As a buyer on GunBroker have you not given a negative rating, no matter how much the seller deserves it, because you know that a retaliatory negative rating will be coming right back at you?

__________________
Vietnam 1969-1971

Yes

I also wait for the seller to give me a rating before I give a good rating

If I have nothing good to say I say nothing

__________________
Buy American
Vote Responsibly

I've had very good luck on GB and Armslist but I have a good nose and will walk if I think I smell something. Passed on a couple I would have liked that just didn't feel right.

I bought a revolver from a listing on Armslist that was fairly expensive a while back...guy in Kentucky. Essentially on those deals it comes down to sending money off into the wild blue yonder with the hopes someone sends you a gun and it's what they said it was...it can be risky. As in other deals I called and talked to the seller a couple of times before I made the deal. You can tell a lot talking to someone. In this case we had a couple of very nice conversations and not all about the gun. Not pushy, retirement age and very knowledgeable...felt good about it and we made the deal.

I have on a couple occasions chose not to leave a feedback rating on deals I was unhappy with. I work too hard maintaining a 100% rating to risk some pinhead ruining it. There is so much competition on GB that anything less than a 100% rating turns off a lot of buyers. I might change that position if I encountered a deal that was a blatant rip off, but so far nothing that bad.

As a seller, I always leave a positive feedback as soon as the buyer provides an accurate shipping address and or FFL copy, and his payment clears. I figure at that point he has fulfilled his part of the deal. Not all buyers, or sellers for that matter seem to want to go thru the effort to leave feedback, but that's to be expected, human nature being what it is...

I have found the single best thing you can do when selling or buying a firearm on a site like GB is to exchange phone numbers, and talk to each other before making a final bid. Goes a long way towards eliminating any future misunderstandings.

Larry

No. I have never understood why people are so concerned about their feedback. Maybe if you are making your living on GB, it may matter a bit, but my feedback is an honest reflection of the transaction. It's not like people will stop selling to you if you have a negative feedback. And GB gives you the space to record your rebuttal (unless they've changed the format; it's been a few years since I've dealt with a less than perfect score).

I despise all those sellers and buyers whose feedback sounds like a female teenager on Facebook describing her favorite pop star. SUPER SELLER !!! GREAT GUY TO DEAL WITH !!! FANTASTIC BUYER !!!! Zero informative value.

If the guy didn't respond to my e-mail question, but the gun showed up on time and in better-than-described condition, I'll say that. I believe in usable feedback. Sometimes things like that can mean an A or a B instead of an A+. So what.

In my only GB transaction that was less that "A" or "A+" I gave a buyer an "F" for reasons that were deserved, including a falsified FFL. (I actually had a call from ATF later because they were quite interested in speaking with the individual; I don't know what ever came of it.) Yes, he responded to my post with an "F" in retaliation, and said unkind things in it. I got in touch with GB, explained what had happened, and they deleted his post.

I'm not a confrontational person generally, but when a line is crossed, my sense of ethics will dictate my response. In this case, I felt it only fair to others who might deal with this individual that they know ahead of time that there might be a problem.

Strangely, his other feedbacks had been all "A" quality. That's why I had chosen to deal with him in a location outside CONUS in the first place. Live and learn.

__________________
Ukraine -- now more than ever

Nope, I leave honest feedback and expect the same from others. In cases that deserved it, I've been pretty pointed about it. I buy and sell on gunbroker quite a bit as an individual, so I want useful feedback.

I don't get retaliatory feedback because most sellers know that if something is jacked up, it's well documented through the process of what was described and the service expected and gunbroker has a decent reputation for moderating baseless feedback, assuming you document it.

In 2009 I bought a gun from a "new" seller; he was getting rid of 3-4 guns.
We had a smooth transaction, but he left me an "F" rating because he confused me with another buyer who stiffed him.
I begged him to change it, but he disappeared.
That bad rating still exists on my Feedback ratings.

__________________
John

I have about 30 GB transactions, all purchases. The results have been good to excellent in all cases. So I left comments that were accurate. I would not hesitate to give bad feedback if it was deserved.
I know some friend have given F ratings with detailed negative feedback and yes, they got F feedback right back at them.
I only buy on GB, so its hard to harm me with feedback.

Yeah, I'm guilty of that. Unhappy with an ammo purchase, I didn't leave feedback.

I realize that kind of defeats the purpose of a rating system.
I should have posted honest feedback to warn other potential buyers.

What I will never understand is why anyone would buy anything from a stranger-on line-sight unseen-with no inspection period -throw in the fact that we are typing about firearms and the practice becomes bizarre.

