Scamlist

You did your due diligence and you avoided getting scammed. Exactly what every buyer should do. If every buyer declined to be scammed there'd be no more scams.

Barbaroja said:

https://www.armslist.com/posts/1270...7-5-mountain-gun-2-cylinders-blue---stainless

Beautiful gun that I would love to call my own. Price too good to be true? There’s a reason, it’s called a scam. I emailed this person expecting exactly what I got.this guy is beating around the bush to avoid providing any more photos, won’t meet up with me tomorrow without sending “at least $100 deposit, no deposit, no deal.” When I responded “ well how would I get a deposit to you anyway when I want to pay cash tomorrow?” He stopped responding.
The user only has this one listing and only signed up 3 days ago.

keep your eyes open folks! If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

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reason why i simply WILL NOT buy from anyone online but a fully reputable gun website. but frankly, i prefer to buy from a gun store, where the guns are in the display case. sometimes to pay a higher price, eliminates the BS from private sales.

buddyd157 said:

.... but frankly, i prefer to buy from a gun store, where the guns are in the display case. sometimes to pay a higher price...

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Me, too. I think there's no way any other method can beat personal examination and handling of the firearm, and I'm quite willing and happy to pay 10 to 15 percent more to buy in person locally. And helping to keep my local gunsmith in business benefits me, too.

if the site owner of armslist is incapable of QA'ing the listings in order to protect their users, they should just ... it
armslist is bad

mlankton said:

if the site owner of armslist is incapable of QA'ing the listings in order to protect their users, they should just ... it
armslist is bad

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Its exactly the same as a newspaper classified listing page, or Craigslist. Armslist should not be held responsible for vetting the listings or the stupidity of folks who send $$ to a listor sight unseen. BTW, they most certainly will remove listings which get flagged as scams. They provide a free, useful service and are ardent supporters of the 2A.

Anyone who falls for an Armslist scam is going to have a hard life if they are that gullible/dense. The scammers there arent very sophisticated.

Is the phone company liable for scammers who call asking for money and SS numbers? Nope. At some point, adults have to take responsibility for their own decisions. Buyer beware anywhere, especially online.

You an flag it as a scam on Armslist and that should alert other interested parties of a possible scam.

NorthBorder said:

You an flag it as a scam on Armslist and that should alert other interested parties of a possible scam.

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Could be wrong but I believe a post needs two or more folks to flag it before being took down.

wiscoaster said:

Me, too. I think there's no way any other method can beat personal examination and handling of the firearm, and I'm quite willing and happy to pay 10 to 15 percent more to buy in person locally. And helping to keep my local gunsmith in business benefits me, too.

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in my area, we are losing quite a few small businesses, thanks to covid. if there is one thing i'll never want to lose it's all the small and large LGS's.

or the shooting range(s).

NIGHTLORD40K said:

Its exactly the same as a newspaper classified listing page, or Craigslist. Armslist should not be held responsible for vetting the listings or the stupidity of folks who send $$ to a listor sight unseen. BTW, they most certainly will remove listings which get flagged as scams. They provide a free, useful service and are ardent supporters of the 2A.

Anyone who falls for an Armslist scam is going to have a hard life if they are that gullible/dense. The scammers there arent very sophisticated.

Is the phone company liable for scammers who call asking for money and SS numbers? Nope. At some point, adults have to take responsibility for their own decisions. Buyer beware anywhere, especially online.

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Ahhh, you speak of common sense and personal responsibility. I think think those are on the ballot in a couple weeks.

buddyd157 said:

if there is one thing i'll never want to lose it's all the small and large LGS's.

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My "L"GS is an hour away. I'm nearly 40 and there just hasn't been a local store more than a few months since I was about 17. And those since I was 17 were pawn shops that sold guns and not really gunstores. Plus a hardware store that keeps maybe 5 handguns and 10-15 long guns. It's actually very strange. We have a big economy here and everyone hunts and owns land. Many shooters. We had 5 major grocery store. Plus Walmart. TSC. Cvs. Walgreens. Fastenall...they all do fine. We even still have a Roses. And its Very gun friendly. The sherrif himself is probably the busiest ccw instructor around. Ive always thought it should make money if we had one but idk. Most just go to the dunhams two hours away and pay nicely....if anyone will come to the counter.

That's one reason why we were pushed to gunbroker and the like. Ive never used arms list but ive did ok on gunbroker. Maybe just lucky.

As far as the scams, we see it a lot with big equipment. Much larger scale. Scamming someone on 100 dollars down will likely not get you caught or prosecuted but it also won't buy much. With a 200k trackhoe or dozer or whatever, they want a 10-20k payment to ship them...... My BIL is bad to go along with them and keep them going. Has them jump through hoops for his amusement. The last one wanted 10k in EBAY gift cards to ship a skid steer or bobcat or something fairly small. Lol. He has also bought some great deals that way too when the obvious scam that most wouldn't bother calling about turned out to be true.

mlankton said:

if the site owner of armslist is incapable of QA'ing the listings in order to protect their users, they should just sh**can it
armslist is bad

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I disagree. Armslist is not bad - there ARE bad people using Armslist to try to scam the gullible. It is not at all feasible for Armslist the vet every user.
I have met many good people through Armslist contacts and transactions.

It is pretty easy to avoid getting taken , given the fact that the ploys are usually very obvious. There is absolutely no need for anyone who distrusts Armslist as a whole to use that resource ; it is elective and non-essential. Take it or leave it , personal discretion.

Armslist flagged it as a scam.

Shows sold on GB, you might be able to warn them still. That way the buyer doesn't get scammed.

If nothing is asked to be shipped or mailed, and the other person is "registered", the odds tend to be much higher that the person is of good character (and never occupied hotel suites in Kiev, Beijing, drank vodka with Moscow's mayor's wife etc).

The most obvious style of a scam is when somebody asked, very abruptly "Will you ship to FL?" but never asked for any photos of, or had questions about my WW2 Mauser Hsc (.32 Auto 'spacegun').

And---their email style was so Impatient, as if I should not pause to Think, that he/she appeared to be "breathless", in a sense.
None of the seventeen or so legit people I've done Armslist deals with (west TN) ever had any of these requests or traits.

NIGHTLORD40K said:

Is the phone company liable for scammers who call asking for money and SS numbers? Nope. At some point, adults have to take responsibility for their own decisions.

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Yes, they should be. It's on them that it is trivial to spoof a phone number and caller ID.

I have yet to be scammed on Armslist. Why? I use the same common sense I'd use while buying a used car in the newspaper or on Craigslist. Report the obvious scams and move on.

NIGHTLORD40K said:

At some point, adults have to take responsibility for their own decisions. Buyer beware anywhere, especially online.

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I will add :
If an individual feels that he or she possesses sufficiently sound judgement and responsibility to own and handle firearms ,then those virtues should enable that person to either use Armslist safely or decide to abstain from such a venue.
Or ---
There's a sucker born every minute. Anyone who falls for a too-good-to-be-true Armslist scam is someone I don't want to share the range with.

( "Hi - I hope you are having a good day! Is the items still for sale? [45 minutes after posting the ad...] I like it very much. I will pay it for your price , plus additional moneys for shipping ..." [ad stated ftf...] Oh goodie - a buyer already!)

Wish there was a way to flag the people who contact you when you're selling like the above post said.

They want to buy and have you ship, try to send a cashiers check for way more than the value. Big time scam.

Only deal face to face and local. Cash, public place.