Wondering About Gunbroker.Com

[Single Six]

Forgive me if this is an old topic, but if it is, I missed it. Is Gunbroker.Com okay to use? Can anyone relate their experiences [good and bad] with using this site to buy guns? I'm currently looking for a S&W 4506, but since those are no longer made, any one I get will be used [unless I get it NIB, which would be harder to find and also out of my price range]. Seems to me the problem with buying a used gun in this manner is a real gamble..you don't actually get to handle and examine the piece until you've bought it, and then if you're not happy, you have to go through the hassle of shipping it back. Any thoughts are appreciated as always.

 

[Wildalaska]

We sell there and I have bought there. All of our sales come with a three day inspection and no surcharge on credit cards.

I look for sellers who have good, if not perfect feedback, and the same policy with inspection and payment.

If you need help with an item, feel free to email.


WildupearlyAlaska ™©2002-2010

 

[Smilin Jack]

I've bought several guns off of Gunbroker and it's like Ebay or anything else where you deal with strangers.....Buyer Beware. Rule number one, don't fall in love with anything, and check their feedback very close. If others have had problems with the seller chances are it will happen again. I always ask the seller a question and see how long it takes him to answer. That tells me how easy he is to get a hold to if there's a problem. ALWAYS ask if shipping includes insurance AND a tracking number. NO COMPROMISE on those two and you have it in writing if something happens. Most are pawn shops so they have a FFL and a brick and mortor establishment so you know who they are and how to get to them. They also answer to the BATF because of the FFL so you have some leverage if they pull something on you. I have bought from an individual with no FFL but I look real close at them, I don't like doing it that way. I have gotten some killer deals on Gunbroker, and I have let some deals slip by simply because I didn't feel good about the person. I like to sleep at night. Take care.

 

[DiscoRacing]

I just got a 4506 from there last spring... didnt have any troubles at alll... have gotten four or five guns from there now..and have sold three or four on there as well.

 

[Wildalaska]

ALWAYS ask if shipping includes insurance AND a tracking number. NO COMPROMISE on those two and you have it in writing if something happens

Dang, I lost a future customer, we dont provide tracking numbers on mail shipments.

WildguessourrepdoesnthelpAlaska ™©2002-2010

 

[Smilin Jack]

Well, let me rephrase.......if you're paying $15 for shipping, then you know you're not getting anything but the shipping. Pay the extra $$$ for insurance and tracking, that's fair and wise. However, if you're paying $30-$40 for shipping then make sure you're getting something for it and not just putting more money in the sellers pocket. It's happened to me and I didn't appreciate it when the gun was late getting to my FFL and no one knew where it was.......and I had paid $40 for shipping only.

 

[Gary L. Griffiths]

I've used gunbroker for about 7 gun purchases over the past 3 or 4 years, with never a problem.

 

[Skans]

I've bought at least 7 guns and countless number of parts off of Gunbroker.com. Each of those transactions were flawless. Got exactly what I bargained for each time. Actually, I feel more confident buying guns off of Gunbroker then other stuff off of Ebay. Parts are a different story - there are some jokers out there that don't deliver what they promised....fortunately I haven't come across one of those yet.

 

[pgdion]

I like to use Gunbroker for shops in my area. I look for ones near Minneapolis (within say an hours drive) and then ask if I can pick up if I win the bid. This does 3 things: 1) Saves shipping, 2) Saves transfer (I'm buying from shops that can do the FFL), 3) I can see the gun or accessory before actually paying for it, 3 1/2) can use a credit card or cash at pick-up to pay for it.

Of course the good values aren't always in your area (oh how many times I wished I was in SC or Texas).
It's worked well this way the few times I've used it.

 

[Onward Allusion]

Good advice from the others so far...

Strictly my experience. Real merchants are fine as long as you look at their feedback rating & comments. What I mean by real merchants are individual FFL holders who transfer and sell out of their homes, pawn shops, & gun stores.

Mr. Joe-Blow-non-FFL-holders with a few or no SELLER feedbacks trying to unload a few from their collection are the hardest to deal with. First you gotta find a local FFL who will accept the package from Joe Blow. Usually they can't/won't take anything but USPS MO or worst - GunPal!!! Then Joe Blow is slow to ship. In rare occasions, the seller is trying to unload a lemon.

