Armslist-percent who respond?

[Elkins45]

I have done several transactions on Armslist as both a buyer and a seller. Armslist is like Craigslist in that it is definitely a buyer beware environment, but dealing with established members and avoiding the $400 NIB Python ads goes a long way toward avoiding the scams.

I have developed the self-amusing habit of sending a question email to any listing I am even remotely interested in. I ask a legitimate question about things like magazine capacity, accessories, number of rounds, etc. What I have seen is that only about 20-30% of my emails ever receive a response. That leads me to wonder if that means 80% of the listings are just ploys to harvest email addresses, scams of another type, or what? I have a Yahoo account dedicated to use on Armslist and Craigslist (after a particularly unpleasant exchange years ago with a nut over a $50 water heater sale) and don't use my "real" email, but for guns I'm really interested in I have occasionally sent inquiries from multiple accounts with no responses.

Can there really be that high a percentage of scams? Or are there really that many bad salesmen?

 

[bikemutt]

That seems like a low response rate to me as well.

One possible reason is not a lot of folks on armslist are willing to ship firearms, they want a local sale, and they don't always state that in the ad.

It may be obvious but do you have, and check, a spam filter? I've had inquiries and response end up in my gmail spam bucket.

 

[Diliimar]

I don't bother with anything on armslist unless it has a phone number

 

[herrwalther]

I have been on armslist as well, both as buyer and seller. I ignore plenty of emails, all for what I feel are good reasons. For example if I am selling a firearm and put the price at say..."$450 Firm" and I get an email offering $125, I am not going to respond that that one. Because it isn't even worth my time to say no. Like wise if I am interested in a trade such as "Will trade for AR or reloading parts" and I get an email offering me a black powder rifle, not going to respond to that one either.

I ask a legitimate question about things like magazine capacity, accessories, number of rounds, etc.

And this is where I would probably ignore you too. If I put up a sale for a Glock 19 (example) and I got an email about the capacity, I would likely ignore the question. Because that is something Google can tell you. As far as accessories or the like go, I try to make my ads as descriptive as possible. If I am including a holster, ammo, or anything like that it is at the very least in the description and might have a picture.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

I look through Armslist for amusement purposes only, myself. There are some pretty funny postings now and again!

But yeah...it seems strange not to have a higher percentage of responses to inquires.

 

[Elkins45]

That seems like a low response rate to me as well.

One possible reason is not a lot of folks on armslist are willing to ship firearms, they want a local sale, and they don't always state that in the ad.

It may be obvious but do you have, and check, a spam filter? I've had inquiries and response end up in my gmail spam bucket.

Yeah, a few responses end up in my junk folder, but I check it every day.

And this is where I would probably ignore you too. If I put up a sale for a Glock 19 (example) and I got an email about the capacity, I would likely ignore the question. Because that is something Google can tell you.

And you have might lost legitimate sales because of this. Asking if a "Glock 19 with three magazines" means 10 or 15 rounders is a legitimate question. Or if the extra mags are Korean generic knockoffs. I'm not talking about asking dumb questions or sending lowball offers. I'm talking about questions like the one above, or reasonable questions like "Would you be willing to meet after work somewhere in Lexington one day this week?"

 

[herrwalther]

And you have might lost legitimate sales because of this. Asking if a "Glock 19 with three magazines" means 10 or 15 rounders is a legitimate question. Or if the extra mags are Korean generic knockoffs. I'm not talking about asking dumb questions or sending lowball offers. I'm talking about questions like the one above, or reasonable questions like "Would you be willing to meet after work somewhere in Lexington one day this week?"

I think you misinterpreted my post somewhat. My post would be something like "Glock 19 with three standard magazines" I would ignore "how many rounds in the magazines" question, because 15 is the standard capacity. Like wise if I were in a restrictive state it would be "Glock 19 with three restricted magazines." Meeting after work in Lexington is a legitimate question to show interest in an ad, if I lived in Lexington of course.

Also when I am selling on Armslist I include the line "If the ad is still up, it is still for sale." It cuts down, but does not eliminate all the "u still hav it" questions.

 

[ants]

In our region, many guns sell rather quickly (we don't have a bunch of onerous state laws, nor registration).
If the item is already sold, and the seller is still getting emails about the item, seller might just ignore them.

We had an interesting incident last year. Michael Bloombergs's anti-gun campaign came to town,
his shills posted a BUNCH of Armslist guns, and very nice ones! Not under priced, normal current values.
If you responded, they automatically put you down as a felon trying to buy guns illegally. Then they took their list
and went around the state 'proving' that felons are buying guns by the thousands outside the law.

 

[grampajack]

I pretty much always get a response. I do think some people set up burner email accounts and forget to check them, or they sell the gun and just don't take down the ad.

I have had exactly two people try to scam me. One was a guy peddling knockoff parts kits. The other guy was a Nigerian scammer. The knockoff parts kits were hard to detect, but the Nigerian igit you could see coming ten miles off. Terrible English and an even worse story.

In our region, many guns sell rather quickly (we don't have a bunch of onerous state laws, nor registration).
If the item is already sold, and the seller is still getting emails about the item, seller might just ignore them.

