So yesterday I got all my auctions closed out, and one of them was for a shotgun.  It went for a steal-of-a-deal, I shoulda set the reserve higher, but whatever, I need the money.  

The winning bidder turned out to be this as-yet-unrated noob on the site.  He acts like a total idiot, types in all caps, and is trying to get me to just hand him the gun.  He says he's bought several guns at gun shows and never had a problem. Says he's got a concealed carry license and curio-relic license, etc etc, and he's totally legal to own the shotgun.  This raises a red flag with me since he claims to have a couple of gun licenses, but acts like he never heard of an FFL gun transfer.  The auction clearly stated how ownership is to be transferred, through a Federal Firearm Licensed shop.

Then the high-pressure stuff... oh, he's leaving for 2 weeks and must get this done today.. there'll be trouble if we wait for a gun shop to open, blah, blah blah.

I have a hard time believing anyone would be so stupid as to hand this yay-hoo a gun without any kind of reciept. Probably a BATFE agent on an entrapment sting.. jerk ruined my auction.

What should I do?  Obviously I'm not going to just meet the guy and give him the gun; I'd probably get cuffed 'n stuffed right there.  I guess I'll contact the next lower bidder and see if they still want it.

If you've already laid out the rules, set a time line for completion of his responsibilities and when doesn't meet them, you're free to do what you want.  Next time do as auto's do, non refundable down payment at close of auction to keep out the rif raf.

Thanks for your replies, fellows.  I asked the "buyer"  several hours ago if his problems meant he intends to default on the sale.  No reply as of yet.  It's probably just an ATF troll.  I'll have to comb through the auction terms and determine exactly how soon after non-payment I can relist it.

Apparently this is common enough for the auction site to have an easy do-over feature, so it will cost me some time but little else.

I could regale you with some real horror stories the BATF have put completely legal firearms owners though over the last 10 years or so(since they got so much power during the clinton administration).
Blatant entrapment isnt above them. Its the Norm.
Nix the sale and relist it.
Stay within the firearms laws or it could well cost you a WHOLE LOT MORE then the price of the shotgun.
If you ship it, it HAS to go through a licensed FFL dealer unless your shipping it to a gunsmith for work.
They WILL pull a Sting on you!

Boule’tard wrote on 07/17/11 at 09:39:53:


+1  If the winning bidder can't wait for a FFL transfer, then either offer it to the next highest bidder, or re-post the auction.  I wouldn't trust the guy on bit!  He knew the terms of the sale in the beginning.  

Probably auction arms, gunbroker or something similar.

Hold to your guns and cancel the bid. It's not worth it. You're a law abiding citizen and the auction winner sounds like he's not interested in the law.

I took possession of my Dad's off duty Colt from his wife a couple of months ago. Went down to Florida, we dropped it off at an FFL who sent it to my FFL up here. I went to pick it up with permit in hand. My FFL did the NICS and now it's mine. Did the same thing with his duty revolver last year. Simple procedure. Not cheap, but simple enough.

Thanks for the additional advice, folks.  I didn't use Ebay, it is a gun-specific site.  The winning bidder emailed saying he doesn't intend to default on the deal, and didn't say anything else.  So I said something to the effect of "great then, we're back to the original plan" and he didn't reply to that.  

I wish he'd just said NO DEAL! so I could re-list the thing sooner and it would be irrelevant if he was just trying to get me in trouble.  Now he'll string me along for 40 days, then I can re-list.  At that point I can file a Non-Baying Bidder report on him, which being his only feedback, will trash his reputation at that site.  With any luck, the site will be sophisticated enough to not let him start fresh with another account, and he won't know how to change his IP.

That all assumes it's just a dumb rube.  If it's the government, at this point they know they are not going to get me to trip up, and they're stringing me along just to be shitheads.