I'm so tired of Gunbroker bidder/buyers.

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Made two gun buys on line, one good one bad. No more internet gun buys,No more outrages shipping charges, no more outrageous transfer fees. By the time I paid the fees I was over the guns value. If I can't find it at gun shows, gun shops or brick and mortar retailers I don't want it. Sour grapes , maybe but photos and devious descriptions don't cut it.
 
I understand where the OP is coming from, but there is no solution. I sell a lot of stuff on eBay and Craigslist; I have concluded that a minority of people read beyond the listing title, and a minority of that minority read the entire ad. Of that sub-minority, only a small percentage actually comprehend all of it.

Or maybe my ads are just too loquacious & technical.

A female friend that knows I travel all over the world asked me yesterday where she could move to get away from stupid people.
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I have found many places like this. They exist where ever there are absolutely no people at all. It's just a matter of knowing where to go.

People present = stupid people as part of the population

0 Population = 0 stupid people
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Agreed. That's why some of us live in very rural areas. While my experience suggests that the percentage of stupid is actually lower than urban areas, mostly it's just fewer encounters in general.
 
For me the key to selling on Gunbroker was to set a below-market-price Buy-It-Now back in the spring when everybody was going crazy buying in the height of the panic.

Heck, I put a Bushmaster Carbon-15, used (but like new), up with a $1,399 buy it now and I was shipping it out to the guy's FFL, after having received payment, about 20 hours after putting the multi-day listing up.

The other key is to accept PayPal and eat the 3%, and hope they don't say it's for gun stuff in the PayPal forms, so that payment is quick and easy.
 
So what is the best way?

What is the best way for an individual to sell a gun out of state? A friend of mine is willing to part with a gun that I've heard people on here actively looking for (but not a good chance of selling locally).

So, say he advertises (where, other than here?) and finds a buyer. I'm aware of the legalities (ship to an FFL in the other state) but what's the best way to handle the money? (Before the boating accident I did all of my trading face to face, so the money and the gun changed hands instantaneously, with no rip-off concerns).

I was going to encourage him to use gunbroker, or deal with a local FFL that has an online presence, but the commission will probably eat up the excess he is expending due to the condition of the rifle and it sounds as if the auction sites come with their own set of problems?

Hank
 
I have no qualms about using Paypal. People make a point of boycotting it. As long as the company knowingly fails to enforce its own policy, I am happy to thump my nose at it.

Hank
Gunbroker. With due diligence of course.
 
For every guy who HATES bargaining, bartering, haggling, etc, there are those who just can't accept that there those who fix a FAIR price and stick with it. I have done that at gun shows: walk in with a sign on a gun with THE price, and always, "What will you take for it? What's your lowest price?", etc. I just smile and point to the sign, as if I'm a mute, and walk on. Same on gunbroker. If annoyed by emails and messages, just ignore them.
 
Yeah...you see all types on Gunbroker. The folks who either don't read the shipping info or argue with you after you've explained it to them are about the worst. I almost cancelled a sale one time because a guy couldn't just do it the way it was spelled out on the page. Every time he kept coming back trying to get me to do it another way...he even went so far as to ask me not to tell FedEx it was a firearm in the box!

Other folks were great...takes all types I guess...I've dealt with "the public" long enough to know that much.

Gunbroker itself is many times worse than the customers. Ever have a customer service issue? Most of the time they won't even respond. They do not care about you or any issues you might have...particularly the billing issues.
 
gspn
You expect too much from Gunbroker. It is not Amazon or even eBay. It is merely a web site hosting transactions for a fee, but not an actual intermediary. There is no customer service to speak of. Both buying and selling carries a risk with no insurance. It is a bazaar, not a consignment store.
 
YZ said:
gspn
You expect too much from Gunbroker. It is not Amazon or even eBay. It is merely a web site hosting transactions for a fee, but not an actual intermediary. There is no customer service to speak of. Both buying and selling carries a risk with no insurance. It is a bazaar, not a consignment store.
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This ^

People need to realize it isn't much different than Craigslist. The only difference is that Gunbroker takes your money.
 
"Guns attract retards."

A guy I hunted ducks and deer with 15 or 20 years ago put a Glock in the weekly $.50 Trading Post. A guy called him about it a month later - at 2:30 a.m. on a Wednesday - to ask if it was still for sale.
 
