....or some have really good ethics and treat others in the hobby with honor, and never would entertain at any distance to treat someone any different than they would like to be treated in the transaction. If the seller knows what he's selling and has experience to provide a plane that has quality in all of the details, you avoid the whole process of seeking satisfaction later from someone who doesn't. I find RCU has some members who regularly trade on the marketplace and have outstanding comments in their ratings you can go by that shows such experience. Imagine, as ratings going into the hundreds consistently commented with praise, can build confidence in anyone looking for a used plane that typically isn't found from most people. RCU has lots of members with zero marketplace ratings. Some do it for a living and depend on good ratings to keep that ball rolling along fine. Experience found in those high ratng numbers speaks for itself or he's really good at manipulating everyone. Sometimes local people with the best intentions don't know what they have or can't rate by the standards you may expect to find in an aircraft. How many times have you seen a plane and thought it was a mess, but someone still was trying to fly it anyway thinking it was just peachy? For a new guy coming into the hobby, buying a second hand plane can be bitter sweet.
I can say we are talking apples and oranges, and if I knew the seller and saw him fly his plane and knew him to be a great builder, yes, that's got to be the safest and best buy. I've thought I had planes that was very nice, until I flew it.