Gun show hypothetical.

[SaxonPig]

Say you are selling at a show. You have a table with a couple of personal firearms you wish to move and a few related items. One of the guns you are offering is priced at $1,500.

A 50-something man wearing jeans and T-shirt examines the gun and wants it. He tells you he only has $500 in cash, but he can write you a personal check for the balance. He produces a valid drivers license and state issued concealed carry permit. He also has a copy of his C&R FFL. All the documents match as far as name and address goes. He also shows you his business card indicating he is a faculty member at a local college. Then he gives you his wife's business card and she is a lawyer with a local firm.

You take the check?

 

[Arp32]

I don't take checks from strangers anyway, and especially not for $1,000... I'd have a hard time taking a $200 check to be honest.

Just having the DL doesn't really help me at all. There's still a huge hassle if it bounces.

 

[NC Cruffler]

Say you are selling at a show. You have a table with a couple of personal firearms you wish to move and a few related items. One of the guns you are offering is priced at $1,500.

A 50-something man wearing jeans and T-shirt examines the gun and wants it. He tells you he only has $500 in cash, but he can write you a personal check for the balance. He produces a valid drivers license and state issued concealed carry permit. He also has a copy of his C&R FFL. All the documents match as far as name and address goes. He also shows you his business card indicating he is a faculty member at a local college. Then he gives you his wife's business card and she is a lawyer with a local firm.

You take the check?

Yep. Dunnit with no problems very same scenario.

Also, been on the other side of the table and offered to write a check. Same credentials and never turned down on a sale yet. Last one was on a M1A at the Richmond show for $1K+.

 

[Arp32]

I must just not be a trusting individual!

 

[jmr40]

I might do it. I'd just have to meet the individual. I've worked in the people business my whole life and haven't made many mistakes when judging character. I can usually meet someone for just few minutes and pretty well figure them out.

A bad $1,000 check is going to get a much better response from LE than a bad $100 check. With todays technology it ain't hard for anyone to track down someone else.

 

[mgkdrgn]

I tell him to find the nearest ATM and I'll see him later.

 

[stumpers]

I would not take the check. My personal guideline is to only accept a check for an amount I am willing to lose. There have been times in my life where I could lose $1000 with limited financial hardship - this is not one of those times for me, but everyone has different circumstances.

If a check is the only way to pay me for something, I would like to have the check clear both banks before transferring the item. At a minimum, I would call the other person's bank to verify there are sufficient funds to cover the check and deposit the check ASAP to help ensure the funds are there. It only takes $.01 to bounce a check...

 

[M2 Carbine]

You take the check?

Yes.

I suspect at a sizable gun show there's a number of $1,000 plus checks accepted with less personal identification.

 

[Shadow 7D]

yep, copy of the C&R
if the check is bad, if it's a scam (and I doubt it if the guy is dropping 500 cash)

A fake FFL, $1000 check, gets local AND federal LE
with current technology you can deposit via phone, you take a pic of front and back, it goes to your bank, call the bank, have them verify it.

 

[oneounceload]

If you don't want to take the check, direct him to the ATM at the entrance

 

[OilyPablo]

If you can validate where he lives, then take the check.

 

[BSA1]

If you don't want to take the check, direct him to the ATM at the entrance

In my state you can only withdraw up to $400.00 in a 24 hr. period so I take it you are knocking $600.00 off your price.

 

[JTHunter]

Saxon - I'd be a bit leery of a check that large as well.
HOWEVER, if you have a good "point-&-shoot" digital camera that can do a good, hi-res close-up of the DL and C&R licenses (good enough to read the typed info!), take pictures of them and the gentleman, keep the lawyer's business card (may come in handy someday), and take the check.

 

[AlexanderA]

Serious buyers going to gun shows should know enough to take adequate cash with them.

No, I wouldn't take a check for $1,000. But I would accept the $500 cash as a deposit (to hold the gun). The guy could go to a nearby bank or ATM and get the rest of the cash, and come back to the show, or else I could arrange to meet him somewhere else after the show (possibly the following week). (He would then have to trust me instead of me trusting him.)

If he was offering $1,000 in cash and a check for $500, instead of the other way around, I might consider it.

 

[SaxonPig]

I find this interesting... and a little sad.

Apparently most of you are genuinely concerned that a college professor who is married to a lawyer and has a carry permit and a C&R FFL is a serious threat to pass a bad check. Really? I understand a bad check is a concern, but do you really fret over somebody THIS upstanding? Is there ANYONE whom you would find trustworthy? Some of you said "No checks, period" so I guess not.

As for the ATM, good idea. Unless the buyer doesn't use them. I did not have an ATM card until 2 years ago and have only used it once to see how it worked.

As for taking the $500 and waiting until he returns with the rest of the cash... well, what if he is just as suspicious and distrusting as YOU are? Maybe he won't let you hold his cash.

As for bringing enough cash to a show, another good idea. But I would almost never have that much on me. I routinely have $500-$600 in pocket and 99% of the time that's more than I need. I don't look for items that cost much more than that, but it could happen.

I'm reminded of an incident a few years ago. An acquaintance (on first name basis, knew where each other worked, saw each other at shows) was selling a revolver for $650. I had $400 in cash and offered a $250 check. No way, Jose. At the time I was slightly offended, but I guess his attitude is the norm.

I would have taken his check. But I guess I'm a trusting idiot.

