Making a trade online- Tips or suggestions?

45super,

Search for scammer in this forum.

Is this a item for sale here or on Yellow or another forum?

The member map doesn't appear to be working at the moment. I'd check it to see if you can find a member or FFL gun shop in the Syracuse (or north) area to act as a broker.

If you do decide to use paypal, don't use friends and family - pay the extra 3% for buyer transaction and then link that transaction to come from your VISA or Mastercard or AMEX and not cash from PayPal or a checking account. That way you have PayPal + Credit Card protection.

Trades or buys have become a guessing game but I agree with sharroff. I purchased a hawke scope lately here and even if the guy selling it was a little sketchy  (it was Michael) I used PayPal +3% 

Get a picture of driver license. I don't mind showing mine as I don't have anything to hide. I usually have my wife take a picture of me holding mine next to my face. 

3rd party trades are helpful too. If there is a middle location member who is trusted it's worth an extra $50-$60 to make sure everyone is happy. Y'all can split the cost of the 3rd party or if you are able, spin for it yourself. 

Just some suggestions. 

"45super"It is another forum , the guy is an active Army MP at Ft Drum NY

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There are now scammers using the relative trust the public has in our military personnel. Unless you have been in the military it's hard to filter the BS and the truth as they are using actual building numbers from military bases, using military lingo, and saying that Uncle Sam will ship the item to your house (which is BS). I am not saying he is not legit, just be careful. Talking to him over the phone will get you in the ballpark. Ask him to send you an email from his xxxxxx@xxx.mil account.

Great idea fe7565!

Just make sure if you both agree to the e-mail like fe7565 suggested that you do not discuss the actual financial transaction in the e-mail. Official e-mail addresses are not supposed to be used to conduct private transactions where money changes hands (cannot use official e-mail for personal monetary gains). You do not want to inadvertently get the other person in trouble. However, a quick "Hey, this is me and this is from my Army e-mail" should not cause any problems. Not saying that the Army goes after everyone who violates the rules, but it is better to be safe than sorry. 

I'm a newbie here but I have an extensive eBay track record. I had a seller contact me there to verify that it was my account. I know they aren't the same but a good track record somewhere is better than nothing. 

# 1 rule -- phone conversation -- you can pick up some feedback on a guy by asking the right questions and listening to HOW the question is answered -- if you do paypal , it has to be " goods and services " , as there is NO PROTECTION with friends or family " [ sometimes referred to as " gift/ gifted " ] -- also , some scammers use a reputable airgunners BOI profile and then make a small change in the email / paypal address by adding or reversing a letter or # --

If you are trading air rifles, agree a price that covers the more expensive of the two (if one is worth more). If for example, that is $1,000, then both of you "buy" the air rifle from each other for $1,000. You'll both get your money back instantly but, if one of you doesn't send the air rifle, then the other can open a case with PayPal.

It might be worth finding out if you can buy a retrieval service where you can ask fedex or UPS to halt delivery and return the item if needed. That way, if they don't send the package at the same time as you, you can get your air rifle back. 

Personally, I'd avoid trades unless the person lived close enough to meet face to face. Nobody should expect you to trust a stranger online. 

Maybe we air gunners should look at leveraging the FFL network for deals. It will add cost, but buyer protection as well.

FWIW, guys I'm new here but I do lots of deals on a well known knife forum, I've bought and sold thousands of dollars worth of custom knives and have learned some things along the way.

Always use paypal goods and services. Never use the gift option. Ever. 
High quality photos. If i'm sketchy on someone I usually won't do the deal, but I may ask them to take a photo of the item with a current magazine turned to a specific page, a newspaper, or some other easily attainable item. This is not to burden the seller, but simply to provide me with assurance they have the item.

Follow the rules of paypal, don't ask the buyer to pay the fees. Thats not what you signed up for. It's a service and they deserve to be treated with respect. Frankly, a seller who shows this little simple lack of integrity is probably someone I don't want to deal with anyway.

Shipped insured, signature required. Again, it's a service and yes you have to pay for it. 

Good communication is key. I don't really care to talk to someone by phone, email leaves a track record.

Ask for references and check with them. Most people have had some sort of track record on the internet at this point.

Be realistic, if it's too good to be true.... well you know the rest.

Again, I'm brand new here, this is just some things I've done to keep my small business afloat and years of buying knives on the second hand market. If anyone wants to check me out. I go by Rustysocket on bladeforums. I make custom pens. My real name is Scott and I'm pretty easy to find.

If I don't go with a new PCP gun ( which I likely will for my first) eventually I will make my way into the used market here.

Take care, and trade safe.