Rifle Purchase & Payment Purchase Protection

[nethero]

Hello,

First time posting on here, and truth be told, first time looking to purchase a rifle from out of state.

I have bought plenty of other non restricted gear from private individuals from all over before and always use PayPal G&S or if I am very comfortable with the seller F&F.

I have always bought firearms from FFL's or private individuals in my home state (Ohio).

Now I am looking to purchase a rifle from an individual from out of state. They say they can transfer directly to an FFL near me, that's great.

Is there any platform for payment that offers money security/benefits of PayPal G&S? Or am I SOL? Without knowing the person I am extremely Leary of sending unprotected money.

I have not paid a cent yet and will likely pass on the purchase if I can't protect myself in some way.

If this is the wrong place to post this, my apologies. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[ShtrRdy]

Check out Guntab. It's a online escrow service. I haven't used it yet but was ready to when a guy was considering buying a rifle from me. It looks legitimate to me.

 

[nethero]

Thank you, I will check that out. Is this what everybody uses? Or are there other services that others also recommend?

 

[ShtrRdy]

I don't think Guntab is very popular yet. For items that are somewhat expensive it sounds like a good way to go. You'll need to read their explanation of how a transaction is handled including some potential problems conditions.

When I sell something more than $100 I ask for payment in the form of a postal money order. The postal service has a number you can call to verify a money order. I've been going off of that confirmation to check for the payment to be real.

When I buy something you have some exposure to getting scammed but there are a few things you can do.
1. Ask for a picture of the item arranged a certain way and request a hand written paper/card in the picture with the date and screen name of the seller.
2. Talk to the seller on the phone to try to sense if something doesn't seem right.
3. Ask for a picture of the person's driver license showing the name and address of who and where the payment is going.

 

[wyosteve]

Do not, I repeat, do not rely on the handwritten note unless you can identify a photoshop job. Too many have been scammed with that method. Same with a picture of a drivers license. Too many fakes out there. A guy on Rokslide just got scammed out of $700 by doing the note and drivers license route. My suggestion which is not 100% foolproof is to do a 'FaceTime' video call with the seller holding the actual item and then take a screen shot of the person's face. Still no guarantee they will send it though, but gives you some possible recourse. Guntab is probably the safest way.

 

[Lee7588]

I typically find a way to use a credit card. That way if I don't receive the product, I can dispute the charge and get my money back

 

[Lee7588]

Some people use Paypal, you just can't say what the transaction is. if they know it is a gun then they won't complete the transaction

 

[Lee7588]

Welcome to the forum

 

[nethero]

Thanks you guys. This just makes me wish I could go to my local store and find screaming deals without the shipping .

 

[WeiserBucks]

Thanks you guys. This just makes me wish I could go to my local store and find screaming deals without the shipping .

If it's a screaming deal it's probably bogus.

 

[PlumberEd]

Good point, if it sounds too good to be true it is probably not true.

 

[Lee7588]

Thanks you guys. This just makes me wish I could go to my local store and find screaming deals without the shipping .

Keep an eye on the classifieds. What are you looking for or at? Curious

 

[nethero]

Keep an eye on the classifieds. What are you looking for or at? Curious

Nothing too fancy! A generalist 308 to which I have been looking hard at the Ruger American (I like the Hunter version) and a Ruger Precision 22LR.

 

[Allen Kitts]

I have bought a half dozen firearms from individuals on this website with absolutely no issue. I have always paid up front and then waited for the gun to show up. I always check their trading history to make sure they have done business with others on the site before I purchase. I get all there personal details so if something goes wrong I can find them if need be. I look on google earth to make sure the address they give me is a legit address and not some field in the middle of nowhere as well. If a guy has no trading history I wouldn't suggest doing business with them on a firearm. If their history is good then I feel you can do business with confidence. Everyone I have dealt with on here has been a legit good guy and I have done a fair amount of trading, buying and selling on here. You can always do PayPal, not the friends and family part and pay the additional fee. Then you have buyer protection from PayPal. Good luck with your purchase.