This is a Bit Disturbing

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Interesting. This is a photo of my TW Stake 16-gauge shotgun. I took this photo.


Notice the Gunsamerica 'watermark' on the photo? This is how they mark photos of items for sale on their website. The thing is I have never listed this gun for sale on the Gunsamerica website- but apparently someone did. Someone that does not own this gun and did not have it in their possession.
I have heard that their are scam artists on Gunsamerica, taking money for guns they don't have then disappearing. I can't help but wonder if that was what occurred here.
What are your thoughts?

 

[armoredman]

Have you contacted them about the scam? Do they just host auction like Gun Broker, or are these employees posting pictures?

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Have you contacted them about the scam? Do they just host auction like Gun Broker, or are these employees posting pictures?

I haven't yet. I found this late tonight. I figured I'd contact them in the morning.

 

[Demi-human]

Where do you host your photos? (As if I knew what I was talking about.) But maybe they were stolen from there, as opposed to your own computer.
It seems that sometimes there are more ways for humans to make a dishonest living, than an honest one. With the Government there to punish both ends. I'll be darned if they don't catch less than half the thieves, but catch every single honest taxpayer.

Let us know what you find out.

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Where do you host your photos? (As if I knew what I was talking about.) But maybe they were stolen from there, as opposed to your own computer.
It seems that sometimes there are more ways for humans to make a dishonest living, than an honest one. With the Government there to punish both ends. I'll be darned if they don't catch less than half the thieves, but catch every single honest taxpayer.

Let us know what you find out.

I'd posted the picture online in a few places.

 

[jmr40]

The question comes up from time to time. But this is why it is a good idea to not post complete serial numbers or show photos with guns SN's on them.

 

[AZAndy]

This is why it's a good idea to ask the seller for a photo from a different perspective. "Say, could I see a full-length of the underside?"

 

[maxxhavoc]

Are all of these yours?

 

[bannockburn]

Tinker

I have on occasion googled images of particular guns and knives and have come across photos that I have posted on THR of my guns and knives on there. No watermark like you found but still it's kind of disturbing to not have any control over where your photos end up or who else could be misrepresenting them as their own. Let us know if you find anything out about this with GunsAmerica.

 

[AZAndy]

Are all of these yours?

Whoa, nice catch! Excellent sleuthing. Maybe somebody's sneaking into Mr. Pearce's house and using his floor as a background?

 

[maxxhavoc]

I am guessing you are not "SELLER: John S. Burda"

Looks like John S Burda is seller # 5611. If those are your guns, you can buy your French Gras (Again?)by browsing this page:
https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.htm?Keyword=&ltid-all=1&cid=452&lid=5611&ns=0&numberperpage=50&

and here is the listing:
https://www.gunsamerica.com/971788444/FRENCH-GRAS-1874-RIFLE.htm

 

[FROGO207]

There are some programs out there that allow you to take a screen shot or copy of just about any picture and manipulate it. IMHO it would be easy to do for not so honest reasons. Watermarks help but those can be defeated as well with little effort. I second never posting anything that shows a serial number for several reasons. Imagine trying to sell a firearm you posted pictures of in the past and the receiving/transfering FFL flags it as stolen from XYZ in say, Dallas. Did you fill out a 4473 on it or get a bill of sale? Might be a hand me down or gift many years ago with no paperwork. If not who IS the real owner? The one to report it stolen months or even years before you tried to sell it??? I CAN see a problem here. Sometimes having a firearm with no paperwork can be problematic, it is a double edged sword to say the least. And multiple pictures of the same firearm only make it more realistic and convincing.

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Are all of these yours?

No, just the one. The seller whose pics you show definitely has the same linoleum though. BTW my photo was taken in the rental house we lived in for 7 months after the fire while the house and shop were being rebuilt.

As for the shotgun Linda bought it for me for Christmas from Pinto's and there is a proper paper-trail. Here's a different photo of this gun:

The home-made spacer in the stock (which was on the gun when Linda bought it) is pretty distinctive. I have since removed the spacer, BTW. I'll email Gunsamerica's admins- maybe the image was just used as some sort of stock photo by them and not attached to a sale or something like that. We'll see what they have to say.

