I'm wondering about some proper Classifieds etiquette and Covid.

Over the past two weeks, I have purchased two firearms off of internet classifieds. One muzzy off another forum and a rifle off of thisforum. I do some custom metal and craft work in my (not so) free time and really have to sacrifice time away from my young family to be able to raise the extra funds for such purchases.

I do understand my concern is insensitive to their sickness situation.

Here's the situation... Both sellers of these firearms unfortunately tested positive for Covid before they could get the firearm I paid for in the mail. One was electronic payment and I requested a refund until he could get the firearm shipped. No problem. The other was paid for with a postal money order so If the seller (which seems like a true gentleman that I have absolutely nothing negative to say towards) can't get to the PO ever, I'm out the funds. Note: the transaction for the rifle here went very smooth by the way and I have the rifle in my possession. I'm still waiting on the muzzy to be shipped.

right, wrong or indifferent, here is how I've addressed the situation. Similarly to both but requesting the seller needing to use a PO money order make contingency plans with those around them to please make sure they know to either ship the rifle or refund should Goodness forbid the virus takes a bad turn for them.



I guess I am posting this for awareness as well and maybe it is a conversation we should have in todays world. I personally don't think the seller should have a problem with this. I know I certainly wouldn't if the situation were reversed. I think though that maybe these quick "I'll take it" purchases might need a bit more conversation, patience and dialog on both sides.

What say you?

Thanks,

Todd

99% of the good folks on here will find their way through something like this…think it’s case by case and no need to make a fuss.

I had one seller that was sick with Covid by the time they received funds. I told him to wait until he was feeling better and a few days later he shipped without issue. I think the bottom line is OPEN and HONEST communication. That goes a long ways in my book and "radio silence" tends to make you think the worst.

I'm glad it worked out for you. I've not had a bad experience on here yet. And, you are landing large arrows on small hairs when you say, "I think though that maybe these quick "I'll take it" purchases might need a bit more conversation, patience and dialog on both sides." Ain't enough of that in the world, much less here in this virtual vacuum of gun nuts.


Apart from that praise - Covid is the new 'dog ate my homework'. It progressed so rapidly as a go to excuse that it flew by the excuse category and landed in the social comedy category. Doesn't mean people aren't adversely affected by it, but its just to easy to access by those whose moral compass contains even the slightest amount of gray. I own a small business, and we've been impacted by Covid in various ways at various times, and we've communicated those issues with specificity...to our clients. Every time. No gray. No canned monikers that everyone else uses. They aren't authentic.

I wouldn’t ask for a refund or halt a transaction simply because the other guy might die from Covid.

If I have good communication, I’d not stop a transaction due to a virus with a 99.5% survival rate.

YMMV

Todd, you are correct. Communication is key. No one can predict an untimely illness or injury. These things happen. IMO if the seller becomes ill or injured and has already received payment, He should notify the buyer. If the seller can not ship the item immediately after receiving payment he should have no problem returning the funds to the buyer if the buyer requests. When the seller is well enough ship the item, the funds can easily be transferred again. Quick and Honest communication will make both parties feel at ease. Lack of communation can cause unnecessary problems. Justahunter was quick to communicate on a regular basis. It took about a week before I was well enough to ship the gun. Once I shipped the gun I notified Justahunter that the gun had shipped and provided tracking info. He quickly resent payment. Smooth transaction. I guess I should put this in the Good Guy List, But Justahunter is Good to Go.

I have a friend who put a good bit of $ down on a local piece of property as a private deal. They were in the middle of the redtape and transferring process which can take months here in Pa. The seller died of COVID now there is a big legal battle with the seller's family, which is like a niece or something. Knowing the seller's family, the buyer is going to be out the $ he put in. So yes, it can happen.

MOST, 99.9%, on the campfire are top notch. Be a gentleman and get treated that way back.

I am not gonna read all that you posted.

I think you would be a PIA to deal with . Forgive me if I am wrong .

I could be way off base… but if as the buyer, what you bought will possibly put your family in a financial burden, then that is of no responsibility to the seller. You shouldn’t have bought it in the first place.

IMO, it is a bit morbid and off-putting to be discussing someone that is sick and it taking a turn for the worse, no matter the % chance of survival.

As stated above, the Campfire has good people here. Common sense, Golden Rule, etc.

[quote=cisco1]

You’re forgiven.

Todd

Dang… I just wish I was rich enough I could be so nonchalant about the price of a rifle. Not the case and I’m not sorry for it. And it absolutely is the sellers responsibility to get the purchaser the item They purchased or a refund if the funds for that item have cleared their account.