We had an interesting incident last year. Michael Bloombergs's anti-gun campaign came to town,
his shills posted a BUNCH of Armslist guns, and very nice ones! Not under priced, normal current values.
If you responded, they automatically put you down as a felon trying to buy guns illegally. Then they took their list
and went around the state 'proving' that felons are buying guns by the thousands outside the law.

I always love it when liberals commit crimes and nobody seems to think they did anything wrong.

 

[Jim NE]

Yes, I thought about finally doing Armslist a while back, but the high percentage of local only sales made me pass. I've bought anywhere from 40 to 50 guns on GunsAmerica and Gunbroker, and haven't had a problem with either at all, so it's not like I need another source. And I think I've got enough guns as it is.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

We had an interesting incident last year. Michael Bloombergs's anti-gun campaign came to town,
his shills posted a BUNCH of Armslist guns, and very nice ones! Not under priced, normal current values.
If you responded, they automatically put you down as a felon trying to buy guns illegally. Then they took their list
and went around the state 'proving' that felons are buying guns by the thousands outside the law.

Huh? I missed that. Any links?

 

[Elkins45]

Yes, I thought about finally doing Armslist a while back, but the high percentage of local only sales made me pass. I've bought anywhere from 40 to 50 guns on GunsAmerica and Gunbroker, and haven't had a problem with either at all, so it's not like I need another source. And I think I've got enough guns as it is.

Huh? I would ONLY do an Armslist transaction locally. Any Armslist transaction involving shipping a gun is automatically a scam as far as I am concerned. At least with GunBroker you have some idea that at least GB has checked them out a little.

FWIW I really need to stop browsing the sales too. I need to be more of a seller and less of a buyer.

 

[JONWILL]

Huh? I would ONLY do an Armslist transaction locally. Any Armslist transaction involving shipping a gun is automatically a scam as far as I am concerned. At least with GunBroker you have some idea that at least GB has checked them out a little.

FWIW I really need to stop browsing the sales too. I need to be more of a seller and less of a buyer.

This is true. I only deal with local posts on Armslist...If I see a deal too good to be true I don't even send an email.

I haven't had a problem with GunBroker. In fact I have gotten some great deals. You do have to watch about shill Bidding. Funny how 1 or 2 bidders with no feedback run the price of an auction up.

 

[kemikos]

I just sold a gun on Armslist for the first time. I intended to sell it locally because having dealt with Craigslist transactions before, I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to randomly send money off to some guy on the internet.

Three-quarters of my responses wanted to send me money and have me ship the gun (half of those wanted me to commit various felonies, too, but that's a whole different issue). I ended up selling to a local, but that seems like a lot of people are willing to risk losing a fair chunk of money...

 

[Wisco]

I don't respond to emails that don't meet basic professional standards. Sure, this makes selling take a bit longer, but I don't ever have to meet idiots in person.

I post very clear and thorough ads that leave almost nothing to question, but I still get lots of questions I've already answered in the post...

 

[Wisco]

I have developed the self-amusing habit of sending a question email to any listing I am even remotely interested in.

Attention seeking? Maybe the emails you send to these sellers are obvious that you're not a serious buyer and just need someone to talk to.

If you're using multiple emails to contact people and no response, maybe that's a ruse to get your email address or some other scam.

 

[Jim NE]

Huh? I would ONLY do an Armslist transaction locally. Any Armslist transaction involving shipping a gun is automatically a scam as far as I am concerned. .

I'm sure you're right about the scams on internet sales. My only concerns about local sales are the number of Craig's List robberies and murders I've read about over the last few years. It seems like it might be worse with firearms.

Way back when I used to put ads in the newspaper to sell a gun, and not worry much about it. Same with buying from newspaper ads. Still, I would almost always get some of the strangest people coming to my door to look at the guns. Had to refuse a sale once or twice. Nowadays, the world is even stranger than it was back then.

 

[Elkins45]

Attention seeking? Maybe the emails you send to these sellers are obvious that you're not a serious buyer and just need someone to talk to.

If you're using multiple emails to contact people and no response, maybe that's a ruse to get your email address or some other scam.

No, I'm not being a jerk. These are honest questions about guns I have a legitimate interest in buying. I've never emailed someone about a gun just to bother them. But it seems like I do have to play the percentages: email 7-10 sellers in the hope that one responds. Obviously if the ad has a phone number that's the better option, but most don't. I know I won't post my number. I will give it after a meet has been arranged in case they need to cancel.

Just as a concrete example: there's a CZ listed on the KY Armslist site right now. I sent an email yesterday afternoon asking if he was more strongly interested in any particular brand, caliber, or model in trade, since it was a FS/FT listing. Nothing but crickets so far and I have checked my spam folder.

My guess is that my email landed in his spam folder and he doesn't think to check it. Maybe three years from now I will get a bunch of replies

My only concerns about local sales are the number of Craig's List robberies and murders I've read about over the last few years. It seems like it might be worse with firearms.

Meet them at the local police or sheriffs station, after getting the OK from them. That generally cuts down on the armed robbers.

