaction and the outcome are solely your responsibility. Deals are made solely between members and we not liable for any any loss or damage, including but not limited to no payment, not receiving item, personal injury, death, or any other negative outcome, resulting from use of Head-Fi Classifieds or bought/traded items. We are not responsible and will not compensate any participants in any way for trades conducted by other Head-Fi Classifieds participants and will not deliver transacted products. While we encourage equitable sales and trading, we have no responsibility for the fairness or completion of any transaction.
Main Rules
Two-factor authentication is required to create, modify, and close listings
Head-Fi requires two-factor authentication (2FA) for any members interested in creating listings - including "Want To Buy" and "Free To Good Home" listings - on Head-Fi Classifieds. To enable 2FA on your profile, please visit the Password and Security page. 2FA is not required to view listings or to contact listing creators.
Please see our post announcing this change for more details and frequently asked questions.
Only protected payment methods are allowed
Please only offer, request, or send payments via protected methods like PayPal Goods and Services. Head-Fi no longer requires that PayPal fees be included in the asking price, provided a protected payment method like PayPal Goods and Services is used.
Payment via unprotected methods like PayPal Friends and Family, Zelle, wire, money order, bank transfer, etc is strictly forbidden. Offering, requesting, or requiring unprotected payment methods may result in edited or removed listings and a suspension or ban from Head-Fi Classifieds.
Auctions, Interest Checks, and For Sale listings without prices are not allowed
All "For Sale" and "For Sale / Trade" listings must have a set asking price, and the asking price must be included in the Price field when creating a classified. "For Sale" listings without prices or listings with obviously inaccurate/misleading prices (e.g. $0.01, $1234.56, etc.) will be edited or removed. Auctions and Interest Checks are not permitted. Please use eBay or Audiogon if you want to auction your gear. Prices are not required for "For Trade," "Want To Buy," and "Free To Good Home" listings.
Post only one item per listing
If you are selling a collection of items in a bundle, such as a collection of CDs, that is considered one item. Do not create a bundle listing and then sell individual CDs to different members. Our Feedback system only allows you to leave feedback for one person per listing.
Sell to only one person at any time
When selling (or buying), if multiple people are interested, please choose one person to sell to and go forward with that person. Asking for payment for an item from multiple people at the same time is fraud, and will result in losing access to Head-Fi Classifieds. Do not pit multiple buyers against one another in a bidding war.
Do not give your payment details unless you are ready to ship
If you are currently traveling or otherwise unavailable and unable to ship immediately, do not send invoices to or request payment from an interested buyer. In the rare event that something urgent comes up (eg: family issues) after you have received payment, either immediately send the item or immediately refund the buyer.
Head-Fi Classifieds are not discussion forums
If you are interested in discussing a listing or wish to notify the poster of something, please send them a private message. If you believe that a classified should be brought to the attention of the moderators and/or admins, please click on the report button - found in the "..." drop down menu - and fill in the details with what you feel is inappropriate or suspicious about it rather than leaving a comment on the listing.
Recommendations:
Buying and selling items on the forums for the express purpose of making a profit is not allowed. Buying an item to resell at a profit is known as "flipping." People found to be using the forums or private messaging system for this purpose may have their Head-Fi Classifieds access revoked and their account banned. However, items purchased some months or years prior to the sale for private use - the market value for which has changed - can be sold at their current market value following moderator approval. Examples of this would be the AKG K1000, vintage Grados such as the HP-1000/HP-2, the Stax Omega I, Sony R-10 and Qualia 010. We ask that you please contact a moderator before posting these listings to make sure everything is in order. Listings like these which have not been approved may result in losing access to Head-Fi Classifieds.
DIY items cannot be sold at greater than the cost of parts (and shipping), as doing so would make the DIY'er a Member of the Trade and subject to the rules as stated in the Terms of Service.
Commercial Sales
Non-sponsor Members of the Trade (MoT) cannot use Head-Fi Classifieds to sell items which are or include items connected with those they normally make or sell under any circumstances (even if at a loss). For example, a cable maker cannot sell headphones that have been re-wired by them and an amp builder cannot sell amps or spare parts for amps they make, etc. Any MoT who wishes to sell an item and is unsure as to whether they are allowed to sell something should first contact a moderator to check.
