Good feedback - bad feedback- or no feedback?

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Atticus

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I recently bought a revolver through an online auction. A model 19. It was advertised as being in excellent condition...even included a photo that overall made it appear to be in excellent condition. The price was TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE - which made me suspicious ($250). I called the dealer on the phone and asked him if it was really in excellent condition. He said, "yes it is". I picked it up yesterday and at first it looked to be pretty nice. It was heavily oiled, but the lock-up was tight and it passed the Jim March checkout with flying colors. Got it home and proceeded to clean it. That's when the cold blue came off in several areas. The left side of the barrel in particular was pretty bad. There are also little nicks in the finish here and there. I would guess that this revolver was an LEO trade - shot little (if at all) and holstered and banged around a lot. Either that... or it belonged to a carpenter who forgot his hammer a lot and used the revolver in it's place.
Anyway...it is mechanically perfect and I have decided to keep it. I cold-blued the bad spots last night and it looks pretty darn good now in spite of some little dings here and there. Should I drop the dealer a nasty- gram and leave negative feedback on the auction sight- or be content that I got a revolver that is probably worth what I paid for it. It does irritate the hell out of me that he might think he got away with something...but then... he did price it right. The phrase, "if it sounds too good to be true it probably is" keeps coming to mind. I was pretty fired up last night ...but the auction site was too busy to leave feedback. Now I'm starting to become a little more "content" with the purchase...but not totally. What would you do...if anything?
 
Auction Arms rates excellent condition as : All original parts; over 80% original finish; sharp lettering, numerals, and design on metal and wood; unmarred wood; fine bore. Dealer might not have known about the bad bluing job done but should have mentioned the nicks. I would check the previous feedback and see if the dealer has a habit of not stating true condition. If he does then I would post appropriate feedback. If not, then I would post positive feedback, since you are happy with gun (not to mention the price), with a caveat about the condition.
 
I know that gunbroker.com has explicit definitions for each grade that a gun can be listed at. Did the site you purchased on how them?

If so, how would you rate the gun you got against what "excellent" is supposed to be?

Do you think the seller was trying to hide the bad spots by a quick bluing job, or did they seems like the bluing had been there a while and simply worn off again.

Do you think that the seller meant he had a gun in excellent mechanical shape but with "cosmetic" flaws, or did he infer that the gun was in all-around excellent shape and try to hide the flaws as long as he could?

I think you owe it to other buyers to give your honest opinion. If you feel the seller wasn't trying to cheat you, than give neutral feedback and say something to the effect that you got your money's worth, but description was less than pefect.

If you really feel that he tried to cheat you, than first I'd try contacting them again, and say exactly what you've said here. That you feel that the description was less than truthful, and that you suspect them of trying to hide know flaws, but that you want to give them a chance to respond before leaving negative feedback.

Who knows, maybe the seller made a honest effort to truthfully descibe the gun, and will appologize and offer to refund your money. Of maybe he confirms he's a cheat that got caught.

At the end, if you feel you got cheater (not that your great price wasn't so great) than you should leave negative feedback. Keep the feedback honest, and limited to FACTS. Something like, item was mechanically as described but had substantial undisclosed physical wear. Doesn't say you got cheated, which you can't really prove, but will let next buyer know he better ask more questions.

Remember these auctions site only work if buyers can rely on honest and complete feedback to weed out the dishonest folks.
 
Of course the dealer might have been cheated too. Most dealers I know don't do much of a checkout.

Before posting feedback, I would email the guy and let him know the situation. See how he handles it. If he WAS cheated, he should be informed so he doesn't buy anything else from the same buyer.
 
Ya should return th4e gun, demand shipping both ways, you didnt get what you bargained for.

You got ripped off by a scumbag dealer.

Model 19 in the condition you describe is $100

WildihateunscrupulousdealersAlaska
 
I think Negative feedback is when you are unhappy with a deal and the seller will not make good. Good feedback is for when your transaction meets your expectations. Since this doesn't seem to fall into either (you haven't asked the seller to make good), I'd say no feedback.
 
Good advice...thanks. I don't know what the sellers intent was....maybe he was being deceptive .. and maybe not. I guess the it could be considered good-excellent by some standards (not mine) - But technically it may quailify for that rating.
" say something to the effect that you got your money's worth, but description was less than pefect." That would probably suffice. Thanks!
 
Dang ...you guys must have posted as I was replying to the first two.

Wildalaska- It's not good, but it's not THAT bad. Perhaps I should clarify that the whole gun was not cold blued- only the wear on the barrel and a spot here and there. The wear area on the left side of the barrel is fairly large, but the finish on the rest of the gun is original and in great shape. You may be right in that HE might have paid $100 for it...but I have not run across any 2.5" P&R'd blued model 19's, in any condition, for anything close to that price. I was focusing on the mechanics of the revolver when I picked it up (on my lunch break) and less concerned with what appeared to be a fair looking finish. Mechanically it is excellent .....but I have to agree with you that he is most likely ...uh.... a less than honorable man.
 
OK with that clarificartion, Ill change my answer just a bit and say ya didnt get ripped off..ya got a fair deal

But the revolver was misdescribed. An honest dealer describes each and every major flaw...and cold bluing is such a flaw and if he doesnt recognize cold bluing...well Ill say no more thas that...

WildsneezesAlaska
 
Have you thought about leaving a "neutral" feedback?

If you're happy enough with the revolver to keep it, the seller really doesn't deserve a negative, especially if you haven't even given him the chance to make good on an over-graded item.
 
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