GunBroker...Learned my lesson!

[Jason Demond]

Being online for a couple decades now, I have always been untrusting of online auction places. This year was the first time I took a chance on Gunbroker, and I am 3 for 3 so far.

I took my time to look over the details of the auctions, as well as checking out the feed back, store front, facebook page, and poured over all the pictures.

Two of them were easy, as they were just Altamont. The gun though, I did my due diligence on that the best I could. The gun was an unfired model 66 in the box with papers and tools. What I actually got, was an unfired model 66 in the box with papers and tools. I was pretty happy it worked out so well.

I did notice though on the Altamont stuff, that they were being sold as over runs, seconds, or just rare factory stuff. I noticed that some of the finished grips that were made from actual wood had cracks in them. Cracks in the wood that was repaired before the grips were cut.

I would have been a little pissed off had I ordered them and found cracked grips when they arrived, but they were clearly cracked in the single picture they posted. It pays to closely examine the pics.

I pass on no feedback, low feed back, or bad pics. Bad pictures can hide a lot.

 

[Birdhunter6]

I've gotten selective in my old age. The stuff I'm looking for seldom shows up at LGS. (Mostly I'm replacing things that I let get away, or picking up things I couldn't afford back in the day.) On GB I find a selection. I've never received an item in worse condition than described, but several better.

Study the pics and description carefully, check out feedback, search the seller online, decide on YOUR top price and BID!

 

[kbm6893]

It’s not gunbroker’s fault. As stated above, they are just the middleman and have nothing to do with dishonest people. The majority of my used guns I have bought over the years came from gunbroker and I’ve never been burned.

About 10 years ago, there was this seller on there that was completely misrepresenting his stuff. He was selling Smith and Wesson revolvers advertised as New in Box. Even “Super Rare Factory Polish” These guns were buffed to a mirror shine and the box they came in was a standard factory box, no label, no paperwork, and in most cases not even the correct period box. He was selling them in the blue plastic boxes when they should have come in the cardboard ones from the time period. They didn’t even come with factory stocks. I did a little digging and found out he is affiliated with a gun restorer located in the same town he was from, a small town in Florida. I called the shop complimenting them on their work based on the guns on gunbroker with this guy and they thanked me for the compliment, even bragging about how scuffed up they were before they restored them. These guns were obviously police trade in guns with the wear on the guns being polished out by the gun restorer.

I email him with some questions pointing out the obvious. I would have bought the gun, but not at the $750 he was asking, a price way high even today. This was for a 3” Model 65. He got nasty. He had over 40 active auctions at the time and he wasn’t an FFL. Matter of fact, he wouldn’t even ship from an FFL and my guy has a practice of only taking in guns from other FFL’s. I asked him if he would ship from an FFL if I bought the gun and he got nasty again. Once he started saying that I was obviously too poor to afford one of his items, I asked why someone who was obviously in the business of selling guns for a profit doesn’t have an FFL, as is required by law, and reported him to gunbroker for his misrepresentation of his items. He disappeared after that.

 

[BuddyD1885]

I have been looking for a 4" 617 for quite a while and decided to look at GunBroker.
I won a bid on one from a Dealer that was sold as "Factory New in Box"
It is not! Or at the very best it was a display model.
And stated in the auction "You win it, you own it!"
With a little work I will be happy with it but I'm done with GunBroker!
If I can't lay my hands on it first, I'm not interested! Lesson learned!

like another poster has said, i too have had great results from Gunbroker. but also, i too, will only buy from actual gun dealers, that i look up as many reviews/ratings of as possible.

call the seller, speak your concerns to him.

and maybe in the future, avoid that particular one?

also, report this to gunbroker, they don't like false advertising either.

 

[IrishFritz]

Sad to say that that "Caveat Emptor" is alive and well in the gun business. There seems to be a trend of late for some vendors on GB to offer " No refund No exchange" as there sales policy. When you choose to do business with these folks you have to ask yourself #1 are they being honest and#2 do they even know what they are talking about? Even honest, reputable dealers occasionally make mistakes, but most reputable dealers do offer a reasonable return policy. Reputable venders want return customers and they understand that customer satisfaction is good business. Every time I see an ad with no refund no return I get the nagging feeling the seller is more interested in making a score than taking care of their customer. In the immortal words of Harry Callahan, "How lucky do you feel?"

 

[gwpercle]

I don't buy " a pig in a poke" if I can't put my hands and eyes on it ...
I don't buy them . I can say "new in box" all day long ...but does that make it the truth ... no way !
People will skin you alive if you give them a chance .
Gary

 

[Dave Lively]

I won't buy from anyone online unless an inspection period is included. No inspection, no sale.

Who do you expect to eat the shipping costs when you return a gun?

