With all the talk about ethics in magic I believe an area clearly in need of attention is magic sold on the internet.
For years anyone purchasing magic through mail order would accept the "all sales are final" and "once the secret is sold the value is gone" as part of the purchase experience no matter how bad the item was.
When you purchsed through the mail items are basically purchased sight unseen, and I always found it troublesome that dealers all had the "too bad" attitude on an item that didn't live up to the catalog description.
I believe it is time for online dealers to step up and set a return policy for items they do not provide demonstration videos on.
I find it hard to purchase an item costing $1000 or more based on a 5 line description and a fuzzy picture, come one guys you can do better.

Hello 61magic.

I think like in any sale, let the buyer beware.

There are definitely some poor value effects and routines for sale. But, there are also some great routines and effects for sale. Sometimes, they are the same but just for different people.

I believe that the buyer has to do their research and the Café is a great place for it. With all the members, there is always a good chance that someone, if not quite a few, have some experience with any one particular dealer, effect or routine.

You can also check out reviews by reputable publications like the Linking Ring, Magic Magazine or Genii. They will give a fair opinion on a product both positive and negative.

There are some dealers with very poor reputations. I do not want to mention them here, but with a search through the Café, you could probably make a list. The same can be done to make a list of quite reputable and very good dealers. And, there will probably be some undiscovered gems out there yet.

As for the return policy, I would have to agree with the status quo. I'm afraid that there would be too many returns once a lot of performers either discovered the secret, or realized that they bought something that they shouldn't have because it doesn't fit their style or they didn't research enough. Buyer beware.

That's my two cents.

All the best,

Rob

Start supporting Brick and Mortar shops with an online presence.

The very process of online activity makes purchases safer than ever with regard to suitability. It's no longer the case you have to buy the effect from five lines of text and a fuzzy photo.

1. There are often videos demonstrating the effect. If not by the manufacturers then by others eg The Magic Café, Magic Video Depot, or You Tube.

2. There are many on-line reviews eg The Magic Café

3. There are forum boards where people discuss the effect

4. There are other sites which specifically reveal the methods behind most effects including new ones. These sites are frowned upon but they are around, and they are usually well written, if you know where to go.

Using a combination of these sites, you can assess if the effect will suit your skill and performance conditions. Personally I would never buy an effect unless I know the exact method, what sleights were needed, what the gimmick is (if applicable) and how easy it will be to replace.

If you are using the internet correctly, there would be even less of a reason for dealers to offer a money back guarantee. I actually think they should, but logically there is less reason to do so with the increased information available to the serious purchaser of effects.

If it looks too good to be true, the cost is unbelieveably low compared to most other dealers, and the dealer isn't someone you are familiar with and feel safe doing business with, you ae taking a huge risk, generally one that is going to result in you being greatly dissatisfied.
I never buy items I'm not sure of the manufacturer of, and I must have seen the item by that manufacturer someplace. I buy a lot of my things at magic conventions, where I can see and handle what I am buying. The rest I buy from known dealers that I've done business with before, all of which have brick and mortar stores. I've seen too much junk passed off by purely online dealers, even though I'm sure some of them are good and reputable people.
There is just too much variation in quality out there, or one trick sounds so much like another, but turns out to be different. Plus a ton of rip offs out there often sold under far too similar names (if not out and out fraudulently sold under the same name). I'd much rather pay more, and wait longer to get it and get what I want instead of take risks. For me the internet as a sole way to purchase magic is a risky business.