Gunbroker giving me a hard time.

CleverName · Jan 6, 2012

A few months ago I started to open a Gunbroker account. A was almost done with the registration process when I got a message that my email address was "suspect" and I would need to fax a drivers license or utility bill, and pay 1$. I felt that this was equine manure so I gave up on the whole thing. I started getting monthly emails saying I still owed them that dollar. I just got an email saying that it is up to 2$. I emailed their customer support and was basically told that I need to pay it. I emailed them back and told them that since I didnt fax anything to them and since my account is still inactive, there is nothing for me to pay for. Unfortunately I dont remember just how much personal info I gave them. I would like to just block their emails and forget about it, but I dont want a forgotten debt to accrue. Any suggestions? Anyone dealt with GB like this before?

Crazyeye24 · Jan 6, 2012

Never had an issue like that...It sounds pretty fishy.

sheepdip · Jan 6, 2012

weird to say the least

oldbrass · Jan 6, 2012

Sounds suspicious to me, I`d be leary of identity theft

bruzer · Jan 6, 2012

Wow I must be getting forgetful. I have an account but don't remember how it worked when I signed up.
Mike

huntpotter · Jan 6, 2012

Been selling on GB for 10 years. Never had any problem like that.
I pay my sellers fees, that are a percent of what I sell. I do remember that when I set up the account, they ping your card for $1.00, to verify that your card is active. Then the $1.00 credit sits there until you sell something, and it goes towards your frst seller's fee.

With all the scamming going on, they need to verify your identity, I guess.

drew · Jan 6, 2012

I signed up on Gunbroker some years ago. No issues. It looks like they charge a $1 to people who sign up with free email addresses from yahoo, gmail, hotmail, and similar services.

civilian75 · Jan 6, 2012

I have made a few GB transaction the last four years. No issues so far. Pretty much everything need saying has been said. I can only add GB can be a good account to have.

So this is my opinion, what I would do. So they are a bit difficult? Be the better man and work with them. Humor them.

That your email is suspect could mean it has certain characteristics they have experienced with other problematic or under age customers. I am speculating here so please do not feel insulted, it is not my intention. Try just opening the account with a new email based on your name and your ISP's domain name. Fax them your drivers license or utility bill as they asked. Pay the $1, or $2. You will get it back once you start doing business.

So they think you are not a bona fide customer, show them wrong by working with them. By avoiding and maybe even antagonizing them you are proving their case, in their minds, that you are not worth the risk.

Do not give up on them.

CleverName · Jan 6, 2012

I understand their reason for doing it. My problem is that I haven't used the account, it still hasnt been activated, and I dont ever see myself using it in the future. And since they have the nerve to charge me late fees on a dollar charge that I never agreed to in the first place, I will make sure to never do business with them in the future. I would love to just tell them to take a hike and ignore them, but I dont know if an outstanding debt to them could eventually affect my credit.

Redcap · Jan 6, 2012

I would tell them to go sodomize themselves with a handful of rusty forks.

billdeserthills · Jan 6, 2012

Redcap said:
I would tell them to go sodomize themselves with a handful of rusty forks.

I have felt on the losing side of several transactions over the last 10 years on gunbroker, there are many ways for an unscrupulous
person to take advantage & when I have had a problem (several times) gunbroker always seems to do nothing to help. As far as the funny $2 charge, I got to pay that as well, although I was not hit up for the money until after I placed my first bid on an item. Then again, that was ten years ago and gunbroker is still showing me to have a dollar credit (un-refundable of course) on my account.

Cigarlvr313 · Jan 7, 2012

I first signed up with gun-broker about 2-3 years ago. I don't buy on there that often but I happened to see an item I wanted to bid on a week or so ago. I tried to sign in but couldn't remember my "name" or "password". Finally out of sheer frustration I decided to re-register. Basically what they said was that if you have a "free" e-mail account....yahoo...gmail....that you were going to be charged $1 to join. That was not the case when I first joined a few years ago but I guess they are getting to many "bad" bids from people that can change names 20 times a day if they want to? I'm not saying that's the case with you "Clever" but it is obviously becoming an issue with gun-broker.