Need advice on possible GB fraud

[boatbum101]

Make a long story short I won an auction ( # 533545355 ) on Gunbroker . Gun's a Model 45-2 M&P 22 . Got sellers contact info & gave him a call only to find that number supplied had been disconnected . OK first red flag . Only wants USPS MO / certified check for payment ------------hmmmmmm . I then browsed the C&R section to see what else was for sale . Found same gun / pics & text was word for word of the earlier auction . OK now I'm concerned . E mailed both the seller & GB customer support to attempt to find out just what's going on . Got it for a decent price & if gun is as advertised I'd like to get it . First time anything like this has happened in 15+ years I've used GB . I don't want to get ripped off . What say you guys ? How would you proceed ? I'm of mind not to send payment until all this is cleared up .

 

[Qball]

20 positive feedback since 2012...

 

[Qball]

If not to far to drive why not go to the seller?

 

[H Richard]

I would work with GB related to a possible fraud. Email the seller and inform him that the contact phone is disconnected and you will not be sending any payment until you can communicate directly with him. Also ask for a business reference. What kind of Feedback has he had? Keep in mind that positive feedbacks can be fraudulently put in.

 

[arjay]

Very odd that it's relisted and closed before you talked with the seller.You haven't heard from him?

 

[boatbum101]

Out of 21 feedbacks , he only has 1 as a seller . Rest are as a buyer . His address checks as being legit . He's 65+ , so maybe he's in a position where he's selling things off . I'll email seller again & state no phone , no conversation = no payment . No I've not heard from seller at this point . I too fail to understand how it got relisted when it clearly shows I won the first auction . Something aint right . Too far to jump in the car & confront . Hopefully this'll get sorted out .

 

[RJJ 1971]

Def follow your instincts.

 

[BaldEagle1313]

I'll second the motion to let the GB fraud people handle it. I would not get into a pissing contest one on one with the seller. Anything you send the seller via email, CC (or BCC) GB, so they have the whole story. Let GB be the hammer if needed, and you can let them prevent the seller potentially giving you negative feedback as a non-paying bidder.

I tried to handle a problem myself a few years ago and it took six months to resolve. I should have involved GB, even though the problem was with the seller's shipper, not the seller himself. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice...

 

[boatbum101]

Ok latest from GB support : " The seller had the wrong relist option enabled so the item relisted automatically despite being sold . We have ended the current listing . "
Seems GB's onboard , now to get ahold of seller .

 

[TTSH]

Appears to me that he (the seller) just hit the wrong button after the auction ended and produced an accidental relisting, now fixed/removed... *or* he had accidentally set it up for repeat listings (as thousands of sellers do when they do actually have multiples to sell), again, already fixed/removed.

I wouldn't panic. Phone numbers change these days and people forget to update in all places. And tons of legit sellers ask for USPS money orders. Call me naive maybe, but I don't think this is a Nigerian scam artist working Gunbroker.

Now if it were Armslist, that would be a whole 'nother story.

 

[arjay]

He could be half deaf like me and finally got rid of his phone [emoji57]

 

[Qball]

I then browsed the C&R section to see what else was for sale . Found same gun / pics & text was word for word of the earlier auction . OK now I'm concerned . E mailed both the seller & GB customer support to attempt to find out just what's going on .

That auction has ended with no sale?
Could have been a misstake?

 

[boatbum101]

I emailed seller again & basically said no phone conversation including his FFL ( to make sure FFL actually has the gun ) & I won't be sending payment . Harsh perhaps , unreasonable I don't think so . If I don't protect my own interest who will ?

 

[LVSteve]

I emailed seller again & basically said no phone conversation including his FFL ( to make sure FFL actually has the gun ) & I won't be sending payment . Harsh perhaps , unreasonable I don't think so . If I don't protect my own interest who will ?

From what I've read around the Web, you are doing well having GB step in and help at this stage.

 

[S42N8]

Keep the GB folks in the loop, but without contact from the seller, I'd be keeping the money where it is. Lots of possible explanations, but there's no need to rush - to conclusions or sending funds.

 

[TTSH]

Well, that escalated quickly.

 

[Absalom]

You posted about this today, a Saturday. You don't say anything about the timeframe, but according to GB rules you and the seller have several days for your contact. Maybe your activity just appears hectic in the telling. I never even move on any auction I've won on a weekend until the following Monday. Obviously, it's good that you got the automatic reposting stopped, but now I'd sit down, take a few deep breaths and give the other guy a day or two to maybe respond to your e-mails.

 

[BigBoy99]

If the seller is 65+, there could be a very valid reason for his non-responsiveness. A medical emergency with his wife or himself, can make the selling of a firearm move to bottom of the list of important things. Been there and had it happen.

 

[finesse_r]

When selling on GB I don't mess with phone calls either. I do everything by email, as it is just simpler and easier. Catching me by phone is near impossible, and playing phone tag is something I don't have time for. There are a great many sellers on GB that feel the same way.

Now if selling on a site like this I would be much more cautious as you don't have nearly as good a feed back system to get a history of buyers and sellers.

 

[DWalt]

You can say what you want about eBay, but the PayPal system is fairly foolproof regarding fraud and misrepresentation. I have had to use it a few times over the years.