Can I Report It Stolen???

[baerf250]

About 40 days ago now I purchased a gun from GunBroker and talked to the man I purchased the gun from to set up the transfer and details of the transaction. I mailed the copy of my FFL and the money order to him and everything seemed fine until about 5 days later when he sent me an email with a false tracking number and now he won't return my calls or emails. I have filed a claim with GB but they just keep telling me to try and contact the seller and I have to no avail. I have the original photograph from the website clearly showing the serial# and an email confirmation from the seller with the serial# included. Question is can I report it stolen or not because I never physically possessed it.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[kamloops67]

report as stolen. you paid for it ,its yours.

 

[paplinker]

Did GB freeze his account > Does he have anything else for sale?

Was it a out of state sale?

 

[brassmagnet]

You have an address - contact local authorities there and explain what happened - they may visit him. Also since to sent a MO, call postal inspectors about mail fraud. Send certified letter of demand, and pursue it until you get satisfaction. I know I would......

 

[S&W357]

You should post all the info. that you have on this person,maybe someone has bought from him.

 

[hangnoose]

REPORT STOLEN?

Did you check out his previous sales records before sending him money, as STRONGLY recommended by GB? Did he have one?, Did it show a history? If he is a thief I'm afraid that serial # could belong to any gun he does not possess (found a pic on the net), a good reason to never give or show your full ser #. Good luck & be sure to give him a REAL bad review on GB.

 

[Ohsheepdog]

What brassmagnet said, but make sure you have all info before going to the Postal Inspectors or local police. Do a Google search on the address he gave for his GB profile to ensure it exists & confirm with local authorities in which jurisdiction he resides.

Sent from somewhere between the Ohio territory and the neutral zone.

 

[charlie sherrill]

You're the victim of a fraud, not a theft. Do not report the gun as stolen as you have never physically owned it. What if he "borrowed" the picture from the legitimate owner, the owner tries to sell his lawfully owned gun, and it pops up stolen because you found someone to list it stolen on NCIC? You're going to cause the legitimate owner and then yourself a lot of grief. I don't see a LEO anywhere listing this gun as stolen.

 

[Old TexMex]

Here you go:
Hope you get the rat.


http://ehome.uspis.gov/fcsexternal/default.aspx

 

[hittman77]

You should perhaps ask a lawyer or local police the answer to your question. If legally it is not deemed to be stolen you may be filing a false police report.

I believe it's a civil matter, not criminal. Either way ..... a lawyer would be in order.

 

[Jamesatrange]

Post his name GB name here

Please tell us his user on GB so we all can avoid him. That is a way to start to expose this criminal.

 

[model70hunter]

Wire/mail fraud is criminal.

Keep us posted. Good luck.

 

[Chillock]

It is considered Fraud. Not only is it criminal, but you can also seek civil satisfaction, ie, sue him.

If he requested you mail him a money order, file a complaint/action with the postal service's postmaster general or enforcement agent. If it is across state lines, it is federal; contact the FBI, they will direct you as to your best recourse. If it is local, contact your local LE or the state police.

Whatever you do, don't sit still. File reports with all agencies. One of them will take charge and investigate.

 

[Beemerguy53]

I had a similar issue some years back with a pistol I bought through a GunsAmerica ad -- I paid for a gun that was never shipped -- and reported it to the seller's local Police Department. He got real cooperative when they went to his home to investigate the complaint, and shipped the gun shortly thereafter...

Kudos to the owner of GunsAmerica here. He was very cooperative, emphasized to me that he expected sellers and buyers to conduct themselves honestly, and provided to me complete contact information for the seller. He also suspended the seller, and contacted him as well.

NOTE: I had a senior moment when I initially made this post, and wrote that the transaction resulted from a Gunbroker ad. I apologize for any confusion this caused...it's tough to get old!

 

[sodacan]

My experience with Gunbroker is that they talk a good game when it comes to buyer protection, but when it's time to act, they don't and won't do anything of substance. They're basically inept and impotent in dealing with sellers that screw buyers. Good luck.

 

[Smoke]

I don't do any online business that requires me to send cash , check or money order.

 

[S&W357]

My experience with Gunbroker is that they talk a good game when it comes to buyer protection, but when it's time to act, they don't and won't do anything of substance. They're basically inept and impotent in dealing with sellers that screw buyers. Good luck.

Sodacan is right. I had a guy send me the wrong gun i bought on gun broker and i e-mail GB - again -Again -never heard from them. You should post his name and someone on this site will help you if we know anything. You have lots of members here that will help.
I keep a list of Spam email from G.B. and i even have some phone numbers from the spam guys.
PM me if for some reason you don't want post his name- Lets get this *******.!!!!

 

[Old Corp]

As Charlie said - you have a fraud case, not a theft. I'd report it as such.

 

[Beemerguy53]

My experience with Gunbroker is that they talk a good game when it comes to buyer protection, but when it's time to act, they don't and won't do anything of substance. They're basically inept and impotent in dealing with sellers that screw buyers. Good luck.

Agreed. About seven years ago, I bought a Browning Hi Power through a GB ad that was claimed to be in near-new, possibly unfired condition. When it arrived, it was obviously used: the chamber and barrel were dirty, there were a couple of small dings in the finish, and the baseplates on the mags were severely dented from having been dropped onto a hard surface.

The seller was uncooperative: He refused to replace the magazines, and refused to refund my money until after I returned the pistol. (Given his dishonesty thus far, I was not about to do that.) When I contacted GB, their position was that all they do is provide a means for sellers and buyers to contact each other, and that any transaction that results from that contact is between those two entities. So...I ended up keeping the Browning, and have it to this day.

Caveat emptor....

 

[perrazi]

gunbroker will do nothing for a buyer. that's isn't who makes them money. do your due diligence to the extent possible before and transactions. I decided lately that if the seller is unknown to me, I will ask for references. if they refuse, I mark that one off the list. it's amazing that years ago we bought and sold guns thru shotgun news with only a written description and a phone#. no such thing as the internet then.