problems of online dealing
- Thread starter Bezoar
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larryh1108
Member
Without being more specific most will disagree with you. I've had great experiences buying online. I believe most here have. What set you off?
g.willikers
Member
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- Aug 25, 2007
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- 1,027
Now, you've gone and upset the car sales folks around here, too.
Is there something specific here or is this just a grumpy rant? Which, by the way we don't do.
Read that out loud and tell me what it sounds like....
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Zaydok Allen
Member
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- Feb 12, 2011
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- 13,274
I've bought several guns online, and ammo. Each transaction was smooth. Why? Because I did my homework and communicated to make it that way. Buying anything online requires effort on the part of the seller AND the buyer, and it is up to the buyer to look at the advertisement, and make a determination if the seller is someone they want to do business with.
So if you're looking for sympathy, I think THR is the wrong place.
So if you're looking for sympathy, I think THR is the wrong place.
VulcanChecks
Member
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- Sep 19, 2014
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- 17
I have bought multiple firearms online both from auction sites and retailers using my Type 03 FFL. Never had an issue. There is an effort and usually involves sending original copies of information and dealing with people who may not know what your local laws may require. It takes time but usually works well.
breakingcontact
Member
As soon as it gets 1% goofy I walk.
Elkins45
Member
This sounds like an Armslist transaction. If you think it's bad as the buyer, you ought to experience it as a seller. The world is full of flakes and the internet seems to be their preferred environment. Still, I've never had a really bad transaction. I have had some annoying ones however.
MIL-DOT
member
"Everyone"? "As horid as it can be"? If you've had as many nightmarish transactions as your post implies, then it might be time for you to ask your self if maybe the problem is with YOU.
I've been wheeling n' dealing on Armslist and Craigslist for a few years now, and I've had NOTHING BUT great transactions (buying,selling,and trading), and met lots of cool, like-minded folks. Nearly every time, we end up standing in the parking lot gabbing about guns and politics for a half hour, and joking how we hope no one scrambles a SWAT team after seeing us standing at an open trunk messing with AK's and AR's and such.
Nope, nary a problem there,either.
Elkins45
Member
Craigslist? I can't even keep an ad soliciting scrap wheel weights up for a few hours before some enviro busybody flags it. How have you managed to buy/sell guns?
well its not just armslist. not by far.
examples? well how about the following that has happened in the last 2 weeks.
Found a nice looking m1 carbine real nice looking. the problem wasnt the sales price of 700 for a genuine world war 2 m1 carbine with auto ordnance parts.
the problem was that the gun was made in 2013, and had the serial number on the side of the reciever to prove it.
I found a really nice advertisement for a 1903 springfield made in 1917. Problem is, i can see 900 for a perfect condition rifle, NOT FOR THE STOCK ALONE.
I have dealt with four seperate gentlemen trying to sell cai and lithgow casting recievered m1 garands as the original, or as super rare british attempts at making their own.
Ive dealt with 8 gentlemen in the last 2 weeks who at the last minute after days of conversing about their weapon, who decide:
1. dont trust ups for shipping, fedex neither.
2. wont trade for what we have agreed to trade for. ie suddenly want a kimber 1911 in trade for their say, their remington 870.
3. decide at the last minute, "i know i advertised i wanted to trade for the exact rifle you have, but now im only trading for something else"
4. decide it has to be a face to face transfer. in their home town. and its a 1200 mile round trip.
Or my favorite of all. happened with a gun dealer. whole thing just blew chunks.
he admitted both guns were identical value. and that hed trade gun for gun, no issues. I asked for info for my ffl and got this
"ill give you a trade in value of 600 plus a balance of 200"
examples? well how about the following that has happened in the last 2 weeks.
Found a nice looking m1 carbine real nice looking. the problem wasnt the sales price of 700 for a genuine world war 2 m1 carbine with auto ordnance parts.
the problem was that the gun was made in 2013, and had the serial number on the side of the reciever to prove it.
