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OK seller, bad packager, shipment delayed. What would you do? UPDATED 6/30/21

I double box or pack very well. I'd never want a gun case shipped without a outer box. 
I'd be upset, and though I will spend whatever it takes to do it right I have seen less than ideal shipping or items. 
Which pretty much leads me to deal with old school members I can trust completely or I buy new. 


How OP & seller in question handle this isn't for me to decide but the post that Michael put up about an escrow service long ago is something I would definitely use if I wasn't sure & spending over $500, $1K, 4K? How much can I stand to loose? Nada.
 
As soon as I see the packing like that I would say STOP!. "This is not acceptable. The items I purchase will not be secure. Take it to a ups store, remove the scope and everything except the gun and mounted scope from the box, have them box everything up in at least 4 boxes and have the case double boxed. Otherwise I cannot accept the items as they will not be in the condition I initially bought it from you."

Even if he used 5 rolls of tape to prevent anything from falling out of the box, unless every item is securely wrapped and boxed inside the case, everything inside will be so bashed up it will not look or perform in any way it was advertised. It is probably already bashed up as it is now, that is if everything is still even in there.



Allen 
 
As soon as I see the packing like that I would say STOP!. "This is not acceptable. The items I purchase will not be secure. Take it to a ups store, remove the scope and everything except the gun and mounted scope from the box, have them box everything up in at least 4 boxes and have the case double boxed. Otherwise I cannot accept the items as they will not be in the condition I initially bought it from you."

Even if he used 5 rolls of tape to prevent anything from falling out of the box, unless every item is securely wrapped and boxed inside the case, everything inside will be so bashed up it will not look or perform in any way it was advertised. It is probably already bashed up as it is now, that is if everything is still even in there.



Allen

In the pic on page 1, he was at a UPS Store. They said they did not have a box big enough.
 
As soon as I see the packing like that I would say STOP!. "This is not acceptable. The items I purchase will not be secure. Take it to a ups store, remove the scope and everything except the gun and mounted scope from the box, have them box everything up in at least 4 boxes and have the case double boxed. Otherwise I cannot accept the items as they will not be in the condition I initially bought it from you."

Even if he used 5 rolls of tape to prevent anything from falling out of the box, unless every item is securely wrapped and boxed inside the case, everything inside will be so bashed up it will not look or perform in any way it was advertised. It is probably already bashed up as it is now, that is if everything is still even in there.



Allen

In the pic on page 1, he was at a UPS Store. They said they did not have a box big enough.

Making boxes out of two or more boxes should be the norm for them. But at this point filming the package being opened will most likely be a necessity. CYA



Allen
 
I would contact the guy and tell him if he wants to put a little more effort into the sale, you will take the gun. Otherwise tell him to keep it. 

I once had a guy send me a single shot try for a Brocock Bantam in a single white letter envelope. Needless to say after that envelope went thru the sorting machines all I received was an empty torn up partial envelope. Would not have been an issue if the nitwit .had spent 95 cents on a padded envelope. 
 
I recently sold and shipped a barrel kit, and it took forever to get there. The buyer was patient, but not happy. I didn't know that shipping USPS ground in these delayed times was a bad move. The package eventually arrived, but it took like two weeks. I was ready to do a refund. Now I know.

There is a lot of negative speculation going on here at the seller's expense. How about waiting till it arrives, then tell us about it?
 


how would you handle a situation like this?






Personally, I'd wait a few days and see what happens. You're getting worked up about what "may" happen, but the most likely outcome is that your package is simply delayed and will arrive safe and sound. After all, it's in a case that was built specifically to protect guns in transport, a cardboard box isn't really going to offer anymore protection than it already has.
 