 

[Reloadron]

I agree with SaxonPig. The overall decision to take or not take a check rest entirely with the seller. If based on conversation with the buyer and proper identification etc I can't see a reason not to take a check I take the check. I have taken plenty of checks and only once been burned for $50 which I eventually got.

On another note, when I visit a good gun show I carry plenty of cash. The ATM problem is many ATMs depending on your account will only vend so much cash regardless of an account balance. This is drawing on checking account not savings.

So, yes, in the situation mentioned, I would take the check.

Ron

 

[TennJed]

If you don't want to take the check, direct him to the ATM at the entrance

In my state you can only withdraw up to $400.00 in a 24 hr. period so I take it you are knocking $600.00 off your price.

It is not regulated by the state it is regulated by the institution. Your bank has a $400 limit not the state you live in. That said, most banks have a $400-$600 daily limit. The limits are there to minimize loses in case of a stolen card. Most banks will do a 24hr increase with a call to customer service.

Both the bank I am at now and the previous 2 I worked at would do an increase to $1200 a day with a simple call to the customer service line. This increase was good at all ATMs in the country regardless of the state

 

[Fat Boy]

I have seen a seller take a check and hold the gun until Monday when the check could be cashed- at least that way the seller knew the gun wasn't going to be sold to someone else. Of course in that case the buyer is trusting the seller to meet on Monday and finalize the deal.

 

[jmr40]

It also depends on the ATM machine. Many of the machines limit you to as little as $100.

I try to take enough cash to cover anything I might find, but last Spring I found something I wanted enough to pay well over the asking price of $700. I only had $400 on me, no checkbook.

It was a private seller who worked out a deal with another dealer who was a friend of his with a CC scanner on his smart phone. He let me charge the other $300 + a 3% bank fee. They then settled between themselves.

I met the guy a few weeks ago at another show and thanked him profusely for working with me to buy a rifle that I'd been looking for unsuccessfully for years.

 

[oneounceload]

Apparently most of you are genuinely concerned that a college professor who is married to a lawyer and has a carry permit and a C&R FFL is a serious threat to pass a bad check. Really? I understand a bad check is a concern, but do you really fret over somebody THIS upstanding? Is there ANYONE whom you would find trustworthy? Some of you said "No checks, period" so I guess not.

Reminds me of two old sayings I saw in a local store where I grew up:

"In God we trust, all others pay cash", and

"We made a deal with the bank - they don't sell cold cuts and we don't cash checks"

Each situation is different - as to your comments about not trusting folks, there USED to be a time you could leave your gun in the back window rack of your pick up with the windows down and the keys in the ignition - those old days are gone

 

[C5rider]

If HE's local (works at local college) and YOU'RE local, why not agree that if it doesn't sell for CASH at the show, he can contact you later and make the transaction with CASH?

You're not losing out on the chance of a sale at the show (for cash) and he's not trusting you with some of his cash, until he can get it all together and get the gun. Of course, there's always the chance that you'll sell it at the show and he won't get it. But, if that's an issue, he can go get the greenbacks or, give you a little something to secure the deal. Not necessarily $500.

 

[JohnKSa]

Apparently most of you are genuinely concerned that a college professor who is married to a lawyer and has a carry permit and a C&R FFL is a serious threat to pass a bad check.

The college professor/lawyer spouse means nothing--I can print a surprisingly official-looking business card that says anything I want it to say in just a few minutes. If I want one that looks top notch it costs very little to have one done professionally.

The age means nothing--even criminals get old eventually.

The drivers license is meaningless--everyone has one, even criminals.

The C&R and the CHL mean a bit more--they either mean that:
1. The person hasn't passed bad checks before.
-OR-
2 If he has passed bad checks before he hasn't gotten caught.
-OR-
3. The paperwork/permit is fake.

Fake IDs and paperwork can be had, and I'm guessing that ones good enough to fool most people aren't so expensive that one couldn't make his money back in a day or two of pulling scams just like the situation you described COULD be if he could clear $1000 per incident...

 

[SaxonPig]

C5rider- Of course there are things you can do... like meeting later and other inconvenient solutions... but I was asking if you would take a check under the circumstances. Apparently you would not?

 

[orionengnr]

I find this interesting... and a little sad.

Apparently most of you are genuinely concerned that a college professor who is married to a lawyer and has a carry permit and a C&R FFL is a serious threat to pass a bad check. Really?

I find your premise a bit contrived, and (if genuine) I find you a bit naive.

Do you have any idea of how many people mis-represent themselves on any number of levels, every day? How many people are awarded a job based upon faked credentials, and a few of them get busted at some point, and everyone goes OMG!!! Really?

Do you know how easy it is to print out credentials of almost any type? If I wanted to represent myself as a "college professor" and my wife as a "lawyer", I can go on-line and get 250 business cards for a few bucks...with any name and address I choose.

I can go to Kinkos and make a bunch of copies of a transcript I typed, and I could probably find a pic of what a C&R FFL looks like and dummy up one with my name. I can damn sure find some pics of what a carry permit for some state looks like. Again, I could get these documents with any name I choose.

I do not consider myself paranoid, and have done a number of FTF transactions. But if you are going to offer me 1/3 down, I will be glad to hold it for you for 2-3 days.

If you don't come up with the rest, you get your deposit back.

 

[C5rider]

but I was asking if you would take a check under the circumstances. Apparently you would not?

You're probably right.