I found a really nice advertisement for a 1903 springfield made in 1917. Problem is, i can see 900 for a perfect condition rifle, NOT FOR THE STOCK ALONE.
I have dealt with four seperate gentlemen trying to sell cai and lithgow casting recievered m1 garands as the original, or as super rare british attempts at making their own.
Ive dealt with 8 gentlemen in the last 2 weeks who at the last minute after days of conversing about their weapon, who decide:
1. dont trust ups for shipping, fedex neither.
2. wont trade for what we have agreed to trade for. ie suddenly want a kimber 1911 in trade for their say, their remington 870.
3. decide at the last minute, "i know i advertised i wanted to trade for the exact rifle you have, but now im only trading for something else"
4. decide it has to be a face to face transfer. in their home town. and its a 1200 mile round trip.
Or my favorite of all. happened with a gun dealer. whole thing just blew chunks.
he admitted both guns were identical value. and that hed trade gun for gun, no issues. I asked for info for my ffl and got this
"ill give you a trade in value of 600 plus a balance of 200"
Elkins45
Member
Some friendly advice: Armslist is only for face-to-face transactions. You should just automatically assume that any Armslist transaction involving shipping is a scam. You will save yourself much trouble that way.
From your other postings recently I can see that you have a real want to find yourself a Garand, M1 carbine or 03A3. Please try really hard not to let your enthusiasm get in the way of your better judgment because the world is full of people just waiting to take advantage of your desire.
From your other postings recently I can see that you have a real want to find yourself a Garand, M1 carbine or 03A3. Please try really hard not to let your enthusiasm get in the way of your better judgment because the world is full of people just waiting to take advantage of your desire.
ive been getting the idea that armslist is just a place for people to post pictures of their favorite gun online.
so many people put a price of say 650 on something, and after the 3rd email go "ill trade it for that 800 dollar winchester plus 150 in cash"
so many people put a price of say 650 on something, and after the 3rd email go "ill trade it for that 800 dollar winchester plus 150 in cash"
Willie Sutton
Member
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2013
- Messages
- 2,025
Anyone can have a bad experience.
But:
Repetitive bad experiences are usually the result of unrealistic expectations.
If you're always looking for the cheapest example of anything, you're putting yourself in bottom feeder territory. There really aren't any "deals" advertised. Guns have a basically fixed value. If you want a particular model, you'll pay what it's worth. Your recited $700 price for a M1 Carbine is not realistic for a WW-II production example. Nobody with any experience buying them woudl expect one advertised at that price to be a GI one. So this is likely the result of expecting to buy a Rolex for the price of a Timex.
Armslist is a great place for finding local face-to-face sales. I've bought and sold dozens of guns using it over the last several years. If I want to try something I just look for a local sale, buy it, and if I want to sell it I sell it the same way. Zero hassle at all, and I've made some lasting friends in the local shooting community that way. I would never buy from a distant Armslist seller.
From Gunbroker, you can expect to pay what things are worth. The value of Gunbroker is that you can find particular models that you might want sooner than one will become available locally. Buy from dealers with a good reputation.
Now:
For any decent GI Production M1 Carbine you're going to spend $1000+.
For any decent GI M1 Garand you're going to pay about $1000+ too. Just buy one straight from the CMP if you want to try to save a few bucks.
For any decent 03 Springfield you're going to pay $700 or more. Ditto a good 03A3.
If you budget these market prices you can select a very good example from a reliable seller. Be not a Bottom Feeder, and you will not be dealing with Bottom Feeders. If you chase down cheaper stuff that's openly advertised, you're going to be disapointed if you think you're going to come out OK. There ain't no such thing as a cheap rifle.
You "might" fall into private deals on these rifles for less if you keep your eyes and ears open locally, as there's always the widow selling off her late husbands rifles. I just picked up a 1977 production SP-1 AR-15 new in the box along with a Colt Gold Cup .45 and a Colt .22 caliber conversion kit AND a very nice Winchester Model 97 shotgun for $1800 from an estate. Those are the deals to find. Good luck in your search for them. That's part of the hobby too.
