Scams

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tws3b2

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It has been a little over a year now since I started looking for a bolt assembly for my Stevens model 54, 410. I'm a poor old man living on a fixed income that has learned over the years that in this country there are fewer and fewer people that can be trusted not to steal you blind if they get a chance. This is the way my hunt for the bolt assembly has gone so far. Keep in mind that I have never seen another model 54, bolt assembly and only a few bad photos of the gun or found anyone that can give me any good info on it.
A very, very popular internet gun parts site ( I won't mention the name because they did offer a refund in the end) showed that there are several variations in the model 54 with all of them using the same bolt body. Mostly just change the bolt head and extractor. I found one variation on eBay. Bought the parts I thought I needed, then more parts and Wrong. Will not work at all. I posted photos of the make/model stamp and bolt assembly on the gun parts site and tried to tell them their info was not correct and why. Even the schematic they show is not correct. They still show the same incorrect info today.
I put ads on some gun forums and Armslist.
Finaly after several months I got a response from a gun forum. The guy said he had the gun and wanted over $250 for it. I told him that was way to much for the gun but I would give him $100 for the bolt alone. He said ok, send the money PayPal as friend/family. I know PayPal will not reimburse if sent as friend/family. I told him the only way I could do it was if he sent photos of the make/model stamp on the gun, the bolt assembly and send it USPS cod. The only fair way for both. Never heard from him again. Scam.
Next response came from Armslist. Wanted way to much for the gun. Told him I'd give $100. He said ok, send it PayPal friend/family. When I told him I needed photos and only do USPS cod. Never heard from him again. Scam.
A month later. Another from Armslist. The exact same thing. Scam.
This past month another from Armslist. This guy wanted a more reasonable price. I thought this was it. Made my offer and he said ok. I asked for photos of the make/model stamp and bolt assembly. A few days went by Without hearing from him. Finaly I got the photos. Remember the very very popular gun parts site I told you about at the start? Remember I posted photos of my make/model stamp and bolt assembly? This guy must have spent days on the internet looking for photos. The photos he sent were mine. The photos I posted on the gun parts site. SCAM.
Fewer and Fewer.
But I'm still looking.
 
it is a buyer beware world … for sure .. fraud is still not legal, but if they can get away with it, that's what many will do.
 
Just because someone wont take USPS COD doesn't mean its a scam. I sell lots of parts but only take Paypal gifts or a USPS Money Order when shipping.
 
Isn’t there a common denominator somewhere. With all those different model numbers some of those bolts must have common parts. Bolt body external parts maybe a mix and match. A bolt is essentially a steel tube machined. A local machinist could possibly machine then fit with parts of another model. A bolt handle is a welded on part.
 
To be fair, insisting on COD for sales conducted via shipping is going to cut way down on the people who will talk to you. Most of the time, shipped transactions work the other way. The buyer pays and THEN the item is shipped.

In other words, you can't assume someone was scamming you simply because they refused to do a COD transaction. In fact, it's reasonably likely that part of why they never responded after you provided your COD ultimatum was because they assumed you were scamming them.
The photos he sent were mine. The photos I posted on the gun parts site.
This is something to keep in mind. Scammers usually don't have the items they are trying to sell which means they have to get "creative" to find pictures. Asking for pictures is always smart; but there's really no way to be completely sure of the seller's integrity up front.
 
What about a *store brand*? Was that particular shotgun ever sold as something welse by Sears, Wards, Coast to Coast or the like?

I too have had some knob use my own damn photos to represent something they were selling. Craigslist & EBAY are rife with that. Gerstner box, SOG knife, 1982 Katana.... I;ve had several of these goofs try to electro-fraudulently sell me with my own photographs.

Todd.
 
Moral of the story... Stay away from Armslist.
We advertise on Armslist, but when someone makes an inquiry about a listed item, I give them the link to its page on our website which has point of sale and they can complete the transaction simply with no fuss. We can't take paypal on guns, but we take credit cards. All we need is payment and ffl information to ship. We flatrate most handguns at $20 and most long guns at $40.
We actually had to create a gunless website to keep paypal happy and a full inventory website that doesn't take Paypal for the guns and gun merchandise.
 