Convenience,selection,not having to listen to a lot of silly bs at a gunshow or the LGS.

arjay-well I hadn't thought about the silent auction thing- point well taken. Do I understand your position to be that being able to inspect a handgun for cosmetic condition, smoothness of action, indications of unqualified service/ alterations or general mischief which would be indicated by but not limited to : hogged screws/non matching serial numbers/lock up/altered oem finish/non oem parts does NOT justify having to listen to a few moments of conversation/comments which you may find silly?

As for going to gunshows-I haven't been to one of these drug resistant tuberculosis incubators for many many years, can't afford to get sick-don't like crowds and especially don't like having to pay to look at things I cannot get close enough to look-these gatherings are absolutely gross in every respect.

All my deals on GB have gone well, so I've never run into the situation described in the original post. But I would like to think that I would leave an honest feedback if I had a negative experience to warn other people of the potential of further problems with this seller.

As for buying locally, the ones around the house have an extremely limited and pretty much non-existent selection of P&R Smith revolvers, which is what I've primarily interested in for the last 3 years or so. So shopping online is a must for me. And I've done fairly well doing so with no regrets in my purchases.

I try to focus on the basics; did he/she communicate, was the info accurate, etc. So far I have been happy with my limited gunbroker experiences and have found some good sellers. They go on my favorite seller list and I always look at them first.

__________________
Mike
S&WCA #3065

After at least 35 or 40 buys and sells on GB (mostly buys) I have NOT had any problems with the exception of ONE newbie not describing a gun correctly. The LA-CA Rookie Cop (right out of the Academy) sold me a Chief's Special (M60-7) that was modified by S&W D/A ONLY and he just thought all Chief's were like that since it's the only one he'd ever handled. After I called him and explained I did NOT want a DA ONLY gun, not only did he promptly return my money but he paid all the freight and handling charges and sent a very nice letter of apology.

Other than that I must say ALL my transactions have been smooth, timely and the guns I've purchased have been at least as described and most a little better. When I sell a gun on GB I tend to slightly play the condition down a little - the purchaser is always very happy!

I know there have been scammers, thieves, con men and just bad people selling there too, but I guess I have just lucked out in that respect. I scrutinize the gun, the seller's reputation and feedback very closely and if something doesn't look right or smell right it's on to the next one. This practice is NOT exclusive to GB, but to ALL ON-LINE SITES! Let the buyer beware!!!! If it seems too good to be true - it probably is!

I think the key to buying this way is studying the pix and description carefully.The not so honest sellers typically hide flaws in the way they set up the photos and omit details in their descriptions.The trick is to ask the right questions and request specific pix.The response, or lack of,reveals a lot.

I get better deals at my LGS, so there is absolutely no sense in GB for me. Anytime I have looked on GB the seller are overpriced, or the bidders have no common sense. Add in the possibility to get scammed, and it is out of the question for me.

Besides I enjoy the conversations, and the personal time these shops spend with me.

I try to be honest, although I've given A+s when less was deserved. I gave a B a few times when communications were non-existant, or firearms were late, or shipped inappropriately, or pictures were obviously taken to hide flaws. Sure it was my responsibility to ask questions, but that doesn't mean that the seller is a great seller, only that I got taken by a seller using tricks to hide flaws. I won't buy if someone puts "pictures tell the story"--that's just a way of lying without writing anything down.

Over the last 3-4 years I have sold hundreds of guns on GB and bought a few as well. Once a buyer fulfills his end of the deal (check & paperwork) in a timely manner...I ship the gun and leave positive feedback. The buyer will leave feedback when he does...or not. Some are better than others:-)

I more or less tell it how it is. Just bought a Mossberg 500 off GB that came with the safety busted in half, an older ATP model. I gave the seller a "B" and cited that issue, how I'd have to repair the gun and technically they were selling damaged goods and damage to the safety mechanism no less, not mentioned anywhere in the auction. Should probably have given a C.

Yes. Slow shipping (promised same or next business day - took 5, 0 communication despite questions (email and phone), no ID on weapon when it got to receiving FFL (good thing they know me). I only have a 3+ rating and they have 500+ so I just did not rate them.

__________________
Who watches the watchers?

No. Won a hammer.
Tried several times, got no response from the seller.
Dinged that Ding-Dong!
Got a response!
Not a very nice one.
Kind of reminded me of the time I stopped at a redlight.
Corvette behind me did not stop until he was implaled on my trailer ball.
That vette looked like a busted egg!
He jumped out screaming 'Why did you stop?'
The- light- turned - red.

__________________
NRA LIFE MEMBER

WaywardSon, do you offer an inspection period?, out of the many you have sold have you had dissatisfied customers?? and have you stated that there is 'no reserve' on one of your offerings yet added a minimum bid to start???

