Gun Broker not for me....Just sharing

[44 special Dave]

I have been looking around Gun Broker since 2009 , have bid on a few items but never won any.

So, recently I bid on an item and during the end of the bidding period I start getting emails from the buyer kind of freaking out that I had a NR on gun broker.

I explained my wants are very narrow and I have owned and been around S&W revolvers since 1974. I was the high bidder until the end and chose not to go higher than the winning bid by $25.00

Anyway as the end of the auction drew near , more emails along the lines of " I hope you're prepared to get the funds started my way tomorrow".???

Also the emails were along the lines of Wow, look at the price , maybe I should bid more. Kind of left a weird taste in my mouth.

I already think the internet is full of strange people, but I guess life is in general. I have been on this board since 2003, and since 2008 or so, this board has had some interesting threads. I have to be careful because I have been warned that I can be too critical.

Oh well, one story of thousands.

Dave

 

[JJEH]

So, recently I bid on an item and during the end of the bidding period I start getting emails from the buyer kind of freaking out that I had a NR on gun broker.

[...]

Anyway as the end of the auction drew near , more emails along the lines of " I hope you're prepared to get the funds started my way tomorrow".???

Also the emails were along the lines of Wow, look at the price , maybe I should bid more. Kind of left a weird taste in my mouth.

I'm with you, many sellers on GB are weird to say the least. And your seller would have gotten a nice email from me.

I always read the description maybe 3-5 times, just to make sure I really understand what the seller is saying. If I still have a question I'll contact the seller. Then, depending on how the answer is written (not the answer itself!) I'll decide if I want to do business with him/her or not. If I don't get an answer within 5 days I'll delete the item from my watch list.

This might sound a little snobby but so far I have had good experience on GB. Also, sellers like the one you've described ruin the online business for the rest of us that really focus on customer service and that do everything right and quick as best as they can.

 

[05CarbonDRZ]

You are not missing out on much.Gunbroker is a Sellers Paradise and a Buyers worst Nightmare.

 

[LVSteve]

Seller must be smoking something. Even if you did up your bid the GB system would only advance it to the the next step above the next highest bidder. It's called an auction, where the buyer gets it at the lowest price he can.

Some sellers do get antsy if you get something from them cheap. Serves them right for not starting at a high enough minimum or setting a reserve.

User ignorance on GB abounds. I've been seeing certain things being run up into the stratosphere lately. However, a search for the same item but using abbreviations or only part of the name turns up auctions with no bids or low Buy it Now prices. I've just snagged a pistol on that basis for less than Century wholesale the things.

 

[JJEH]

You are not missing out on much.Gunbroker is a Sellers Paradise and a Buyers worst Nightmare.

I have to disagree with you here.

 

[JSR III]

I think anything in life has it positive elements and its negative ones. Since ultimately you are always dealing with human beings, there will be good transactions and bad ones.

I have purchased on eBay, GunBroker, Auction Arms (now GunAuction) and Guns America. Between all of the above, I have nearly 1,000 positive feedbacks and that doesn't include those that never posted anything.

I think in all of that, I have had 2 situations that were not all that they should have been. In both cases I sought resolution and received same.

My experience on Gun Broker has been very good and I have acquired a bunch of neat items for my collection. Unfortunately, you ended up dealing with a very nervous Seller but since you have no posted track record, he has at least some cause for concern. He has no idea if you are a legitimate buyer, never having met you, and is concerned that he may never see his payment. There are folks that will bid items up and then never follow through.

If you want to eliminate your NR, find some inexpensive items for sale and buy them. Once you have a few positive feedbacks, Sellers will be less concerned.

 

[LVSteve]

You are not missing out on much.Gunbroker is a Sellers Paradise and a Buyers worst Nightmare.

I'm guessing you've been burned on there. I've bought from GB and other online estate auctions, and the very few times I have been even slightly disappointed it was largely my fault for not paying enough attention to detail. Other times I have had a very small and brief twinge of guilt at the steal I just made. YMMV.

 

[LVSteve]

I think in all of that, I have had 2 situations that were not all that they should have been. In both cases I sought resolution and received same.

My experience on Gun Broker has been very good and I have acquired a bunch of neat items for my collection. Unfortunately, you ended up dealing with a very nervous Seller but since you have no posted track record, he has at least some cause for concern. He has no idea if you are a legitimate buyer, never having met you, and is concerned that he may never see his payment. There are folks that will bid items up and then never follow through.

If you want to eliminate your NR, find some inexpensive items for sale and buy them. Once you have a few positive feedbacks, Sellers will be less concerned.

I had one potentially nasty experience on GB that was fixed on a "no harm, no foul" basis. However, that seller will never see any of my money.

As for having an NR record, yes, it does make some sellers nervous, and some even state they won't deal with NR buyers. I guess they got tired of non-paying bidders and having to swallow the GB fees despite the sale failing.

 

[Will Carry]

I have never purchased a firearm that I didn't personally inspect first. I am a big fan of my local gun store.

 

[Arik]

I never pay attention to what the seller wants in his emails. Either I win at the price I like or I don't win cause it was above what I was willing to spend. Plain and simple. I don't use GB often but I haven't had a problem.

 

[JJEH]

I have never purchased a firearm that I didn't personally inspect first. I am a big fan of my local gun store.

