🚨Online Scam Alert! Stop Online Buying of High-End Audio Devices😨

[@jaysaudiolab]

If you want more videos like this, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE AND LIKE this video. That’s the only way for me to know you want more informative videos such as this.

[@MrYamaha413]

England, UK or Great Britain for shopping purposes is the same place 😅

[@jonpatrick66]

Jay, this is my favorite video you have done yet. Thank you. You've done a great service for anyone willing to listen. Good job man. Take care

[@LetThereBeSound1]

Well done Jay! Absolutely 1000% helpful! 👍

[@flyergowest]

Very good episode. We can all fall for this because of personal “greed”. Which is to say I can get something for nothing. Never.

[@brown-eyedman4040]

Thanks for reminding us Jay of the reality of the world. A wise man once told me "if it seems to good to be true it probably is". He also taught me "the only one who cons you is yourself". Have I ever been conned? Certainly. Fortunately, never for 10s of 1000s of $.

[@jeffmays7192]

Yeah, I actually contacted this company over the m400’s they had listed. They offered these power amps to me for 17k + 325 shipping. They wanted my email address to message me direct as they said their responses would be much faster which made no sense. Your video was a cold slap across the face and I sure appreciate it. Thanks Jay.

[@Prerich45]

I just bought a pair of Whispers and a pair of Harmony's for $6500 which was a steal. Thankfully the items were in my home town. Checked him out...and he's actually in the business. Deals are out there ...but let the buyer beware. Great video exposing scams Jay...Bravo Zulu!

[@biggregyo]

My 30-second investigation showed that it is a house a four-bedroom at that

[@cirenosnor5768]

You’ve done a service to anyone who can’t figure these things out for themselves. Sad but true.

[@jaysaudiolab]

Exactly

[@Music2Die4]

Informative video...... Especially for high-end audiophiles tempted to acquire ultra-high-end gear on a "budget".........

[@jaysaudiolab]

Indeed

[@MatsNilsson-h5l]

What you described is just common sense in any similar situation. Simply what one does before any on line purchase of such magnitude from unknown source. Again, common sense for me, nothing else. Probably any person with that money are clever enoug already to do such checks before placing any order.

[@antonyharding5360]

Crypto,,and wire payment screams dark webb,, shady shady shady !!!!!!!!! Great vid Jay......

[@johnsonadekunle7675]

The safest deal is to deal with the dealer you trust. You can always get the best deal from your dealer.

[@jaysaudiolab]

Absolutely

[@Mark-rw3kw]

I looked at their website and they only sell used equipment. They don't claim to be an authorized dealer of any brand.

[@allanellis5827]

Thank you so much for this video. Personally I do not buy any sound equipment without seeing it first.

[@jmhodge12755]

Hey Jay you're definitely on to something you could actually call Griffin or Boulder customer service and very easily they should be able to verify if those are legit for somebody not great on a computer calling a manufacturer to verify if they are in fact a dealer would be the way to go great content as always

[@jaysaudiolab]

Ok

[@Mark-rw3kw]

Sound Affects only sells used equipment and doesn't claim to be an authorized dealer for any manufacturer. I determined this by looking at their website and all their stuff for sale. It's all used, even though they claim that some is in mint condition, which is not totally surprising, since some rich people who buy this very expensive stuff just listen to it for a short time and go on to something else, or are too busy to use it, or have so many homes they don't get to use it that much.

[@jagmedrex]

Hi great video ! Just one thing that i am thinking about. I am from Sweden and have been using PayPal since2007 and have been scammed twice but PayPal have an insurance so they helped out with paying back what I paid. Ok it wasn’t so much money that my cases were involved in But it’s for sure better than the insurance a Bank over in Sweden can deliver. Thanks for the video and the steps you took, I think sometimes we all are a bit naive when we are looking for a good deal online 😊 Jan

[@annenominous7220]

markup for ultra hi end is a factor of 10... if it lists for 450,000... it costs the store 45,000. they could sell it for 75K at a smallish profit.

[@stephenbarnes8817]

This is not true at all, and I’m quite sure that Jay can debunk that

[@rickadkins8277]

Good article those MBL’s are to put together to make one and one of them cost $70,000 or more great article thanks man

[@jazzmetalaudiophile]

Navigating the world of used high end audio can be a tricky subject. Especially when some of the more boutique manufacturer often don’t update their website on a regular basis. So neither their current product portfolio nor their distributors and dealers are necessarily are up to date.

[@rw3915]

Great video Jay. About dealing with shady sellers, I got in contact with a scammer in an attempt to buy a pair of Kimber Kable KCAG RCAs off U.S. Audiomart. The RCAs were super cheap. I call Kimber up, send them the pics of the cable and they confirmed it was a fake because the braiding was all wrong. I thought as much... The scumbag seller pinged me a few more times, but I just ignored all his messages. As the saying goes, when it's too good to be true, it's not.

[@Revelator2025]

Great insightful video. Much appreciated.