Forbidden items
Products that are of dubious legality cannot be sold or traded on Head-Fi Classifieds, such as computers, hard drives, or DAPs loaded with music.
Products can only be sold if they are physically in your possession. Crowdfunded products (eg: those from Kickstarter and Indiegogo) and pre-orders cannot be listed in Head-Fi Classifieds. You cannot sell your pledge or spot in line.
Listings created on behalf of others are not allowed under any circumstances. Doing so may result in losing access to Head-Fi Classifieds indefinitely.
Review samples and accommodation purchased items
Review units and other gear received for free cannot be sold or traded, period.
Accommodation purchases, that is, items sent for review but then sold afterwards to the reviewer at an "accommodation price" cannot be sold at a higher price than was paid for the item.
Doing either is highly unethical and a serious abuse of your membership here and, not to mention, a serious abuse of the manufacturers. Using Head-Fi Classifieds to make a profit comes under the same rules those for Members of the Trade and is considered to be "flipping for profit" or shilling, depending on circumstances (eg: Telling a manufacturer you'll post a positive review if you can get the item for free or at a discount). Members found to be using Head-Fi Classifieds and/or Head Gear to profit from review items, even if the items were sold or traded elsewhere, may have their reviews deleted, access to Head-Fi Classifieds removed, and/or will be banned.
Items received for free can be given away using the "Free To Good Home" prefix on Head-Fi Classifieds.
DIY Items
DIY items strictly cannot be sold for more than the cost of parts and shipping.
If you are a DIY'er who feels they should be compensated for their time, then you fall under our rules for Members of the Trade and you should contact a moderator or administrator about it. However, if you fall under our MoT rules, you cannot use Head-Fi Classifieds to carry on a business.
Head-Fi Classifieds Access Removal
We reserve the right to remove the ability for individual members to post classified listings for any reason whatsoever. Individuals who have had classified access removed who create a new account to evade the block will have their accounts immediately, permanently, and irrevocably banned.
Feedback Rules & Guidelines
To protect yourself during transactions, there are a few precautions we recommend you take. If you are a buyer, try to pay for your transactions through PayPal and use a credit card to make the payment. That way, if the transaction goes bad, you might be able to get a refund through PayPal or your credit card. If you are a seller, use PayPal as well. It would also be wise to include insurance and/or delivery confirmation for the package. That will help protect you.
Do not request payment via PayPal Friends and Family
This both goes against our Head-Fi Classifieds Rules and Guidelines and is a generally unsafe practice when buying and selling online. Please see our Main Rules section for more details.
Do not ship items without registration and tracking
Sending an item without registration (and without tracking), especially overseas, vastly increases the risk of the item being stolen or lost. We have seen some cases of headphones being stalled in customs in one country for a month, after which they arrived damaged. Sending an item overseas without tracking (International Express/EMS, available in most countries, has tracking included to most destinations and has a reasonable cost) leaves you with essentially no proof of delivery if a complaint is filed with PayPal.
Document everything
Taking clear, detailed photographs of items immediately before they are shipped, including the way they were packed, as well as packing them very carefully in a box to allow for rough handling are both strongly recommended. Don't do risky things such as sending headphones in a padded envelope. Assume that the postal workers will throw your box on and off trucks. This can help immensely in situations where buyers claim items arrived damaged or were improperly packaged.
For additional information, including details about common scams and known scammers, please visit Head-Fi's Trading Advisory.
Complaints
Caveat Emptor. We will not guarantee we will be able to, or even take any action at all in regards to complaints about transactions; complete or incomplete. That being said, the correct way to contact us if you have had an issue with another member over a sale or trade on Head-Fi Classifieds is through the Report link located at the bottom of every Head-Fi Classifieds listing. On the other hand, if we find that fraud of any kind has been committed, we will contact the police and/or hand over any information we have when requested by local law enforcement.
Credits to MacNN Forums from which these rules were partially derived.
(Updated May 2023)
- About Head-Fi Classifieds
- Main Rules
- Flipping
- Commercial Sales
- Forbidden Items
- Head-Fi Classifieds Access Removal
- Feedback Rules & Guidelines
- Safety Recommendations
- Complaints
Head-Fi Classifieds is a place for active community members to buy and sell privately-owned audio gear. For common questions regarding the use of Head-Fi Classifieds, please visit our Head-Fi Classifieds FAQ and Walkthrough.
