Too good to be true? Gunbroker question

[eustace_stelio]

Soo.

Maybe you link when its over.

My guess
A mid to low end semi in 380 or 9.

It's a sig 9mm, not a p226 or the like.

 

[PORSCHE928S4]

Wait maybe some of us want to know what it is before we answer !

 

[arakboss]

Hard pass for me.

 

[BillyJean]

Have him facetime with the gun. You can learn a lot just talking to a guy if you're paying attention. Still a gamble, but if you have good street sense you can usually suss out solid sellers in my experience.

 

[Knobgoblin]

Have him facetime with the gun. You can learn a lot just talking to a guy if you're paying attention. Still a gamble, but if you gave good street sense you'll can usually suss out solid sellers in my experience.

Hello sir or madam. I am very interesting in making a sale to you on this fine quality item. Proceed with much expectation of trustworthy confidence.

Do you have gift cards ready?

 

[BillyJean]

Hello sir or madam. I am very interesting in making a sale to you on this fine quality item. Proceed with much expectation of trustworthy confidence.

Do you have gift cards ready?

Sounds great, let me get you my account and routing numbers. People forget what a handshake means now days I'm glad you don't!

 

[Knobgoblin]

So , did you roll the dice or nah?

 

[eustace_stelio]

So , did you roll the dice or nah?

The seller has yet to reply to my inquiry so no nothing yet. He is on East coast 3 hours ahead so im guessing they've seen my email but no response which doesn't bode well.

 

[patrikky]

Looking at a possible 1st time purchase from gunbroker dot com and came across a great buy it now price on a pistol. Of course the seller just joined/made their acct 03/23/23 and has no review/rating. Pistol's buy it now price is roughly $150-$200 under what most are asking.

I know some folks sometimes just need cash fast and so have no history or rating but I also know a lot of people are deplorable scam artists looking for any fool to be had.

Is there any safety net ie the Buyer protection program? Or is it simply not worth the risk?

I assume it's the old "if it sounds to good to be true it probably isn't" but just curious if anybody here has had experience with a new account selling a pistol cheap and the transaction going well. Thanks

Look at the sellers rating. Every once in a blue moon I get a great deal off gunbroker

 

[Boatfix]

Over the years, I
ve bought and sold

Looking at a possible 1st time purchase from gunbroker dot com and came across a great buy it now price on a pistol. Of course the seller just joined/made their acct 03/23/23 and has no review/rating. Pistol's buy it now price is roughly $150-$200 under what most are asking.

I know some folks sometimes just need cash fast and so have no history or rating but I also know a lot of people are deplorable scam artists looking for any fool to be had.

Is there any safety net ie the Buyer protection program? Or is it simply not worth the risk?

I assume it's the old "if it sounds to good to be true it probably isn't" but just curious if anybody here has had experience with a new account selling a pistol cheap and the transaction going well. Thanks

I have 209 transactions on Gunbroker reaching back some 15 years. I had one issue with one seller. I have had 5 issues with buyers not fulfilling their purchases. I have gotten some screaming deals on Gunbroker. There are deals t be had. I would not worry too much.

 

[Richo877]

I haven't had any terrible issues with buying through gunbroker, but I don't usually buy from unknown sellers either. Really, the buyer protection program will cover up to $500 for a claim, but there's a $100 deductible, so you could get part of your money back if you don't receive the item or if it's "materially different" from the listing. You have to decide whether or not it's worth the risk of being on the short end and out $100 plus shipping costs. With a low price tag, and a chance of getting part of your money back, it's a pretty limited risk. Also, if it's blatant fraud, never shows up, and you get ghosted by the seller, you should still be able to dispute the charge through your credit card company. Depending on the gun, it might be worth the gamble... really just depends how much paperwork you're willing to shuffle if it doesn't work out.

 

[eustace_stelio]

I didn't end up buying that pistol. It was a sig sp2022 and it sold while I had a bid in on a different sp2022 from a seller with positive reviews.

I ended up getting a nicer looking pistol for $305 so waiting worked out better for me anyway. The auction i won was an auction for money orders only.

Something I've noticed is auctions that offer check out with credit cards tend to sell for much higher than auctions that only take money orders.

 

[aasbra]

I didn't end up buying that pistol. It was a sig sp2022 and it sold while I had a bid in on a different sp2022 from a seller with positive reviews.

I ended up getting a nicer looking pistol for $305 so waiting worked out better for me anyway. The auction i won was an auction for money orders only.

Something I've noticed is auctions that offer check out with credit cards tend to sell for much higher than auctions that only take money orders.

People like the ability to process a charge-back through their credit card company if there is a problem on the purchase that can't be reasonably worked out with the seller. That, and some don't want to go stand in line at the post office to get a money order.