When I think about the mechanic with a diagnostic tool in one hand, and mind on troubleshooting, or the sheet metal worker installing a copper dome roof on the nations capital, custom cabinets by a carpenter, or a Dr performing a heart transplant, I find it hard to believe, one would need “skills” to wrap up a box for shipment, especially since in most peoples lives they’ve opened up shipments of all kinds and have seen what proper packing looks like. That more sounds to me like a “I got the cash, I don’t give a chit from here on out” or he’s just a dimwit. Don’t mean to sound harsh, but if he truly didn’t know, why not ask the buyer how it should be shipped? 

i sure hope I don’t end up buying from this guy one day.
 
We’re talking about sellers and shipping and I agree with everything said. I’ve sold several guns on the forum and I always warranty my sales. I have had to refund one gun. It was leaking when fired and it’s being looked at now. It was fine when shipped and it was returned to me in my packaging with no obvious damage . Stuff does happen. I’m thinking it was just coincidence. I have encountered a couple guys that can be very difficult to deal with. They want dozens of pictures and ask questions until you begin to regret putting the gun up for sale. Shipping and packaging is expensive and time consuming and we all need to due it at the 100% level but buyers have to be reasonable as well. A air gun is not the hope diamond and can be repaired or replaced. It takes two guys working together to make things right. Just suggesting that a good buyer is important two. I told one guy after numerous pictures and endless messages that he had to take a leap of faith. Buy the gun and return it if didn’t suit him. It would only cost him return shipping. He didn’t buy the gun. Unreasonable? Up to the individual to decide. I think it was. Consider the sellers time and effort too. 
 
He put the ad up with an OBO and 3 pictures. I did not ask for any more pictures, paid the ask price, and bought it withing 1 hour of it being listed. Now I'll tell you about unreasonable. He wanted payment via Venmo, a subsidiary of Paypal. I had Paypal, he had Venmo. The two are not connected though. You can't transfer $$ from one to the other. I opened a Venmo account to accommodate the seller. I paid him with his payment of choice including setting up a Venmo account within 3 hours of buying it. I write him and say I sent the $$, he writes back and says he got the $$ in his Venmo account.

Here's where it gets interesting. He writes me later and says he's trying to initiate a bank transfer and it won't go through so he's can't ship the gun, even though he "thinks" the problem is with his bank. The next day, he writes again, and says he has an email saying a bank transfer from Vemno has been initiated. He tells me he will ship the gun that day and send tracking info. I wait until 7:00 pm his time and ask for the tracking # thinking maybe he'd sent it when he got home from work. He didn't make it to UPS that day was his response. Yes, and he did not tell me that until I asked. At this point, I thought I got scammed. I learned that Venmo is great protection for the SELLER, but none for the buyer. I initiated a charge back with my credit card company which I have learned would have probably been unsuccessful. Obviously, this guy wanted paid with an instant transfer, and if there is problem, even on his end, he won't ship the gun until the money is in his bank, and he has WITHDRAWN it and has CASH in hand.

I appreciate all the replies and advice, but please do not conjecture as to other aspects of the deal which you know nothing about. For your info, I am 65 years old. I am carl8571 on Ebay, and have been for 20+ years (not as a business). I have never bounced a check in my life, and I have a credit score of 815.
 
I agree with you. I just wanted ro make clear that I have been the seller on hundreds of transactions. I agree that proper buying/selling etiquette is a two way street, and I wanted to add more details in case others were wondering if my behavior was correct on my end of the deal. I also wanted others to be aware of the risk involved using Venmo vs Paypal, because while the two are affiliated, they are quite different, especially if you are the buyer.
 
Something I learned about shipping. I packaged a pistol double boxed. I promptly shipped it out via US Post Office. I insured it for for full value of a new pistol. It was in like new condition and you could not find one to buy. The package got hung up in a post office near the buyer. We inquired to the post office from both ends. They said it's not lost just hung up. The buyer was extremely patient! after the package was several weeks over due I filled a claim to the post office. The claim was denied saying I did not provide enough proof to the guns worth, I sent them a copy of the purchase. Ok I got lucky the package was delivered to the buyer a few days later and he was pleased. After that experance I ship with fear.