vintovka
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$200 limit at my PO with lots of grumbling
Question: what's the best payment method for online private gun sales?
- Thread starter BringHomeTheBacon
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Are you saying they will only cash one up to $200.00?
redcon1
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I think there are credit card processing fees that they have to pay. I know our local gas stations will also give a discount on gas if you're paying cash. This world is full of scammers and thieves though. they are a plague and the CC seems like the safest route. the last thing I bought on GB had a 3.5% upcharge for CC use. So what? You're probably already overpaying because it's GB so saving money isn't that important to you. LOL
OP
OP
BringHomeTheBacon
member
I like to pay merchants with credits cards whenever I can because of the cash rewards and the consumer protection against unscrupulous merchants. The possibility of disputes and chargebacks in my favor. I have my account set up to automatically make CC payments in case I forget so they don't ding me with a late fee and interest. I try always to carry no interest-accruing balance.
whughett
Member
Well as the post stated. They are a convenient way to send money. I send it to an email
account they bill me I pay the bill, just like a credit card. So none of my money is on deposit there.
Will Munny
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And checks, no matter whether bank check or personal check have also specific statutes about counterfeiting, fraud, etc.
Again, mail fraud is mail fraud, doesn't matter one bit whether you mailed a personal check, bank check, money order or bubble gum wrappers. As a seller, having an easily verifiable means of determining the validity is important.
Which has nothing to do with anything. Comparing the customer service of a run of the mill branch bank vs the post office?Give me the convenience of walking into a nice smelling bank vs a post office with a line to the door, government employees and a notoriously poor attitude.
Ever try and get a refund on a USPS money order? I have twice. Never again.
*******And its not been mentioned, but if the seller says he's going to send a check/money order in a larger amount than the sale, and asks that you return the difference? He's a scammer.
Not the same statutes though, some are federal, some are state. And its not a mail fraud statute either.
dogtown tom
Member
And FedEx no longer accepts firearms for shipments per their current tariff unless you are a dealer and registered with their FFL program.
JTHunter
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The only on-line purchase for a firearm I have ever made was for a Marlin 1894. The seller was willing to accept a personal check and 2 weeks later, I had my gun.
vintovka
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They declined one at 300 said they are limited to cash on hand. This is same PO that lets leftist supporters and BLM set up advertising/soliciting tables on the front sidewalk and charge $180 for a small PO BX. Its the only one in Florence Oregon.
dogtown tom
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For a year.........thats cheap. Typically $20/month here.
vintovka
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At other house currently its 60/yr. It was a $40 increase with no warning. Postal worker there said about half the box holders are not renewing and its playing hell with forwarding. Considering a hardened street box.
Poper
Member
When selling on line (GB) I will accept personal checks if the buyer is willing to wait until their check clears and the funds are available for me to use. That's 2 weeks minimum and can be as much as 3 weeks. I will also accept POMO's or cashier's check. Again, with the caviat that any check must clear all banking hurdles. So far, I have not been burned. <knocks on wood>
Try and figure out the logic of charging you to go pick up your own mail, but will deliver practically to your door for nothing (sender is paying).
Another thing is all the political junk mail is maybe 10 cents to send.
No wonder they are losing money.
Another thing is all the political junk mail is maybe 10 cents to send.
No wonder they are losing money.
vintovka
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The
The PO box is also security. Listing your actual address where valuable items being sold in not a good idea.
the issue with credit cards is while it’s all up side for the buyer, it can be risky for the seller. For the seller taking credit cards comes with the risk of a fraudulent chargeback.
For a small seller that is just selling a few guns from their collection and is not doing this as a full time business They most likely don’t keep the types of records the credit card company wants to see if you want to challenge a chargeback.
I used to work for a retailer and part of my job was handling chargebacks. The credit card company wants to see very specific documentation of the sale on a very specific timeline. And it is even tougher for online or not in person transactions. This is already a chore if you are doing it regularly as part of your job, for someone who does not do this for a living I can’t imagine they would have a very high success rate at challenging a fraudulent chargeback.
or even worse if it was an actual fraudulent purchase and the person was using a stolen credit card.
1KPerDay
Member
Remember to ask for specific pics of the item with the seller’s name and date handwritten on a note visible in the pic. I just got approached by a scammer offering a desert Eagle I was looking for on another forum and he had great pics and all the right words. The price was fair but not great. After a couple of friendly back and forths I asked for a pic of the gun with a piece of fruit visible in the pic and the seller went radio silent. Turns out He had seen my WTB ad and emailed me pretending to be another member of the forum. Scamming scum bag.
vintovka
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Providing a dated picture of the item and sellers net name is a requirement on some forums. Not infallible but helps.
