Just wondering

[wgrac324]

Hey guys just wondering how legit the people are on here I'm from Texas and don't want to get scammed ordering from someone here what are your experiences?

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[Longwalkhome]

Hey guys just wondering how legit the people are on here I'm from Texas and don't want to get scammed ordering from someone here what are your experiences?

We better get a fact checkers from the CCP to tell us who is legit. No just making fun, welcome.

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

We have an Itrader rating system on our profiles that helps a ton vetting folks. Trust takes time, this rating system reflects that.
Secondly, try "Southwest Firearms" forum. Its the southern version of this forum!

 

[Knobgoblin]

It ain't armslist.
That's a good place to start.

 

[LDmax]

Welcome!

 

[Xaevian]

Welcome! I am a real person, I assure you.

 

[Knobgoblin]

 

[Crazyeye24]

We're all a bunch of Aholes but pretty legit at it...

 

[ScottInPDX]

It seems like there's been a slight increase in scamming attempts over the past year or so as some numbskulls have tried to capitalize on the sky-high prices, but for the most part people here have been great to deal with.

The feedback system is pretty good. You're free to choose to only deal with people who have built a good track record of honest deals. Members being a "supporting member", also indicated on profiles, is a good sign too. It means they've donated to site.

 

[Camelfilter]

Classified System

Help topics related to our Classified System.

www.northwestfirearms.com

[h2][/h2]

How do I avoid getting scammed?

The worst part of buying, selling, and trading online is the potential for fraud. Though we provide the platform to connect buyers, sellers, and traders, we do not get involved in transactions between parties. Due diligence should be performed on both the item and the other party for each and every transaction. While some legitimate sellers do appear to be scammers, most agree it's best to let those deals go rather than lose out on both the item and your money. There are few guarantees when dealing online; you may never know whether a deal which felt wrong was actually legitimate. The goal of your due diligence is to collect a variety of different clues which, when considered together, will assist you in determining the legitimacy of another person.

Golden Rules

1. Caveat emptor - Let the buyer beware! Approach every transaction with skepticism. Don't ignore red flags. If something seems off, ask more questions or walk away.
2. Deal locally, face-to-face - Avoid the vast majority of scammers with this one weird trick! Always the best choice. Public place, cash only.
3. Don't trust photos - Remember that photos can be altered, and it's often difficult to tell. If things don't add up, don't rely on photos to quell your suspicions.
4. Keep records - Retain all communication until you are absolutely certain the transaction has been completed to your satisfaction. It's a good idea to take screenshots of ads to ensure information hasn't been added or removed.
5. Report suspicious or fraudulent activity - If something seems off, contact a moderator. If you do get scammed, let us know. Do not create a thread in the open forum. While we can't get your money/items back, we will remove the member from the community so they're unable to victimize others.

Ad Clues

These are questions you should ask yourself when viewing an ad. Answering NO to any of the following questions may be cause for concern.

1. Is the price reasonable? If it seems to be an insanely good deal, it's probably a scam.
2. Does the ad have a complete and original description? A good seller will take the time to write out a complete description of the item, the item condition, the terms of sale, etc. in their own words. If the description is short, vague, or it looks like it was copied and pasted from somewhere else (such as the manufacturer's website), that's a clue.
3. Are there multiple, high quality photos? Ads should have multiple photos from different angles and distances, especially for high value items.
4. Are the photos of the actual item? Photos should look like they were taken by the seller. If in doubt, request multiple photos with the member's Northwest Firearms username written on a piece of paper, the current date, and the item to verify the seller has the item in-hand.
5. Is the seller established in the Northwest Firearms community? Check the seller's join date, message count, feedback rating, and Supporting Member status. You're much less likely to get scammed by someone who has been here a long time, participates often, has good feedback, and donates to support our community.

Communication Clues

These are questions you should ask yourself when communicating with others. Answering YES to any of the following questions may be cause for concern.

1. Is the person trying to communicate somewhere other than Northwest Firearms? Most scammers want to move communication to phone, text, or email as quickly as possible to avoid the creation of a paper trail and to make it harder for us to detect them on the website. We highly recommend you keep all communication on the Northwest Firearms website.
2. Does the person claim to be local, but insist on shipping? If a person claims to be nearby but insists on shipping an item rather than meeting for a face to face transaction, walk away.
3. Is the person trying to play down the risk of fraud? Many scammers are personable and go to great lengths to convince you they can be trusted.
4. Are responses short/vague? Short responses and poor communication are a good indicator the person should be avoided (whether they're a scammer or not).
5. Do responses contain odd formatting, capitalization, phrasing, spelling, etc? While many of us here can shoot better than we can spell, these can be a red flag.
6. Does the person respond at odd hours? Many scammers are located overseas. This isn't necessarily suspicious by itself, but it's another potential clue.
7. Is the person requesting an unsafe method of payment? Nearly all payment methods carry some level of risk, but some are safer than others. Cash, check, PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, Cashapp, Apple Pay, wire transfer, etc. are all unsafe methods of payment which leave you with little to no recourse in the event of fraud. Due to the constantly changing nature of online payments, we suggest you research your options carefully before completing a transaction, asking yourself "What's my course of action if I don't receive the money/item?".

Further Investigation

If the above questions have you feeling uneasy, here are a few more things you can do.

1. Verify Information - Anything you can do to verify information the seller has given you will help avoid scams. If a seller claims to be affiliated with a business, search for the business name and call the number listed (rather than a number they may have given you). This is especially important when the seller agrees to ship from their FFL to your FFL, as there have been many reports of scammers faking FFL certificates.
2. Reverse Image Search - Reverse image searches allow you to upload a photo to see if it's been used on other websites. If the search returns no results, that does not necessarily mean you're safe. However, if the photos do show up, it means either the seller is selling it elsewhere, a scammer stole their photos from our site and is using them elsewhere, or the seller a scammer and the images are stolen from a legitimate ad posted on another site. TinEye Reverse Image Search - Google Reverse Image Search
3. Description Search - Copy a portion of text from the ad description and paste it into multiple search engines such as Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, etc. You want to copy and paste so the text is an exact match, and you want to use multiple search engines because not every search engine will have every ad indexed. What you're looking for is the same ad posted on multiple sites with different details (such as the seller's location).
4. Ask A Moderator - We don't get involved in transactions between members, but we're happy to answer questions.

 

[fredball]

Welcome Aboard

 

[gryghin]

Welcome Aboard. Glad you found the forum.


This is the best place to hang out on the internet.


I know that you're in Texas but we've found the best way to meet the community and learn where and how to use public lands responsibly is through grass roots involvement.


If there isn't a local group that advocates for responsible stewardship of public lands, check out Trash No Land.

Home - Trash No Land

Information for Target Shooting on Public Lands. "Stewardship Keeps It Open"2024 Pick Up The Burn Wolf Creek Lanes Cleanup

www.trashnoland.org

 

[EUGENE the REALTOR]

Feedback history is good, but anyone can post feedback for anyone. Technically, a transaction doesn't even need to take place. I'd say if someone has over a dozen positive feedback it's a good sign.

I'd also look at their join date and recent posts. The post history is a great indicator of whether to move forward or not.

 

[JohnnyMac]

Welcome to the club! I have an online shop in Nigeria that is 100% legit. Just ask me.