Fraudulent online firearms dealers Warning

[DadSmith]

Buyer beware.

 

[laf]

Not Henry, but I wanted a Marlin Dark series. And weirdly these guys take crypto and have everything in stock all the time and ship today. Buyer beware for sure

 

[snorko]

This has been talked about quite a bit but bears repeating. Good on Henry (as always) for pushing it out there.

 

[xwing]

+1 on this warning. When I was looking for a pricy firearm recently, I did a lot of research and a lot of online searching. I found three "dealers" who were simply scam fronts. They will take your money and disappear. Thankfully, the old "signs" are still there. If something seems off, it's worth walking away.

• Are the prices too good to be true? Are they cheaper than everyone else on this item?
• Is their website fairly "simple"? Is it something that seems put together quickly?
• Are they trying to convey a sense of urgency? (e.g. I've got another buyer on this item. Hurry and you can beat him to it.)
• Are they new?
• Is their "contact" information suspect?
• Are they using pictures that aren't theirs?
• Are their "payment methods accepted" unusual? (e.g. wire transfer, Western Union)
• Added bonus: Check out the "WHOIS" on their domain. Check the photo properties details of any images they send. Does this info not match what it should?

Also, I've found it helpful searching gun boards (especially large ones like ar15) and seeing if anyone has bought from them in the past. Often if it's a scam account, someone else will have been burned (or almost burned) and talking about it.

 

[Jeepster48439]

Good reminder.

 

[DRob]

Rule #1. If you think you need to check a seller's credibility, don't buy the gun.

Rule #2. Don't buy a gun online.

Rule #3. If you follow rules 1 & 2, you don't need anymore rules.

 

[BugI02]

Rule #1. If you think you need to check a seller's credibility, don't buy the gun.

Rule #2. Don't buy a gun online.

Rule #3. If you follow rules 1 & 2, you don't need anymore rules.

Unfortunately, if one wants something other than the latest plastic fantastic, almost anything unusual winds up being an online purchase

I think Xwing has the right of it. Spend at least as much time researching the purchase as you would perhaps a used car

I would also add that I have usually stuck to Gunbroker or known professional auction sites, and if you are a collector of what is on offer you know what parts and/or markings you would like to see if you were actually handling the gun. Where possible buy from another collector who will instinctively show all or most of the interesting parts in their pictures and who respond quickly and correctly if asked for further info or pictures showing specifics that were left out

You can tell who knows what they're doing, and can get some idea of a community rating on a seller as well

Because I'm from Ohio and would need to drive 3 or 4 hours to meet as well as use an FFL for the transfer I don't give as much thought to the classies

I consider armslist transactions to include a small but statistically significant risk of a shallow grave in the forest, I only use them if the seller has a brick and mortar business that we can meet at

 

[xwing]

Rule #1. If you think you need to check a seller's credibility, don't buy the gun.

Rule #2. Don't buy a gun online.

Rule #3. If you follow rules 1 & 2, you don't need anymore rules.

I've bought most of my guns online (just like everything else.) If you limit yourself to only "brick and mortar" gun dealers nearby, you have a very limited selection of firearms and are likely going to pay top dollar every time. And while the classifieds here are great, again it's limited selection and can involve a long trip, depending on location. Online can be done with sufficient safety if you stay aware, do some research, and take reasonable precautions.

 

[DadSmith]

I buy online if my lgs can't get it or doesn't have one and it's an elusive firearm like the Ronin 10mm.

 

[WebSnyper]

This has been talked about quite a bit but bears repeating. Good on Henry (as always) for pushing it out there.

It's smart on Henry's part to advise potential customers that there are non legit sites trying to steal their customer's $$ as it also essentially steals a sale from Henry.

 

[indyblue]

I notice if you search for primers these days, 90% of the results are scam sites. I have checked over a dozen and they all have primers for sale at low prices but payment is only via zelle or other non-mainstream payment system (no CC's meaning no way to stop payment or get refunds).

I will only deal with legit businesses that accept CC's anymore.

 

[wtburnette]

There are tons of legit online resellers for firearms. Saying to not buy online is an opinion that has nothing to do with facts. If you like to keep your money local and are okay with a smaller selection of guns and higher prices, good on you. Others of us will buy online at the hundred to thousands of legit sites with no problems. Are there bad sites and obvious scams? Sure, but there are plenty of offline scams as well. You have to be a savvy shopper no matter where you shop.

My rules are for buying a gun online are:

• Site must be one of the many I've dealt with previously or heard about on this forum
• If I haven't heard about the site before, I do research on the site, such as posting here asking if anyone has used them
• If I'm at all wary, I buy the gun elsewhere

I'm fine with buying in a LGS if they have what I'm looking for at a reasonable price. If not, I've bought plenty of guns online and will continue to do so as long as online resellers are around.

 

[DRob]

Just rules I prefer to follow, guys. I don't expect everybody to adhere to them. If I can't lay my eyes and hands on a gun before I lay out the money, I'm not going to buy it. You do what you're comfortable with. I'm OK with having to pay a few bucks more to be comfortable with the transaction.

 

[tmcindy]

I stumbled upon a few while searching for a Glock 40 MOS recently. They're not difficult to spot. Just don't be stupid. Or drunk. lol

 

[wtburnette]

Just rules I prefer to follow, guys. I don't expect everybody to adhere to them. If I can't lay my eyes and hands on a gun before I lay out the money, I'm not going to buy it. You do what you're comfortable with. I'm OK with having to pay a few bucks more to be comfortable with the transaction.

My response wasn't meant to bash. I understand some people feel that way, but for those who are okay with online purchases there are plenty of reputable options.

 

[tmcindy]

Another lesson I learned recently; if I had shopped locally, I would already have a Glock 40 MOS right now. They were very difficult to find online, so, I assumed shopping locally would be a waste of time. Wrong! My apologies to the local shops. This will not happen again.

 

[Leo]

Since ammo and reloading supplies got hard to find, a lot of fraud suppliers for that has popped up. They show EVERYTHING in stock! The prices are also very reasonable. Some of them even buy pop up ads on gun sites. The common thread is they show no address or telephone, and they do not take normal credit cards. One showed an address that was found to be a maintenance shed for a public parks department in New York. They only take some form of funny electronic money that I never heard of like Zelle pay. They include links to open an account to buy that money. I had an acquaintance ( who should of known better ) get burned about $500 thinking he was getting two kegs of powder.

RUN buddy, run far, run fast !

 

[DRob]

Does a Zelle transaction include the account number of the payer?

 

[manifest destiny]

Does a Zelle transaction include the account number of the payer?

Good question. I don't know. But most local banks are advertising it as a reputable payment method. BMO had it flashing on their electronic road sign. Customers have asked if I'd accept Zelle as payment method, as that's what their bank is using. I would like to think acct numbers are shielded for both the buyer and seller for all the obvious reasons.

 

[STFU]

Does a Zelle transaction include the account number of the payer?

No, it does not.

Obviously, the date, time, and dollar amount are shown.
The system also shows the "registered" account name, email address, and the "Transaction ID."
(It could show their mobile number vs an email address if they chose to register that way.)