Need some help

[Jon Merricks]

Here is what happened.

There is a person posting a frame for sell on the USPSA board.  We email each other back and forth and finally agree on a price.  I tell him I will buy it but my ffl is out of town for a week and that if someone else makes him an offer to go ahead and sell it.  He says no he don’t mind waiting a week.  The next day I find out my smith prefers a frame already cut.  So I email him back and tell him that.  He says don’t worry that he will just trade the uncut for a cut with a dealer friend of his and we agree on another price.  Well my FFL comes back to town I get the copy and tell him I am mailing the money order and a copy of the ffl.  He tells me the frame is boxed up and ready to be shipped the same day he receives the money order.  Well he gets his money and then tells me that there is a delay on the frame and that he has not gotten it from STI yet because of the frame cut.  He also says that he has given some girl that is not very dependable my information and for her to mail it to me if it arrives before he gets back from Area 2.

Well just back the truck up.  What happened to the frame being boxed up and ready to be sent?  

So I guess he is just having a big time at Area 2 on my expense.

I have emailed him and called him with my displeasures in our dealings.

What should I do?

[Nik Habicht]

Jon,

Seems to me you have two options:  Work it out with the guy and complete the deal in the (hopefully) near future or ask for your money back and look for a frame elsewhere.  If you choose to go forward with the deal ----- then I'd recommend being firm but polite.  You want the guy motivated to close the deal, not pissed off at you.  Good luck ---- and let us know how it turns out.

[Jon Merricks]

I have done pretty well at keep my cool so far.  The bad thing is I can't get a straight answer from this guy.  He tells me one thing and then couple of days latter tells me something different. He denied giving my money back and says he now has the frame and is sending it out tomorrow.  I guess we will see.  In his last email he makes it sound like he is some kind of dealer but his add was that he was just cleaning out his gun safe.  I just don’t know if I should warn people by posting all of our emails and let who reads them decide for themselves or just let a dead dog lie once I get my frame.  

[Chriss Grube]

You know where he lives. If he tries to screw you over I'm sure there is a match close to his house you could go shoot and stop by for a visit. Or you could do the legal thing and contact the attorney general in his state.

[Nik Habicht]

Jon,

If the transaction completes satisfactorily, except for the delay, I wouldn't do anything.  Might choose to not do business with that person again though.  In over 200 transactions on ebay, I've never been burned.  I have had a few transactions though that took too long to complete and were more trouble than they were worth.  Those peoples names reside in a file on my computer that I check before bidding on anything now.  Unfortunately not everyone is pleasant and efficient too boot.

[Mistral404]

Did this guy follow-up with a " I am a sponsored shooter for STI and I can get you whatever you want at their prices"?

I sold 2 h&ks on HKPro with now problems.  Started to buy a shotgun off Auction Arms but ended up dealing directly with the FFL-no problems.

I try to be patient but if this guy stalls you much longer ask for your money back.  If that does not get the response you want, find the clubs in his area and start emailing the club representative about the situation.  I would also start posting on USPSA forum and classifieds if you do not get the results you want.

HKPro had a couple of guys who were burning people, they got flamed pretty fast.  Those guys took no prisoners, I am not necessarily suggesting that this is your case also but it is something to keep in mind.

good luck

[Jon Merricks]

Well if you havent seen it, there is a person on the USPSA site that got stiffed.  So I give a reply.  The person I am having my problem with also replies and brings public our problem.  So if you want to no who it is go ahead and look.  By the way I still have not received my frame,  maybe tomarrow.  But thats what I heard a week ago, too.

[Jon Merricks]

Well finally got it.   Will be the last time I buy off the USPSA board.  

[Ron Ankeny]

Jon:

I got your check for the magazines today. The mechandise is in the mail, really it is.

[Jon Merricks]

Ron your too funny.   You are the only person that I have never met that offered to send the goods out first for a weeks test drive before the money arrived.  I cant wait to get them and just look at um until my gun is finished being built.  It will be the longest month of my life.  

[jhgtyre]

Jon,

I read your posts over on USPSA's site and I agree with you about the guy you bought the frame from.  It seems he is blaming you for not realizing that he is too damn busy to get his e-mails straight.  What a toad.  It is good that you got your frame though and I hope it works out well for you.

-jhgtyre

[Jon Merricks]

That's what I thought it sounded like, but I can be paronoid sometimes.  I heard so many promises from him and when he didnt come through it was someone else to blaim.  Still have not got a straight answer for him on anything.  Just glad the whole thing is over with.