Isn’t there a common denominator somewhere. With all those different model numbers some of those bolts must have common parts. Bolt body external parts maybe a mix and match. A bolt is essentially a steel tube machined. A local machinist could possibly machine then fit with parts of another model. A bolt handle is a welded on part.
Remember, I have never seen a Stevens model 54 bolt assembly except in a couple photos I found on the internet so I don't really know if there are common parts. The gun parts web site says the the model 54, 54B, 37 and 37B all use the same bolt body and most other parts. In the photos, the upside down gun is a model 54. Notice the rear end of the receiver. The bolt body sticks out of the receiver about half inch. Not the cocking piece on the end of the bolt body, just the bolt body. In the other photo is my 54 with a 37B bolt. Flush with the receiver. In another photo are two cocking pieces with a bar or lug and my 37B bolt that is notched for that bar. The gun parts site say both of the cocking pieces are for the 54, 54B, 37 and 37B. And they do work with the 37b. But look at the 54 photo, No bar or lug. It took me probably six months to find photos clear enough to tell the difference. From what I have been able to find it seems the 37 bolt could possibly work, maybe. Anyway, I'm on a quest now. I will find that bolt.
 

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How is that some people , like me , have used Armslist and Gunbroker for years without getting burned , while others get scammed repeatedly?
 
To be fair, insisting on COD for sales conducted via shipping is going to cut way down on the people who will talk to you. Most of the time, shipped transactions work the other way. The buyer pays and THEN the item is shipped.

In other words, you can't assume someone was scamming you simply because they refused to do a COD transaction. In fact, it's reasonably likely that part of why they never responded after you provided your COD ultimatum was because they assumed you were scamming them.This is something to keep in mind. Scammers usually don't have the items they are trying to sell which means they have to get "creative" to find pictures. Asking for pictures is always smart; but there's really no way to be completely sure of the seller's integrity up front.
Usually, the buyers pays and then a (Company) ships. Person to person is a whole different ball game. Usually a (Company) provides photos, pictures, discriptions, info and is "checkable". Person to person that cannot supply photos and is not checkable is a Hint. A ( Company ) will usually take credit cards which offers the buyer some protection. Person to person that only takes PayPal gift/friend/family that PayPal offers No protection for is a Hint. No one refused cod. Seems they would say no or can't do that or something. No,they just disappeared, gone, said no more . Hint.
 
We do gun broker for sales and act as transfer agent for anyone except arms list.
We post pic and will send more
Credit card and shipment to an ffl, only.
 
Person to person is a whole different ball game.
Not in my experience. Buyer pays, then shipper ships.
No one refused cod. Seems they would say no or can't do that or something. No,they just disappeared, gone, said no more . Hint.
I wouldn't refuse COD either. I would just figure that the person was a scammer and that no further interaction was worthwhile. What's the point of negotiating terms with someone you think is trying to scam you?

It's your right to demand COD and I'm not trying to change your mind. But I do think it's worthwhile letting you know that you may have trouble finding someone to agree to your terms.
 
Not in my experience. Buyer pays, then shipper ships.I wouldn't refuse COD either. I would just figure that the person was a scammer and that no further interaction was worthwhile. What's the point of negotiating terms with someone you think is trying to scam you?

It's your right to demand COD and I'm not trying to change your mind. But I do think it's worthwhile letting you know that you may have trouble finding someone to agree to your terms.
I always offer to pay cod charges. I can think of no other way to be more fair to both the seller and buyer. The post office will not deliver unless paid and buyer does not have to pay unless delivered. How much more fair can it get. Anyway, I will stick with cod over PayPal.
 
Have you tried Bob's Gun Parts in Royal, AR or Jack First? They both have tons of stuff not on their websites. The other thought would be to try to hit the big Tulas show. I see that you're in NC, but if you could schedule a trip to the Tulsa show, I'm pretty sure someone there would have it or be able to send it to you after they get back home. Keep us posted on your search?
 