Head-Fi Classifieds is a private gathering place for members who have been registered for 30 days, have made at least 15 posts on the forums, and have enabled two-factor authentication (2FA) on their account. Use of this area is at your own risk. The use of the classified system is a privilege and not a right. Head-Fi reserves the right to close, edit, or delete any listings as the moderators and admins see fit. Head-Fi also reserves the right to alter the requirements for posting a classified for any member or group of members at any time.
Head-Fi Classifieds access can be removed. Head-Fi does not allow rapid-posting to gain access to Head-Fi Classifieds, and doing so will result in the loss of access. Creating a second account to try and manipulate sales, evade removed access or get around negative feedback received will result in an immediate, permanent, and irrevocable ban.
Head-Fi (hereafter "We") does not monitor the postings on the site for accuracy or reliability, and makes no warranty as to the accuracy or reliability of any information posted on the site. We do not guarantee or have information regarding the quality of any of the products bought or traded or acquired through the Classified area. The choice to participate, the terms of any transaction and the outcome are solely your responsibility. Deals are made solely between members and we not liable for any any loss or damage, including but not limited to no payment, not receiving item, personal injury, death, or any other negative outcome, resulting from use of Head-Fi Classifieds or bought/traded items. We are not responsible and will not compensate any participants in any way for trades conducted by other Head-Fi Classifieds participants and will not deliver transacted products. While we encourage equitable sales and trading, we have no responsibility for the fairness or completion of any transaction.
Main Rules
Two-factor authentication is required to create, modify, and close listings
Head-Fi requires two-factor authentication (2FA) for any members interested in creating listings - including "Want To Buy" and "Free To Good Home" listings - on Head-Fi Classifieds. To enable 2FA on your profile, please visit the Password and Security page. 2FA is not required to view listings or to contact listing creators.
Please see our post announcing this change for more details and frequently asked questions.
Only protected payment methods are allowed
Please only offer, request, or send payments via protected methods like PayPal Goods and Services. Head-Fi no longer requires that PayPal fees be included in the asking price, provided a protected payment method like PayPal Goods and Services is used.
Payment via unprotected methods like PayPal Friends and Family, Zelle, wire, money order, bank transfer, etc is strictly forbidden. Offering, requesting, or requiring unprotected payment methods may result in edited or removed listings and a suspension or ban from Head-Fi Classifieds.
Auctions, Interest Checks, and For Sale listings without prices are not allowed
All "For Sale" and "For Sale / Trade" listings must have a set asking price, and the asking price must be included in the Price field when creating a classified. "For Sale" listings without prices or listings with obviously inaccurate/misleading prices (e.g. $0.01, $1234.56, etc.) will be edited or removed. Auctions and Interest Checks are not permitted. Please use eBay or Audiogon if you want to auction your gear. Prices are not required for "For Trade," "Want To Buy," and "Free To Good Home" listings.
Post only one item per listing
If you are selling a collection of items in a bundle, such as a collection of CDs, that is considered one item. Do not create a bundle listing and then sell individual CDs to different members. Our Feedback system only allows you to leave feedback for one person per listing.
Sell to only one person at any time
When selling (or buying), if multiple people are interested, please choose one person to sell to and go forward with that person. Asking for payment for an item from multiple people at the same time is fraud, and will result in losing access to Head-Fi Classifieds. Do not pit multiple buyers against one another in a bidding war.
Do not give your payment details unless you are ready to ship
If you are currently traveling or otherwise unavailable and unable to ship immediately, do not send invoices to or request payment from an interested buyer. In the rare event that something urgent comes up (eg: family issues) after you have received payment, either immediately send the item or immediately refund the buyer.
Head-Fi Classifieds are not discussion forums
If you are interested in discussing a listing or wish to notify the poster of something, please send them a private message. If you believe that a classified should be brought to the attention of the moderators and/or admins, please click on the report button - found in the "..." drop down menu - and fill in the details with what you feel is inappropriate or suspicious about it rather than leaving a comment on the listing.