So, buy from real merchants and not Joe-Blows...'cause merchants make a living on the buying & selling and Joe-Blows aren't. I've done almost 50 transactions on GB as a buyer, so I think I know what I'm talking about.

 

[full.tang.halo]

Pay the extra $$$ for insurance and tracking

I know that many FFL's won't give you the tracking #'s for gun shipments, and for good reason. If it is shipped UPS or FedEX a person could fairly easily do a address re-direct and thus bypass the required background check. All it would take is a careless/new CSR and/or a bit of social engineering. Having it tractable is good, and worth the extra cash, but don't be surprised if you have to call/email the shipping FFL, they track it, and let you know where it is.

 

[ZeroJunk]

I have been buying and selling on Gunbroker for 5 years. No problems going or coming. I do like postal money orders, and I ship long guns by USPS with insurance. Reason being, if the customer claims he did not receive the item the postal inspectors will figure out what is going on and delivery confirmation is really redundant.

Most sellers there are quite concerned with their feedback record and usually describe the item conservatively. But, you will have the occassional buyer who expects to get a new gun at a used price. I normally respond to those emailing wanting exact details about condition which in the end is somewhat subjective that if they want a new gun, buy a new gun.

I am a Joe Blow BTW, and I ship the same day the money/FFL is received religiously and have only had one instance where the receiving FFL wanted the item shipped by an FFL and the buyer and I split the $25 charge for the shipping FFL. Have never gotten a negative feedback.

 

[oldandslow]

ss, 10/14/10

I have bought about fifteen pistols off Gunbroker. All but one were without problems. I got hosed on one deal on a SW 3rd generation pistol, a 4516 from a Gunshop in Minnesota with reasonable (not perfect) feedback. The auction closed and I called him with a Visa number the next day and faxed him my FFL papers. I didn't hear back from him for a week or so and emailed him again. He said he didn't get the FFL fax. I mailed it to him this time. I didn't hear from him for a month and he wouldn't answer emails or phone calls. Another month went by and I finally got an answer at the gun shop he runs with his dad. His dad said the seller, his son, had sold the pistol out of his shop after I had won the auction. I emailed the seller multiple times about refunding the Visa charges but still no answer. I finally went to the bank with my story and copies of all the emails and they refunded my Visa charges.

So I always pay by a method where I have a chance of recovering my funds in the event of a problem- Visa or USPS money order. Good luck.


best wishes- oldandslow

 

[LanceOregon]

SingleSix:

There are a lot of practical things that you can do when shopping on gunbroker.com to avoid getting stuck with a gun that is a lemon.

First off, checkout the feedback for the seller on gunbroker. Only deal with people who have an established record of positive feedback from buyers. Avoid anyone with low feedback scores, any serious complaints, or a lack of any established history.

Require that the seller provide decent photos of the gun. Photos should be bright and clear, and give you a very detailed view of the gun that will show any obvious external defects. If the photos included with the listing are inferior in quality, send the seller a message, and ask that they email better photos to you. Most dealers will have no problem at all in doing that.

Next, only deal with folks who will give you an inspection period, during which you can return the gun for a complete refund, as WildAlaska mentions that he offers. Most better dealers will offer such an inspection period. Throughly inspect and test the gun during that period, to make sure that you find it to be satisfactory.

In fact, you should give the gun a good inspection BEFORE doing any of the paperwork to have the gun transfered to you at your local FFL. So have your FFL hand you the firearm first to inspect, BEFORE you do the paperwork to transfer it. That way, if there are any obvious issues or flaws that an inspection reveals, you can simply refuse to receive the gun and take ownership of it.

You should most definitely do that if you ever buy any brand new firearm through gunbroker.com For if you decide that you don't want to accept it, the gun can go back to the dealer, and can still be sold as new, since no one ever took ownership of it. But if you do transfer it to you, take it home, and then find a problem, then you have put the seller in a difficult bind. For he will then only be able to sell the gun as being used to another person, if you should return it to him.

