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Cautious or paranoid?
- Thread Starter joken
- Start date
I don't think that's necessarily a red flag. I don't give my address out to people I don't know. I assume (you didn't say specifically), that you would like him to ship it to you? Is the issue over getting him a payment, and that's why you need an address? If so, how about PayPal? You can send cash pretty easily. Or he could have it sent to his work address or maybe to a friend or family member that doesn't mind giving out that info?
Honestly, some of the folks I've met on AL over the years are people I definitely don't want to know where I live. He's likely just being cautious. I don't see anything wonky about it myself.
Do you know anyone in the PDX area that would be willing to pick it up for you and ship it to you? Save the drive.
Honestly, some of the folks I've met on AL over the years are people I definitely don't want to know where I live. He's likely just being cautious. I don't see anything wonky about it myself.
Do you know anyone in the PDX area that would be willing to pick it up for you and ship it to you? Save the drive.
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I don't meet people at my house or ship with one or two exceptions.
I think most gun people fall on the overly cautious side in general.
It's a thin line between overly cautious and paranoid IMO and is subjective.
I've been called paranoid by my wife once or twice when I took a hand cannon and a combat knife with a 9" blade with me to sleep on the couch during the summer on the hot days because our house doesn't cool off quickly in the evening unless every window and door is open (screens and screen doors closed).
She won't sleep well if at all if the house is open like that so it's mostly closed or the couch for me.
I'll admit that I would be much happier having them with me this last 3 weeks on the couch with my knee issues but heavily medicated and I'm unpredictable.
I apparently had a full on conversation with one of my doctors and didn't find out until the next day when I called and left a message wondering why they had not got back with me the previous day. She called back and said we had talked the day before and was slightly amused that I didn't remember it at all. I checked my recent phone calls and sure enough there was a call on there at the time she said...
So no moe hand cannon for me until I'm completely of the meds
.I won't meet people at my place off Craigslist or any other online site either, including this site. So far only one member has been to my house and that was to pick me up to go shooting and it just wasn't possible to load up the car and meet at the Safeway or something with all the gear I took.
The other was an FFL transfer and I had to give my information out.
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Why would he give you his address? He's literally selling something that'll fit in a pocket and costs probably all of sixty bucks.. it's not like he's selling an immovable house or a seized up '57 Chevy.
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I think the world should still work like your thinking and lament my kid and grandkids may never experience those ideals unless we move out to a tiny town out in the middle of nowhere.
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He's probably thinking the same thing, this guy wants my address?!
Last thing I'll do is let a stranger know where I keep all my guns, or family.
Just hearing from someone on armslist is a red flag though.
Last thing I'll do is let a stranger know where I keep all my guns, or family.
Just hearing from someone on armslist is a red flag though.
Funny how someone responds to your own ad on AL and immediately you're suspicious of them...
I have to admit, depending on how that initial response comes in, I can generate an immediate red flag.I love the first contact messages like "I want your gun" - nothing else, no introduction, no other information exchanged. I guess not everyone thinks much about how their first impression can taint a potential sale.
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I've done enough deals with people from the internet to come to the conclusion that it really does take all kinds of people to make the world go 'round.
Plenty instances where the other person was super cautious about providing personal information or meeting FTF to complete a transaction. One guy didn't even want to take the chance of being in the parking lot of the LGS at the same time before a transfer. I don't mind....especially when it's a great deal for me
When it comes to terms of sales, like someone who'll only do a FTF cash sale, I figure that's his call. While it limits his opportunity to sell, the value of less hassle or potential for issues probably outweighs that in his case.
Plenty instances where the other person was super cautious about providing personal information or meeting FTF to complete a transaction. One guy didn't even want to take the chance of being in the parking lot of the LGS at the same time before a transfer. I don't mind....especially when it's a great deal for me
When it comes to terms of sales, like someone who'll only do a FTF cash sale, I figure that's his call. While it limits his opportunity to sell, the value of less hassle or potential for issues probably outweighs that in his case.
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Paranoid.
Some people like to list a generic place where they live. You for example are welcome to my shanty any time you want.
I mean heck if I had something that somebody wanted I would find a way to get it to them and their money to me.
Money transcends. Guess they don't want your money.
As rubberband says above, and you know the more a person restricts how and what or to whom they will sell the harder it is for them to sell stuff.
I had a guy once want me to ship a rifle to him here in Oregon.
Sure, send me a payment through square cash. He did $850-, next day rifle was shipped to his address. I posted so he knew my name, my screen name on here etc and that I wasn't a joker or fooling around.
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We're pretty "frugal", buy used if we can.
