Need advice selling a handgun on this site

[richf7]

I have a S&W revolver to sell and would like advice on how to sell it on this website. I'd prefer to sell it to someone I know (or their friend) but haven't had any luck.

I'm a private seller and understand which states prohibit intrastate and/or private sales and that handguns can only be shipped via Next Day Fed Ex or UPS. Regardless of where the buyer lives (except where private sales are prohibited) I want to protect myself and the buyer by shipping to a FFL dealer and will not do a face to face transaction.

What types of payment are typically used? Pay Pal prohibits firearm transactions and it seems like people would be reluctant to pay by check.

Any other advice or information would be greatly appreciated.

 

[arjay]

USPS money orders are what most use for this

 

[NYlakesider]

USPS money orders are what most use for this

Bought two on here that way!

 

[BearBio]

I've sold several lately. Unless I know the person from previous dealings, I us USPS Money orders. If it is someone I've dealt with before or I recognize him as a long-term member, I will accept a cashier's check from a MAJOR bank. I've had a couple of direct deposits to my bank.

Face to face for cash is OK but I go armed (I have a CCW)

 

[Hillbilly77]

What types of payment are typically used? Pay Pal prohibits firearm transactions and it seems like people would be reluctant to pay by check.

Any other advice or information would be greatly appreciated.

If both the buyer & seller have a Wal-Mart store nearby, you can use Wal-Mart to transfer money (I think there is a $ limit).
They call it Walmart2Walmart. The buyer sends the money from his store and in 10 minutes the seller can pick up his money at his local store.

I bought one gun here using that method. It was quick and easy (aside from the trip to WM).

 

[NYlakesider]

If both the buyer & seller have a Wal-Mart store nearby, you can use Wal-Mart to transfer money (I think there is a $ limit).
They call it Walmart2Walmart. The buyer sends the money from his store and in 10 minutes the seller can pick up his money at his local store.

I bought one gun here using that method. It was quick and easy (aside from the trip to WM).

Thanks, did not know that!

 

[Jack Flash]

Postal Money Orders can be counterfeited, so I would tell the buyer it has to clear before I send the gun. This is a nice forum, but it is the internet you know.

Business is business.

 

[H Richard]

Being the "internet", you may have some reluctance for members to buy from you as a new member here with no track record. What you fear as a seller most of us also fear as a buyer. There have been as many cases of being ripped off as a buyer and as a seller. You might look around your area for an auctioneer that handles gun auctions. Often a Gun/sporting goods auction will draw many good buyers and most are now listed on Proxibid which opens it up to all the internet. The auction company handles it all (usually for about a 15% commission). You can set a minimum reserve so if your gun doesn't bring what you want it won't sell.

 

[cowart]

Any other advice or information would be greatly appreciated.

I suggest you scan the guns for sale portion of this site
http://smith-wessonforum.com/guns-sale-trade

Pay attention to the "traffic" - note which guns get sold and which ones get ignored.

When selling a S&W gun, specify the serial number, as the serial number range is important to some buyers. Change the last 2 digits to "XX" to prevent hanky-panky. Describe the gun as fully as possible. Include the model and "dash" number in the ad header.

Include LARGE clear photos of both sides of the gun. Fuzzy cell phone photos are not good enough. For the best results don't use this forum's photo hosting feature. Instead, use a photo hosting site and include links to display your photos in your ad.

 

[Calaveras Slim]

Above all, be honest while giving a description.

 

[the ringo kid]

Thanks, did not know that!

That's WM's attempt to destroy paypal-not that I care either way.

 

[richf7]

Thanks for all the replies.

Is anyone familiar with pistolpay.com? They're a transaction processing escrow company which charges the buyer and the seller 2.7%. The buyer pays with either a credit card or bank account transfer the same as Pay Pal. The firearm is shipped to an FFL dealer, the buyer inspects the firearm in the presence of the dealer, and releases the funds when he is satisfied with the purchase. I searched the web and found several people who were happy with the service. The BBB (for what it's worth) shows five complaints and all of them were resolved. Aside from that they seem legit.