I always give feedback on GB. It usually just consists of how they communicated, if the item was as described and how prompt the shipping was. Then I just add "Good Transaction" if it was. Maybe I have been lucky but I have only had one auction where I was unhappy with the item but since all I had to go on was pictures and a vague description the onus was on me to question further and I did not, so my bad.

Well sir I know you. I'll give you a A+ rating!

__________________
S&WCA #3012

I don't care what people make up about my reputation on gunbroker. People report really bad deals. Do they worry?

I've been lucky, but part of that luck is that I use 'A+' sellers with LOTS of sales.

I just got a Springfield Mod 2 the other day. Not a single hitch. The checkout is such now that you hardly have deal except to tell your FFL. I paid, it came, I picked it up from my FFL for twenty bucks and everything is good. I've bought at least half a dozen guns and so far, all is well.

__________________
"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I have handled the GB sales for two different gun shops. Neither offered an inspection period and both stated a "no return" policy. That said...from time to time you will have an unhappy customer...makes no difference if his problem is legit or not, I simply take care of it. If you are not happy, ship the gun back to me and I refund your money in full. Or make an adjustment if that is your preference. This is actually pretty rare as I try to have a clear pic of every wart on the gun. I want the customer to have zero unpleasant surprises.

I almost never use a reserve as I feel like it inhibits bidding. I most always set an opening bid slightly under what I feel like the gun will sell for. It is the least I will take for the gun.

Best.............John

See, that's good for you and your business, but it is a luxury you can afford because you are a commercial seller and have an FFL.

Unfortunately for the private sellers on GB, it creates unrealistic expectations on the part of buyers. It has led to people to expecting Walmart policy from private individuals. Just return whatever and get money back.

I make it very clear that I offer no inspection period and no return policy because I can't afford it. I don't have an FFL, which means accepting a return would involve a full legal transfer back to me, shipping the gun back to my transfer dealer, all the paperwork, background check.with fingerprints, and all the fees like a regular purchase, just to get my own gun back. Plus since my closest FFL who I go through is not a storefront, arrangements to meet up to do the transfer. A hassle. Ain't going to happen.

I take my responsibility to accurately represent the gun seriously with pictures and description. But once you buy it, you've bought it.

@absalom

Life is simpler in Kentucky. As a general rule...yes, once you've bought it, you've bought it. I will refund your money for a legit reason...gun was not as described, hidden defect, etc., the fact that your wife says you can't have it...well, that is your problem in more ways than one. I don't think I've had to refund a customers money but about a half dozen times period. Three of those times were due to the fact that either UPS or FedEx damaged the gun. I'll just say that you are wasting your money buying insurance with either of them.

I leave a feedback rating that has been earned. If a dispute arises, I seek resolution prior to leaving feedback. Fixing a problem still leaves room for decent feedback.
For the most part my dealings on GB have been positive. I do steer clear of listings where something smells bad (like poor pictures, lack of response to a question, among other things).
It is not all that bad of a place to do transactions if you maintain a sense of awareness..... "deals" are few and far in between these days as far as I am concerned. By the same token, it is a good place to pick up some rather elusive items.

WaywardSon, just to clarify-while you are willing to do the right thing for legitimate issues nothing is in writing.

Absalom, I would consider a -private- seller to be someone with total sales of six or so guns, is that fair in your opinion?

Somewhere on the GB site there is something which is alleged to provide protection to both parties-'brokered sale' perhaps, can anyone explain what this mechanism is and there exists two accepted standards for the ratings of firearm condition-why aren't these adhered to on GB?

I recently left a C rating on a seller, who advertised a "gunsmith special". The description said, "Is it a planter (used to tie vines to) or a gun?" I needed some parts so took a chance. Well, the receiver was cracked, so obviously it was a planter. I cannot fault the seller too much, but at the same time, I won't buy from him again. And that's what I said--I took a chance and should have studied the photos better (although it was hard to tell), but he should have pointed that out instead of hiding behind a glib saying and photos that did not clearly show the problem.

Now he goes off on me saying it sounds like a case of buyer's remorse. Sure I have buyer's remorse--I'm sorry I bought an unfixable gun that he implied was fixable! He's lucky I didn't give him an F, his saving grace being that you could see from the picture that the receiver was broken, especially once you know where to look, so I bear ultimate responsibility.

My point being is that there are gradations between A and F, and getting one of them doesn't mean you've failed, it only means there's room for improvement. (If you want to improve, which is obviously not the case for this seller.)

@gsn

Correct

Your other questions need to be directed at Gunbroker.