Recommendations:
- If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
- Keep transactions simple! Sell items "as is" and only buy using a single payment. Quite a few issues come from people over-complicating trades or being indecisive. Buy or don't buy. Sell or don't sell. Don't muck people around and change your mind.
- Be careful and picky when considering offers. Make sure to check the feedback, history, and profile age of anyone making an offer.
- If more than one person is interested in buying an item you have for sale, tell the other people that they aren't the first and you'll contact them if the person (or people) ahead of them choose not to complete the purchase.
- If a buyer is hesitating repeatedly to buy, especially if they indicate that they are short of funds, we recommend not selling or trading with them. Occasionally a person, short of money, has put in a false Paypal claim about an item not working to force a refund and return because they needed the money urgently.
- If a person is in a hurry to sell and pushing you, we recommend not going ahead with the purchase.
Buying and selling items on the forums for the express purpose of making a profit is not allowed. Buying an item to resell at a profit is known as "flipping." People found to be using the forums or private messaging system for this purpose may have their Head-Fi Classifieds access revoked and their account banned. However, items purchased some months or years prior to the sale for private use - the market value for which has changed - can be sold at their current market value following moderator approval. Examples of this would be the AKG K1000, vintage Grados such as the HP-1000/HP-2, the Stax Omega I, Sony R-10 and Qualia 010. We ask that you please contact a moderator before posting these listings to make sure everything is in order. Listings like these which have not been approved may result in losing access to Head-Fi Classifieds.
DIY items cannot be sold at greater than the cost of parts (and shipping), as doing so would make the DIY'er a Member of the Trade and subject to the rules as stated in the Terms of Service.
Commercial Sales
Non-sponsor Members of the Trade (MoT) cannot use Head-Fi Classifieds to sell items which are or include items connected with those they normally make or sell under any circumstances (even if at a loss). For example, a cable maker cannot sell headphones that have been re-wired by them and an amp builder cannot sell amps or spare parts for amps they make, etc. Any MoT who wishes to sell an item and is unsure as to whether they are allowed to sell something should first contact a moderator to check.
Forbidden items
Products that are of dubious legality cannot be sold or traded on Head-Fi Classifieds, such as computers, hard drives, or DAPs loaded with music.
Products can only be sold if they are physically in your possession. Crowdfunded products (eg: those from Kickstarter and Indiegogo) and pre-orders cannot be listed in Head-Fi Classifieds. You cannot sell your pledge or spot in line.
Listings created on behalf of others are not allowed under any circumstances. Doing so may result in losing access to Head-Fi Classifieds indefinitely.
Review samples and accommodation purchased items
Review units and other gear received for free cannot be sold or traded, period.
Accommodation purchases, that is, items sent for review but then sold afterwards to the reviewer at an "accommodation price" cannot be sold at a higher price than was paid for the item.
Doing either is highly unethical and a serious abuse of your membership here and, not to mention, a serious abuse of the manufacturers. Using Head-Fi Classifieds to make a profit comes under the same rules those for Members of the Trade and is considered to be "flipping for profit" or shilling, depending on circumstances (eg: Telling a manufacturer you'll post a positive review if you can get the item for free or at a discount). Members found to be using Head-Fi Classifieds and/or Head Gear to profit from review items, even if the items were sold or traded elsewhere, may have their reviews deleted, access to Head-Fi Classifieds removed, and/or will be banned.
Items received for free can be given away using the "Free To Good Home" prefix on Head-Fi Classifieds.
DIY Items
DIY items strictly cannot be sold for more than the cost of parts and shipping.
If you are a DIY'er who feels they should be compensated for their time, then you fall under our rules for Members of the Trade and you should contact a moderator or administrator about it. However, if you fall under our MoT rules, you cannot use Head-Fi Classifieds to carry on a business.
Head-Fi Classifieds Access Removal
We reserve the right to remove the ability for individual members to post classified listings for any reason whatsoever. Individuals who have had classified access removed who create a new account to evade the block will have their accounts immediately, permanently, and irrevocably banned.
Feedback Rules & Guidelines
- By participating on this site, you agree to allow other users to leave trader feedback for you, whether it is negative, positive, or neutral.