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Here's the grain on the butt-stock- you can clearly see that this is the same gun-

 

[JeffG]

Interesting. This is a photo of my TW Stake 16-gauge shotgun. I took this photo.
View attachment 768666

Notice the Gunsamerica 'watermark' on the photo? This is how they mark photos of items for sale on their website. The thing is I have never listed this gun for sale on the Gunsamerica website- but apparently someone did. Someone that does not own this gun and did not have it in their possession.
I have heard that their are scam artists on Gunsamerica, taking money for guns they don't have then disappearing. I can't help but wonder if that was what occurred here.
What are your thoughts?

In window shopping for rifles, on several online auction sites, I have come across (numerous) duplicate photos of several different guns; somebody is obviously scamming. I email the administrators of the sites, and nothing is changed. Buyer beware....

 

[boom boom]

Have you checked the exif information by downloading the picture? It would be interesting to note if that information reflects your information or the person editing and uploading the picture as yours.

 

[boom boom]

Checked your download but much of the exif data has been scrubbed either by you or the scammer.

 

[AZAndy]

Regardless of the outcome, I would like to mention how much I admire that shotgun. It's really handsome. Say, maybe I can buy it on GunsAmerica! Excuse me, gotta go make a bid.

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Regardless of the outcome, I would like to mention how much I admire that shotgun. It's really handsome. Say, maybe I can buy it on GunsAmerica! Excuse me, gotta go make a bid.

Thank you- it's a really fine gun. Excellent handling, triggers etc. Really nice shooter too. I'm taking it out for upland birds this fall.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Armslist is rife with this sort of thing too. The same pic will be listed in different states, usually a high-end collector piece with a single photo for 1/2 the fair market value. Bizarrely, the giveaway there is that the city and State are listed as the same ie: Florida, Florida.
Yep, buyer beware.

 

[Redacted]

If you Google "John S. Burda" you will see that there appear to be numerous complaints against this seller.

 

[average_shooter]

No, just the one. The seller whose pics you show definitely has the same linoleum though.

Not just the same pattern, but the actual same floor. There's a couple smudges below the stock in your picture that show up in a couple of the photos attributed to that other seller as well. Look closely. Strange, indeed.

 

[Captcurt]

Had the same thing happen with Gunlist twice. I had guns listed on Gunbroker and a customer emailed asking if I had the guns listed on Gunlist too. Sure enough, when I checked there were several of my guns with my descriptions and pictures listed for half price. I contacted the seller, got a little info and turned it into the FBI and Gunlist. Never heard anything.

 

[maxxhavoc]

Where did you see the picture? Was it actually on a Gunsamerica listing? It may be a case of simple "pawn reselling." How it works is this:

-Seller sees a good deal on a gun in the pawn shop (which usually do not let you take pictures.) This can also be an online ad/etc.
-Seller grabs a pic from the Internet and lists the gun (which they do not own) for sale.
-Seller sells the gun, then buys it from the shop to ship to buyer.

So no initial investment, only a bit of effort and profit. The only problem is that sometimes the buyer notices it isn't the same gun. Works well with new plastic, less so with 100+ year old rifles that someone is looking for a specific feature on.

But the linoleum is a dead match. I would make sure your wife (or kid, or neighbor) isn't seeing how many they can sell before you notice one missing.

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Not just the same pattern, but the actual same floor. There's a couple smudges below the stock in your picture that show up in a couple of the photos attributed to that other seller as well. Look closely. Strange, indeed.

I haven't noticed stains that were an exact match, but anything is possible. Since I don't own any of the other guns pictured if it is the same floor this would mean that whoever took the pictures was/is renting the house we were staying in when the picture was taken! How bizarre. We stayed in that house for seven months a couple years back while our house was being rebuilt after a fire. Maybe I should inquire with my former landlord...