YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE FRUSTRATION ZONE
*SAFETY ALERT: This in not a venting thread this is a sharing thread of things we have encountered before and probably will again.

Please do not post after a very recent non astro glide event. We want to keep it family orientated and not get ourselves in trouble with the forum rules. However a generic in general pet peeve buying or selling list will perhaps offer some theraputic effect if we can compare notes in a bonding "been there" atmosphere.

I could fill the page - and might add later - but I will start with a simple one.

Calling long distance, spending your money for call, with phone in one hand and money in the other on a wonderful surprise discovery you have just found. Then you are told that the baby you already see yourself shooting was sold 5 days earlier and they have not got around to up dating their site. This of course leaves you standing at the range with NOTHING in your hand in that picture you had already formed.

Try playing "Telephone Tag" and "eMail tag" with a seller over a period of weeks. Or you call the seller, and they sound unenthusiastic, if not hostile, act like you're invading their privacy.

Been there - What's with that?

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In dog years I'm dead.

How about someone WTB you have it , give them a price. nothing???

Not even a reply they don't want it. Also posted on several forums/

sold on one and never marked Sold on the others?

8th

As a seller let the buyer know his payment has arrived and when and how you will ship. I can't tell you many times I've had seller's who won't do these simple things.

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OGCA Member.

No reply. How long does it take to type no thanks, and click the send icon?

Sellers that won't sell to certain states because they don't like the politics. Just helping the anti's further their agenda. From the looks of it pretty soon no one will be selling to CA, and when that happens, the anti's will have won in CA.

I havent bought or sold any guns in a long time. I do have considerable experiance years ago haveing tables at gun shows etc, and I would guess about 300 guns have passed through my hands buying and selling. Here is the biggest mistake that I made many times. That is passing up fine guns for the sake of maybe the owner not comeing down another 20 bucks or so! Nowdays I throw twice that much away every day doing lunch or whatever!

Ya sometimes when your dealing with someone and you get the feeling they might not have their feces consolidated. A recent one with me was a guy who wanted me to send the money to his sisters address and he listed a womens name because if it went to his address his wife would take it. My response was like any good "lost in space" fan ( for those who remember the show) I started hearing the "DANGER DANGER WILL ROBINSON" thing and the money stayed with me.

We stop in at a small gun shop now & then. Behind the counter on a rack is a beautiful 870 Wingmaster. Charlie asks to see it and wants to buy it. The man behind the counter said, "Sorry - this is part of an estate and the family is in dispute over whether or not to sell it." It was his father-in-law's and he said it was his mother-in-law who didn't know whether to sell it or not. OK

About a year later, we stop in at the shop again. This time the man is busy with other customers and a woman is near the shotguns. There is the Wingmaster, this time with a price tag of $525, slashed down to $425. Charlie said to her, "I'll take it." She looked at the tag and said, "Sorry. This is not for sale. It's in an estate dispute." Then she walked it into the back.

Yeah - the owner had originally mentioned it was his father-in-law's, and the woman must have been his wife. It was a family dispute, alright. I guess we have to catch it when the wife is not around.

Sequential messages from one seller.

It was shipped Wednesday.

It will be shipped Friday.

It shipped Tuesday.

Seller could NOT be reached by phone.

NO tracking number provided.

Bekeart

Yep, all of that and more; but my biggest personal problem is losing money each time I sell

Pete

When I make a deal with some one to sell a gun to another state:
I want it to go FFL to FFL
I specify the type of payment
I immediately notify of receipt of payment via phone or email
I immediately notify of shipping date
I want immediate (within one day) of receipt of gun
A "are you happy with it" would be nice also

I don't do much of this because I find it unnerving as people are less anal than I about acknowledgments.

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SOS USA

Lack of Manners Rant here on the Forum


Pete, you got anything you want to get rid of?

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In memory of Labworm

The only problem I have is when people fail to actually read my ads.

I will only do FTF "meet and inspect" deals. I specify such in my ads and even prominently note it in the thread title.

Invariably, I have two or three people who think they will be the one to convince me of the merits of going to the hassle of shipping a gun or, worse, they want to do "distance trades."

Save everyone some time and read the ad!

I guess I have been lucky. I have bought off of GunBroker and Auction Arms, and have not had a problem with any purchases. I hope it isn't a matter of "sooner or later".

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Reserve auctions are an absolute waste of time--seller won't disclose reserve---you place a FAIR bid for the item and hear nothing--you have to wait for auction to end to see or guess what reserve might be--it rolls over on the site for weeks and weeks.

Why not at least put up a buy it now option to give us an idea if we would even be interested.

Regardless of the item--I avoid them like the plague.

They are an absolute waste of time for the site--the seller--and the potential buyers---

Sometimes doing a deal is like meeting someone face to face and you or them say or do something that makes if impossible to ever want to be friends. Some psychologists have said we make a judgement on someone in about 4 seconds. I read another post somewhere where and the guy summed it up pretty quick. Can't remember the exact wording but it was something along the lines of "The deal got P****d on right away." I don't know if there is any coming back from that when that happens. Guess it depends on personalities involved. Of course there is always two sides to the story. For the most part it seems like sellers prefer short no interaction very dry email exchanges. Thats not much fun. However by going on line you can save a bunch of money compared to the big gun shops where you can have a bunch of good old boys slapping you on the back yuck yuck yucking it up with you when your buying and a month later when you go back they don't even remember you.
So whats better - the reality of very little interaction thats just business or guys getting paid to make believe they like you. It's a paradox.

Let me know what you're looking for, Mike... for the right price, nothing is sacred with me, even my "holy grails" ... any thing great to trade?

