Please help me not get scammed

[moroza]

Firearms are to be shipped only to an FFL holder, except in the (irrelevant) case where they're being shipped -back- to the owner from a gunsmith. Pistols furthermore have to be shipped by/from an FFL holder, not by you. Can an FFL holder screw someone over? Sure, but considering their particulars and physical address are registered by the Bureau of All Things Fun (and Exciting), the odds of that happening seem fairly low, especially if they're a legit brick-n-mortar location. It's not like the package is addressed to "Just leave it on the porch / Nasty white trailer #12 / No, the white one in the back; the one in front is eggshell, doncha know / Bumblescum, USA"

I wouldn't think you'd need to go through the transfer process to get the gun back to you, should the buyer fail the BGC. For that matter, something I'm curious about: can the buyer's FFL holder run the 4473 without physically having the gun, just photos of the serial number?

Duke's Seafood (can't remember if Tacoma or Olympia) was one of two restaurants I've ever spent my own money at and would again.

Regarding getting paid: USPS money orders cannot be cancelled, have no restrictions related to firearms, and should be quite easy to verify for being real or not. PayPal Friends-n-Family also cannot be cancelled. You might have problems if BuyerScammer tells PayPal what the money was for, but you could just as well respond (to PayPal) that they're full of silt and just sore about an unrelated matter. I've bought two guns from out-of-state private sellers, one each with these methods. In one case, while a private individual was paid, the gun (a rifle) was held - I'm not sure under what terms - by their local FFL, and shipped by the FFL who acted to some extent as a de facto escrow. Then there are formal escrow services like GunTab.

I don't understand the paranoia regarding selling out of state, or the blanket statements warning people not to.

 

[coop44]

Been buying and selling for 45 years, I don't ship and I don't buy a pig in a poke.

 

[Allshouse]

Hello,

I am new here and looking to sell a pistol. However, I am scared I will get scammed if I ship it out. Does anyone have any recommendations on avoiding scammers?

Thanks,

Eric

I would put a ad on " armlist" or this Paper Get GREEN Cash, then do the FFL paper work at a dealer

 

[fredball]

Welcome Aboard

 

[Stomper]

Been buying and selling for 45 years, I don't ship and I don't buy a pig in a poke.

I wouldn't buy a poke in a pig either….. that's just GROSS!

 

[Member 34319]

From one of my ads.

NO SHIPPING

NO TRADES

NO DELIVERY

NO TEST FIRE

If they can read, it weeds out quite a bit.

Occasionally you'll get someone that can't read, and in that occasion, I usually just ignore the PM.

A lot less headaches.

 

[oremike]

You're in Vancouver, he's in Olympia, met in Centrailia at a gun dealer and do the deal there all nice and legal like. If the buyer won't agree to that or wants to pay with anything other than cash....well there's you answer.

 

[oremike]

You're in Vancouver, he's in Olympia, met in Centrailia at a gun dealer and do the deal there all nice and legal like. If the buyer won't agree to that or wants to pay with anything other than cash....well there's you answer.

Replying to myself, you'll want to call the gun shop first and find out the particulars of the transfer so you or he aren't suprized by things like wait periods and fees.

 

[No_Regerts]

You're in Vancouver, he's in Olympia, met in Centrailia at a gun dealer and do the deal there all nice and legal like. If the buyer won't agree to that or wants to pay with anything other than cash....well there's you answer.

Joe's Outdoor Shop has done transfers for me and they were great.

 

[JRuby]

I have bought several rifles this year.
As the buyer the first thing I do is to communicate with the seller. Many but not all cases this invovles a phone call.
You can learn alot aboout the individual you are dealing with. If communications are poor or non-existant it is a kill switch in the deal for me. After the communications we exchange address's, names and phone number. If the seller is not willing to do swap info the deal is off.
The second thing is to see what kind of feedback the individual has. It does not necessarily have to be feedback on NWFA. I had a deal with a gentleman that had a large presence on WaGuns. The point is you want a feeling for thier history.

