And this is why it scares the heck out of me to buy a weapon or anything else online... As bad as I want one of those Kimbers posted....
It's a fairly simple matter to sort out who's who. Don't buy from someone new you don't know of (at least casually) from the fire. Do a google search of the add (as has been demonstrated on this thread). The longer the poster has been here, with a greater variety of posts, the better. I'd never buy from someone that only posts in the classifieds, and has been around less than a couple years. Also, get a phone number and talk first... it's a pretty straight forward thing to get the measure of someone on the phone.
There are a pile of guys on this forum who's word is their bond.
+1
You do have to be careful, but, by never buying used-online, you miss out on a ton of great deals and lots of cool old guns. Just do some homework, be smart, and listen to your gut - same as a face-to-face transaction. If someone is honest, they will cooperate with you to show they're an honest seller. Meaning, don't be afraid to ask questions. Maybe ask a more experienced friend for some input before committing to a purchase for your first couple of transactions. I tangled with a couple of bad sellers a few times in the beginning, but I learned the simple tricks of vetting a seller, and I am way ahead by buying almost all my guns used and online.
