Has anyone used Rock Island Auctions to buy a gun?

[Sub sailor]

I went to the RIA web page and was amazed at the number of firearms that they had for sale via auction. I am looking for input as to your experience if you had purchased a firearm through them (good or bad), or if you hadn’t, why not. Thanks for any and all responses.

 

[JJEH]

I've been bidding there for a while now (hell, I'm bidding right now) but never won anything, I'm not willing to go as high as others. I've seen that their buyer's premium actually went down from 18.5% to 17.5%, which is good.

 

[delcrossv]

I've bought several from RIA. No issues.
If you have questions they'll inspect the gun for you and reply.

 

[pharman]

NO!

NO! I am NOT willing to pay them the 17.5% "Buyer's Premium"...I believe you can find much better deals right here on the Forum AND NO "Buyer's Premium"...Roger

 

[pharman]

WOW!

I've been bidding there for a while now... I've seen that their buyer's premium actually went down from 18.5% to 17.5%, which is good.

WOW! that's mighty generous of them!

 

[JJEH]

WOW! that's mighty generous of them!

Sure, it ain't much, but it could have been 19.5% or more. I'm tracking another auction site; they have a great literature section and their bp is 25%

 

[Dave from Pa]

A friend found an engraved 29 on RIA he had to have.When it was all over with the pace of bidding, inexperience, fact they bundled it with a lesser gun he over paid, took them forever to ship and when received the gun was just OK.I think when the buyer premium soaked in I doubt he ever goes to them again.That said, must be somebody using them, they are doing business.

 

[LVSteve]

RIA along with several other houses should be burned to the ground. They batch stuff, they clearly have preferred bidders, and much of the stuff they sell isn't that special. As for their BP, my skinny white patootie is in need of a lip caress. RIA, Poulins and a couple of others are the auction equivalents of the Gray Blanket seller on BrokeGunner. Don't drink the Kool-Aid.

 

[delcrossv]

RIA along with several other houses should be burned to the ground. They batch stuff, they clearly have preferred bidders, and much of the stuff they sell isn't that special. As for their BP, my skinny white patootie is in need of a lip caress. RIA, Poulins and a couple of others are the auction equivalents of the Gray Blanket seller on BrokeGunner. Don't drink the Kool-Aid.

Dunno. Got a couple of very nice pieces and I don't think I overpaid (too much).

Just gotta know what you're looking for and be prepared to walk away.

Evidently Your Mileage Has Varied.

 

[opoefc]

RIA is way too big for their britches and apparently have acquired multiple fines for shady business practices, according to the internet. They have sold several absolute fake S&Ws that I know of ( including two WW2 "S&W marked" trench shotguns - S&W never made any WW2 shotguns, the guns were cleverly faked 1980s Noble Arms Model 916s ) and refused to acknowledge that, even though the info was furnished to them proving beyond a doubt the guns were fakes. Emminent S&W authority, David Carroll was later retained by them to prepare descriptions for S&Ws and he tells me he still does occasionally and will check out any S&Ws they post at the request of S&WCA members and you can rely on David's opinions.. They often have real S&Ws and sometimes a rare specimen, correctly described by David, and the buyer was satisfied with what they got ( except perhaps the out the door cost and after sale services! ) I have been around the antique gun business for awhile and often when personally discussing a posted gun in their auction with their in-house "expert" have found a lack of knowledge and unwillingness to be corrected, an in-house defect from ownership down. RIA's owner ( a S&WCA member ) often had tables at gun shows before he founded RIA and I recall several discussions myself and Rick Nahas had with him over a fake S&W Aircrewman revolver being represented as original w/o any concern by him. So, Caveat Emptor again ! Ed

 

[Rlg#17]

No way. The buyers and sellers premium are just too much imho. Also, google Rock Island lots of horror stories. I have never personally dealt with them, but know two people from when I lived in Illinois that got shafted by them. Just plain scams.

They are very good at providing the story about a firearm, but we all know better then to buy a firearm because of its “story”, correct?

Regards from the Commonwealth,
Rick Gibbs

 

[ladder13]

They can charge a 100% buyers premium for all I care, I only bid what the delivered price to me would be.

 

[H Richard]

I have found other on-line auctions that have much better pictures and descriptions, and lesser "buyers premiums". I particularly dislike
RIA's "bundling" of 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, etc guns with 1 or 2 decent ones and the rest undesirables.

I don't even look over their catalog any longer, and had to block their sales people from calling on my phone.