Once everything is agreed to I go get a postal money order for the amount of the firearm plus shipping. I as the buyer am supposedly protected from the buyer by the United States Postal service which is a federal agency. The seller will receive the postal money order than can be cashed at the post office if they have cash or the individuals bank. Once I put that money order in the mail there is pretty much no way to reverse the funds. The money has already been paid to the post office.

Once the money has transffered if the seller is an FFL or the seller is going through an FFL - they will swap FFL licenses with my FFL. Each side gets a copy of the others FFL. If it is a private citizen they must inc lude a legible copy of thier drivers license.

The firearm is never shipped to me but to my FFL. My FFL runs a check on the firearm unless it comes from a FFL. I do not get the firearm until my BGC comes back sat. This officially transfers the firearm from the seller to me the buyer and the seller is officially off the hook legally.

One advantage of shipping a fiream is that it frees me up till I am ready to pickup the firearm due to having a CHL. If you go through a remote site for the transffer you may want to count on two trips. One for the paperwork and the second if the ransffer takes time to process. By using my local FFL if I have to go back later to pick the firearm up its at least local.

To me it is worth the additional cost of shipping for this convience as my time is normally limited.

This has been my experience buying off Gun Broker and from other remote individuals.

 

[Lilhigbee]

A couple of corrections necessary;

What if dude fails his background check? You'll get to take a car ride to Olympia to get your gun or pay shipping and transfer to get your gun back.

Not seller's problem. If seller has the money and FFL has the gun, then a failed BGC is between buyer and FFL and they can decide what to do about it. Seller is out of it.

Pistols furthermore have to be shipped by/from an FFL holder, not by you.

No, you cannot MAIL a pistol, but you can ship it UPS/FedEx/etc., just have to jump through their hoops.

 

[RobMa]

The safest bet (less money though) is have a FFL sell it for you. (consignment)

 

[RobMa]

Venmo can be reversed buy the buyer. The safest method is a us postal money order or cash.

Money orders can be scams as well.

 

[RobMa]

A couple of corrections necessary;

Not seller's problem. If seller has the money and FFL has the gun, then a failed BGC is between buyer and FFL and they can decide what to do about it. Seller is out of it.

No, you cannot MAIL a pistol, but you can ship it UPS/FedEx/etc., just have to jump through their hoops.

 

[JRuby]

Money orders can be scams as well.

And they could use counterfeit money so there are no gurantess. With either counterfiet money or postal money orders odds are you are going to get law enforcement invovled.

 

[RobMa]

And they could use counterfeit money so there are no gurantess. With either counterfiet money or postal money orders odds are you are going to get law enforcement invovled.

Bring a counterfeit money pen... but if the buyer indeed brings fake money, then you might have bigger problems to deal with after you find that out.... IE the person may try to steal it from you and use deadly force to do so....

 

[JRuby]

Bring a counterfeit money pen... but if the buyer indeed brings fake money, then you might have bigger problems to deal with after you find that out.... IE the person may try to steal it from you and use deadly force to do so....

Thats why you meet at an FFl if you are that concerned. By shipping I dont have to put myself in that position,

 

[RobMa]

Thats why you meet at an FFl if you are that concerned. By shipping I dont have to put myself in that position,

Exactly, prob the safest way to do it...

 

[ksjayhawk]

Hello,

I am new here and looking to sell a pistol. However, I am scared I will get scammed if I ship it out. Does anyone have any recommendations on avoiding scammers?

Thanks,

Eric

Yes. Agreed. Local sale??? Meet at an FFL and exchange funds/items the FFL Will hold the weapon there till his 10 period ends. Anyone not willing to meet at an FFL should be raising your eyebrows. It would be a sad day for u in more than one way if that buyer was not up to snuff and your transaction came back to haunt you.

 

[ma96782]

Bureau of All Things Fun (and Exciting)

Aloha, Mark