We've done a lot of Craigslist, and I have done a "little" trading/buying on here. Done a bunch on a few other websites for other hobbies.
Including buying the camper/armor on my daily driver--drove from Mass to Colorodo for it, and the seller drove from California to Colorodo. Met at his brother in laws ranch for a quick install, which took 8 hours. Thankfully his BIL had a complete shop & skills. The communication on that was just a couple e-mails & a few phone calls plus good faith. Saved enough on that deal to pay for itself 3fold, including the gas $ & time spent.
We don't like going to people's homes for purchases, but will if it's most convenient for both parties. No reason to go inside for anything we'd ever buy though.
Best IMO is to meet in a safe public space during daylight.
The only times we'll have Craigslist folks come to the house is if we're moving out, and that's it. Ever. Includes selling a vehicle, which made that a bit more challenging.
I could see adjusting that policy a bit if we were in the habit of selling used cars, but we're not.
Craigslist can be great though! Fully furnished the apartment first time we lived out here, sold all of the furnishings thru Craigslist when we had to rush back East as well. Bought all the studded snow tires & rims thru CL over the years for various cars & trucks. Probably saved $4000 on tires/rims rite there.
These days we even block the caller ID & use my deceased brothers phone. No reason anyone we don't know needs to know the Family name. We use his phone because a lot of CL ads are simply phone # harvesting for spam/scam. The spam/scam on that line is crazy.
Yes, I understand it's easy enough to track a phone # down. But that's something your everyday dirt bag druggie won't go to the trouble to do. They want really easy, and it'd be really easy if they knew where you live, then who's home. The when folks are home is also pretty easy for them to figure out.
Then there's the tale I heard from a buddy back East shortly before moving out here. Long time friends of his lived in Florida. They had a yard sale (standard downsizing). That evening some drug heads came knocking at the door & executed the family. Police assume they were looking for the cash from the yard sale.
Paranoid? Hmm maybe. Safe? Nothing wrong with that, & it doesn't cost us anything either. We maintain my brothers phone for the contacts & email anyways...and well, just because it was his.
We've done a lot of Craigslist, and I have done a "little" trading/buying on here.
Done a bunch on a few other websites for other hobbies. Including buying the camper/armor on my daily driver--drove from Mass to Colorodo for it, and the seller drove from California to Colorodo. Met at his brother in laws ranch for a quick install, which took 8 hours. Thankfully his BIL had a complete shop & skills. The communication on that was just a couple e-mails & a few phone calls plus good faith. Saved enough on that deal to pay for itself 3fold, including the gas $ & time spent.
We don't like going to people's homes for purchases, but will if it's most convenient for both parties. No reason to go inside for anything we'd ever buy though.
Best IMO is to meet in a safe public space during daylight.
The only times we'll have Craigslist folks come to the house is if we're moving out, and that's it. Ever. Includes selling a vehicle, which made that a bit more challenging.
I could see adjusting that policy a bit if we were in the habit of selling used cars, but we're not.
Craigslist can be great though! Fully furnished the apartment first time we lived out here, sold all of the furnishings thru Craigslist when we had to rush back East as well. Bought all the studded snow tires & rims thru CL over the years for various cars & trucks. Probably saved $4000 on tires/rims rite there.
These days we even block the caller ID & use my deceased brothers phone. No reason anyone we don't know needs to know the Family name. We use his phone because a lot of CL ads are simply phone # harvesting for spam/scam. The spam/scam on that line is crazy.
Yes, I understand it's easy enough to track a phone # down. But that's something your everyday dirt bag druggie won't go to the trouble to do. They want really easy, and it'd be really easy if they knew where you live, then who's home. The when folks are home is also pretty easy for them to figure out.
Then there's the tale I heard from a buddy back East shortly before moving out here. Long time friends of his lived in Florida. They had a yard sale (standard downsizing). That evening some drug heads came knocking at the door & executed the family. Police assume they were looking for the cash from the yard sale.
Paranoid? Hmm maybe. Safe? Nothing wrong with that, & it doesn't cost us anything either. We maintain my brothers phone for the contacts & email anyways...and well, just because it was his.
I don't give out my address either. I meet somewhere for non-FFL items and of course at an FFL for required things. I've got a few transactions here and not one was done at my house. There's really no reason for it. I will say, if I struck a deal with a long-term, well-known member here I might make an exception.
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When it comes to firearms I don't give out an address.
But then I generally don't like people to know where I live anyway, and I certainly don't like strangers to visit my home either.
But then I generally don't like people to know where I live anyway, and I certainly don't like strangers to visit my home either.
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Its probably got a small tracking device on it.
Nice knowin ya!
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This is also why I do business through a P.O. Box...
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