doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Sellers gripes. our turn

twice in the apst two weeks I sold guns on Gunbroker. Customers bid, won sent funds. got the guns, love them and then complained about the shipping. Feel they are paying a shipping premium. of course they seem to always be able to ship for less; at least thats what they always say. I use new, custom made boxes with sleeves, these cost money (but not for them it seems) and they want refunds on shipping.
My terms are spelled out. I list with flat rate shipping. I dont have the time to go back and forth, checking zip codes, packing and weighing before i get funds and all the attendant things preparing a sale. I use USPS, not UPS.
Bottom line is that the terms are spelled out in plain english. Why dont people read the terms prior to bidding?
I charge 35.00 - 39.00 Flat rate by USPS . This includes new box with sleeve, bubble wrap, packing materials etc. For double guns, the boxes have seperate packing for barrels , etc. all sized apprpriately for break down guns and long guns.

I even had a guy tell me I didnt use new boxes because 1. they were made several years ago ( i buy in quantity and it takes osme time to use them up, not including the 18 months i was ogne and clsoed due to deployment) and becuase they werent marked by the mabufacturer as "GUN or FIRARM on the end of the box. had a non gun part number???

I know there are horror stories for both sides on this. i can tell you about all of the guys who hosed me out of 4-5 bucks by sending short amount, intentionally. How do you make a money order out for 700.00 when it says 705.00 on the invoice. "Oh gee, I didnt realize" they say. Or they take 4 weeks to pay. Or they back out of the sale and dont have the courtesy to email you.
Do you know how many guys have won guns and after the auction had their truck stolen, wrecked or hit a deer and cant pay this past year??? Why bid. And on top of that they then buy other guns at the same time. The beauty of watching their feedback.
I had that happen, I bought a high dollar Fox form a poster here (who shall remain namelss) The stock was messed up in shipment. hi told him I didnt want it and he refused to take back. siad he didnt have th emoney. after weeks of BS , I had to take a settlement from him , because I figured I wouldnt get anything any other way; and then in the interim he bought three doubles from other Gunbroker sellers for well over what I paid for the one gun. Didnt have the cash to pay me but did to buy other guns??!!
or I hear " I'll send it right out and they never do but I sent the gun anyway.
Hell, I have even offered to take the gun back but I wont be held hostage on my feedback for 5-10 dollars.
The act of placing a bid is agreeing to the listed terms.
Am I out of whack on this here or what?

Nope Brian, you're right on target.

I never indicate what's in the box. That's just an invitation to theft, damage, or other disappearance.

That is a reasonable shipping fee for what you are providing and not just because I live most of the time in Honolulu. I'd post that no-good SOB Fox seller's name, address and the details but you're a better man and a gentleman for not doing it. Keep doing what you do and illegitimi non carborundum or the equivalent.

I have been ripped off on shipping too! Every time I try to send a buyer their gun for $25.! The people that get me are the guys who want to save the $25. by having me drive 30 miles so they can look.

I always take into account the shipping in my bid. I sometimes won't bid if I feel shipping isn't reasonable. Around Christmas I bought a gun with very high shipping but it was OK because of accessories included. What wasn't OK was the seller taking 2 weeks to ship(he had my certified funds in 5 days)

Your shipping sounds reasonable to me based on the few guns I've had shipped. I agree: if you don't like the terms don't bid, or negotiate before you bid, not after!

Paying extra for certified funds is a bunch of xxxx! In this day your personel check clears in a day. I just had the stall on that one, guy knew everything and stalled 5 days but it turned out his bank cleared the check in 24 hours. He was imbarassed and I was less than happy about tracking and smartening him up.
bill

Brian:

I charge $35 for most guns. Rifles are more as they go oversized, at least that what UPS bills.

As far as bidders/buyers not fulfilling the sending of funds. This has happened to me too. I always report that to all the websites. Even the ones that they do not contact me on.

Also I have a list that I keep. So I have there name, what they purchased and when and that they did not fulfill there obligations to pay.

I caught one guy trying to buy a gun form me and he stiffed me before. I refused to sell him the gun. He was very taken back. I was able to tell him what gun he stiffed me on before, and when and even gave him his address.

I tell folks for quicker service send a money order or cashiers check, if they are in a hurry, if not allow extra time for a checks.

On checks, they do not always clear in 1 day or so. I got a check that bounced from a guy in texas. It took 10 days for me to be notified that the check was bad. Yes, the checks clear electronically, if they are bad they are hand processed via a person and send back via the post office.

John
Quality Arms

Lots of things happen when the economy goes south, buyers use it as an excuse whether it is or not.

Just this week I received my first negative feedback in 15 years because after an auction ended a guy wanted to renegotiate shipping terms, he complained about a $4.95 shipping charge which was clearly stated in the auction. I refused and got my first bad feedback ever. It gives little people satisfaction to think they are in control of a situation...