Gunbroker etiquette ?

[shawnba67]

I just got burned on gunbroker(or so I feel ) the listing had a very accurate visual description of the gun. Said it was double action. So I buy it and it shows up and it's junk. The cylinder spins freely with the hammer at rest and DA mode only spins the cylinder occasionally. I email the guy and he says I should have called to ask if the dern thing worked, I however thought it was the sellers responsibility to say it either works. , doesn't or wasn't checked for operation Am I wrong here? Or was this a burn? It was a cheap gun and he offered me my $100 back minus the $20 ship the $25 ffl and the $20 to ship it back. So for $65 I could look at it for 10 seconds and not want it ( plus this guy could then try and sell it again). So is it the sellers job to say does , doesn't , or not checked?

[RickinTN]

I have found most sellers on Gunbroker I have dealt with to be very honest and straightforward. Many purchases have been better than described. If a firearm doesn't function properly, and it is obvious, I would expect them to disclose such. If there were a problem when it was received it is best not to complete the transfer, thus saving the FFL fee (at least it should, I guess some dealers would charge you for simply receiving the firearm). I pay close attention to a sellers feedback before clicking the bid button. If they have numbers in the hundreds or better and A+ I feel pretty safe. If the feedback numbers are in the zero to a few range and not A+ beware. A bad seller will be "weeded out", but you may find yourself one of the unfortunate purchasers to be doing the "weeding". I have found through the years that folks that deal in firearms and accessories are some of the best folks to deal with, and there is a silent "code of ethics", but unfortunately not everyone follows the "code".
Sorry for your bad experience, and I hope it works out OK for you,
Rick

[badbob454]

it should be the sellers responsibility to point it out as a project gun , contact gunbroker and open up a dispute , if they dont help there is always bad feedback as a last resort... bummer..

[bobthenailer]

IMO he delibertly mis represented the gun ! if anything was wrong with the mechanics of the gun ect, it should of been stated in the selling info or listed for parts only or broken , i have run into simular senarios on e bay & gunbroker , the seller should refund all funds including shipping both ways as it is his mistake or intent to defruad.
In both of my senarios i got a full refund including shipping both ways ! just got to raise a little He!! but be nice about it.

[brtelec]

I have done a number of transactions on Gunbroker buying and selling. In my opinion this guy clearly set out to take advantage of you or someone else. He figures you will not send it back to him because of the expense of doing it in relation to the cost of the firearm. I would definitely send it back at the loss just on the principle of the thing. I would demand my initial shipping back also.

[HATCH]

Did the seller lie about the weapon?
I suspect the problem you have is that there were several issues with the weapons (like basically is scrap) that the seller failed to disclose.

Unfortunately, there is no one to verify a weapon before it is purchased.

I have purchased and sold on gunbroker many times. Just like when I sell something on Cast Boolits, I try to treat the buyer like I like to be treated.
I am VERY strict with my grading. If I say something is 80%, chances are you will rate it 90% or better.
If its MINT then basically its as new just as if you just bought it and took it out the box.

The only recourse you have is to leave neg feedback on gunbroker and hope it helps the next guy.

[shawnba67]

I did check his feedback 240 A+. Seemed safe. He said would give my money back less shipping "my decision" So he is now 240 and one F. I really was amazed by the whole thing. I've bought some other things of of there all trouble free.

[500MAG]

I have purchased many firearms and other items off of GB. Never had an issue. If I see a listing that is too good to be true I ask a lot of questions. Also, if information is omitted I don't make assumptions. You have to be an educated consumer. That being said, he still should have listed if the gun functions or not. Complain to GB for sure.

[Mr Peabody]

You might explain in your feedback what you just told us and then leave bad feedback. I would complain to GB also.

[MarkP]

As far as function it should have been disclosed, otherwise it should have been listed as a parts gun. He is responding to your messages so that shows he is trying to offer some help.

I have had some items purchased on Gunbroker exceeded my expectations and some that fell below. Most of the items that did not meet my expectations I felt I should have asked questions because their description was vague or did not suggest an overall condition, and I had a perceived condition. I have on the other hand received some items where my opinion of the condition did differ from the "as described condition" but did not challenge the seller knowing condition is somewhat subjective. I know ranchers in Western Nebraska that would say their truck is in excellent condition when most would consider it in fair condition. You can kind of get a feel on the grader by comparing the pictures with the descriptions, such light handling marks and you can clearly see deep scratches in the pictures.

The worst misrepresentation I experienced with a GB purchase was a bolt action rifle from the Remington Custom shop that was listed as Mint condition in the listing title and within the descripting it was said to have been purchased for bear hunting and only shot (5) times. Mint condition IMO is un ambiguous and should expect no flaws. When it arrived it looked like it was transported in the bed of a pickup while driving 60 mph across a corn field and it had surface rust all over the bbl and receiver. I asked the seller for an explanation over a course of about 3 weeks and no replies. I left my only D feedback.

