possible scam alert #2

Stevireno

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Hi all, I have a J frame s&w up for sale, I get a message through NES from this nice guy in Virginia who wants to buy the gun. Wants me to ship it from an FFL, he will call the FFL and give payment for the gun and shipping and fees using a Credit card. I told him I didn't want to put any of this on the FFL, and I needed the payment directly to me. That's when he ended communication after a day of messages every hour or so.

Maybe he was legit, but he just opened his NES account recently. Just a heads up to anyone selling that this may happen and it smells fishy....

It's a shame, because I've gotten accustomed to selling and buying on NES and never had a problem so my guard was down.


Eco4arcs is his user name...​

 
What's the scam? He didn't want to send payment to a complete stranger and was trying to get the FFL to play middle man. It's possibly just stupidity rather than a scam (not that I'd waste my time going forward with that sale).

FWIW: User name and email address appear on a bunch of unrelated forums over the years all listing VA/MD area.
 
What's the scam? He didn't want to send payment to a complete stranger and was trying to get the FFL to play middle man. It's possibly just stupidity rather than a scam (not that I'd waste my time going forward with that sale).

FWIW: User name and email address appear on a bunch of unrelated forums over the years all listing VA/MD area.
Funny thing is just yesterday, I took a $150 payment for some mags over paypal and shipped them today though NES. He didn't know me and I didn't know him,. I've gotten used to trusting everyone on this site.... Seems like other have also.
 
Lots of good folks here that have zero feedback. Just deal in person or for small money items.

The one time I tried not in person I got scammed. Mfker is still out there. Well known piece of shit in Maine and cops still do nothing.
 
Funny thing is just yesterday, I took a $150 payment for some mags over paypal and shipped them today though NES. He didn't know me and I didn't know him,. I've gotten used to trusting everyone on this site.... Seems like other have also.
People make transactions all day on this site and on other sites. Not really a big deal. I absolutely would not trust someone just because they have a user name on the same internet site I visit.
 
He's going to pay with a credit card?

How will you get paid then?

Tell him to send you a USPS Money Order along with the FFL info.

Make sure he pays enough to cover your FFL shipping and transfer fees.

All this will add $100 to the price of the gun.

Why would he even bother????
 
Funny thing is just yesterday, I took a $150 payment for some mags over paypal and shipped them today though NES. He didn't know me and I didn't know him,. I've gotten used to trusting everyone on this site.... Seems like other have also.
Speaking of trusting people on this site. I posted about an SKS in another thread and a member reached out to me and sent me a dozen (at least) stripper clips for free! Just to be nice, because I had mentioned I didn't have any. I literally had them two days after I sent him my address. 🙂
 
a friend is wondering how you would get scammed. wouldn't your ffl have the funds before they released the gun for shipping? pretty stupid to ship before then. maybe my friend just didn't read the posts closely.
 
a friend is wondering how you would get scammed. wouldn't your ffl have the funds before they released the gun for shipping? pretty stupid to ship before then. maybe my friend just didn't read the posts closely.

The guy could do a charge back on the card. Depending on the cost of the firearm it might not be worth fighting the charge back. What the average person doesn't know (and the scammers do) is that it costs in general around $250 or more in fees for a merchant to fight a charge back regardless of the outcome. While things have tightened up and are better in general, the owner of the card has the upper hand in charge backs.
 
Money order scam?

yeah, that's a stretch. i would think one would cash a money order before sending the gun. you know, to get money in hand...my friend says. damn it, just quote the f***ing goose rules to the guy. he wouldn't dare pull anything then.
USPS Money Orders sent and cashed???

You'll have the money at that point.

If the USPS Money Order is fake, he still wont get the gun.
 
yeah, that's a stretch. i would think one would cash a money order before sending the gun. you know, to get money in hand...my friend says. damn it, just quote the f***ing goose rules to the guy. he wouldn't dare pull anything then.
I've been dumb and held money orders for a while. Worked for me but still dumb
 
The guy could do a charge back on the card. Depending on the cost of the firearm it might not be worth fighting the charge back. What the average person doesn't know (and the scammers do) is that it costs in general around $250 or more in fees for a merchant to fight a charge back regardless of the outcome. While things have tightened up and are better in general, the owner of the card has the upper hand in charge backs.
Fees that must be paid by the merchant to the credit card company to dispute the charge back? Interesting...
 
Fees that must be paid by the merchant to the credit card company to dispute the charge back? Interesting...

Actually the fees are paid to the credit card processor who takes a cut and then some of the money goes to the issuing bank of the card and some, most, goes to the card network (VISA, MC, AMEX ...)
 
In all transactions, there is a power play of "who is going to trust who". Usually it is the buyer who must trust the vendor.

Tell him "You pick any FFL within XX miles of me. Send that FFL two postal money orders - one payable to me for the price of the gun and $xx for the FFL transfer fee and shipping. Make arrangements with the FFL to deliver the money order to me once (s)he has examined the gun, verified its condition, and takes possession". Now, there is no credit card fee, no risk beyond a forgery of a money order (tough to pull off and is gets the bad boys from the Postal Inspection Service involved if it happens), and the buyer has to trust an FFL (s)he has chosen rather than a random person on the net.

I don't blame him for not trusting you, but the inverse of you trusting him is not good. Besides the obvious risk of a credit card charge being reversed, consider that it will be reversed against the FFL if you use the shop's service co convert it it to cash.

The last I heard a chargeback cost a merchant about $20; was not aware of additional fees to the merchant to fight it.
 
Loads of scam artist everywhere. You would think screwing with people whom are armed. Is not a great idea in my book. it is always, buyer be ware
 
Hi all, I have a J frame s&w up for sale, I get a message through NES from this nice guy in Virginia who wants to buy the gun. Wants me to ship it from an FFL, he will call the FFL and give payment for the gun and shipping and fees using a Credit card. I told him I didn't want to put any of this on the FFL, and I needed the payment directly to me. That's when he ended communication after a day of messages every hour or so.

Maybe he was legit, but he just opened his NES account recently. Just a heads up to anyone selling that this may happen and it smells fishy....

It's a shame, because I've gotten accustomed to selling and buying on NES and never had a problem so my guard was down.


Eco4arcs is his user name...​

Hey Steve and the greater NES community.

Figured I'd introduce myself albeit a bit belatedly.

I'm the problem child/suspected scammer this post is about.

Like you all i suffer from the insidious compulsion of accumulating, perhaps too many, firearms.

I have a pretty good reputation on the virginia specific forum Buy, Sell and Trade Guns for Free! | VA Gun Trader as user: vaguntec.

Two divorces later I definitely have trust issues : )
...hence my "stupidity" about an out of state purchase...trying to minimize legal and financial risk to both parties, or so i thought.

I have not had luck acquiring a 649, which is no longer produced, locally or on gunbroker. Plenty of 638s but steel is real.

Anyway, you are all welcome to save me from my rampant consumerism and snatch up Steve's m649. It's a very fair price and seems to be pristine.

If there are no other takers... I'm here Steve with better availability today.

Tgif
Chris
 
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