Gunbroker Payment
- Thread starter BlackGun
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Nope.
I would use one of the other payment options. I prefer to pay by credit card where allowed. Sometimes don't do that if there are fees. USPS Money Order is always a good option.
I would use one of the other payment options. I prefer to pay by credit card where allowed. Sometimes don't do that if there are fees. USPS Money Order is always a good option.
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BlackGun
Pimpin Ain’t Easy
So the seller says he is not set up for payment on Gunbroker. So how do I guarantee I get my money back or goods. A little detail please. Again he requested PayPal friends and family.
Do I insist he set up a Gunbroker account. The auction did not mention money going straight to him.
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Does your GunBroker seller have good feedback? That's where I start. Only buy from folks with a track record of receiving payment for and shipping good stuff. Note, look for feedback as a seller and not just as a buyer.
Send me a private message with a link to your auction. I'll take a look.
EDIT: I've only done one GB deal with a guy via PayPal and it was because he has awesome feedback and a lot of it. He was in Puerto Rico.
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You didn't say what you bought, and I bet everyone assumes it's a firearm. If it's a firearm, I wouldn't use PP. If not a firearm, you might be ok with PP. Look at the seller's feedback.
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I imagine there are few of us with the GB experience of @Prosecutor. I'd follow his lead. 
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What were the payment options mentioned in the original listing? THAT is the agreement made between the two parties, not something invented later by the seller.
There is a payment checkout system on Gunbroker that requires you to use a certain credit card processor. The fees are relatively steep, and not everyone does it.
I would say payment by credit card on gunbroker is not the norm. There are fees (3%ish) plus monthly fees to run credit card processing. A lot of shops state in their ad that they will take a credit card of the final bid plus 3 percent.
The most common form of payment is the USPS money order. Certified check is used as well. Seller may take some time to let a certified check clear.
If you are an FFL on gunbroker, and are set up for processing in your store, you can have people call you and run the card via the phone and your own credit card system. I would ask the guy (if it is a shop) if they can run a credit card through the phone. I always try and pay with a credit card.
The reality is that there is little protection for buyers on gunbroker.
I would say payment by credit card on gunbroker is not the norm. There are fees (3%ish) plus monthly fees to run credit card processing. A lot of shops state in their ad that they will take a credit card of the final bid plus 3 percent.
The most common form of payment is the USPS money order. Certified check is used as well. Seller may take some time to let a certified check clear.
If you are an FFL on gunbroker, and are set up for processing in your store, you can have people call you and run the card via the phone and your own credit card system. I would ask the guy (if it is a shop) if they can run a credit card through the phone. I always try and pay with a credit card.
The reality is that there is little protection for buyers on gunbroker.
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BlackGun
Pimpin Ain’t Easy
I assumed USPS or PayPal meant PayPal thru Gunbroker (as I have no Gunbroker experience). The guy actually lives where he says he does in the city and state, and his phone number is listed on the internet for that city. I will give him a call tomorrow per @Prosecutor advice and ask him some off the wall question. If he has a Nigerian accent I might have to become one of those racist and burn the deal.
I think that it is safe, based in the factors that we discussed via PM. My recommendation is to go through with the deal unless you discover new / troubling information. You placed the bid. There’s nothing different now than before you placed the bid and it is enforceable or, at minimum, you would deserve negative feedback for backing out. Every seller, including me, started out with no seller feedback at one point. You have at least some indicia of authenticity based upon buyer feedback from well established seller who identified your seller by name. Similar photos from your seller’s other auctions suggest that his photos are not pulled off the web.
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While PayPal is convenient in may respects, PayPal's policies specifically prohibit transactions involving firearms. If anything goes wrong with a gun transaction done through PayPal, you will get no help from PayPal.
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I've bought at least 10 guns on GB auctions and/or buy-it-nows. I used mostly certified checks, and CC a few times. I try to avoid USPS money orders because of some rant years ago about it taking a buyer almost a year to get reimbursed for a broken deal.
Buying a gun off Gunbroker is not some deal done in the dark. If the seller doesn't have a lot of good feedback, arrange a call. As above you can check names, addresses and telephone numbers (although cell phones now make that latter harder).
Backing out of a deal because you didn't like the terms, presented in the ad, after the fact will get you negative feedback, probably a suspension, and perhaps a ban.
GB bans are not necessarily a bad thing every time. I have a friend who would lubricate with tequila, get on GB and start bidding away. He won an auction that wouldn't accept CCs, got nervous and backed out. He even talked with the seller, and was assured it was no big deal. Seller complained anyway, and friend got a suspension for a few months. When they emailed his reinstatement, he told them to FO and got banned. He is richer for the experience!
Buying a gun off Gunbroker is not some deal done in the dark. If the seller doesn't have a lot of good feedback, arrange a call. As above you can check names, addresses and telephone numbers (although cell phones now make that latter harder).
Backing out of a deal because you didn't like the terms, presented in the ad, after the fact will get you negative feedback, probably a suspension, and perhaps a ban.
GB bans are not necessarily a bad thing every time. I have a friend who would lubricate with tequila, get on GB and start bidding away. He won an auction that wouldn't accept CCs, got nervous and backed out. He even talked with the seller, and was assured it was no big deal. Seller complained anyway, and friend got a suspension for a few months. When they emailed his reinstatement, he told them to FO and got banned. He is richer for the experience!
What about Zelle?