[@ridirefain6606]

I have had a couple of bad experiences mostly related to ignorance/cheeping-out on the packaging. Thus, product arrived damaged. The other was a seller knowingly sold me a speaker with a blown voice coil. In both cases the seller would not own up to it. One promised me a partial refund that I never received. The other did give me some compensation that helped with the cost of the repair. In both instances I wound up paying more in order to get the items I purchased operational. Still wound up ahead cost wise, but the added stress, time, and hassle was not worth the savings. In most cases though I been dealing with folks that are on the up and up, and do their darndest to do right by you. Sadly, there are no shortage of A-Holes out there misrepresenting their junk.

[@jaysaudiolab]

Gotcha

[@dilbyjones]

I knew i could trust your personality. Gut feeling . I was right.

[@vorpane]

"I'd buy everything at this page if I could get all this at this price" Good one :D Still, given your purchase history, I have no trouble believing you'd have the means! :O Kudos

[@Coneman3]

Best deal I ever got was half price for a high end DAC. Dealer delivered to my house and I paid him via bank transfer. Both happy.

[@jaysaudiolab]

Good ending

[@Mark-rw3kw]

One thing that bothered me about the name "Sound Affects LTD'" is that there are two words (effects and affects) that sound the same, but are different. The correct word should probably be Effects if the person was a native English speaker.

[@kennethlui2268]

When I saw the MBL deal, I already know it was a scam. No free lunch. Thanks for the video

[@jaysaudiolab]

Glad to help

[@rahliE777]

Brother that blue screen showing in your glasses is tripping me out!!! 🤣😂🤣 Great video!

[@jaysaudiolab]

😅

[@chuopskivlog]

I've freak out after this video because I've recently ordered Gamut RS7 from italy for 1/3 of original price. But after research it looks like it's official store listed as a dealers uff. Also 1/3 of price for 10yo speakers seems reasonable. I'll be fully calmed down only when they arrive and I plug them in though

[@Mark-rw3kw]

I have been looking a their website, and it looks like all their equipment is used, although they claim that some of it is in mint condition. They don't have to be an authorized dealer to sell used equipment. The manufacturer's warranty may depend on how old the equipment is, and may not be transferred beyond the original owner, it just depends on the manufacturer. But most of their stuff, even in mint condition, is probably out of warranty based on years. However, the store offers a 30-day no questions asked return warranty (not unusual for used equipment), and a 12 month repair warranty on all items (they will do the repairs). Shipping charges are the responsibility of the purchaser. I have yet to see any evidence of fraud here. But that doesn't mean that I think someone in the USA should be buying the stuff and having it shipped overseas. However, if one lives in the UK or even EU and can travel over there easily, they could go to the store and look at the equipment and test it out.

[@Mark-rw3kw]

I checked out their website. They only sell used equipment, and therefore are not an authorized dealer for any brand. I am not suggesting that anyone in the USA purchase their items without being able to see it, but I saw no evidence that there is any fraud, but it is certainly possible that they are not legitimate.

[@imosolar]

Great research and I know Kent UK well and on checking it's a scam

[@jaysaudiolab]

It sure is

[@Mark-rw3kw]

What did you actually check? Maybe you know a friend who can go over and look at their stuff if they answer the phone or answer email?

[@BruceW.-hs9qq]

You know it's fake if it's too good to be true. If you have done your homework, you should know the price range for these items. No one is selling gold bullion for 50% off either.

[@hansdales4006]

Nothing had changed the ad is still on Reverb😢, but you did your best.👍

[@jaysaudiolab]

I tried

[@jaysullivan9545]

Yes, it was helpful.

[@jaysaudiolab]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lovely88851]

Thanks for this video!

[@CarlVanDoren61]

Zero Zone tube preamp, sold as quite. Noisy as HELL!! Caveat Emptor!

[@carlosoliveira-rc2xt]

You should suspect a scam just from the company name. It should be Sound Effects not Sound Affects. Typical of scammers that don't have a good command of the english language which is strange since they're in the U.K.

[@allardvanderstarre5238]

kudos! very helpful

[@jaysaudiolab]

Glad it was helpful!

[@robertmeyer7664]

In England you pay crazy import taxes for foreign goods

[@nasdkhan254]

England/Uk/Great Britain all the same

[@ofir5000]

Jay is the man❤

[@RedLeo-pf9yo]

When I first saw the thumbnail, I thought, wow, I didn’t know Vin Diesel had a KZbin channel about stereo systems. 😂

[@jaysaudiolab]

lol

[@gadymarcus5297]

magnifico.😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@friedmule5403]

If you are unsure about if a dealer is legit, search the internet for the dealer's name, if nobody is writing about it, or it is heavily criticized, then stay away.

[@jaysaudiolab]

Good point

[@elliotg.5383]

No brand name high end product which is new can be purchased at 70/80 percent off unless it fell off a truck or it’s a fake

[@Mark-rw3kw]

From visiting their website, it doesn't appear to me that they claim any of their products are new. They do sometimes claim they are used in mint condition, but not new. The price of used equipment, even if in mint condition, is considerably less than new, and usually doesn't come with the original manufacturer's warranty, depending the age of the equipment or other factors.

