Sold a gun at the beginning of May. By this time, if you buy on GB, except for a very few states, you would have to pay the your state sales tax. And GB makes the seller to be the tax collector from the buyer, then they later come and collect it from you the seller.

So, this winning bidder guy claimed that he somehow received the Win page from GB mobile app saying No Sales Tax, so he adamantly refused to pay the tax. This is bogus, because my listing specifically spelled out that, per GB, tax will be added to the final price of the sale. GB Order page also spelled out the tax to be paid. The guy acted like he was totally surprised by this and continued to insist that he wasn't going to pay the tax. I told him I wasn't selling the gun without the tax paid by him, because GB will come later and collect it from me.

Then, I wrote GB several times about what happened. Then, I had to go through their nonpaying bidder (NPB) filing garbage. But, these assholes refused to do anything about it, but still came and tried to collect the tax from me plus the seller's fee for the item that I never get paid. Luckily they couldn't, because, anticipating such a garbage move from them, I preemptively cancelled my CC. So, they now emailed me threatening to terminate my account, which I actually don't care, because I'm done with them anyway. So, follows is the draft of what I want to send them. Too harsh? Or not harsh enough?

quote:

You guys at GunBroker are really something, trying to rob me.

I had the nonpaying bidder (NPB) for item # 898839045 back in May 3, 2021. The guy adamantly refused to pay the sales tax. I wrote you, and then I went through the whole required NPB process. But you guys refused to do anything the whole time and then proceeded to try to collect the sales tax from me and charge me the seller's fee for the item that I didn't get paid, and then charged me for relisting it??? Totally disgusting. Go to hell. Even if you somehow manage to convince the NPB to finally pay now, I wouldn't want to give you or him the satisfaction. You guys have wasted enough of my valuable time. And, you can also take that Gold Membership fee and stuff it where the sun don't shine.

I don't want to be participating on an auction site run by unethical people.

Q

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 12131,

GB is horrible towards sellers. Good response to their nonsense.

Sounds good to me, I loathe their new tax collecting policies. We the sellers are stuck collecting and paying the buyers taxes on the item as you’ve found out. It’s a joke, I’m getting really fed up with them as well.

Try calling (720) 223-0164 and enter extension 3006 to reach a human if so inclined.

I like it Q. Right to the point.
Send it and be done with them.

I had something like this happen on GB a few years ago. Not tax though. Haven't been back since.

It's not too harsh, IMO.

But if you don't mind a bit of editorial input , syntax is a bit tortured here and the sentence is a bit on-on:

quote:

... and charge me the seller's fee for the item that I didn't get paid, and then charged me for relisting it???

I would write it "... and charge me the seller's fee for the item for which I didn't get paid. Then charged me for relisting it???"

I understand why you are mad, but talking to people that way rarely gets you what you want.

If you have given up and just want the satisfaction of it, okay. I guess I get that.

Why are you beating around the bush? Just come out and let them know how you really feel!!

Seriously, though, I've it always better to be politely factual, forthright and firm...but YMMV!

Good luck!

Take out the profanity and threats. Some people will use that as an excuse to dismiss you entirely. Tell them how much business you have done with them over the years and how disappointed you are in their ethics. Just my two cents.

Thanks for the input coming from both ends of the spectrum. I was, and still am, very pissed at GB, but finally calmed down. Took out all the profanity, but still firm and to the point. And, thanks ensigmatic, for the grammar pointer that was put into use. And, I am done with them.

Q,

I have a contact at GB that has helped me with some issues,


when I get a moment today, I'll see if I can dig up his email and send it to you via email

Since they started the stupid tax thing, the number of non-paying bidders has gone through the roof! I'm about to stop doing business there, because the cost is just too high for so many flakes.

And the non-paying bidder process is awful. I have one where the buyer never responded to any of my email, never contacted me, and has been silent throughout. Now they allegedly disputed the non-payment.... so I have no idea what to do.


Gunbroker already stole the sales tax and final value fee from me.

quote:

Originally posted by lyman:
Q,

I have a contact at GB that has helped me with some issues,


when I get a moment today, I'll see if I can dig up his email and send it to you via email

If you wouldn't mind sharing, I would appreciate it.

Is this a new policy for Gunbroker? The practice of collecting from the seller all fees, regardless if the sale falls through?

quote:

Originally posted by spdski:
Since they started the stupid tax thing, the number of non-paying bidders has gone through the roof! I'm about to stop doing business there, because the cost is just too high for so many flakes.

And the non-paying bidder process is awful. I have one where the buyer never responded to any of my email, never contacted me, and has been silent throughout. Now they allegedly disputed the non-payment.... so I have no idea what to do.


Gunbroker already stole the sales tax and final value fee from me.

quote:

Originally posted by lyman:
Q,

I have a contact at GB that has helped me with some issues,


when I get a moment today, I'll see if I can dig up his email and send it to you via email

If you wouldn't mind sharing, I would appreciate it.

they don't steal anything from you

Gunbroker, in theory, gets the sales tax from you via the fees, (your buyer pays it) and then gunbroker pays the state,

that's been happening for a good while now,

NON p[aying bidders went up for me during the Plandemic/Cooties last summer, when ammo prices got stupid(er)

but you simply relist , leave neg feedback, and file for credit,
have to wait I think 4 days to file, and maybe 10 or so after to get your credit,



if you are tax exempt, then send the info to GB and they add it to your file, and you don't pay on anything you buy,



the contact I sent Q not long ago is a corporate dude that helped me a lot setting up a CC/payment processing system with them ,and some other dealer stuff, good guy to deal with.

12131, I think your email is very to the point and well stated, but unfortunately will fall on deaf ears.

