How do you handle the money part of a long distance transaction?

[ramrod52]

I am entertaining the possibility of selling an "antique firearm" long distance w/ no ffl involved.
What's the best way to ship it? (pistol)
What's the best way to get paid?
Thanks

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[Ura-Ki]

Unless it's a black powder cap and ball pistol, it will require the services of an FFL to ship/receive a pistol no matter the age! There are way too many grey areas such as the ability to take conversion cylinders or pistols that have always been cartridge firing pistols and their clones! Don't Do It!

 

[Randy A]

Assuming it's a legal firearm and type to ship/sell C&R or non-ffl. Have them mail you a USPS money order, they are one of the most foolproof methods and the hardest to counterfeit.
Then ship the firearm FedEx, USPS can actually ship it too but you'll have to argue with most of them about their own rules. Tell them to check page 4 if they don't believe you. Personally I'd go with FedEx but just like the others be ready for their employee to insist it can't be done, (seems to be an issue in the rise).

 

[The Heretic]

Zelle or Venmo works.

I have used Zelle to buy small $ items and there is no way for the buyer to reverse the payment, so no real way that I know of for them to scam you? And it is immediate.

 

[Otter]

I always take a personal check for payment. You have the firearm...if the check fails to clear, you still have the firearm. Checks typically clear in just a few days.

 

[TTSX]

Unless it's a black powder cap and ball pistol, it will require the services of an FFL to ship/receive a pistol no matter the age! There are way too many grey areas such as the ability to take conversion cylinders or pistols that have always been cartridge firing pistols and their clones! Don't Do It!

Or 1898 and older

 

[TTSX]

I always take a personal check for payment. You have the firearm...if the check fails to clear, you still have the firearm. Checks typically clear in just a few days.

Yes, but if the check clears and they ghost you...

 

[BillyJean]

I buy and sell a lot of high end semi-custom 1911s long distance. If you're the seller, there's not a lot to worry about. Take whatever method of payment you want, and once it's in your bank cleared, ship the gun. I regularly do Paypal (which some people really want to cry about), USPS MO, and zelle/venmo. Just make sure to, as folks say, secure the bag berfore you go shippin' that ole gun.

If you're the buyer, it is much more risky. I definitely want to call the person and get a sense of them on the phone. Ask for photos that can't easily be doctored (think of something strange and specific), or better yet, facetime/zoom with them and the gun so you see it is actually in their possession in real time. Ask for references from other online sales (maybe a long-standing gunbroker or ebay account with 100% positive feedback, or a gun forum where they've done lots of solid transactions).

And you can also use a gun escrow service, which I think normally charges about %3 and is a pain in the butt, but everyone will get what they expect.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes. I've done lots of buyin' and sellin' long distance and over the years I've been taken one time for $100. Trust your gut, stay diciplined, and if anything is fishy, walk away and don't look back!

 

[The Heretic]

I always take a personal check for payment. You have the firearm...if the check fails to clear, you still have the firearm. Checks typically clear in just a few days.

and they can bounce back in a week or two later.

Then it is deducted from your account.

Just because it "cleared" doesn't mean it cleared.

These scams work because, once you deposit a check, you quickly see the funds in your account. Parting with some of that money then feels risk-free. But scammers know that while the law says banks have to make funds from deposited checks available within a day or two, it can take weeks to uncover a fake. Some scammers even tell you to wait for the check to "clear" before sending money. When it ultimately bounces, the bank can take back the amount of the fake check, leaving you on the hook for the money.

Don’t bank on a “cleared” check

Fake check scams take advantage of what we don’t know about how banks handle check deposits. Scammers do know, and they trick people into sending them money before the bank spots the fake. The FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network database shows that people reported more than 27,000 fake check scams...

www.ftc.gov

 

[Jay Walk]

Zelle or Venmo works.

I have used Zelle to buy small $ items and there is no way for the buyer to reverse the payment, so no real way that I know of for them to scam you? And it is immediate.

Venmo is a NO GO as it is owned by anti gun PayPal

Zelle is owned by Satan himself

is a United States–based digital payments network owned by Early Warning Services, LLC, a private financial services company owned by the banks Bank of America, Truist, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, PNC Bank, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo

 

[pharmseller]

I always ask for cash.

Then deny I ever got the letter.

Sucker.

 

[Nosferatu]

Paper airplane.

There is no "secure method" outside of handing cash directly to the buyer/seller. Even that can be suspect if you don't know what to look for.

 

[CLT65]

Unless it's a black powder cap and ball pistol, it will require the services of an FFL to ship/receive a pistol no matter the age! There are way too many grey areas such as the ability to take conversion cylinders or pistols that have always been cartridge firing pistols and their clones! Don't Do It!

I'm confused, why not? If it's provable pre-1899 and not NFA, and not going to a state with their own regulations, it shouldn't be an issue. I don't mean to be contradictory; I'm just curious to see if I'm missing something.

I have an old "British Bulldog", made in Belgium (ironically) in the 1880s. It's a centerfire cartridge revolver, chambered in .44 Webley. My understanding is that it's legally an antique and not subject to Federal GCA '68 regulations, and I could ship it easily if I sold it, but I do want to be aware if that's not the case.

 

[American123]

and they can bounce back in a week or two later.

Then it is deducted from your account.

Just because it "cleared" doesn't mean it cleared.

These scams work because, once you deposit a check, you quickly see the funds in your account. Parting with some of that money then feels risk-free. But scammers know that while the law says banks have to make funds from deposited checks available within a day or two, it can take weeks to uncover a fake. Some scammers even tell you to wait for the check to "clear" before sending money. When it ultimately bounces, the bank can take back the amount of the fake check, leaving you on the hook for the money.

Don’t bank on a “cleared” check

Fake check scams take advantage of what we don’t know about how banks handle check deposits. Scammers do know, and they trick people into sending them money before the bank spots the fake. The FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network database shows that people reported more than 27,000 fake check scams...

www.ftc.gov

I worked in banking - this is accurate.

 

[GWS]

I always take a personal check for payment. You have the firearm...if the check fails to clear, you still have the firearm. Checks typically clear in just a few days.

This^^^
Make your terms very clear up front. No shipping until you have cash in hand i.e. Check clears, PayPal transfer is in your bank account etc. If its a cap and ball or flintlock pistol send it UPS, fully insured for the amount of money you were paid, including the shipping. That way your buyer loses nothing but time if it gets lost. If the pistol fires metallic cartridges, its probably best to use and FFL