so I found this guy selling 2 air rifles for 1,000 but we live on opposite coasts and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on to make a safe transaction.
how to buy without getting scammed
- Thread starter James.89
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Pretty simple. Only buy from people you trust. Or you can just use PayPal goods and services. Not friends and family.
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PayPal Goods & services - & have the seller send you a PayPal invoice.
At $1000, Paypal will require that the seller put the tracking numbers into the Paypal transaction AND the carrier will have to show proof of delivery before your money is released to the seller (or you can manually release after 48 hours of shipment, but why would anyone do that?)
Anyone who tries to move transaction safeguards off the table is trying to scam you. 100%. If they don't agree to reasonable safeguards, find another seller, because they guy your "buying" from doesn't have the product in his hands to sell anyway.
At $1000, Paypal will require that the seller put the tracking numbers into the Paypal transaction AND the carrier will have to show proof of delivery before your money is released to the seller (or you can manually release after 48 hours of shipment, but why would anyone do that?)
Anyone who tries to move transaction safeguards off the table is trying to scam you. 100%. If they don't agree to reasonable safeguards, find another seller, because they guy your "buying" from doesn't have the product in his hands to sell anyway.
First off when considering making your first purchase from the “Classifieds” on Airgun Nation it’s best to review the info in the following link before proceeding Avoid Classified Scams on AGN
I believe that there’s always a reasonable risk of being scammed when shopping online. I also think that a certain level of self restraint is necessary. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Sometimes it’s best to pass on deals, especially when your gut suggests doing so. You’ve received some good advice in the posts above. I’d heed their warnings as well.
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It's hard for me to buy online, let alone, from a private party. I have to know the product, or physically see it. Probably my age, and how I was taught to be a consumer. Anyway, If you want to buy from a private party, contact them and ask some questions, see how they respond and if you feel they are on the real, go from there. Check the address that the item is coming from on google maps, Ask the seller to provide id so you at least know that Bob is Bob and that the address matches to the shipping address. A bill of sale even threw email. Most people that are on the real, have no problem answering questions to clarify the sale, and providing proper requests, as to who they are, what they are selling to be in good working order, and what they are selling is there's .Maybe a video rather then pictures would help in the viewing of said item. You can also buy from vender's used or reconditioned section, That would be the least risk bet for you, in theory. Without some type of third party, papal, google pay etc. you are on your own as to the risk.
TODD
TODD
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This topic came up with perfect timing as I am currently looking around Airgun Nation's classifieds for a used pcp rifle. I realize it's buyer beware but are there any additional assurances from buying from the Airgun Nation's community?
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Have the buyer take some custom photos and to you.
i.e: a pictures of the item with a piece of paper with his user name next to it.
I do it all the time and never had an issue no matter where i buy from.
i.e: a pictures of the item with a piece of paper with his user name next to it.
I do it all the time and never had an issue no matter where i buy from.
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Is friends and family a normal request on this forum? I've seen it on many classified ads here.
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anyone who accepts friends and family should also accept goods and services, where the buyer pays 3.5% more to cover the fees. G&S has more protections than F&F. It is up to the buyer really.
@JohnTran It has been commonly used among AGN members who trust and/or know one another. However, I think that it should be one of at least two payment options. I think @ddnzf and @Long_Gun_Dallas provided great responses above.
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Not a guarantee. I bought something, paid with Paypal G&S. The seller gave Paypal and me a tracking #, Paypal released the money. When I tracked the shipment later, the seller cancelled the UPS shipment.
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So the seller did a dishonest thing - what did PayPal do? Was your transaction in excess of $1000? Was your transaction in fact protected by PayPal, or not?
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I'm not saying Paypal did anything wrong. What I'm saying is there are no 100% guarantees when dealing with scammers, individuals or dealers. In spite of Paypals effort in not allowing vendors to receive funds until a tracking number is provided, if the tracking number is not verified as valid and the package is tendered to the shipping company, scammers can still get around it.
I hope my funds are protected. The transaction was almost $7,000. The money left my account in minutes. It's return to me has been "pending" since last week. Hopefully, Paypal keeps track of who it lets receive money through them and denies service to those who regularly try to get around the rules.
IF as you say, on amounts over $1,000 the vendor must provide a tracking number and proof of delivery then someone at Paypal did not follow the rules, because the item was never delivered to me (actually never even tendered to the shipping carrier) but the funds were released.
I hope my funds are protected. The transaction was almost $7,000. The money left my account in minutes. It's return to me has been "pending" since last week. Hopefully, Paypal keeps track of who it lets receive money through them and denies service to those who regularly try to get around the rules.
IF as you say, on amounts over $1,000 the vendor must provide a tracking number and proof of delivery then someone at Paypal did not follow the rules, because the item was never delivered to me (actually never even tendered to the shipping carrier) but the funds were released.
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Don't trust PP in ANY case. Deal ONLY with people you know and trust.
Regardless of what anyone says here about their good times with PP.
Yes, that means you MUST pass up *deals* that sound too good to be true...
Guess what, they aren't true 99.9999999999% of the time.
ONLY deal with people you know and trust and leave PP out of it entirely!
I sincerely wish AGN would stop allowing sales originating from this forum of which ONLY a small percentage of users are affected.
And they don't even have a political forum! And politics affects EVERYBODY! Dayum!
