Posted: 9/21/2007 4:47:50 AM EDT
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I've got an item listed for sale on GunBroker. Auction started last night. I've already had two people contact me to see if I would end the auction early for them. Should I be concerned about a scam? |
I've asked people to end auctions early before...once I was going out of town and wasn't going to be around for the end of the acution.. it could be a sign of a serious buyer who wants what you have or, most likely, it could be someone who wants to low ball you. You could work out a price and put a "buy it now" price on it There is no scam about ending an auction early unless they want you to send the item before their funds clear. |
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Several similar items have bids, so I know what mine will (or at least should) sell for. I replied to them saying I would end the auction early for them, if they would pay X + 20%. I have no motivation other than more money to sell early. I'll wait and see what they say. One of them I suspect is trying to scam me. He started out saying he was a "Police Sniper", as if that would impress me or something. |
So other than cold hard cash, what is the safest way to get secure money fast? Normally I wait until I know a check has cleared by calling the issuers bank, but that usually takes a few days. |
They really won't do shit, other than send emails to him. |
No, I generally let the bidders determine what an item is worth. This is one of the few auctions I've started where similar items are listed. |
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I wouldn't worry about it. I ask sellers on Gunbroker to do that all the time. If I'm interested in an item, I'll email the seller and offer him a fair price. About 75% of the time, the seller will end the auction and sell it to me. Only sell to people willing to send you a cashiers check or money order, then you can't get ripped off. If you provide good communication (offer your phone number if they want to call), and provide lots of high quality pics, people will trust you and send the money. Note: If it's a scammer, it will be pretty obvious from the email you get. It'll sound like one of those Nigerian scammer emails. |
I know it costs a couple of bucks to relist , so it's a crap shoot. If you end it and he doesn't send the MO , you will have to relist. I ended one early once and the guy came through . |
Yes you can cash a USPS MO at the post office. Some small town POs have trouble cashing large amounts if they havnt done much cash business that day. Best to go in an hour before closing. They know if its real or fake. |
I've sold dozens of items over the years and have never had anyone send me a counterfeited money order or cashiers check. When the money order or cashiers check arrives, take it to your bank and deposit it. If the bank accepts the deposit, then ship the item. If you're that worried about getting ripped off, then I wouldn't be selling stuff on the internet. |
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If you end the auction early, with no bids, or your reserve not met, you owe Gunbroker nothing. In theory, you can sell your item for a little less, but still net the same amount, since you're not paying Gunbroker any commission. I think a lot of buyers see something they want, but don't want to wait 2 weeks for an auction to end, or are worried they'll forget about the auction and get "sniped" at the last minute. Some sellers absolutely refuse to end early, others don't seem to have a problem. I think some sellers prefer to end early, as they often get their money before the auction was scheduled to end. It's really not much different than buying or selling something on the EE here - you just have to get a feel for the other person and whether they're legit or not. I don't know how much "protection" or help you'll really get from Gunbroker - I suspect they're a lot like Ebay (worthless). |
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