I guess I've always been lucking because I never had a negative experience selling guns online.... UNTIL JUST A COUPLE DAYS AGO.
Earlier this week, I sold a hammer gun on Gunbroker to a buyer that had never dealt online before (no feedback). We spoke and emailed several times and everything was going just fine. Then, out of the blue, I get a call from the buyer saying he's going to back out of the deal because he was "worried" about a few things. His first complaint was that I was't a dealer. I never claimed to be one so I don't know why he assumed that in the first place. I guess that 100% positive feedback means nothing and that an FFL would have made me a more "legitimate" seller. Second, he complained that I requested the FFL license copy be emailed (even though I told him a faxed copy was fine). For some reason unknown to me, that "scared" him. He was also worried by the fact that I sent him my mailing address for him to send payment to. He wanted my physical address so he could have my "real" address.... but he never asked for it nor did he need to. Had he cared to look, he would have found my street address on the Gunbroker site.
It's irritating that some people come up with some many dumb reasons to back out of a deal. If you don't want the gun, save the stupid excuses, and just say so.
Adam
If you do this long enough you will get bit. Just goes with the turf I guess. I bought a Parker VH 16 one time from a fellow who didn't have the tools to measure the choke correctly. Through a couple of phone calls he finally told me had had a caliper and could at least give me the inside barrel dimensions. So, I figured we were at least talking the same language. Came out as a full and mod. When I got the gun there was no choke in the right barrel and about .005 in the other. Bores were pretty crappy with multiple dents (not disclosed I might add). Tried to return it (had a 3 day inspection period). Then he told me the fellow he was listing it for on consignment) had already spent the money I sent (apparently cashed the money order the day it arrived). Bottom line is I ate the gun. Ended up selling it for exactly what I had in it for full disclosure of all the warts.
BTW, I have had the same issue with some buyers you have had. I had one fellow who refused to send me a money order. He said he had to send it to a nearby dealer because he didn't trust me that I would keep the cash and not send the gun. Guess the 60 plus feedbacks on Gunbroker as a seller meant nothing. Guess it takes all kinds to make the world go round.