- Feedback should only be left based on a completed transaction in which payment and/or item has been sent. Feedback should not be left for any inquiries or exchanges where no goods or funds have passed between members. Eg: If a seller changes his mind about selling an item before money has been sent by the buyer, feedback cannot be left, annoying as it may be.
- Negative feedback should only be left where a sale or trade has not been completed and is unresolved, eg: Items weren't sent after payment or trade or arrived broken, incomplete or not as described and no satisfactory resolution (eg: return and refund) was reached. If a full refund is provided, negative feedback shouldn't be left. Neutral feedback may be most appropriate in this case. We'd like negative feedback reserved for where there have been genuine, serious problems and not just annoyance.
- Do not leave fake feedback for another member. This includes leaving false negative ratings for someone you don't like or shilling for friends. It is prohibited to exchange feedback for the sole purpose of increasing feedback scores or enhancing reputation.
- No individual is allowed to provide feedback on themselves. This includes creating multiple accounts with the intent of boosting your own rating. This will result in an immediate, permanent, and irrevocable ban.
- Do not leave offensive feedback or feedback with inappropriate content in it.
- Retaliatory feedback is not permitted.
- No individual should use the trader feedback system as a threat. It is prohibited to use the feedback system as an attempt to get something that wasn't part of the original listing. Honest feedback should be given to those who deserve it, whether it is negative, positive, or neutral.
- Members cannot demand feedback. It is prohibited to include terms or conditions in a listing that require or restrict the buyer's right to leave feedback.
- Ratings and comments are generally a permanent part of a member's feedback history. However, we reserve the right to remove feedback where we have good reason to believe it breaks the rules above.
To protect yourself during transactions, there are a few precautions we recommend you take. If you are a buyer, try to pay for your transactions through PayPal and use a credit card to make the payment. That way, if the transaction goes bad, you might be able to get a refund through PayPal or your credit card. If you are a seller, use PayPal as well. It would also be wise to include insurance and/or delivery confirmation for the package. That will help protect you.
Do not request payment via PayPal Friends and Family
This both goes against our Head-Fi Classifieds Rules and Guidelines and is a generally unsafe practice when buying and selling online. Please see our Main Rules section for more details.
Do not ship items without registration and tracking
Sending an item without registration (and without tracking), especially overseas, vastly increases the risk of the item being stolen or lost. We have seen some cases of headphones being stalled in customs in one country for a month, after which they arrived damaged. Sending an item overseas without tracking (International Express/EMS, available in most countries, has tracking included to most destinations and has a reasonable cost) leaves you with essentially no proof of delivery if a complaint is filed with PayPal.
Document everything
Taking clear, detailed photographs of items immediately before they are shipped, including the way they were packed, as well as packing them very carefully in a box to allow for rough handling are both strongly recommended. Don't do risky things such as sending headphones in a padded envelope. Assume that the postal workers will throw your box on and off trucks. This can help immensely in situations where buyers claim items arrived damaged or were improperly packaged.
For additional information, including details about common scams and known scammers, please visit Head-Fi's Trading Advisory.
Complaints
Caveat Emptor. We will not guarantee we will be able to, or even take any action at all in regards to complaints about transactions; complete or incomplete. That being said, the correct way to contact us if you have had an issue with another member over a sale or trade on Head-Fi Classifieds is through the Report link located at the bottom of every Head-Fi Classifieds listing. On the other hand, if we find that fraud of any kind has been committed, we will contact the police and/or hand over any information we have when requested by local law enforcement.
- If a complaint arrises, try and solve the problem amicably first. That always works best.
- Do not PM insults or accusations to the other person involved. "You just want a refund because you need the money" etc. and other attacking comments do not do anything other than make YOU look bad and then make it much harder to solve the issue.
- If that doesn't work, report the classified and/or one (and only one) message in the PM conversation and fill in the box with information about the problem or concern. Do not PM the moderators directly. A moderator will reach out to follow up on your report as soon as one is available.
- Keep trying the amicable route. If, for any reason we aren't confident in your ability to complete trades on Head-Fi without issues we may remove your Head-Fi Classifieds access, even if you have many successful trades already.
Credits to MacNN Forums from which these rules were partially derived.