Neither Gunbroker nor Auction Arms are perfect. Having said that, I have bought and sold hundreds of firearms this way, with very little problem (sometimes a little aggravation) but both are OK. I've also bought locally on Armslist, though its not an auction site and now unfortunately is overrun with dealer ads...

and some folks will never read ads, and some make the 5 page ad mentioned previously with endless rules and disclaimers, this is true. You think that's bad, you oughtta try dealing in horses sometimes...:banghead:
 
gspn said:
Negative. When they charge fees to my card that I didn't accrue...they owe me money and an explanation. They need to step up their customer service...period.
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Good luck with that. Your CC could dispute the charges for you btw.
 
We have a local forum with a very active classified section, which allows for face to face transactions. Classified ads on local club bulletin boards (both electronic and tangible boards) work well too. Buyers and sellers tend to be pretty sophisticated and easy to work with.

I've tried listing on Armslist, and it's been a nightmare - it's like a repository for slimeballs, scams and sketchy transactions.
 
Gun Broker...hum? All the guns I have bought over the last 9-10 years have been either off of Gun Broker, Guns America, or Gun List. I've bought some guns at what I think was a bargain, and made some money at times. Compared to the prices and attitudes at our LGS(s), I like the availability and variety the internet offers. Most of what I buy and collect are vintage arms not found outside of estate sales or private collections.

As far as being frustrated with the venue - everyone has a choice. Don't log in if you don't like it.
 
I feel it is something you just have to put up with. But if a gun is attracting no bids, I see it as fair game to ask the seller if they are willing to accept less. But as the seller, if you are firm in your minimum pricing, there is little to talk about. I don't see a problem other than it's the nature of the business of buying and selling.

Many sellers simply put a gun in an auction to see what the interest is along with a higher minimum. I don't like this practice, but I understand it. If you truly want to sell something, place no minimum bid on it.
 
I have purchased exactly one gun on GB and it was a perfect transaction. I am not by nature a haggler. I see something I want and I will buy it if I like the price. I feel no need to ask for a reduction in price on a regular business transaction because I simply don't like to deal with someone with stupid prices. I have a LGS, pawn shop really, that is like this. They will have a used Rem rifle combo that you can buy at Walmart for $400 and they mark it a $599. I know one of the guys that works there and I always ask what will you sell this for. He knows that I won't buy it unless I like the price.

GB is a lot like EBay. In many years of transactions on Ebay I have had exactly one problem and that was a seller that lied three times about when he shipped the phone. Ebay took care of it for me.
 
460Kodiak said:
0 Population = 0 stupid people

And my lifestyle and career make sense to me all over again.
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but once you live there eventually that one person will do something stupid. But advantage is when you tell them that was stupid they are smart enough to agree with you.
 
I've never had any bad experiences on GB. I have bought and sold quite a few. Only one time did I have an issue. I was the winning bidder on a handgun and the auction stated that the buyer was to pay the "actual" shipping price. Well after emailing the seller he tried to say the shipping was $55, WHAT?! I told him that I had sold many a gun myself and that shipping was nowhere close to what he was asking so I refused to pay it and he refused to lower it. We went our seperate ways and I found the same gun from a different seller for the same price with the shipping included.
 
heeler said:
I don't sell on GB but I do buy.
Some of the best deals I have come across have been on GB.
Never been burned and my rating has nothing but praise from the sellers.
I refuse to bid on reserve auctions and look closely at the shipping charges before bidding.
And since I do not do Paypal I look very closely if they charge 3% or more for CC fees.
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Ditto for me. I have had nothing but success and good luck at finding great guns for good bargains and everyone I have dealt with has been a pleasure to deal with.

Even on Armslist I have been happy with every transaction I've made.

----------------

Now I've probably jinxed myself! :uhoh:
 
Personally I don't buy guns unless I can look at and physically inspect them. While I've only sold one gun in my time I would only do so face to face and the buyer would have to answer the same questions that are on a 4473 and they must have all documents for ID. Even then if I don't like their mannerisms/body language I won't sell the gun. I like my freedom and don't plan on endangering it just to sell a gun.
 
Queen this is about auctions. But I have a similar feeling about buying online. I have purchased a number of guns "on line" (mostly prior to their being an internet and mostly collector grade stuff), and sold one that way. I was pleased with the results overall, but it does take some time. I also like to handle my purchases before I provide the $. I dislike the inspection period, but I insist on one, it costs me to ship something back and that is a pain in the butt. I just try to be fair and honest.
 
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