Buying a high $$$ gun on SH - need advice please

[broncoaz]

I got scammed on here last week for a $120 scope mount. The transaction had a couple warning signs that I missed, but the comms were good and the person on the other end seemed to know plenty about hobby. I let my guard down because it was on the hide, shame on me. I feel dumb, but $120 isn’t going to break me. I paid with Zelle, never again as a buyer as there is no recourse against a bad seller. I’ve done dozens of transactions with PayPal F&F over the years, but now I might start paying the fees for buyer protection unless the person has stellar feedback and lots of it.

For a large purchase I agree that a phone call and secure method of payment is appropriate.

Accepting goods and services is a big risk to the seller. I will not do it. USPS MO or PPFF only. I’m not sending an item to a stranger that can file a false claim with PayPal and get their money back and keep my item. I have at least 100 sales on this site alone. Several custom rifles, several TRGs and several high dollar scopes in those transactions. I took friends and family maybe three times on low price items. I make that clear in my threads.

I refuse to do a USPS MO just because it means going to the post office, I don’t care how good the deal is, I’m out if it’s USPS MO only.

I offer PayPal F&F or plus fees or zelle incoming on my listings. I did about 40 transactions last month, from $685 for optics down to $12 for small parts. Only one person (on the hide) added the fees on a $110 set of rings because I didn’t show any feedback on this site at the time. I have feedback under the same username on other sites going back to 2006 and ebay back to 1999. I’ve heard about the false claims issue on PayPal with fees, but would PayPal even bother to get involved when they find out it’s gun related.