[TXGunNut]

Stories like yours are why GB is merely a research tool for me, I prefer to handle a gun before making a purchase and quite often I'm buying from someone I've done business with before.
It's remotely possible that seller bought the gun as part of a lot and simply never checked it out, description could be considered truthful but incomplete. No idea what type of gun it was but believe it or not some folks don't care if it functions, they just like the way it looks. Seller made a reasonable offer to settle. JMHO, of course. Doesn't hurt to look at this from another angle and if it makes you feel any better I've certainly made more expensive mistakes when purchasing a gun.

[MrWolf]

I am currently going through something similar with a seller on Gunbroker. I won an auction for a Marlin Model 93 in 32-20 and guy would only accept a bank check. That should have been my first indicator that there could be issues. After he gets my money he tells me he made a mistake and the gun is actually a 32rimfire/centerfire but he does not know which firing pin is in it. He also did not disclose that the rifle was refinished basically ruining any collector value. Since he already had my money and I had nothing, I told him to ship it figuring something was better than nothing. When i got it and saw it was refinished he basically admitted he knew it. The barrel was also tapped which from the pics he posted was very hard to see.

I offered to send it back with either side paying their own expenses, to give me $ back or I am filing a Fraud charge as I won an auction for a 32-20 and not a rimfire. Looks like Gunbroker would give me $400 net per their terms. We will see as now they are starting to be more realistic after I disclosed my terms and the fact that he sold me a gun in a caliber he did not have.

Luck with your issue.

Ron

[dtknowles]

I don't know how much back and forth you have had with the seller, but I would go a couple rounds before I post negative feedback or file a dispute. Maybe you can get him to cover more of you losses.

I like using gunbroker but it never seems wise to me to go for cheap handguns on there because the shipping and transfer fees become such a large part of the cost that the gun would have to be a steal to begin with. If a deal looks like a steal (if it is to good to be true it probably isn't) I become skeptical.

He does have and obligation to disclose know defects and is responsible to cover undisclosed defect even if not known. Did you say that you paid $100 including shipping? You don't tell us anything about this gun but I expect you got what you paid for. Maybe you are luck and it is only a broken bolt spring or even just crud in the action. What does the listing say about returns? How old is the gun?

Tim

[WILCO]

Vote with your wallet. It works everytime.

[GhostHawk]

I have bought a few guns off gunbroker, and been lucky. But it is strictly Buyer Beware!

What you see is what you get, and if it doesn't say in good working order I don't buy it.

Items with few pictures, and short descriptions get passed over for someone who is willing to describe the exact condition and show me clearly what he is offering. That being said, at this point you probably can't do much but leave him terrible feedback.

Take the gun to a good gunsmith for fixing and rack the cost up to higher education.

There are many who follow the rules, and are legitimate, those all have A+ feedback.

Always check a seller out before bidding. Ask questions before bidding.

And be cautious!

[2ndAmendmentNut]

How about a link to the closed auction and a few pictures of the firearm you received?

A $100 revolver is pretty cheap revolver. Seeing as the brand and model number weren't mentioned I am going to guess it is one of the already low end cheaper guns.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Sure sounds like a bummer of a deal.

Of course the OP's details are pretty scant.

If I were the OP, I'd be contacting gunbroker and opening up a dispute...as badbobgerman suggested.

[Crash_Corrigan]

I have had excellent dealings on GB and Auction Arms. Most of my transactions (100+) have been with AA. It is smaller and there is less to choose from but I like small. However when I really want a particular weapon I also browse the selections on GB. I have never been disappointed in my dealings with anyone on either site. Ebay is a different story however.

Again I am not afraid to ask questions nor even to call the seller if I can get a phone number. The biggest problem is when a relative is selling an inherited weapon. Mostly they do not know what they are talking about and are unfamiliar with weapon terminology and the like. All I can say is that if you have any doubts at all.....back away from it. I sometimes would rather pay a higher price and deal with my own FFL. I cannot believe the amount of chargeable work that has been done on my firearms by my local FFL Gunnie that has not cost me a dime. He has earned my business and trust over the years and I would rather pay another $50-150 to him than to await a surprise via UPS thru his books.

My next adventure is to change over my EAA Witness Match Elite 9 MM to a 10 MM. Just what I need......another caliber to load for.

[shawnba67]

Crash you'll love the match to 10 conversion or at least I love my 9&10 match The gun was an old belgian Texas ranger. I full well expected old and ugly But figured a seller would tell me if it was more than just worn. So being they go for $125 or so working I figured $100 was for the extra ugly part. Now I have a broken parts nightmare pistol. Seller told me he didn't even know it was a DA pistol was selling for a friend and that if I shipped it back he would refund my 100 but that since shipping was half it's value I had to decide. He feels since he said the ivory grips were the best thing about it he described it accurately. I've already left feedback the value doesn't seem worth more than a good pissed off and a sincere hope he slips in the tub And smashes his wang.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

If the grips are real ivory they are easily worth more than $100.