I have not done any online gun purchases in years. In the past (10 years ago ish) I made quite a few online from both individuals and GB.
What are some of the new tricks I need to avoid Especially on GB ? Any info will help. Thanks

Choose your purchases only from reputable sellers, sellers who have sufficient positive feedback, and little to no negative feedback. Pay by credit card.

That's about it. No one other than the seller you buy from will be able to see your account information (name, address, etc.)

if its a store-front -- i'd have more confidence. call their phone number and speak to the store employees to get a 'comfortable feel' that they are legit

another one -- pertaining to individuals -- perhaps look at only doing in-person transactions within your state boundaries

also -- have them send you extra pictures at your request. some fraudsters will steal random pictures of the item off the internet. ask for detailed pictures of a particular feature, from a particular angle, close-ups etc. there is a chance they may not be able to oblige if they don't actually have the item


fraud is rampant -- you are justifiably concerned

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The seller in question has 940 great reviews on GB and 6 on BBB Both mentioned him by name on a couple. The phone numbers all match and also website. But is Cali number and sales are based out of Vegas.
I don't believe there is a store front.
I really miss the ability to buy local from individuals but MWGB has been shut down.

I'm reading that a lot of sellers send you a Intuit invoice and you pay using CC.
Sorry for all the questions but you all have always steered me straight.

quote:

Originally posted by Sig209:
if its a store-front -- i'd have more confidence. call their phone number and speak to the store employees to get a 'comfortable feel' that they are legit

Yes, if you encounter a store's website online, call them and speak to someone to make sure it's not "Jerry" from Mumbai.

quote:

another one -- pertaining to individuals -- perhaps look at only doing in-person transactions within your state boundaries

The potential for problems is high- a great way to get ripped off, or worse. Personally, I wouldn't do a face-to-face with someone I don't know or who had not been vouched for by a trusted third party. If you absolutely had to do it- speak to them on the phone beforehand, meet in a very public place, and have someone close by, observing the transaction. If that's not acceptable, walk away.

quote:

also -- have them send you extra pictures at your request. some fraudsters will steal random pictures of the item off the internet. ask for detailed pictures of a particular feature, from a particular angle, close-ups etc. there is a chance they may not be able to oblige if they don't actually have the item

fraud is rampant -- you are justifiably concerned

We're livin' it here in the forum these days.

quote:

The seller in question has 940 great reviews on GB and 6 on BBB Both mentioned him by name on a couple. The phone numbers all match and also website. But is Cali number and sales are based out of Vegas.

940 reviews on GB, you're probably fine. Any question about discrepancies, send them an email ane ask. They'll understand. It won't be anything they haven't heard before.
I don't believe there is a store front.

quote:

I'm reading that a lot of sellers send you a Intuit invoice and you pay using CC.

All I can tell you is pay by CC always, so you have recourse if the deal goes bad.

If you tap any picture with two fingers on your mouse pad it will bring up a menu with options of what you want to do with the pic. One of the options is "Search Google for Picture" choose that option and it will return all the places on the net that picture is hosted. Quick way to weed out the scammers.

As Para suggested always use you're credit card. I'm always buying online because of the lack of gun stores and selection around here. Never been burned. I will usually call my FFL guy first if I'm purchasing from a gun store I haven't dealt with. Most of the time he knows of them as has dealt with them before through someone else.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by lastmanstanding:
If you tap any picture with two fingers on your mouse pad it will bring up a menu with options of what you want to do with the pic. One of the options is "Search Google for Picture" choose that option and it will return all the places on the net that picture is hosted. Quick way to weed out the scammers.

Did a search in the pic and nothing exact came up.



Buuuut called the number and talked to "Mack” (idk where from but very strong accent)
Mack is the name that other reviews mentioned. From my research it's his last name.

Sad that he is probably legit but so many scammers out there I still have to second guess.

My recent (within a few years) purchases have been from Gallery of Guns/Gun Genie and Classic Firearms. I have 2 FFLs I use to receive and process the firearms to me: RFI in Wylie, TX and Gunmaster, Inc. in Plano, TX. All my purchases have gone smoothly with no problems.

flashguy

Para nailed it.

On GB, I looked for a lot of ratings and the overall quality. I skipped any listings with below 500 ratings. I want to avoid having to resolve any issues.

I also only use credit cards and I look for ones with no credit card fee.

Outside of GB, I buy from known online websites.

One time, I was looking for a doppler chronograph that was not available or had a 12 week lead time. Over several days, I kept googling. One day, one website showed it had it in inventory. I called and noted the phone number. The store confirmed their online inventory was live. I ordered using a credit card and all went well.

I avoid any ad here that doesn’t have pictures, you want to sell me a gun here for 600-800 bucks and can’t figure out or be bothered to learn how to use a photo hosting site, yeah right.

On GB I always check the ratings/feedback and skip ads with stock photos.

Listen to your gut - if it feels too good to be true…it is.

quote:

Originally posted by Sig209:
if its a store-front -- i'd have more confidence. call their phone number and speak to the store employees to get a 'comfortable feel' that they are legit

another one -- pertaining to individuals -- perhaps look at only doing in-person transactions within your state boundaries

also -- have them send you extra pictures at your request. some fraudsters will steal random pictures of the item off the internet. ask for detailed pictures of a particular feature, from a particular angle, close-ups etc. there is a chance they may not be able to oblige if they don't actually have the item


fraud is rampant -- you are justifiably concerned

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about that first sentence,


store front or not,

please check the listing notes, or if you google the business, look at the times the business is open before you call,

why?

cause as someone that sells a lot on De Broker, I get calls sometimes at all hours of the night,

I will likely reply to an email after hours,, but calling me at 930 PM or later ,,,, please no, you will get sent to VM,

had someone do that last night,,
I program my listings to end at 10pm,
someone sends a vague email,, I reply for more info to answer and my phone rings,,

sorry dude,, I'm at the kitchen table seeing what is selling and checking emails,, not at the shop with whatever gun you want in hand,,