Regardless of what anyone says here about their good times with PP.
Yes, that means you MUST pass up *deals* that sound too good to be true...
Guess what, they aren't true 99.9999999999% of the time.
ONLY deal with people you know and trust and leave PP out of it entirely!
I sincerely wish AGN would stop allowing sales originating from this forum of which ONLY a small percentage of users are affected.
And they don't even have a political forum! And politics affects EVERYBODY! Dayum!
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I have been buying and selling online since there was no such thing as the internet we have today - only dial in direct Bulletin Boards / BBS and print ads in magazines, and have been burned at some point using almost every conceivable payment option. Even today, there really isn't a payment method that protects both parties completely. Sadly for me anyway, knowing the other person well is no guarantee of not being ripped off. I have lost more money to people I know than buyers / sellers on the internet.
There used to be payment brokers who held the money until both parties gave the OK to release it, but they had issues and don't seem to be around anymore.
Credit Cards are without question the safest for the buyer but they are not that safe for the seller. Merchants eat BILLIONS of dollars (32 Billion worldwide in 2021) every year and not just from stolen card numbers, but theft by the actual card holder called Friendly Fraud. You and I cover those losses by the prices we pay for stuff since it is the merchant who is taking the hit.
PayPal is rife with problems regardless of the method you choose but generally it protects the buyer more than the seller. You are dealing with an anti gun company that can pretty much do whatever they want with your money since they are not regulated like credit card companies are AFIK.
USPS Money Orders protect the seller quite well but not the buyer. Money orders from Walmart etc. are about the same but not as secure for the seller as the postal MO.
Cashiers checks can have a stop payment placed on them and can be reversed in some cases, so limited protection for the seller, none for the buyer.
Personal checks can have a stop payment and the funds can be reversed quite a bit later. As the seller you might not see the money taken out of your checking account for over a month.
ACH transfers and Zelle / Venmo etc. mostly protect the seller, not the buyer, though they can be reversed by the buyer.
Wire Transfers are the safest for the sellers. Least protection for the buyers. It is very difficult to reverse a wire. My bank has never seen one reversed in their decades of being in business. As a buyer, you can call the bank and ask them what kind of history the seller has with wire transfers for perhaps some peace of mind.
Face to face cash sales are probably the safest money wise for both parties, but even then, the buyer might unknowingly present counterfeit bills mixed in with the good ones. Personal safety wise, this is the least safe of all. Face to face sales in larger cities can and do end up in armed robbery and sometimes murder.
There used to be payment brokers who held the money until both parties gave the OK to release it, but they had issues and don't seem to be around anymore.
Credit Cards are without question the safest for the buyer but they are not that safe for the seller. Merchants eat BILLIONS of dollars (32 Billion worldwide in 2021) every year and not just from stolen card numbers, but theft by the actual card holder called Friendly Fraud. You and I cover those losses by the prices we pay for stuff since it is the merchant who is taking the hit.
PayPal is rife with problems regardless of the method you choose but generally it protects the buyer more than the seller. You are dealing with an anti gun company that can pretty much do whatever they want with your money since they are not regulated like credit card companies are AFIK.
USPS Money Orders protect the seller quite well but not the buyer. Money orders from Walmart etc. are about the same but not as secure for the seller as the postal MO.
Cashiers checks can have a stop payment placed on them and can be reversed in some cases, so limited protection for the seller, none for the buyer.
Personal checks can have a stop payment and the funds can be reversed quite a bit later. As the seller you might not see the money taken out of your checking account for over a month.
ACH transfers and Zelle / Venmo etc. mostly protect the seller, not the buyer, though they can be reversed by the buyer.
Wire Transfers are the safest for the sellers. Least protection for the buyers. It is very difficult to reverse a wire. My bank has never seen one reversed in their decades of being in business. As a buyer, you can call the bank and ask them what kind of history the seller has with wire transfers for perhaps some peace of mind.
Face to face cash sales are probably the safest money wise for both parties, but even then, the buyer might unknowingly present counterfeit bills mixed in with the good ones. Personal safety wise, this is the least safe of all. Face to face sales in larger cities can and do end up in armed robbery and sometimes murder.
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@Racenviper I guess the original thread I linked was taken down. I posted a link to another resource.
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A few things. Check the feedback and how long they have been here. Unfortunately for a new guy selling to you, that will be hard, but they have to figure that out. I usually pass in that case.
On another forum, I actually offered to ship my product before getting the buyer to pay me to build feedback and respect. It was a very well respected buyer, so I did it, and it worked. That takes trust!
As for buying… my first big sale here was to Hajimoto before I knew who he was. He was very careful and I learned a lot from that transaction. He called me, then asked me to FaceTime as well. He saw me and got to get good looks at the rifle. He did some test emails with me and test PayPal transactions to make sure I had access to the account he was sending funds too. Main thing, you can’t be too careful.
On another forum, I actually offered to ship my product before getting the buyer to pay me to build feedback and respect. It was a very well respected buyer, so I did it, and it worked. That takes trust!
As for buying… my first big sale here was to Hajimoto before I knew who he was. He was very careful and I learned a lot from that transaction. He called me, then asked me to FaceTime as well. He saw me and got to get good looks at the rifle. He did some test emails with me and test PayPal transactions to make sure I had access to the account he was sending funds too. Main thing, you can’t be too careful.
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