I had a problem with a seller a few years ago and left him negative feedback. He had initially left me positive feedback on 2 separate transactions (which I took a picture of) but went back in and changed his feedback to a "C" and a negative after I left him negative. I sent GB an email with all emails and screen shots between the seller and I along with screenshots of the seller leaving below the belt responses to other buyers who had left him negative feedback. GB never even responded to me.

About 6 months later I was still pissed and sent all the correspondence to GB again and this time they removed the negative but left the "C" rating. I've been using GB for over 20 years and had never had anything other than an "A" rating until the asshole seller but at least they did remove the negative (although I still have "C" on there.)

My experience with GB is they couldn't care less for you as a customer. If there were a better way to sell the occasional item I would not deal with GB at all anymore.

Other than the profanity, I think your email was pretty direct, and also agree with remsig that they probably don't care a bit. I've bought quite a few firearms from GB since 2008, and have sold a few too. I think most serious "gun people" - shooters and collectors, are pretty honest and transactions with them generally go well. Unfortunately, GB, having a virtual monopoly on national gun auctions (I'm not bold enough to try the alternative sites, since they seem full of fraudulent sellers), attracts plenty of dishonest people. Probably because business is good and they have little competition, GB has very poor customer service. There seems to be an uptick in fraudulent sellers there recently - sellers with no feedback offering factory new popular firearms with a buy it now price 1/2 what they typically sell for. I've watched a few of those items sell, then be relisted, and seen the seller rack up several "F" ratings describing theft before GB finally removes them. There is little an honest seller can do to prevent new sellers from jumping on an auction then not paying, either. It's a huge pain, but I put up with it because I've been able to acquire firearms that I otherwise wouldn't have found in a lifetime searching shops in rural northern New England. Similarly, I have been able to obtain prices far above what I would have expected when downsizing my collection. Maybe someone here can start and operate a better site!

Yeah, I miss the old Auction Arms. I got some great deals on that site. Back then, gunsamerica was still a good place, too.

But, as you say, now Gunbroker has a virtual monopoly, and so they don't really care.

quote:

Originally posted by lyman:

quote:

Originally posted by spdski:
Since they started the stupid tax thing, the number of non-paying bidders has gone through the roof! I'm about to stop doing business there, because the cost is just too high for so many flakes.

And the non-paying bidder process is awful. I have one where the buyer never responded to any of my email, never contacted me, and has been silent throughout. Now they allegedly disputed the non-payment.... so I have no idea what to do.


Gunbroker already stole the sales tax and final value fee from me.

quote:

Originally posted by lyman:
Q,

I have a contact at GB that has helped me with some issues,


when I get a moment today, I'll see if I can dig up his email and send it to you via email

If you wouldn't mind sharing, I would appreciate it.

they don't steal anything from you

Gunbroker, in theory, gets the sales tax from you via the fees, (your buyer pays it) and then gunbroker pays the state,

that's been happening for a good while now,

NON p[aying bidders went up for me during the Plandemic/Cooties last summer, when ammo prices got stupid(er)

but you simply relist , leave neg feedback, and file for credit,
have to wait I think 4 days to file, and maybe 10 or so after to get your credit,



if you are tax exempt, then send the info to GB and they add it to your file, and you don't pay on anything you buy,



the contact I sent Q not long ago is a corporate dude that helped me a lot setting up a CC/payment processing system with them ,and some other dealer stuff, good guy to deal with.

First, thanks for the email. I appreciate it. But, I'm really done with them after 2 months of headache, with them doing nothing to resolve the fiasco but still trying to charge (rob) me. Truly slime balls they are, as far as I'm concerned. spdski is right, they stole his money (tax and seller's fee), when he never got paid by the bidder, while they did nothing to resolve his case.

Same with me. Like I said, I first wrote them to explain what happened. They generated a case. I kept writing asking for updates but kept receiving the automated bullshit "Your case is being reviewed by our team". Then, I went through their required NBP filing process to the letter, started the credit request, left feedback, relisted, etc... As of today, the Credit Request button is no longer accessible, because the bidder challenged his NPB status. All this time, these GB assholes sat on their asses and now come trying to charge my CC? Not a chance in hell. I told them to go ahead and terminate my account.

First, I'm sorry you're getting stuck dealing with this, you a are good person and a pleasure to do business with. Second, that whole process seems wrong from beginning to end. Third, f$#& that buyer for knowing what he was getting into, agreeing to a contract to purchase, then backing out because he didn't like the terms he agreed to.

I hope all is made right.

quote:

Originally posted by lyman:
they don't steal anything from you

Gunbroker, in theory, gets the sales tax from you via the fees, (your buyer pays it) and then gunbroker pays the state,

that's been happening for a good while now,

NON p[aying bidders went up for me during the Plandemic/Cooties last summer, when ammo prices got stupid(er)

but you simply relist , leave neg feedback, and file for credit,
have to wait I think 4 days to file, and maybe 10 or so after to get your credit,

When they take their final value fees and taxes for a transaction that has a pending non-paying bidder request, I consider that theft... I guess we'll just disagree.

And I don't think the non-paying bidder process is efficient, or functional. It's been many weeks since I requested credit for this most recent situation. They still haven't done anything and I have no recourse for contacting an actual human. I submitted a separate support request a few weeks ago, but still nothing. For the amount of money they've taken earned from me over the years, at least a human option would be the decent thing.

My suggestion would be to re-write your letter and to simply state the facts. put a cc to both the Department of revenue in your home state as well as the home state of Gunbroker.

I would also CC the attorney general in both states.

Personally I think that will garner the response you’re looking for and perhaps get Gunbroker to reconsider what sound to be ridiculous policies as it pertains to Sellers.