 

[goldenlight]

If both the buyer & seller have a Wal-Mart store nearby, you can use Wal-Mart to transfer money (I think there is a $ limit).
They call it Walmart2Walmart. The buyer sends the money from his store and in 10 minutes the seller can pick up his money at his local store.

I bought one gun here using that method. It was quick and easy (aside from the trip to WM).

I've never heard of this. Thank you!

 

[old bear]

I always offer to pay by personal check, with the clear understanding that the seller will not ship the revolver until my check clears their bank. I've also sold two firearms that way. By paying that way it makes it a little easier on both the buyer and seller.

 

[JSR III]

When selling a S&W gun, specify the serial number, as the serial number range is important to some buyers. Change the last 2 digits to "XX" to prevent hanky-panky. Describe the gun as fully as possible. Include the model and "dash" number in the ad header.

Ya, and then take a nice clear photo of the gun butt or the cylinder face so those of us looking can get the full serial number???

 

[Tom S.]

PayPal can be used, provided you send it via friends and family and don't mention it's for a firearm. The obvious problems is doing so eliminates the protection PayPal provides against fraudulent sellers.

Anything printed can be counterfeited - including of course money. USPS money orders have the benefit of being somewhat harder to counterfeit, and you can take it to the post office for instant verification and payment. Using USPS money orders also provides a bit of protection against fraud if the transactions are done using the mail system. Checks on the other hand, even certified are pretty easy to counterfeit and will take a few days to show up, unless you call the bank it's drawn on. The problem is some banks won't give out that info over the phone. Money is very difficult to counterfeit accurately, so if you pay attention and check the bills, you aren't likely to be fooled. There are "super bills" floating around, but these are made by people with access to very sophisticated equipment and are very unlikely to be used on normal transactions unless the buyer got them from circulated sources. Personal checks are also easy to fake, but waiting for them to clear is steer clear of problems with them. The issue is many banks and credit unions will charge a fee for checks that are returned.

 

[rwsmith]

Pay particular attention......

......to the posted rules on the buy/sell forum. They are very specific and the moderators here are REALLY touchy about that site, for good reason. There is only one way to do it. Their way exactly.

 

[cowart]

Some local FFLs will ship for reasonable prices, but here they want $100.
I've pretty much given up on selling guns out of state on the internet just for this reason.

You can probably find a more reasonably priced FFL here - looks like prices start at aound $12:
Search the FFL Holder Network at GunBroker.com

 

[bigmoneylewis]

If you don't want to hassle with shipping a firearm or waiting for money ,
You might try Armslist if you want a fast sale with someone local, face to face . Those deals usually go down within hours and sometimes within minutes of listing . I have scored several 27-2s and 29-2s this year
and never had to wait more than a few minutes from the time I contacted the seller ,or drive more than a couple miles to close the deals. If you want to buy or sell collectable handguns, your local Armslist is by far the smoothest way to go. As long as you have something good (desirable) and price it reasonable , it will sell within a couple hours usually , and if you live in or near a large city , it will go even quicker.

Lewis

 

[richf7]

If you don't want to hassle with shipping a firearm or waiting for money ,
You might try Armslist if you want a fast sale with someone local, face to face . Those deals usually go down within hours and sometimes within minutes of listing . I have scored several 27-2s and 29-2s this year
and never had to wait more than a few minutes from the time I contacted the seller ,or drive more than a couple miles to close the deals. If you want to buy or sell collectable handguns, your local Armslist is by far the smoothest way to go. As long as you have something good (desirable) and price it reasonable , it will sell within a couple hours usually , and if you live in or near a large city , it will go even quicker.

Lewis

I'm concerned about a face to face sale from a personal safety and liability standpoint. For a fee can FFL's process a sale so the buyer goes through a background check?