Have you tried Bob's Gun Parts in Royal, AR or Jack First? They both have tons of stuff not on their websites. The other thought would be to try to hit the big Tulas show. I see that you're in NC, but if you could schedule a trip to the Tulsa show, I'm pretty sure someone there would have it or be able to send it to you after they get back home. Keep us posted on your search?
I've tried them all. I'm looking every day. On the PC , on the phone, anywhere I can find to look. I think if I'm going to find it, it will be an older, small, one man gunsmith shop with a back room full of old forgotten parts collected over the years. The problem is nobody is into the old single shot guns anymore. They are not worth anything to collectors. If they break, they are not worth fixing to a lot of people so they just get tossed in the junk pile and forgotten. But that's my hobby. I like finding the old beat up 410 or 22 single shot. Fix it up, refinish it, give it new life. Not for sale. I just pull them out now and then to look at, remember what they were like when I got them and what I did to fix up. Just something for an old man to do I guess.
 
I try not to fool with Ebay or any other sites where people are selling stuff because of this. I have been searching for a Safariland holster for a few weeks and found one for $x as a starting bid and double that for pay now. When reading the description I googled the model number and it showed a complete different holster. This guy had an older model listed as a new model. I emailed him asking for the model number on the back of the holster to ensure it would fit my firearm and was the model I wanted and he replied that it was actually completely different than what he listed it as. Why people try and scam people for a few bucks is beyond my beliefs. The holster new is about $100, buy now price is $80 and bid price is $40. Why would I give you $80 for something I can get new for $100?
 
Why people try and scam people for a few bucks is beyond my beliefs.

.....cause there's a sucker born every minute. Scam artists have been around since before Christ. When the sun burns itself out there will be scammers selling heat and light to those who want to believe. My DIL just got scammed from a post on FB. Lost $150 over a pair of I-Buds even tho she paid thru paypal. Thought she was safe, but the scammer knew better. Scammer still is offering those same I-Buds on FB, and FB and Paypal won't do a thing about it.
 
.....cause there's a sucker born every minute. Scam artists have been around since before Christ. When the sun burns itself out there will be scammers selling heat and light to those who want to believe. My DIL just got scammed from a post on FB. Lost $150 over a pair of I-Buds even tho she paid thru paypal. Thought she was safe, but the scammer knew better. Scammer still is offering those same I-Buds on FB, and FB and Paypal won't do a thing about it.
Yeah, that's another site I don't mess around on too much is FB marketplace. I am getting into woodworking and see Dewalt miter saws that look brand new for $100, table saws from the 80s covered in rust saying its the best saw ever and wants $400 for it. The GF and I decided to sell a couple bed frames on FB a few months ago and wasn't looking to get rich either, just help someone out. $30 for one or $50 for two very nice decorative metal frames, headboards and foot boards. I got several hits from very sketchy people, but one I took a chance on. She asked for both frames and told me it was a good deal because the frames were $100 a piece on amazon and she wanted them ASAP. We went back and forth, I took them apart, loaded them up and wasn't 10min before we were supposed to meet she says her husband was just laid off and she cannot afford both frames for $50 right now and wanted to know if she could purchase just one of them and get back with me at a later date to purchase the other one. My GF got all mad because she felt that this was just a scam to get both beds for $30. I thought about it and said to my GF she does have kids on her FB page and the beds are probably for them so why not give her the other one and just take the $30? I even told my GF I would give her the $20 to make it even and she kept telling me she had a bad feeling about it. When we arrived at the shopping center this lady gets out of a $50,000-60,000 SUV and looks like shes about to go to the club and have a good time. You mean to tell me you cant come up with $20? She tried BS with us for awhile and brought it up 3 times how her husband just got laid off 3hrs ago and she really wants the other bed but they just cant afford it right now and asks if she comes up with $20 can she have the other bed for $20 instead of $30? We told her we would hold it and sell it to her for $20. She said she would FB me next week and never did. I did have a couple older woman ask about the beds and wish I had sold them to them but this girl was the first to contact me and I felt they should go to first come first serve.
 
The best reason to be educated on this planet is to protect yourself from other people. Also, I have never understood blaming someone that has been taken advantage of in any way as “a sucker” - they are victims and the scammers are bad guys - it is likened to a wife beater telling his spouse that she made him do it.
 
Dont do PayPal F&F unless they are F&F or you are willing to roll the dice. You have no recourse by sending it F&F. It's worth the few bucks for G&S because you're protected...
 
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