I, personally, have never had a problem with CL. In fact, that's how I became familiar with Vintage Hi-Fi and this forum. CL, in some ways, is better than eBay, because you get a "face to face" with the seller and can inspect the item before purchase.
My only negative Internet buying experience was with eBay. I received a unit with a damaged faceplate because of lousy packing. The seller claimed it was packaged properly, even after I sent pics of the damage. I got a replacement faceplate from EncompassParts.com and left negative feedback.
Bill Cain