Willie
.
But:
Repetitive bad experiences are usually the result of unrealistic expectations.
If you're always looking for the cheapest example of anything, you're putting yourself in bottom feeder territory. There really aren't any "deals" advertised. Guns have a basically fixed value. If you want a particular model, you'll pay what it's worth. Your recited $700 price for a M1 Carbine is not realistic for a WW-II production example. Nobody with any experience buying them woudl expect one advertised at that price to be a GI one. So this is likely the result of expecting to buy a Rolex for the price of a Timex.
Armslist is a great place for finding local face-to-face sales. I've bought and sold dozens of guns using it over the last several years. If I want to try something I just look for a local sale, buy it, and if I want to sell it I sell it the same way. Zero hassle at all, and I've made some lasting friends in the local shooting community that way. I would never buy from a distant Armslist seller.
From Gunbroker, you can expect to pay what things are worth. The value of Gunbroker is that you can find particular models that you might want sooner than one will become available locally. Buy from dealers with a good reputation.
Now:
For any decent GI Production M1 Carbine you're going to spend $1000+.
For any decent GI M1 Garand you're going to pay about $1000+ too. Just buy one straight from the CMP if you want to try to save a few bucks.
For any decent 03 Springfield you're going to pay $700 or more. Ditto a good 03A3.
If you budget these market prices you can select a very good example from a reliable seller. Be not a Bottom Feeder, and you will not be dealing with Bottom Feeders. If you chase down cheaper stuff that's openly advertised, you're going to be disapointed if you think you're going to come out OK. There ain't no such thing as a cheap rifle.
You "might" fall into private deals on these rifles for less if you keep your eyes and ears open locally, as there's always the widow selling off her late husbands rifles. I just picked up a 1977 production SP-1 AR-15 new in the box along with a Colt Gold Cup .45 and a Colt .22 caliber conversion kit AND a very nice Winchester Model 97 shotgun for $1800 from an estate. Those are the deals to find. Good luck in your search for them. That's part of the hobby too.
Willie
.
Last edited:
Rock185
Member
Bezoar Wow! I try to do my homework and things have always gone smoothly online. OK, there was one guy who never paid for $30.00 worth of stuff. He never paid, I never shipped it, no loss. As to that even trade, I don't know why a dealer would trade gun-for-gun for no profit??? I did trade for a gun FTF last year after the seller said my trade was worth as much as the one he had for sale. The guy was a gentleman, didn't try to BS, as so many sellers wont to do, i.e., their gun is Golden, your trade is a worthless POS, etc. I wanted the gun he had for sale and traded my gun + some cash. It didn't blow chunks, I got the gun I wanted and he made a few bucks, both happy....ymmv
+1 to what Willie posted.
+1 to what Willie posted.
i had to get online and go to a different state before i could find a single dealer who would actually give me the price on my winchester, everyone else well, lets just say the price they wanted would cover the cost of shipping it to idaho.
Im not a bottom feeder. i have an idea of what the average condition shooter should cost. Im just saying...
im sick of people who advertise a CAI garand with cast reciever as being a genuine m1 garand used on d day. andpricing it that way.
im tired of people who price a mixmaster m1 garand or carbine as a mint un used one. get the idea?
in my area, you could take that mint 1200 dollar garand, and theyd offer you maybe 300 if they liked ya.So in my area, ffls and gundealers only really exist to handle the transfer
Im not a bottom feeder. i have an idea of what the average condition shooter should cost. Im just saying...
im sick of people who advertise a CAI garand with cast reciever as being a genuine m1 garand used on d day. andpricing it that way.
im tired of people who price a mixmaster m1 garand or carbine as a mint un used one. get the idea?
in my area, you could take that mint 1200 dollar garand, and theyd offer you maybe 300 if they liked ya.So in my area, ffls and gundealers only really exist to handle the transfer
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