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BlackGun
Pimpin Ain’t Easy
Spoke to the seller on the phone. He has two 1911 style guns listed and is getting into long range shooting. I got a little info that lightens my doubts a fraction. I have sent payment and FFL info. If all goes well the gun should show up late next week. i'll keep you posted.
I always try to check out the GB sellers history if I can. Lots of high volume GB sellers are shops and often take payment directly over the phone. If I can pay with CC that is always my first choice. USPS MO or Certified Check is next. I have bought a lot of stuff off GB. Generally I avoid anyone with no feedback or feedback only as a buyer but sometimes you have to go for it.
As others have stated paying with PayPal as a gift offers you no buyer protection. This is true for any transaction not just firearms. Part of the “fees” Paypal collects covers the insurance on tranactions but even that is limited.
If you use a credit card and try to charge it back
you will lose. They are a 3rd party payer and you paid them with the card to pay someone else. As far as PayPal is concerned they completed the transaction. They will in cases of complete fraud attempt to recover the funds.
What did you get?
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I bought a $8000.00 krieghoff off gun broker from a private party what I did was have him send me a list of FFLs in his area then I picked one and got them to act as my agent I sent 2 certified checks one to the seller for the gun and one to the FFL to cover his payment and shipping. Note the shipping cost can be a lot less being shipped from a FFL. I think I paid the FFL $either 25 or $50 its been awhile
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BlackGun
Pimpin Ain’t Easy
True. After I posted this I looked at the wording but never went back and made the change. Should have said CZ manufactured stainless handgun. The only other stainless model was one I have now in a standard finish (CZ75B).
Reviews on the 9mm Specialist were very good. Seemed to accept other non OEM magazines without any problems. This will be another adventure into a 1911 platform if the transaction is successful.
PP is an option but be careful, if they find out it was a firearm, both of your accounts will be locked. While I was taking cards for payment it was easy but dropped that and only take USPS money orders or checks. Good feedback of the seller is what you are looking for.
I have 81 deals on GB. Always pay by CC if allowed. Sometimes a fee sometimes not. I hate going to the Post Office and dealing with getting a PMO. If I can pay and send FFL with a "click" I'm more likely to buy. Just Me.
OP
BlackGun
Pimpin Ain’t Easy
Took a chance on this guy again. His second gun never sold on the site so I offered him his starting bid. He accepted and shipped it a week later. Gun was 3 months old and came with extra magazines.
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Probably not too bad a deal for the seller since he avoided paying the GB fees.
Sounds like it worked out for you. Starting at the top, the PayPal friends is a service that PP states is not for purchase transactions. At a minimum you don't have protections, but being gun related they would object anway.
I am glad it worked out for you but this scenario is the perfect storm for getting ripped off. Without actually completing or biding on an auction on GB you had no protection from them. If GB catches you they will shut down your account and the sellers account for avoiding fees.
You then sent Friends and Family PayPal which is basically an unprotected wire transfer for a firearms purchase. Both of which leave you in the wind with PayPal.
So you had ZERO protection. If you went to GB they would tell you to pound sand and shut down your account. PayPal would ask why did you send FF when you were paying for a product and then would ask what was the product. When you said it was a firearm they would shut down your account and tell you to pound sand. If the the intent was to rip you off you can guarantee that $$$ would be out of PayPal as soon as it hit the account to a burner account. PayPal would shit down the sellers account but would not help you get your $$ back.
I personally would not have completed that transaction. I like purchasing with a CC because of the chargeback protections it afffords you. I look for merchants that do not charge a fee for using them.m but sometimes will pay the 3% if it’s a good deal. I get 1-3% cash back on the CC and don’t pay interest so it works out.
If you want to complete this type of transaction in the future I would ask the seller to create a Buy it Now auction on GB for the price negotiated and then buy it. You are protected at least on the GB side and not circumventing their fees. From there payment options can be worked out.
Pics?
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OP
BlackGun
Pimpin Ain’t Easy
I didn’t intentionally circumvent the second transaction on Gunbroker. I received the first gun so I went back to see if he relisted the second gun. Both auctions ended within one day of each other. He had not. So I asked him if he still had the gun and was going to relist and he said no. So I replied I would take it for the min bid price shipped. Kind of shocked me when he said yes. It took a little while to ship as his FFL took a week vacation. I think I got a good deal for a practically new gun. Picture coming when I get home.
So, whats the other gun and.....how do you like the Specialist?
OP
BlackGun
Pimpin Ain’t Easy
The other gun was this Kimber Pro Carry 2 in 45acp. I have not shot this yet. Paperwork I saw it’s now 4 months old.
Absolutely love the Dan Wesson Specialist 1911 in 9mm. Gun is easy to rack the slide, almost like it’s on bearings. The trigger pull is excellent and the reset even better. I could almost make love to it.
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I am not trying to harsh your mellow but if you found a gun on GB and offered to buy it outside of GB then you intentionally circumvented GB on the second transaction. I don't care because I am not the GB police but you and the seller cheated GB out of their fees because if not for GB you would have never purchased that pistol.
OP
BlackGun
Pimpin Ain’t Easy
Maybe but I had no intention of buying it until the first transaction evolved and the gun never sold during the auction. And he never intended to relist the gun. I’m not familiar with their policy on gun sales after the auction ends with no bids. I’m sure he will send them a check since he never did any transaction updates on the first gun such as payment received, FFL sent, etc... I completed my transaction updates and left positive feedback. But I can see your point.