There is an age demographic that the survival rate of Covid isn’t so high… I don’t know that the sellers fell into this age group but it is absolutely possible…

Todd

Any mention of anything covid related will get a bunch of naysayer responses. You may even be called a covtard. It's the real retards that post comments like that and makes me sad that the disease took someone else and spared them.

Good luck with your transactions and I hope the sellers make a full recovery.

If I read your message correctly, you’d expect the seller to ship it later with the promise that you’d then resend the funds once the item shipped? Sounds like a Craigslist scam. I’d refund your money once your payment had cleared and sell the item to someone else.

Yeah, kinda I guess… but you’re leaving out the part were the seller says “hey, I got your funds but I tested positive for Covid, I feel terrible and I’m not sure when I’ll be able to get to the post office to ship your rifle.” which absolutely adds a lot of context to the equation don’t you think?

Todd

I'm with Cisco1

Yep

No offense man, but you wouldn’t get a refund from me with th expectation that you’d be sending money a second time. Pretty much you’d get a “I’ll have it out the door within x number of days” or a “have your money back once it clears on my end, don’t expect to do any further transaction with me” with that.

No offense taken. If I have paid you once with electronic payment, and you came back at me with “I got your money but I have Covid and I don’t know when or if I’ll be able to get it (rifle) to the post office.” And I said “could you please refund my money until you know.” The feeling would be extremely mutual about me/us not wanting any further transaction if that offends you.

In the case of the postal money order, I did not ask for a refund. I simply asked to have a contingency plan with the people around them to either be able to ship the rifle or send a refund in case the medical situation worsens. Again if that is too much to ask, I would not want to deal with that person ever again either. Luckily both sellers didn’t think I was too out of line and I can’t for the life of me understand why anyone would have an issue with that. I sent the money order on August 4th, it was received August 10th and the firearm still hasn’t shipped. I am okay with that but I can’t see why me being a tad concerned about me loosing my funds because of Covid is out of line.

Todd

I am not gonna deal with you Todd, still.

PIA


Best,

Cisco

Thank you!

Todd

I posted a rifle for sale. Todd posted "I'll Take it". He followed up with a PM and immediately sent funds electronically. He was excellent with his communication. He seemed like a Gentleman with his texts (there were many) and on the phone. I had zero reason to think he would not resend the funds when I was well enough to ship the gun. I had no problem with his request and would gladly do business with him again, as a buyer or seller.. By the way, I am still testing Positive for Covid but am feeling much better.

That is very good to hear buddy. It was a pleasure doing business with you as well and I’m beyond grateful you are mending up! Continued well wishes buddy!

Todd

You should ask for blood work before buying on here then….a lot more issues going on amongst this crowd than covid. I can’t believe Rickbin still allows diabetics to post in the classifieds, honestly.

Seriously…. Caveat emptor is posted in a sticky for a reason. If your cat paws are that close to the edge money-wise that a 1-in-a-million-scenario gun purchase comes to pass and puts your family in a financial bind, frankly, you should be padding the nest a bit more before going shopping. I’ve been broke and flush and it’s more fun being flush. Best of luck to you.

Yep.. Again, I do wish I was rich enough I didn’t have to worry about it. Money is what we trade our lives for.

Todd

^^^^ I agree. ^^^^

Statistically, someone is more likely to get in a fatal auto accident than die from The gook flu.

You're just as likely to die in a vending machine accident.

I would say that the risk is less than that of the USPO "lost" my package and much less likely that the USPO insurance would pay for it.

But it does happen ... I can think of one very healthy gentleman that posted a lot on our local forums and that I traded with regularly that very abruptly went radio silent (not just with me). Could have been due to any number of things but since he was manning the local drive-through free vaccines with his co-workers, I have always assumed that that may have been the cause.

As far as ettique goes, I think the buyer and seller need to agree on terms. You're on shaky soil if you ask to revise those terms in the middle of a transaction.

JC189, glad you're feeling better and I expect that I would have found the exception equally acceptable given your perception of how it was handled.

I suspect vending machines have contributed to the deaths of many people over the years, lol. Back when cigarette machines were a thing, they really helped up the body count!!!

This same situation once happened to me(as a seller). I sold a rifle here in the classifieds. The day before I received the funds, I tested positive, and was sick as a dog. I had my wife take the rifle to the post office and put it in the mail for me. Done deal, everyone happy.

I'm sure if I would have communicated my situation, things would have been ok. It's when sellers go "dark" that things get sketchy.

Buyer and seller should have met at a pancake house to duke it out. (Get video)

JMO.

Ha! You're doin it wrong then.