I completely understand. But I do have a question for you.

Say that you are looking for a specific firearm and all of your local dealers don't have it . Would you rather wait until they might (or might not) get it or would you then consider buying online?

 

[Absalom]

........
So, recently I bid on an item and during the end of the bidding period I start getting emails from the buyer kind of freaking out that I had a NR on gun broker.

I explained my wants are very narrow and I have owned and been around S&W revolvers since 1974. I was the high bidder until the end and chose not to go higher than the winning bid by $25.00

Anyway as the end of the auction drew near , more emails along the lines of " I hope you're prepared to get the funds started my way tomorrow".???

Also the emails were along the lines of Wow, look at the price , maybe I should bid more......

Now what are the chances? You bid for the first time and manage to hook up with Looney Toones.

I've never ever gotten unsolicited mail from sellers during the bidding process. I don't even know whether that's allowed. And unless the seller specifies in the item's description that he treats NR buyers differently (which some sellers do), I don't know why you felt compelled to explain anything. Stop bidding, or not. You win the auction, he sold you the item according to the GB rules. End of story.

Says absolutely nothing about Gunbroker. It's just like avoiding the guy wearing a propeller beanie at a gun show. You can't blame the show organizers; it's a free country.

 

[hoosierone]

I've bought and sold several guns on Gunbroker. Never had a problem. Don't know why a seller would be worried about a new buyer. I assume they don't ship the gun until they have the money.

Once on e-bay I sold a watch made in Germany. The buyer complained that the watch was made in Hong Kong. Very wrong, I bought it directly from Germany and it is marked as Made in Germany. I knew it was not a knock off, but still had to deal with an idiot.

 

[Shark Bait]

My experiences so far have been good. I have picked up two 625 MG's and two 686-4+ snubs and a 686-2 so far. And I have sold a few items, too. The comment about carefully reading the descriptions is spot on. And ask all questions before bidding. Sometimes certain details are conveniently left out.

 

[moralem]

I completely understand. But I do have a question for you.

Say that you are looking for a specific firearm and all of your local dealers don't have it . Would you rather wait until they might (or might not) get it or would you then consider buying online?

Online has worked for me so I am in agreement with you Jorge , what I have purchased off of GB has been what I want and for the price I want when I can't find it anywhere else. First I try my local gun shop then to Cabelas, I have two in my area, then to my local guntrader website and then GB. I have picked up several of my modern colt 1911 that are just not in every local gun case.
And I have gotten them for what I want to pay.....GB is not where is I go first thing, only when I can't find it anywhere else.

 

[sw282]

GB is a Smith&Wesson paradise...99% of my local gun stores sell only black autos...None of which interest me.
l even buy most of my ammo /reloading supplies off GB too.. 0nly one time did l have to send back from almost 15yrs of buying...A 4'' Model 28-2 that seller said was a 27-2...l called and asked for a full refund inc shipping...Fast and prompt my money was returned..


2 forum members are some of the best sellers on GB- ''handejector''.. ''haris1''..I Have purchased from both these guys thru GB..

 

[4506517]

I love it. I have found all kinds of cool and unusual stuff on GB.

I one day instance of something not being what it was represented to be. It was rectified with no issues.

Depends on how risk tolerant you are.

 

[Philadelphia Patriot]

I acquired my California Dept of Corrections S&W Model 10-10 from gunbroker. With the exception of a little holster wear on the front of the barrel, the revolver is amazing. I've shot Dan Wessons, Les Baer, Kimbers, etc. 1911s, and this 10-10's single action trigger pull is better than all of them. Cost me a whopping $300 + shipping. Maybe not the best price for a 10-10, but to me it's a steal. I'll never part with it.

Aside from that, I'm not lucky enough to find great deals on gunbroker. I find budsgunshop.com to typically be the best place to buy guns online. If I want to buy used at a great price, I check out the classifieds section for a gun forum for PA gun owners.

 

[M29since14]

As others have said, I see lots of things on GB I would never see for sale locally, so I've bought a few items and have had good luck with GB. Being a cautious person by nature, I do my homework. I don't rush into anything in the last few minutes. If something "looks too good to be true," the caution-meter goes to the highest level. If I can't be sure of the facts, if the photos are stock, poor quality, or don't show obvious things a buyer will want to see, or I can't communicate with the seller, I don't bid.

I've never had enough money to feel like I could "compete" with someone else in an auction. I make a decision about how much I will pay for the item and rarely bid more than once. If I miss some particular item for whatever reason, I lose no sleep. It wasn't meant to be.

 

[kantuck]

You are not missing out on much.Gunbroker is a Sellers Paradise and a Buyers worst Nightmare.

I disagree. GB is a real world location. SDome good deals , some not. just because you ran into the village idiot does not make the whole world a bad place to live?
Seriously, I tire of those that badmouth all the web based locations like ebay, GB, CL and so on! What do you expect?" there have always been a few jerks out there and thankfully most folks are reasonable and sane. Don't judge the multitudes by the one you mention. I spend little time there but have scored a good deal here & there. If you want to take us all back to the classified ads, then I hope I'm not on board!
I'm remembering the guy that sold the MC I had on deposit in KS back in early 1960's-maybe you have met him?