Escrow for internet gun purchases -- howto?

[lee n. field]

There's an item in the THR for sale that mildly tempts me, to the extent that I emailed the guy for pics.

He's got a low post count, so no reputation I can check on, and states he wants payment via money order.

Is there anyone out there that does escrow for transactions like this? I'd pay whatever fee might be involved, of course.

 

[RyanM]

All I can say is make sure you use a really reliable escrow agency. Escrow tends to really set off some people's fraud alarms.

One thing that can work if you're mildly suspicious is tell the guy you would like to conduct the sale through FFLs, just to be safe. I.e., he gives his gun to his FFL, you give the check to your FFL, they call each other and compare condition of the gun, model, location of the decimal point on the check, etc., then your FFL sends his paperwork along with the check. I did that once, but only to save myself the cost of a stamp, by having the FFL send the check. I'm such a cheapskate, I know!