As a private seller I have to pay an FFL $25 plus the actual cost of shipping to send a handgun somewhere. Which typically adds up to about $45-$55. And it would also cost that much to have it shipped back.

I always take a lot of clear pictures and accurately describe anything I sell. If I sold a gun with some defect I didn't notice but the buyer did I would pay the shipping. The closest I have ever come to having that happen was when I sold a S&W 610 I bought new in 1991 and sold a few years ago. When it arrived at the buyer's FFL it showed up on a list of stolen guns after someone falsely reported it as stolen in 2007 (while it was sitting in my gun safe!). The BATF was able to find the 4473 from when I bought it so I got the gun back and it was removed from the list. While it wasn't the result of anything I or the buyer did wrong it seemed like my problem so I ended up losing about $200 in shipping and GB fees. And the police lost the original accessories, manual, etc. so the gun sold for a couple of hundred fewer dollars less when I sold it the second time.

But "inspection period" sounds like sending a gun to someone so they can decide if they really want to buy it or not. Not the buyer having the right to return a gun that does not match the description. Anyone that isn't sure they want to buy a particular gun and decides to return it should expect to pay the cost of shipping unless they find a real defect or the gun was not as described. Sellers should not have to pay for buyers indecision.

You may not use an inspection period as an invitation to look at guns you are not sure you want to buy. Or as a way to bid on multiple guns, have them shipped to you and then return all but the one you want most. But there are enough people out there that do think that is what an inspection period means that offering one is a risk I will not take. If I was running a business I could take that chance as a part of the cost of selling on GB. But not as a very low volume (less than one gun a year on average) private seller.

I know it sounds hypocritical but I have only bought one gun on GB because I like to look at and handle them before I buy them. And I only bought that one gun so I would not have zero feedback when I started selling. I am not a collector so it is easy for me to find what I want locally. But if I was a collector looking for a very particular model I would use GB.

 

[Claymore33]

I have purchased 5 guns on GB. Most transactions have gone well except for one. I purchased a SIG P226 and it was advertised with 3 magazines. I received the gun and 2 P226 mags but the third mag was for another sig model and DID NOT FIT P226. I notified seller and he said he would send replacement but never did and stopped returning phone calls. I then tried to engage GUN BROKER for over 2 months. They never returned my calls and never returned emails . I tried using the GB complaint form multiple times and never got response. So I think GB is a poorly run outfit and do not care about customer service.

Very reluctant to use them again.

 

[mtgianni]

I started buying on GB over 20 years ago. I recently saw a good deal on a 10 mm. I ran the pictures on Google pic and could not find where they were posted elsewhere. A google search showed the seller at his sisters funeral in the same town 18 months earlier. I did the buy it now and sent off the money. The day after it was received the reviews started coming in that the seller had scammed 5 others. I have heard nothing, the phone number that was on the sellers account is an old folks home that don't know him. I filed a complaint May 5th 2021 on GB and heard nothing from them until yesterday when they asked if it had been resolved. I waited the 30 days after filing a claim of postal fraud and one of theft with my local Sheriff. That was May 30 and I have heard nothing from GB on that. Max payoff on insurance is $500 with a $100 deductible even though the average selling price is well over $500, I am in $900 + .

I would not recommend GB to anyone and would hesitate to buy a RM for $100 from them. They have no customer service IMO nor did they vet this seller properly. I would state his name but I am sure it is identity theft. All communication was email.

 

[lppd4]

I have been looking for a 4" 617 for quite a while and decided to look at GunBroker.
I won a bid on one from a Dealer that was sold as "Factory New in Box"
It is not! Or at the very best it was a display model.
When I received it the mfg date on the box was 102715! I should have asked for a picture of the label!
And stated in the auction "You win it, you own it!" My mistake for continuing past that statement!
With a little work I will be happy with it!
I'm not saying GunBroker is to blame,
I am for being too trusting!
If I can't lay my hands on it first, I'm not interested! Lesson learned!

What's wrong with the gun?

 

[raljr1]

I have over 50 purchase transactions on GB, most of them handguns. I have had exactly two issues. In one case the pictures were of the incorrect gun. In that case the seller gave a full refund including shipping. The second one was a private seller who was hesitant to provide a legible driver's license....Other that that, I have done pretty well on GB. I check feedback and don't buy from sellers with little, feedback or who have many negatives.

 

[Doc in Pa]

Gunbroker

I sold and purchased firearms on Gunbroker— NEVER HAD A PROBLEM.

 

[Roofuss]

I have 204 transactions on Gunbroker since 2008, and never had an issue. Along with 11 transactions on Guns International as well, without problems.
Rule # 1 .....ALWAYS check the sellers feedback , to me, this is mandatory. If they have little, no, or poor feedback , I move on. To me, your feedback is your reputation . Look over ALL the posted pictures closely, ask for additional pic's if needed or desired and read the listing VERY carefully . Be informed about what your looking for, and ask questions if your even a little unclear about anything !
Most of all...the old saying, when in doubt , don't !
Usually what I'm looking for you can't find in a local gun store .