Pete

I have only purchased revolvers from members of this forum. Every deal went great! I admit being nervous buying a revolver from a member who had 1 post, and he was selling the only S&W he owned. Fella gave me his LGS phone number and I talked to the owner for a couple of minutes just to get a feel if the guy was legit. I sent the money and the revolver is just as described.

totally agree on the reserve auctions. they shouldn't even be allowed. put a price on it you are willing to take and start the auction at that price. another is the as-is no inspection auctions. if i can't put my hands on it and look it over when i buy, then inspections are a must. particularly with the increasing prices of good guns. if you are so afraid of an imspection, then take it to a show or consign it to a dealer to move. oh, btw, all of the previously mentioned irritations.

Buyers OR sellers who want me to break the LAW in order to do business with them. Not worth it. I have done plenty of private transfers face to face and at gun shows...I always insist on at least seeing their drivers license to make sure we are both Texas residents. No license, no sale. I have purchased online, out of state and done FFL transfers, had no issues. But there's always the guy who claims "Oh, that's BS, you don't have to do all that, they'll never know". NUH-Uhh. I am NOT risking a Felony for a hobby. Also, I appreciate the peace of mind when I know the buyer had to do a 4473, NIC etc.

(apologies for Necro-posting! I saw the thread in a search result, did not realize its vintage)

You might be late to the party, but you are dead on right.

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Release the Kraken

Something for sale with no price and when you ask the selling price the person says "what will you give me for it" I just walk

The ones I really dislike are the guy that posts a gun for sale, then goes on a 3 week vacation and won't answer emails---also, the ones that don't answer emails at all and the ones that won't post a "sold" notice and take their ad down----worst seem to be on Armslist.

I've sold a whole lot of guns and I always state "if not completely satisfied return it in 3 days for a full money back guarantee". Never had a gun returned and I usually get a very good price for what I'm selling. I wish other people would do the same.

Never know where zombie threads will take you, this one made me miss Barb C.

I bought a NIB Colt New Frontier .22 from such an ad.A nice enough gun, but had a cylinder ding,which just happened to be hidden under the top strap.Odds of that are what? 17%? Wanted to return it. The seller referenced his "No returns on new guns." thing. I understand that dealers need to have that for current new from distributor goods, but 30 year old guns that have been floating around the secondary market for ages, being sold by house dealers/collectors aren't quite in that boat. Add to that, he accused me of trying to pull a fast one on him, that I had switched parts,etc.
He was the slick one, not me. A disgrace to the CT state trooper uniform that he wore for his day job.

I recently inquired with a dealer about a rifle stock that he had on GI. "That's been sold." Two weeks later, the ad is still up.

1) "For sale FTF........" No locations given.
2) "WTB Model 27-2 LNIB"...."$1200?, yer asking price is $700 too high, how about meeting in the middle, say $750?
And..........Joe

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Vote Responsibly

I would find paying extra for "long distance" and paying per-call frustrating.

Responding to old threads and then seeing the light.

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S&WHF 366

Almost a 10 year old thread.

I got that one covered.


I am not selling nuffin'.

Edit. Didn't notice the "zombie" signs. Must be getting old.

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Expect the unexpected

"Necro-posting" alone is worth the admission price of this thread.

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Wot's all this then?

I don't like table sharks thinking they can rummage thru my boxes as I am setting my table while back turned.

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"Don't Give Up the Ship"

Why?
Isn't the stuff for sale?

I looked that up

Got me yet again. Not as sharp as I used to be. I remember when Pete (oldfella) passed in 2013, that would've been a clue to a "younger me." Joe

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Vote Responsibly

Yeah, it IS a lurch back in time. I apologize for the distraction of the old thread *However*, unlike some topics, THIS is actually a good and timeless topic that is worthy of a revisit. The issues still exist (some say they're getting worse) and a decade is maybe a good interval to compare notes. One noteworthy change is that while smartphones existed in 2010, they weren't as ubiquitous as now. These days, your customers stand in front of you Googling/ Blue Booking/ GB-ing your wares before even looking at them. How many of you have had a customer say "look, it's THIS price online"?

Is it for sale? You ask. Not until organize ans SAY SO.

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"Don't Give Up the Ship"

"First I will take it gets it." Then you tell them, I want it. What kind of payment do you prefer? They give it to someone else because you did not say the actual words, "I will take it".

I've never personally sold any of my guns.
I let my friend George sell them for me.
Hassle free selling.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

I was gonna ask just WHO these days makes a LONG DISTANCE CALL (??) but then realized this thread is a decade old!

Here is a good one: At LGS somewhere, anywhere, let me see that gun on the rack? It's not for sale. Let me see that one over there (again on the rack)? Thats not for sale. After the third one in a row being not for sale, my friend exclaimed is this a Gun Shop or a Museum? Is anything for sale?

I find a lot of highly regarded online dealers advertise good S&W's which once you get to their site and try to order are no longer available. I have all but given up on the internet for buying vintage firearms.

I am playing wait and see with an Armslist seller. I want a FTF as I am less than 50 miles away and he wants to ship to FFL with me paying extra for shipping plus the transfer fee. With the shipping fee and transfer fee I am within $50 of buying new on the Blue Label program.

That's a scam if I ever saw one. Had a similar thing happen to me on Armslist too. Responded to a listing for a rifle in a town only 20 miles away here in Pennsylvania. Seller answered back that he was now in Florida but would be happy to ship. I dropped that one like a rock.
Then there was the dude who declined a FTF on his turf because he was in the hospital with a bad tooth. But he still had time to ship the gun. Some people...!

John

Saw an armslist ad a couple of years ago for a sweet Marlin 39 at a very good price only 20 miles away. Emailed the seller to let him know I wanted it and would meet. I received no reply and the ad disappeared only to reappear a week later. Tried again with no reply. Smelled a scam and flagged it. Never saw the ad again.