GunBroker.Com not safe

[Absalom]

…

***? How could I have possibly been trying to scam GunBroker? That's quite rude of you to say something like that. If the previously cited post wasn't an example of blaming the victim, this certainly is & I'm quite offended by this insinuation; that's quite rude.

Alright, I give up. I was simply trying to warn others about being scammed & I get treated like I'm somehow at fault and/or an evil person?

You can pout, but that does not change the fact that you got scammed because you tried to circumvent the Gunbroker system while actually using it to communicate with the presumed seller, so Gunbroker does not get their fees.

I‘m aware such side deals happen all the time, but you are getting blowback here because you are maligning Gunbroker and blaming them for a problem entirely of your own making, and have the nerve to actually expect them to help you fix it.

 

[quikdraw67]

You can pout, but that does not change the fact that you got scammed because you tried to circumvent the Gunbroker system while actually using it to communicate with the presumed seller, so Gunbroker does not get their fees.

I‘m aware such side deals happen all the time, but you are getting blowback here because you are maligning Gunbroker and blaming them for a problem entirely of your own making, and have the nerve to actually expect them to help you fix it.

Bingo.

Not GB's problem.
.

 

[Rifleman200-10X]

Anyone besides me wonder if the "Dealer" himself might actually be the scammer?

 

[Sevens]

Malercous, before you run off all offended, consider what has happened.

Gunbroker provided a venue that brought you and the seller together. Gunbroker hosted the auction. Gunbroker hosted weeks (or months or years) of feedback for the seller, all generated by legitimate sales or purchases that the seller has done over that time.

Gunbroker has hosted hundreds of thousands of auctions successfully -- and the fact that they have done that has attracted the seller to post his gun there and attracted you to visit to search for a gun you would like to purchase.

Then Gunbroker allowed you and the seller to communicate with each other at your will with THEIR system, and they sent messages back and forth between the two of you.

All of that is demonstrably true. And that is a business and that business was not free for Gunbroker. They charge for all of the above. It's a lot of work, but it is profitable.

However... in this case, both you and the seller circumvented the system by which Gunbroker profits and covers the expense of EVERYTHING above. Not one of you, the seller or the scammer paid anything to Gunbroker for your $1,500 gun buy.

That's the part of this that has been pointed out, and that is what you are taking offense at.

You have the absolute right to be offended, but it may help for you to understand why you are seeing the replies in this thread.

If I have a weed wacker and I bring it in to Home Depot and I stand at the weed wacker section of Home Depot and you walk in looking for a weed wacker and you skip the Home Depot $229 weed wacker to purchase mine for $165, Home Depot attracted YOU for a tool, they attracted ME to find buyers for the tool, they gave us both a/c on a hot day, a place to park, bright lights, lots of room to swing and hold a weed wacker and they provided all of that for *FREE* and they never agreed to do that.

That's what you and the seller (and the scammer) just did.

 

[4506517]

I have used GB successfully for over 20 years and at least 105 (and counting) transactions.

Had one issue (wrong gun was sent) and the seller made it right immediately.

Once I win or "Buy It Now" I contact the seller right away. Sometimes I use the GB email or you can click "View Sellers Contact Info". That will list name, address, phone number, and email address.

I refuse to believe GB would continue to be so successful for over 20 years of it was so vulnerable to attack.

But, what do I know?

 

[malercous]

Apparently there was some confusion & not every one read my entire posts. To be clear:

I originally contacted the seller through the GunBroker website. That & subsequent emails were apparently intercepted by a hacker. The replies looked identical to other emails I've received on the site.

The "seller" directed me to send payment by USPS money order. That is quite normal on firearms sales because otherwise the buyer would be charged a 3% fee for using a credit card. Which many sellers do not accept.

Here was the listing I replied to: Https://www.gunbroker.com/item/908264076
This might get edited out because it looks like I'm trying to sell something. Chad should correct that because he knows the context.

"Why didn't you just bid $1,500 and see what happened? That's how auctions work. It's clear now that you tried to circumvent the auction process . . ."

The minimum bid was $1650.00, so bidding less was not an option. Sending aa offer to a seller (AGAIN) is in no way circumventing GunGroker: they still would have gotten their cut. Everything was above board; GunBroker (like eBay & other sites) have algorithms in place which detect sellers trying to circumvent the system. Thanks Muggins for assuming the worst of me & blaming the victim.

"gotta play by the rules if you want the rules to apply to yourself."

Apparently you've not been paying attention to my posts VonFatman. I've played by the rules, yet somehow it's my (the victim's) fault?

"You can pout, but that does not change the fact that you got scammed because you tried to circumvent the Gunbroker system while actually using it to communicate with the presumed seller, so Gunbroker does not get their fees."

Again, this is not true: read my posts.

This is a prime example of why I don't post on this site often: cynical curmudgeons who assume the worst of someone & thrive on negativity.