[@joelowens5211]

It's like any industry. Does the company stand behind what they sell? Answer is no or maybe then move on. I have heard people taking high end amp cases and gutting them and putting junk inside and selling them as the premium brand at lower prices. Now I have seen prices as low as 50% off retail for fairly new product. That is buying off a dealer that wants showroom space or had 3 demo's of same thing and wants to free up capital and room to sell more small's to the mass consumer.

[@Mark-rw3kw]

Probably the reason for the low prices is that they only sell used equipment. I checked that on their website, and it was all used.

[@nasdkhan254]

Bricks and Mortar dealers is the only way to go

[@miked91101]

I can remember a time i had over ten higher end audio stores within 30 miles from where i live, now i don't think there is even 1 place like that near me... the hours i spent at those places 33 years ago auditioning speakers, ohhh what good times they were...

[@thatspiritualhumane]

excellent guide man

[@jaysaudiolab]

Glad it helped

[@mauriciojv7901]

That should all be obvious, but... Jay, you still owe us the review of the counterfeit Odin Power cord.

[@jaysaudiolab]

True

[@einarbk885]

guy spending thousands of dollars on cables and tens of thousand on a dac, warns people about scams. wow!

[@chenqixue8151]

This is the new version of Audio Retreat who posted on various second hand websites.

[@jaysaudiolab]

Interesting

[@chenqixue8151]

@@jaysaudiolab they almost got me so I’m glad you are calling them out. Keep up the good work man. Upgraded from Essence pre to Pandora. Massive difference. Now thinking about essence to Mephisto stereo.

[@martybousum1010]

These scam punks need a heavy dose of karma. Like falling into a bottomless pit! Plus wrong spelling for Effects, a noun. they used the verb affects.

[@67Pepper]

My red flag starts and ends if I can't speak with someone, end of story.

[@jaysaudiolab]

Agreed

[@joshtarnow492]

Correct me if I'm proven wrong but, "Hannah B" is a bot...no?

[@happygil4698]

obviously. but people are "greedy", that's what makes these work.

[@jaysaudiolab]

Yes

[@MichaelM-to4sg]

I’m sure you’re not going to like my response but here goes, you buy online audiophile gear, you deserve to be victimised. In fact I personally hope it’s a fraud and you lose every penny you offered to pay. I’m not talking the standard AV gear available at Best Buy or similar chain you choose to buy from Amazon. If Best Buy goes away, other than employees losing jobs, I would not shed a tear. If however you buy your true audiophile gear online from these parties, you’re doing nothing to support your local audiophile dealer, where in many cases it’s the place you first listened to the gear. They wanted full retail so you chose to buy online from some scammer 🤦‍♂️. Support your local boutique shop or they will soon no longer exist. For full disclosure I am not invested in nor directly affiliated with any audiophile dealer. I’ve never bought a single audiophile component online or from a private party and I’ve been at this hobby since before you were born. I do not even buy my records or reel to reel tapes online. I call my local dealer, tell them exactly what I’m interested in and typically within 7-10 days they have it in stock for me.

[@pizzaearthpancakesandother2549]

Namaste 🙏🏻 🤛🏻

[@dtracy03ss]

Hope you reported that to Reverb because they won't put up with that crap

[@jaysaudiolab]

I did

[@mikegoddard7354]

Typically, the address is a random spot and not a brick and mortar spot lol

[@fullranger3435]

I thought PayPal was good enough protection against commercial scam. No?

[@jaysaudiolab]

lol try it

[@razisn]

For Pete's sake, England is part of the UK..

[@kavehsaffari5565]

UK is the same as England

[@MatsNilsson-h5l]

It's not the same. Egland is one part of UK. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are other countries belonging to UK.

[@biggregyo]

Do a Google street view of the address that is given on the web page

[@Mark-rw3kw]

There is no street view on that street. If you look at the satellite view, there are some very large and expensive homes there, and maybe some businesses, its hard to tell. It could be someone operating a business out of their home or basement, as they only have used gear for sale.

[@newburyastronomysociety4463]

A scammer. There is no dealer/shop down that Farm Lane.

[@jaysaudiolab]

Exactly

[@Mark-rw3kw]

They never said they were a dealer for anything. They only sell used stuff. They could be selling out of their home or basement. Looking at that road on Google maps on satellite view, there are some very large and expensive homes, and maybe a business (not sure).

[@newburyastronomysociety4463]

I have been down that road as I have family nearby. If you want to gamble £20K on a picture and a lot of bad advertising OK. But for others do NOT risk it. You will lose all that money. @@Mark-rw3kw

[@Mark-lq3sb]

I'll bet 11 cents it's a scam.

[@jaysaudiolab]

Yep

[@mrgitbit]

United Kingdom = Great Britain

[@faysalriaz1312]

But no NI 😂 But yes GB was there.

[@Mark-rw3kw]

UK = England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland Britain = England, Wales, Scotland The company mentioned in located in Kent, England.

[@DAMIANCOOK-lr9gz]

like the old saying goes if it seems to be true it normally is & like you pointed out do some research check the retail price check the business out