Gun owners, the unluckiest lot alive.

[Bunnykid68]

Has anyone else noticed how many gun owners have car problems? Or home repairs that all of a sudden crop up? How about a wife or kid is sick? Or I just had to put my dog down, I can't buy your gun right now, but I can trade you 3 Mosin Nagants and some gift cards for your SCAR, Any interest?
All these things seem to happen to gun owners just as they are about to buy a firearm, or in some cases sell one.

Some times the said firearm for sale/trade, no longer will be traded due to a sudden car problem, then it is "cash only no trades".
I'm just curious what the rest of you have heard when you're about to close a deal, then at the last minute you get a PM or text that says:
"Hey the water pump in my car went out, I won't be able to buy your gun".

Is it me, or are gun owners just generally unlucky? I know we all have these problems at some point, but it seems to happen a lot right in the 11th hour.

So lets hear it INGO, what are some of your best "deal breakers" ?

Maybe the men and women of INGO should all carry a rabbits foot instead of a gun.

Seriously, a rabbits foot? This does not make me happy one bit

 

[SERparacord]

I've always had decent interactions with INGO peeps.
Even the one who's ad wasn't even up anymore, but I dogged him from August thru October... I think he sold me a Kimber just to shut me up.

 

[88E30M50]

I've had mostly good experiences and have only had one occasion where I did not follow through once the deal was made. In that case, the guy wanted to meet at 9pm, well after dark, at the Steak and Shake on Washington St by 465. I suggested we wait until Saturday morning and meet near there, but in a more public location and he wouldn't do it. Said he was going out of town and needed to meet that night. I asked him to call me if he wanted to finish the deal when he got back, but never heard from him again. I just was not comfortable meeting in the back of a parking lot right next to the freeway after dark.

On the plus side, I put a Kimber up for sale once and then decided against selling it. A potential buyer harassed me from August until October and I finally had to sell it just to get some peace.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I have never backed down on a deal I made either to buy or sell, and it'd take a real emergency to make me do so. Like I am in the ER either for myself or a loved one. I did once have a last minute thing come up a few hours before I was supposed to meet, contacted the seller, apologized profusely and offered to drive a much further distance to meet him the next day, which he accepted.

I have had a couple of jackwagons tell me they were going to buy after trying to talk me down (all prices I set are firm) then we met, they decided the gun was "too dirty" but they would give me $20 (or whatever) less since "we drove all that way."

When I have done the group buys for the MREs, something I am not making any money on at all I usually get a quarter of the buyers back out, I get at least one on each deal try to lowball me (did I mention all I am doing is brokering the sale, not profiting from it???) or want me to drive all over to give them their case or cases (did I mention I wasn't making any money?), or not show up when we arranged a meeting.

MOST people I have met through buying and selling or organizing group buys have been decent folks, but I do keep a list of people who have jerked me around in some fashion and I make sure to not do business with them in the future.

I deal in good faith in part because that is how I want to be dealt with, but in part because it's important to me internally.

 

[223 Gunner]

Seriously, a rabbits foot? This does not make me happy one bit

You're not missing a foot are you?

 

[JetGirl]

On the plus side, I put a Kimber up for sale once and then decided against selling it. A potential buyer harassed me from August until October and I finally had to sell it just to get some peace.

That's HORRIBLE.
Well...I hope at least they didn't make you drive anywhere to sell it.

 

[223 Gunner]

Just curious as to how many people that have had a bad experience actually posted negative feedback?

I have one time, with the old feedback system. On here I have had almost all good experiences. But I do cross post most of my ads to armslist as well. I have had about the same amount of flaky people on both sites. I have on occasion had a flake or two from gunbroker as well. Sometimes I will run items on GB that just do not sell well here in IN.

 

[Hopper]

I recently backed out of a trade. I felt pretty bad about it, but still think I made the right choice. I had good communication with the guy ahead of time, and we met in a public place that was convenient for both of us. His was the more expensive trade that he wanted to swap straight-up for mine. I was pretty excited about it... until I saw the condition of his gun (which was not possible to discern ahead of time from his pictures). I'm not sure it had ever been stripped/cleaned/lubed, it was... well, it was filthy under the hood. I'm sure it would have cleaned up OK, but we politely parted ways with a handshake. He was a very nice guy, and I did feel bad about getting cold feet at the last minute, but I just couldn't go through with it... his was the more $$ gun, but not in the same condition as what I had to offer, so it was no longer an even swap.

 

[avboiler11]

I've backed out of deals before...including once where I used the dreaded "I just found out my wife is pregnant" excuse.

Because, well, I had just found out my wife was pregnant.

