Recently, I placed a WTB ad. I was specific as to the type of gun I wanted. Three members responded. Here's what happened:
Member #1 writes me and says he has one. Upon contacting him, he tells me he traded for one, but he has not received it yet but when he gets it, he will sell it to me. Shows me an FX case full of stuff, supposedly what he bought. I write the other two members and tell them I found one. He writes me back and says the gun arrived, he scopes it, runs out and shoots it, likes it and no longer wants to sell it.
#2-an FX dealer. I write him about a comparable FX product. Oh, I'm at RMAC, puts on his website that he will return on 9-3-21, knowing full well he is not coming back until 9-7-21, after Labor Day. I write him on 9-7-21. He asks me what caliber I'm interested in and I tell him again. I wanted some things added to the gun before shipping-silence. I write him 3 times-silence. The only reason I bought from this dealer is that he could do the add-ons (bought $4,700 worth of guns from him the last 2 years. OK, go make your living being a competition shooter.
#3 (member)- I contact him and tell him what happened with member #1, and ask him if he still wants to sell. Yes, he says that he has one in bronze. He gives me the price, and insists on PP F&F, even if I pay the fee. I break my own rule (he and all the members have good feedback), and send the $$, before he sent the pic. I asked for. He sends a pic. The gun is not bronze, it is black. Pic shows heavy use on the Picatinny rail and moderator. Oh, and he pests for a living. In all fairness, he returned my $$ immediately when I voiced my concerns. A truly honest man.
#4 (member)- I contact the last guy who originally responded when member #1 fell through. I write him at like 9:30 PM asking for pics/info and go to bed without receiving a response. He is on the East coast, I am in CO. He writes me at 4:00 AM my time. I respond to him shortly like 6 or 7 AM. He has sent me pics. The gun he claims was silver is black with and aluminum handgrip and a blue cheek piece. He says he did the install on the Power Plenum. The gun also has a bigger bottle (more shots I know, but now no longer a compact), and because a short fat moderator will hit the bigger bottle he put a Huggett on, slim enough to clear. He says he can put the smaller 300cc bottle back on, and I'm thinking, OK that might work. While waiting for him to respond, I take a look at the Classifieds. At 6:00 AM without even giving me a chance to respond to his 4AM post, he already posted it in for sale. Nice. While negotiating with me privately, he posts it for sale. He made clear he didn't really care, I could buy it, or he knew someone else will.
Here's what I learned:
All these members had good feedback. Feedback is only a guide. The only feedback that matters is yours.
Someone can have good feedback as a buyer, but not as a seller.
Most these members have been here for 3-6 years. So length of membership is no guarantee.
Always request several quality pictures. and do not buy until you get them.
If the gun has been worked on, ask who did the work. Don't trust the skills of the seller
If the seller insists on PP F&F even if you will pay the fees, DO NOT BUY, no matter how much you want the item. I was very lucky to get my $$ back.
Member #1 writes me and says he has one. Upon contacting him, he tells me he traded for one, but he has not received it yet but when he gets it, he will sell it to me. Shows me an FX case full of stuff, supposedly what he bought. I write the other two members and tell them I found one. He writes me back and says the gun arrived, he scopes it, runs out and shoots it, likes it and no longer wants to sell it.
#2-an FX dealer. I write him about a comparable FX product. Oh, I'm at RMAC, puts on his website that he will return on 9-3-21, knowing full well he is not coming back until 9-7-21, after Labor Day. I write him on 9-7-21. He asks me what caliber I'm interested in and I tell him again. I wanted some things added to the gun before shipping-silence. I write him 3 times-silence. The only reason I bought from this dealer is that he could do the add-ons (bought $4,700 worth of guns from him the last 2 years. OK, go make your living being a competition shooter.
#3 (member)- I contact him and tell him what happened with member #1, and ask him if he still wants to sell. Yes, he says that he has one in bronze. He gives me the price, and insists on PP F&F, even if I pay the fee. I break my own rule (he and all the members have good feedback), and send the $$, before he sent the pic. I asked for. He sends a pic. The gun is not bronze, it is black. Pic shows heavy use on the Picatinny rail and moderator. Oh, and he pests for a living. In all fairness, he returned my $$ immediately when I voiced my concerns. A truly honest man.
#4 (member)- I contact the last guy who originally responded when member #1 fell through. I write him at like 9:30 PM asking for pics/info and go to bed without receiving a response. He is on the East coast, I am in CO. He writes me at 4:00 AM my time. I respond to him shortly like 6 or 7 AM. He has sent me pics. The gun he claims was silver is black with and aluminum handgrip and a blue cheek piece. He says he did the install on the Power Plenum. The gun also has a bigger bottle (more shots I know, but now no longer a compact), and because a short fat moderator will hit the bigger bottle he put a Huggett on, slim enough to clear. He says he can put the smaller 300cc bottle back on, and I'm thinking, OK that might work. While waiting for him to respond, I take a look at the Classifieds. At 6:00 AM without even giving me a chance to respond to his 4AM post, he already posted it in for sale. Nice. While negotiating with me privately, he posts it for sale. He made clear he didn't really care, I could buy it, or he knew someone else will.
Here's what I learned:
All these members had good feedback. Feedback is only a guide. The only feedback that matters is yours.
Someone can have good feedback as a buyer, but not as a seller.
Most these members have been here for 3-6 years. So length of membership is no guarantee.
Always request several quality pictures. and do not buy until you get them.
If the gun has been worked on, ask who did the work. Don't trust the skills of the seller
If the seller insists on PP F&F even if you will pay the fees, DO NOT BUY, no matter how much you want the item. I was very lucky to get my $$ back.