Bye, ya'll.****. I'm done here. I don't need this kind of **** in my life.

 

[Beemerguy53]

I have bought from GB and Gun International with no issues but only deal with sellers that take credit cards. I am not going to do anything online with a person I don't know for more than $100. with anything other than a credit card.

Excellent point. I think of the credit card fee as insurance against getting ripped off.

 

[pawngal]

What part of this statement did you not understand?
direct quote from auction listing "BEFORE YOU BID. WE DO NOT HAVE AUTOMATIC CHECKOUT on Gunbroker AS WELL AS PAYMENT ONLINE and winning bidder must contact us by phone after FINAL INVOICE IS POSTED ONLINE showing shipping, and handling, taxes (if applicable)"

Must contact us by phone..... Did you???
Was the invoice posted online?
How did you get the address to mail payment?

The seller had their phone number listed, website was listed, you could have checked the address.

As someone else suggested, I believe the seller's email was hacked.
Gunbroker was NOT hacked.
You completed the transaction outside of the sellers terms of service and outside of Gunbroker. There is NO way that Gunbroker has any responsibility for your actions. The onus is on you to prove otherwise to me.

Keep your **** in your life, not here.

To add in plain words, you were scammed by a scammer.

 

[BC38]

FWIW, the auction shows as ENDED with ZERO bids, not SOLD.

That tells me that the "seller" - or someone impersonating him - made a deal with the OP directly OUTSIDE of the normal bidding and payment process through GunBroker.

malercous, emailing the seller, then making an arrangement to buy the gun without bidding on it through the GunBroker site means that GunBroker doesn't know that a deal was made and they don't get PAID.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you didn't think it through to recognize that this is a violation of GunBroker's terms, because the gun was sold as a result of being listed on their site, but they received no compensation for the listing.

The fact that you got hold of the seller (actually someone impersonating him) through GunBroker does not change this fact. You still broke the rules, even if unintentionally, by cutting GunBroker out of their fees.

From GunBroker's perspective, the auction ended without the gun being sold. They have no record of your winning bid - because you didn't place a bid. You made a deal with the seller "on the side".

So your problem with the seller is entirely YOUR problem - not theirs. They didn't get paid, the transaction isn't "on their books", because you broke their rules.

So why should they care? What is their incentive to even try to help you? From their perspective, you and the "seller" cheated them out of their fees.

A classic case of caveat emptor. Sorry if it was an innocent mistake on your part. For future reference, ALL emails about a transaction like this should take place only from WITHIN their website. When you get a message from the "seller" you should be able to go to your GunBroker account, look in your messages, and see his reply there. Within the message there will be a REPLY button and using that feature to respond to his reply maintains the paper trail in GunBroker's records in case something goes sideways.

The minute you and the seller started exchanging emails directly instead of through GunBroker's email system you broke the paper trail. So they have no record of any of your correspondence. Probably just as well, because if they had documented evidence that you were buying the gun without bidding on it they'd lock and close your account.

 

[Sevens]

Bye, ya'll.****. I'm done here. I don't need this kind of **** in my life.

 

[Muss Muggins]

"Why didn't you just bid $1,500 and see what happened? That's how auctions work. It's clear now that you tried to circumvent the auction process . . ."

The minimum bid was $1650.00, so bidding less was not an option. Sending aa offer to a seller (AGAIN) is in no way circumventing GunGroker: they still would have gotten their cut. Everything was above board; GunBroker (like eBay & other sites) have algorithms in place which detect sellers trying to circumvent the system. Thanks Muggins for assuming the worst of me & blaming the victim.

This is all I got . . .

Our opening bid is the price at which the item WILL SELL if you are the only bidder

 

[quikdraw67]

Funny thing is have been in the seller's store in Southport CTand have bought some collectible Rugers from him.

I doubt that he would circumvent GB rules..

OP did, got scammed, and is now blaming GB.

Nope. Not buying what he's selling.

 

[Greyman50]

Perhaps I’m really “ turned off” more each day with online sales( except here), seems anything online is becoming dangerous. Consider all the hacks recently , especially cell phones and banks. Scams are everywhere in just about every aspect of our society. Buyer Beware.

 

[16thVACav]

OP: Where did you mail the payment? Was it the same address as the seller's? If not, but nearby, the seller could have an employee problem.

Did you Google Street View the address where you sent the payment?

 

[Rustyt1953]

This is a prime example of why I don't post on this site often: cynical curmudgeons who assume the worst of someone & thrive on negativity.

Bye, ya'll.****. I'm done here. I don't need this kind of **** in my life.

 

[Golphin]

No, GB itself is being hacked. Fraudulent GB accounts stolen from honest accounts, pictures and descriptions from other sights. Yes an email from outside GB is suspicious on itself. But then again when I buy from a business I often get an email with an invoice.

It sounds more like the seller's email was computer was hacked. That is why you got a email from what looked to be the seller but it was coming from the hacker.