I just sold a gun on Armslist for the first time. I intended to sell it locally because having dealt with Craigslist transactions before, I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to randomly send money off to some guy on the internet.

Three-quarters of my responses wanted to send me money and have me ship the gun (half of those wanted me to commit various felonies, too, but that's a whole different issue). I ended up selling to a local, but that seems like a lot of people are willing to risk losing a fair chunk of money...

It's not real money. I've gotten those too and one even went so far as to send the address of his buddy the "FFL" to send the gun too. First FFL I know of operating his shop out of a single wide trailer, based on Google maps.

Those "certified funds" they want to send you aren't worth the paper they are printed on.

 

[JO JO]

I have good luck buying and selling on armlist , everything from firearms to reloading supplies I guess I'm lucky,
But I do not live in a major city with millions of people, I don't know if that makes a difference or not , and guns are not a taboo where I live so a good deal is gone in a day or two

 

[Waveski]

I have had no bad Armslist experiences , several buying , 10-12 selling. I keep it straight forward and simple. If selling a gun , I.D required , Carry Permit preferred. Meeting place always broad daylight , some lot in which you know there are security cameras. Walmart , Cabella's and such. The few times I have had inquiries from questionable persons these conditions and standards have weeded them out.

Be smart , be cautious , be legal ; A-OK.

 

[grampajack]

Yes, I thought about finally doing Armslist a while back, but the high percentage of local only sales made me pass. I've bought anywhere from 40 to 50 guns on GunsAmerica and Gunbroker, and haven't had a problem with either at all, so it's not like I need another source. And I think I've got enough guns as it is.

You should give Armslist a try. It takes longer to find what you want, but you're allowed to have 10 WTB listings so it's not like you have to monitor it everyday, and you get much, much better deals locally than you do on GB.

Huh? I would ONLY do an Armslist transaction locally. Any Armslist transaction involving shipping a gun is automatically a scam as far as I am concerned. At least with GunBroker you have some idea that at least GB has checked them out a little.

FWIW I really need to stop browsing the sales too. I need to be more of a seller and less of a buyer.

GB hasn't checked anyone out, or have done so only in theory. I've bought several guns from strangers on the internet, plus various accessories (some were big ticket, like a gen1 mk14 EBR RI chassis). Unless buying from an FFL, GB doesn't really afford you any tangible security over Armslist. You can go by their feedback rating if they have one, but registered users on Armslist have their join dates displayed, which is kind of the same thing, at least in practice.

 

[JTHunter]

There has been only one firearm that I bought online and that was because I couldn't find it anywhere else. That was a Marlin 1894 in .38 Sp./.357 Magnum. I bought it from a gent on GB in Colorado and he had been doing this for some time and a fairly good listing. We traded a couple of emails about payment as I was as loathe to use a credit card as he was to accept one. He was willing to take a personal check and I was willing to wait a couple of extra days. Everything went smoothly and I have a very good looking rifle that is about 22 years old. And, now that I'm reloading .357 for it and my GP-100, I have two guns with only one ammo.

 

[Ignition Override]

I bought or sold at least ten guns, and sold 3,000 rds. batches of factory ammo (M2 Ball @ .40/rd. last year, and only one contact...) on Armslist TN, within the last two years.

There has been mostly a very good response rate, with the exception of a WASR seller in nearby Memphis who must have moved or forgotten that they had an item for sale.

Most of my 'WTS' had No Photos included, and it never mattered, as photos were sent to serious shoppers' 'Smart Phones'. Extremely simple: serious shoppers can provide somebody's number to receive photos. Makes no difference whose phone it is...you might need to talk to a stranger if a tentative deal is set up, but you get a sense of who the other person is.

For the nervous novices wondering about Armslist (much safer than Craigslist), just use common sense, as every deal was made in a daytime store or truck stop parking lot with sporadic slow traffic about twenty-forty feet away.

 

[stchman]

I too have done quite a few Armslist transactions as both a buyer and a seller. I meet in a public place that is well lit(if we meet in the evening).

I do LOCAL transactions only and prefer that the buyer have a CCW.

 

[Wisco]

In Wisconsin there aren't firearm laws more prohibitive than federal law, and private party sales are totally unrestricted as long as the seller believes the buyer to be over 18 and a Wisconsin resident. Armslist is great to facilitate transactions once you accept a certain amount of idiocy with both buyers and sellers.

When sellers on armslist impose their own restrictions, it makes me question their regard for the Second Amendment. Lots of private sellers will only sell handguns to those over 21. Many require a carry permit. Maybe a drivers license. Some even wish to take a photo of the IDs.

Most bizarre was a seller of a single shot 12 gauge I wanted for a project who insisted on my full name and birthdate to run his own background check using the state's open court records website! I have a carry permit, but that wasn't good enough because those can be faked or I could've been convicted of a crime in the months since renewal! I passed on that gun.

When I sell, I am specific and clear. I don't ask for anything but the buyer's acknowledgment he is a wisconsin resident and not prohibited. We meet in public at a place with cameras, cash only, no trades unless it's worth more than what I'm selling.