There are unscrupulous people who do dump problem guns on gunbroker.com However, if you do all of the above, you should be able to protect yourself from being taken advantage of.

 

[dogtown tom]

Smilin Jack Well, let me rephrase.......if you're paying $15 for shipping, then you know you're not getting anything but the shipping. Pay the extra $$$ for insurance and tracking, that's fair and wise. However, if you're paying $30-$40 for shipping then make sure you're getting something for it and not just putting more money in the sellers pocket. It's happened to me and I didn't appreciate it when the gun was late getting to my FFL and no one knew where it was.......and I had paid $40 for shipping only.

Uhhh.........insurance protects the SELLER, not the buyer.

It is VERY possible to ship a firearm and have it insured for $15. Many dealers get volume discounts from UPS/FedEx/USPS and can ship far cheaper than the average joe.

Not all firearm shipments are insured by the USPS or the common carrier. It is common to have third party insurance covering all your firearm shipments. My dealer insurance provides coverage for any firearm I ship.

 

[dreamweaver]

I am a Joe Blow BTW, and I ship the same day the money/FFL is received religiously and have only had one instance where the receiving FFL wanted the item shipped by an FFL and the buyer and I split the $25 charge for the shipping FFL. Have never gotten a negative feedback.

i've bought over 50 guns on GB (nearest gun store is 75 miles away). most of the guns are from private individuals, non FFL's
local FFL has never refused a shipment.
i've bought a few guns from folks with no feedback, first sale. not so risky if you know what you're looking at. in fact, i've picked up some colts at well below market from one of them.
i don't buy from any established sellers with less than 99% positive feedback.
i have never been burned buying online. that includes GB, gunsamerica and gun forums classifieds.
i always ask for a phone # and address up front. then i google the address and call the seller. then i ask for one or two more specific pictures, like" can you take a picture of the gun from the underside, looking up into the mag well?" (there are some "sellers" who don't even physically have the gun they're selling)
last but not least, if it seems too good to be true, it is.
.

 

[Single Six]

Okay fellas..... I now know what I needed to know. Thanks to you all!

 

[Onward Allusion]

No, you're not Joe Blow if you've been on GB for 5 years and have been transacting a lot of business. What's a lot? 100+? You're a real merchant. A part-time merchant in the very least. And you sound like a person that I would do business with.

ZeroJunk
<SNIP>I am a Joe Blow BTW, and I ship the same day the money/FFL is received religiously and have only had one instance where the receiving FFL wanted the item shipped by an FFL and the buyer and I split the $25 charge for the shipping FFL. Have never gotten a negative feedback.

 

[bob.a]

Gunbroker is the greatest tool for separating people from their money that I've found. I've bought a half-dozen firearms there, none for less than 400 bucks, and never had a problem.

I've gone thru FFLs, used my C&R when able, and the only gripe I have is when an obvious C&R piece comes up for which the seller refuses to accept an 03 FFL.

Annoying, but it saves me money in the long run, and eventually anything you want will come around again.

I've bought one piece from gunsamerica a long time ago; that worked out ok, but I don't care for the new site. Auction arms might be ok, but they don't seem to have much. (This could be a good thing; minimal competition for the occasional choice item).

I've only bought one pistol that was described as "well used" - a pre-model 27 S&W. Description was accurate; cost me an extra couple hundred to get a new hand fitted and the thing tightened up, but I knew about it going in, and the price was right.

I don't buy if the photos suck, I tend to shy away from zero feedback sellers, and I ask questions before I bid. So far it's been a very postitve experience for all concerned, except for my depleted bank account.

 

[Jbar4Ranch]

I've bought several guns on GB and AA, as well as sold a few and never had a problem. I've currently got two I just won and will send off money orders for today, and have two others listed for sale.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=194741643
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=194741588

Sometimes though...
check out the pics of this Lyman Great Plains rifle described as being "In very good overall condition".

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=194741588

And yet, someone paid $305, delivered. I bought a GPR .54 cal percussion from a local dealer last year, new in box, for $329.97, and a NIB .54 cal flintlock version from GB for $400, delivered, earlier this year.