Life happens.

I've also had people back out on me too. But so long as money and/or goods haven't yet been exchanged, WHO CARES?

 

[Scutter01]

I honestly don't mind when people back out of a trade. I get that stuff comes up. Life happens, right? Whatever, I can re-list my item. The only time it ticks me off is when they wait until after I've driven two hours to meet them. You've now cost me 100 miles and $20 in gas (one way!) to tell me that you're not interested. I'm extremely careful in my trades to be as up-front as possible with the other person and I expect to be treated the same and I absolutely will not put up with people trying to take advantage of me. That's why my ad disclaimer says things like "if you try to low-ball me at the time of our meeting, you go home empty-handed and you and I never do business again". It sounds really snotty but I'm sick to death of people trying to put one over.

 

[223 Gunner]

I have never had someone try and hit me with a lower price when we met. I get the price worked out via emails, PM's, what have you.
I have never done that to anyone either. To me that's what the PM's are for, that way when we both show up (on time) we both know what to expect. Someone else mentioned dirty guns, I clean my guns on a regular basis, you can count on it being properly cleaned and lubed if you buy one from me.

 

[Scutter01]

I see dirty guns for sale all the time. I'm not sure why you'd try to sell one without cleaning it first.

 

[223 Gunner]

I see dirty guns for sale all the time. I'm not sure why you'd try to sell one without cleaning it first.

Me too. I have bought plenty that need a good cleaning when I get them home.

 

[Gluemanz28]

A dirty gun is like dirty underwear.
I don't like dirty guns and don't like skid marks in my drawers either.

That is why I clean my guns and keep the booty clean

 

[shibumiseeker]

I see dirty guns for sale all the time. I'm not sure why you'd try to sell one without cleaning it first.

The flip side to that is that some people seem to think that a gun should be a mint in box collectors item and expect the used gun you carried for a couple of years to be perfect and blemish free and if there's even a smudge on it it's "dirty" and heaven forbid it have a scratch. I would understand if it WAS a collectible, but when it's a common gun made by the tens of thousands then that sort of obsession isn't healthy. People whose stuff is shiny clean and polished perfect all of the time quite frankly creep me out.

Every gun I've sold has been thoroughly cleaned, but there are those people who are just looking for an excuse to try to get you to knock some money off because you have committed the time to show up.

 

[88E30M50]

I don't understand the dirty gun thing either. You see the same thing in cars. It just does not make sense to sell something and not put at least a couple of minutes into making it presentable. I've seen dirty guns sold at gun shops as well, which is really odd. It really only takes 5 minutes to pull a boresnake through a gun and wipe it down, but it's not uncommon to see a filthy gun in a gun case or for sale privately. I don't mind holster wear or other signs of use but do draw the line at obvious abuse. The patina of carry is great, but if someone drug their Glock behind their truck down a gravel road to show how durable it is, I don't want it.

 

[Hopper]

Agreed. When going to do a sale or a trade, bring your piece to the table in "Sunday Best" form. I completely understand holster wear and what not for a used gun, that's to be expected. But if it looks like it's been stored between your couch cushions, or I can see when removing the slide that it hasn't been cleaned in multiple range trips, I'm not going to be interested. IMO, if it's worth having, it's certainly worth taking care of. Normal wear & tear is NOT the same as an unkept gun.

The one I recently walked away from had the beginnings of dust bunnies on the inside, and I was pulling dog hairs off the outside. *I* was creeped out.

 

[superjoe76]

This problem is solved if people establish two funds: One for guns and ammo, and the other for cars and various emergencies. The two should never cross paths

 

[churchmouse]

This problem is solved if people establish two funds: One for guns and ammo, and the other for cars and various emergencies. The two should never cross paths

Tried that in the past....never seemed to work out......

 

[churchmouse]

The flip side to that is that some people seem to think that a gun should be a mint in box collectors item and expect the used gun you carried for a couple of years to be perfect and blemish free and if there's even a smudge on it it's "dirty" and heaven forbid it have a scratch. I would understand if it WAS a collectible, but when it's a common gun made by the tens of thousands then that sort of obsession isn't healthy. People whose stuff is shiny clean and polished perfect all of the time quite frankly creep me out.

Every gun I've sold has been thoroughly cleaned, but there are those people who are just looking for an excuse to try to get you to knock some money off because you have committed the time to show up.

I present my guns for sale with a % on condition. It is so stated and will hold up to that scrutiny under inspection by any one. I have drove miles to buy a gun only to find it is not as represented in the add and looks like a POS. Owner gets all butt hurt over it but I will not pay top dollar for something that has lived under the seat of your car.........Period.