RetiredUSNChief
Member
Question: what's the best payment method for online private gun sales?
Cash at 2 am in the lot behind Walmart.
Cash at 2 am in the lot behind Walmart.
wiscoaster
Member
That is true, and as the OP was posting as a seller, relevant.
Yet...if taking CC's attracts more bidders to your auction, makes the checkout and payment process instantaneous, smooth and validated for both parties, it still seems to me to be an attractive option for sellers. But as a non-seller, I dont know how many fraudulent chargebacks actually occur? Isn't the party claiming the chargeback held to account for validity of claim? How often do they actually get away with it?
RetiredUSNChief
Member
My previous posting was humorously flippant, but the plain truth of the matter is that ALL transactions carry some level of risk. Even face-to-face transactions.
What if the money is counterfeit, for example?
Probably the safest is to declare that, whatever the payment means, the money "clears the bank". If it's by money order, then when the money actually clears and shows up in your account would be the safest.
However, the flip side must also be considered: the buyer runs some risk as well when fronting the money.
You have to have a balance in there somewhere such that the risks are acceptable for both parties.
Probably one of the best "assurances" you can get would be the buying/selling history of the other person, if they have any.
If I'm buying a rifle from someone, it makes me feel more comfortable if the person has a history which is very positive as a seller.
The same thing would apply to a seller...if the buyer likewise has a history (buying or selling), that would speak to the character of that individual.
As I said, though, this presumes there is a history to check.
What if the money is counterfeit, for example?
Probably the safest is to declare that, whatever the payment means, the money "clears the bank". If it's by money order, then when the money actually clears and shows up in your account would be the safest.
However, the flip side must also be considered: the buyer runs some risk as well when fronting the money.
You have to have a balance in there somewhere such that the risks are acceptable for both parties.
Probably one of the best "assurances" you can get would be the buying/selling history of the other person, if they have any.
If I'm buying a rifle from someone, it makes me feel more comfortable if the person has a history which is very positive as a seller.
The same thing would apply to a seller...if the buyer likewise has a history (buying or selling), that would speak to the character of that individual.
As I said, though, this presumes there is a history to check.
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Maybe for merchants, but for an individual seller I doubt it. It doesn't matter how many more interested buyers you get if you end up out the money anyways, not only dose a chargeback mean you are out the money but you are also still on the hook for the transaction fees and generally a chargeback fee (about $30 usually) as well.
No, generally not. At worst if you make a false charge back you may be responsible for the chargeback fee, but usually charging a customer a chargeback fee is reserved for particularly egregious cases. As for proof no you are not required to provide proof when you submit a chargeback against a merchant, the burden is 100% on the merchant to maintain the records to show it was a legitimate transaction and the goods were delivered.
For someone that is a professional merchant and keeps good records and knows how to handle chargebacks the odds of fighting a chargeback and winning are probably pretty decent but for an individual who dose not do this professionally I would just work under the assumption that if someone submits a chargeback against you there is a 99% chance they will get there money back and you will be stuck paying all the fees.
With most US banks the customer has 6 months to submit the chargeback and even if you are an organized individual and held onto all the needed records for that long, you generally only have a short period of time to submit the information the bank requests and if you don't they will just default to siding with the customer, the bank might also request additional information and then again strict time limit (generally less than 3 days sometimes less than 1 day), and all this assumes the bank is willing to accept the information via email and not insist you fax it to them.
The process is designed to heavily favor the purchaser over the merchant.
vintovka
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IMHO traceable payment options for small users essentially died on 1/1/2022. It may l really croak in jan 2023 when surprise 1099s arrive in the mail. As for CC's the protection is very nice for buyers but possible night mare for honest sellers. A review of many current listings by small sellers on gun broker have dropped PP and CC's altogether. On my cards just filing a dispute triggers an automatic temporary credit until resolved. The suspension of funds, plus the time and labor to fight a dispute may not only really hurt small guys it costs everyone more.
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Hokkmike
Member
This is why extensive research on the buyer/seller is important. References, a phone call, gun talk, a little getting to know the other party. Whenever possible I prefer FTF and do CA$H. I have used both a personal check, USPS money orders, and used to charge PayPal for "outdoor recreational equipment". But, for OTHER reasons I have cancelled the PP account. Generally, with a little research, something somebody is selling for Arizona can also be found locally. Like in car buying, don't fall in love with THE gun, rather go after the same make and model... But I am older now and not so enamored as I used to be. Hey, by the way, anybody got a O/O Valmet rifle-shotgun for sale ??????
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