online escrow for gun sale

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greyling22

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I'm selling a guy a shotgun across state lines, and he's concerned about not getting his gun after he mails the check (valid concern, I've felt the same way when I sent money out) and he would like to use an escrow service to facilitate the exchange https://www.escrow.com/index.asp?gclid=CJ3b0MPJpKYCFUHu7QodRBW-ag

anybody ever used this place or something like it? how did it work for you? Or does anybody have a better idea on how to make him feel safe about sending the money?

PS: I'm sending to an ffl, not just to him, so it's all legal.
 
Ive used escrow.com to buy a car through ebay. It worked fine. The buyer sends the company the money, they give the go ahead to the seller to ship it, after the buyer receives it they get a specified inspection period (i used 3 days) then if the buyer accepts it (or they don't hear back from you within 3 days) they release the money to the seller.
The cost is a fraction of the sale price but IIRC it was about $100 on a $6,000 car (this was several years ago so rates may be different).
 
I've also used them for a car purchase on E-bay. Smooth transaction and from what I remember was very little cost considering the ease of mind it provided to both parties.
 
I also don't think it's unreasonable to ask the buyer to assume the cost of escrow. i.e. to pay slightly more so that you receive exactly the amount agreed upon.
 
I thought about it, but many sites are basically scams, so the issue is making sure you are using a real escrow company and not just 'some dude'
 
I used Escrow.com's fee calculator, and they say for a $600 purchase, it's a $25 escrow fee. Not bad at all if you want to go that way.
 
Thanks for the input guys. Buyer decided to just mail a money order direct to me. Trusting and simple. I like that and will certainly not screw him over. It's good to know that such a company exists and is legitimate though. I might need it myself one day.
 
It's good to know that such a company exists and is legitimate though.

Be awfully careful about those online escrow companies. Especially if you have to Western Union Money to them in Nigeria. Personally I'd be more inclined to work with the FFL's.

There have been a couple of times when I have wanted to buy something and the seller did not want to ship, so I called a LGS in the sellers neighborhood to see if I could mail the LGS a MO and then have them swap the MO for whatever it was I wanted to buy. From the LGS owners perspective they get the ordinary $30.00 shipping fee and a potential customer in their store who just came into a couple hundred bucks. Gun store proprietors are small business owners and they know how to make a buck.
 
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