Got Ripped Off by a Dealer, Need Help

[gcollins]

I wasn'tsure this is where I should post, but maybe you folks can help me out!
I did a search for a Lyman 438 scope, i found one on a High Dollar Selling site, most likely some of you have bought off this site!
I look at this posting of this scope, it is a lyman 438 with extenal ajustments, brass barrel with a lite pintea to it, got a hold of the Dealer, who has a buiness selling posting collector and dealer in Antique Firearms. i sent him a money order, and in about a week I get my scope, i open the box and here is a drab green painted scope, even thought it looks close to the shape of a LYMAN 438, there is no marking, no nothing! So I nicely emailed the dealer and ask him if he had sent me the wrong scope, his reply was if you don't want it send it back and I will refund your money!
So if I return it, I don't know if he will even pay me, and I will be out the $15.00 shipping!1
I want the scope that I bought that was in the posted picture!!

Please tell me how to handle this!
Do I have any recourse?

I would be very great fullfor any and all advice!
Thanks Greg

[Jim]

Collins,
I'm sure this will not ease your pain, but quite often we(consumers) have to pay the return shipping when issues like this come up. I would be angry as you are.

Personally, I wuold pay the shipping, send the d@mn thing back and never deal with him again. Furthermore, I would trash the tar out of him on this forum and others and tell him that I did it to let him know he's not going to get away with this.

[PatMarlin]

What site is it? DO they have a feedback history record?

It's pretty rare to be burned by a well known internet dealer, at least that's been my experience. All you can do now is either keep it, or send it back.

Demand the correct scope as advertised, or all of your money including the extra shipping.

Without knowing where you bought, whether it's an auction or not, it's hard to advise any recourse.

[Scrounger]

You have seen the scope he has for sale; if he will take it back and your loss will be only $15, (actually you'll have to pay to ship it back so that's probably another $15), I would say do it and learn from it. I don't know anything at all about those scopes, but using the picture as a guide, you must have thought you were getting at least a fair deal on it. If he didn't make it plain in the item listing that it was a stock picture and not a picture of the actual item for sale, then he is wrong. Perhaps you can use that reasoning to get him to refund your shipping costs, but that is all up to him, there is no authority you can bring to bear against him for $15. You can contact the website owner and relate the facts to him. He MAY ask the seller to satisfy you, but most likely he will just clarify his rules for using pictures on the site. If the site has a feedback procedure, you can hit him there but that has little satisfaction. Talk to the seller, you may well find that his actions were in ignorance, not intent to defraud. You may well know more about the scope than he does. I get the feeling you are more hurt/angered by not getting the scope you wanted than by the monetary loss. Is it a collector type, are you a collector?

[Throckmorton]

If you will name the site,we can look at it and maybe be of more help.I"m in the dark as to what site it is just by your description.

[Pepe Ray]

If it were me, I'd take a few GOOD pictures of the scope before sending it back.
Digital pics so they can be shown side by side with the one you bit on.
Pepe Ray

[Old Ironsights]

Also, if you still have access to the original advert, SAVE THE PAGE (with graphich) and PRINT THE PAGE IN COLOR (twice) with all header/footer web info.

Take a Photo of the recieved scope next to the printout of the "for sale" pic.

Print 2 copies of that pic and send one with the return. Ask for a refund to include your cost of returned shipping, gently pointing out that if he didn't actually have the scope pictured in his ad it is FALSE ADVERTISING.

Save the digital pic as "evidence" when/if you post negative feedback all over the Web.

[DLCTEX]

Of course send it back in a manner that confirms receipt. Then be glad you only lost the shipping. THEN TRASH THE HECK OUT OF HIM! He is not an honest person and others should be warned. DALE

[HeavyMetal]

The pitfalls of doing business on the net!

However he did offer to reimbuse you with no hassle. I believe the suggestion to return the scope with both the photo you bid on and the photo of what you actually got from him is excellent!

The possiblity does exist that he is a "know nothing" in this field, did some mild research and decided what he had was indeed a Lyman scope not knowing that knock off's exist even in the gun industry!

The fifteen is the price of learning! Ask him for it but don't expect it.

Giving him the opertunity to make it right is the correct way to handle this. If he cannot, or will not, then, and only then, are you within your rights to let everyone know the results of your dealings with him and who he is so others may be forewarned in the future.

[carpetman]

I bought a pair of B&L binoculars on EBAY that were listed as 8x30 and in good working order. They were 6x30 and NOT good working order. After much hassle I got refund on everything but my shipping. I left negative feedback and seller retalliated and left bad feedback for me.

[Lloyd Smale]

give him a chance to make it right. Mistakes are made on both ends of deals over the internet. Ive bought a truck load of guns that way and some transactions were better then others but ive yet to actually get burned.

[rockrat]

Next time, be sure and pay with a USPS MO. That way, if any problems occur, you could report the fraud to the Post Office. I think they take a dim view of this. Also report the fraud to the states Attorney General and any local prosecutors.

[badgeredd]

Next time, be sure and pay with a USPS MO. That way, if any problems occur, you could report the fraud to the Post Office. I think they take a dim view of this. Also report the fraud to the states Attorney General and any local prosecutors.

That is a great idea, I'll remember that in the future. Any time one get burned by some unscrupulous idjit, one needs as much on his side as possible.

Greg,

I agree that you should give the guy a chance to make it right and love the idea of the return photo with the ad. BUT if he doesn't make it right, I say burn him...any and every place you can!

Edd:twisted:

[Scrounger]

I hate to disillusion you, but unless it is a really large amount of money, or the fraud was perpetrated on a large number of people, you are just going to end up more angry and frustrated. Postal Inspectors and State Prosecutors, and even police departments, have so many things to deal with, they have to be very selective about which ones to use their meager resources on. Actually I think it's better to pay with PayPal or one of the credit card companies. They will try to help you.