 

[Hasbeen1945]

I started buying on GB over 20 years ago. I recently saw a good deal on a 10 mm. I ran the pictures on Google pic and could not find where they were posted elsewhere. A google search showed the seller at his sisters funeral in the same town 18 months earlier. I did the buy it now and sent off the money. The day after it was received the reviews started coming in that the seller had scammed 5 others. I have heard nothing, the phone number that was on the sellers account is an old folks home that don't know him. I filed a complaint May 5th 2021 on GB and heard nothing from them until yesterday when they asked if it had been resolved. I waited the 30 days after filing a claim of postal fraud and one of theft with my local Sheriff. That was May 30 and I have heard nothing from GB on that. Max payoff on insurance is $500 with a $100 deductible even though the average selling price is well over $500, I am in $900 + .

I would not recommend GB to anyone and would hesitate to buy a RM for $100 from them. They have no customer service IMO nor did they vet this seller properly. I would state his name but I am sure it is identity theft. All communication was email.

Unfortunately a friend of mine was just scammed on Gunbroker.
I showed him the auction. Seller had verified check beside his name. After paying for the gun and waiting for it to be shipped,seller posted some more items for sale. One being and 45 with serial number listed. I ran a search and the same gun was for sale at a gun shop.
Notified GB. No response. Two weeks later they emailed and warned that seller maybe a scammer.

 

[GSP Fan]

Unfortunately the guns we look for whether there S&W, Parkers, Winchester Fox, etc the chance of finding what your looking for at the LGS is slim. GB and GI are our LGS via the internet. Good or bad they open the doors to the availability to find that special Smith or Pre64 M70 that otherwise wouldn't be available. I prefer GI to GB but have bought three Smith's in the last couple of months without any issues. When I bid on GB I figure in the tax, shipping and FFL fees into my max bid. I have saved on the FFL fees buying guns that qualify under my C&R license. At the end of the day it's up to the buyer to do his/her due diligence prior to the sale.

 

[Narragansett]

I have 2 GB guns. One because I knew the gun from a forum member before it went to auction. The other was a real top shelf dealer with great pics. There is a big time seller on GB, and he has NICE stuff, but not always correct,

As i have said before, I buy my guns on this forum from people that have reputation to lose, NEVER a problem, If i do not see what i want I place a WTB ad. 100% satisfaction

 

[terry_tr6]

boy do I mess the golden years of CMP garands when Ebay let you sell gun parts. Had great experiences with honest and fun buyers and sellers

 

[GSP Fan]

I'm waiting on a M27-2 from a member here. Looking forward to it's arrival.

 

[Jalopiejoe]

What's wrong with the gun?

It was sold as "Factory New in Box"
When I received it the mfg date on the box was 10/27/15, it's nearly 6 years old! The frame is scratched, there is carbon build-up on the top strap, and the bluing on the sights is worn as well as the gun is dirty!
It's obviously not new!
I can easily fix everything but the scratch. It will clean up and it is a nice gun!
Like I said, I don't blame GunBroker!
I blame a dishonest seller and myself. He had quite a few very good reviews and a brick and mortar store but I should have asked for more detailed photos and one of the box label!
Maybe the seller was duped when he got it and was trying to recoup his losses but this wasn't the right way to do it!
I should have been more careful and less trusting!

 

[raylan007]

Seller deception

I have been looking for a 4" 617 for quite a while and decided to look at GunBroker.
I won a bid on one from a Dealer that was sold as "Factory New in Box"
It is not! Or at the very best it was a display model.
When I received it the mfg date on the box was 102715! I should have asked for a picture of the label!
And stated in the auction "You win it, you own it!" My mistake for continuing past that statement!
With a little work I will be happy with it!
I'm not saying GunBroker is to blame,
I am for being too trusting!
If I can't lay my hands on it first, I'm not interested! Lesson learned!

I too was looking for a NIB M617 and I will guarantee you that We are talking about the same listing because at the time there was only one and it didn’t look like a NIB due to the excessive finger prints and scuffs and I contacted the seller and ask if it was a true factory new gun and if perhaps it was a display model and his response was total BS. I had already lost interest due to not feeling good about their response but ask if they couldn’t wipe the gun down and send me some photos and as you might guess they didn’t. You should appeal this fraud through GB, they have a tendency to back the buyer. A good internet outfit for new guns is KY Guns, I am on their waiting list for one of these and they will be $775 when back in stock. Make the seller take back his bogus NIB. Good Luck