 

[eustace_stelio]

Quick question for folks who have bought a pistol from gunbroker:

I selected to have coat of arms in Keizer be the receiving ffl for the transaction and I stopped in there today to see what I needed to do. They said it should be all gravy but I'm confused about one thing.

On gunbroker it says to have buyer's ffl send information to seller/seller's ffl so they have a hard copy on record.

Since coat of arms ffl license is on record on gunbroker does seller just print out that information themselves or does coat of arms need to send them an email with that info? Thanks for any help.

 

[huntpotter]

Quick question for folks who have bought a pistol from gunbroker:

I selected to have coat of arms in Keizer be the receiving ffl for the transaction and I stopped in there today to see what I needed to do. They said it should be all gravy but I'm confused about one thing.

On gunbroker it says to have buyer's ffl send information to seller/seller's ffl so they have a hard copy on record.

Since coat of arms ffl license is on record on gunbroker does seller just print out that information themselves or does coat of arms need to send them an email with that info? Thanks for any help.

If the FFL is on file, Gunbroker automatically emails a copy to the seller. It is actually a pretty smooth system.

 

[eustace_stelio]

If the FFL is on file, Gunbroker automatically emails a copy to the seller. It is actually a pretty smooth system.

Sweet, thank you. That's what COA said but I tend to over think everything. Much appreciated

 

[MaxwellEdison]

Jumping in here late.

With potentially 'iffy' Gunbroker deals, I always suggest asking the seller or buyer if they're willing to quickly jump on the phone. Preferably a video chat. I'll say, "I have a few questions" or "I'd like to see the firearm in a video chat". In my experience most legit sellers and buyers will be willing to do this.

When I sell on Gunbroker I even offer this as an option: "If you have any questions not answered in this ad, we can arrange a quick phone or video call to address any concerns you may have." This provides potential buyers with a level of confidence, knowing you're willing to 'show the goods' before any money is exchanged. Combined with good pictures and detailed item descriptions, I've had very good luck selling on Gunbroker.

With about 50+ GB transactions under my belt I've only ever had two problems:

1. One time a guy mailed me a money order - sent without any type of tracking - and it literally got lost in the mail. We spoke about it on the phone and he seemed legit. I didn't get any "he's scamming me" vibes. Sure enough a month later the money order showed up, all beat to hell. Postmark proved he had mailed it when he said. Lesson? ALWAYS use tracking when you're sending money.

2. A guy from Kansas bought a rifle from me, sent payment...and then disappeared on me. Wouldn't respond to emails, phone messages, etc. He was from a very small town, so after almost three months of me unsuccessfully trying to contact him I called that small town's police department and explained I had this guy's money and owed him a rifle, but he disappeared on me. Sure as sh*t the police officer immediately told me "Oh Bob, yeah he was an older gentlemen. Passed away about three months ago." I guess he had died right after paying me! The cop was kind enough to pass my contact info onto his family, who I was able to refund.

Other than that, GB has worked very well for me. Just gotta have some commonsense and know when something looks or smells fishy.

 

[Aero Denezol]

Re: Gunbroker, there are retailers and then there are private individuals just trying to make a little money. Retailers will all be within $20 of each other on a new gun. Any retailer significantly cheaper than the average is a middle man who doesn't carry any inventory. Prepare to wait a few weeks for your order. If you're dealing with a private individual it's not unusual to find a good deal. Especially if they accept credit cards through Gunbroker checkout, you are pretty safe. The process for linking a merchant account through gunbroker is onerous, anyone who jumps through those hoops is probably not a crook.

 

[titsonritz]

 

[MaxwellEdison]

If you're dealing with a private individual it's not unusual to find a good deal.

Indeed. I've purchased a couple items where the seller just needed some quick money and priced his goods accordingly. Great deals are out there, even if that isn't the norm for GB.

When I sell I also either start at $0.01, or place a reserve price that makes my item a genuine "good deal". When I place something for sale on GB it's because...I actually want to sell it! I don't have the time or inclination to fart around, hoping to bag a sucker with more money than brains. Clearly plenty of GB sellers do have that time and inclination. It's always funny when I see items - which I frequently do - that are clearly priced above market.

"No, I actually don't want to pay $650 for your used, standard Glock 19 that 'only has 500 rounds fired through it'. Why on earth would I want to pay that when I can buy one brand new for the same price??" There are a lot of those types of auctions on GB and I can never figure out what the seller's angle is. Does he not really want to sell it? Is he fishing for a straw purchaser? Is he just deluded, and he overvalues it simply because it's his? It's one of the great mysteries of the universe.