Payment options, private party firearm sales

[darkvibe]

Just wondering what the options are. For example if I am a buyer from a private seller on the forum here. What's the normal process for payment? I am not comfortable sending something like a USPS money order because it would protect the seller from fraud but not me.

Is there a method that would protect both parties?

 

[Majic]

Generally payment options are up to the seller. He has the merchandise so he dictates terms. It's no different than ordering from a store. You can discuss other options with the seller, but it's up to them to accept or reject.

 

[Rivers]

The only thing that protects both parties is the willingness to prosecute.

 

[rick_reno]

Paypal is supposed to do that. However, they have a very strict policy about gun sales and I've heard they will freeze/shut down an account if you're caught doing a firearm transaction. My other concern with Paypal is their parent company, Ebay, is the scammers haven and they do NOTHING to protect buyers from fraud. Here's a link to an article that supports the claim of Ebay doing nothing
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11900480/site/newsweek/

 

[pipoman]

I have used "escrow" companies for high dollar, non-gun eBay purchases. I don't know if any will handle a gun transaction.

The escrow company receives the money from you and the purchased item from the seller, then when both are received they forward the items to the appropriate person. EBay has a list of escrow companies you can check.

 

[Eghad]

I have only had one problem with a seller on e-bay. He did a lot of business on Paypal and had even admitted in e-mail he sent me he didnt supply the goods because of problems on his end. I got my refund back.

Then again I am not going to spend $10,000 on ebay either. I get phising e-mail periodically about my e-bay account which I report to them.

 

[j1132s]

When I buy from private sellers over the net:
For amounts < $1K, I just send over the UPSP MO. However, before sending I make contact w/ the seller and talk to him. Also, check his name/address with reverse phone lookup at: http://www.reversephonedirectory.com/
If anything doesn't feel right, I'd terminate the transaction or request that he go thru a store front FFL to complete the deal.

Anything more than $1K, I ask that it be done thru a store near the seller and I picked out. I find the store and call them and ask them to help check and ship the item. Again, if anything doesn't feel right, I'd terminate the transaction.

When I sell an item, I also give my home phone # so that the buyer can do a reverse lookup on me, and I always ask for MO payment.

If it is FTF, then its always done in cash.

 

[darkvibe]

Thanks for the replies so far.

If i was going to buy anything from a forum it would probably be in the $400-$600 range. It sounds like the only way to try and protect me would be to find if the person is willing to go through a storefront local to them which would probably mean another fee and ultimately probably not worth the price any more.

Oh well, I'll stick to local used guns i guess. I've come across two guns i would like so far and both sellers had very low post counts (on the order of 5 to 10). I might feel a bit different about sending a money order to a board regular. Maybe i'm paranoid but losing $500 would suck.

 

[blume357]

You will always be better served to spend your money

locally. think about what it's really worth to you and the local gun store owner... I would bet at least 50-100 dollars. With that said, I bought several guns from folks on this forum as well as the Ruger Forum because they had what I wanted right then. All but one I think I sent a postal money order from... one took a check and waited 3 days for it to clear. Never had a problem... all were in the 3-400 range. I figure I'll just belive that gun owners are all upstanding honest folks until I'm proved wrong and then it will be a couple hundred dollar lesson... at least till I get a change to visit the home town of the person that ripped me off.

Funny thing is I bought a camera part from a guy on ebay the other week and sent him a postal money order. He was going to ship the part as soon as he recieved it... and let me know he had. I waited a week after mailing it and finally send him an email. He claimed he was waiting for his bank to say the money order had cleared. Took a few days just like a check according to him. I thought a money order was like cash.

 

[Bud Helms]

Members can PM the thread starter with more advice. We're getting off topic. Closed.