I would like some input, folks (a WWYD?- scenario)

[Franky4Fingers]

(what would you do?)

I just want input because I want to hear what folks have to say.

I have/had a barrel that needed threaded for my AR. Because of the lack of gunsmiths in this area and because of the wait and cost some charge, I never ended up sending my barrel out. I could do it, I went to school for welding and metal fab, but I no longer have all the stuff, so I'm at the mercy that everyone else is.

I found someone through ebay that does barrel threading. I wont say who, but they seemed cheap and they did a lot of stuff. So I took a chance and did an off-auction deal. I sent my barrel down, priority mail, insured. They received it and said it would be a 2 day ETA. Barrel sent 12-4-13

after a week had passed, I heard nothing so I emailed them on a friday. They said it was suppose to have gone out several days ago (so the work was already done) but they got swamped. And they said it would go out for sure on that following monday.

well, I messaged them back to confirm payment info, just to be sure I had it right.......never heard anything. Monday comes and goes....nothing. that was actually this passed monday, by the way.

So, late thursday night (technically, friday AM), they finally messaged me and said they have a new baby and just got swamped and forgot to check their messages. I thought....for a week!?!! (I have a 21 month-old. I know how it is. Its not THAT bad) With every friggen device known to man to have email capability and wifi and 4G/3G everywhere....how do you forget for an entire week when your running a business!?!?!!?!??! A WEEK!! not a day, a week!

So, I'm like, fuck this. I very politely said, I was very uncomfortable with this situation and I'm very leery. You have my barrel, if something "goes wrong" then you have my barrel AND my money. Then I'm really stuck. I said I am abandoning this barrel, its worth several times more than the work you did so you'll come out ahead. I'm taking my lumps and moving on. congrats on the new baby, and have a merry christmas.

I honestly was done with it and wanted nothing more than to forget this happened.

I get another message tonight, she says shes sorry I feel this way and that my barrel is boxed and she'll process it monday and send me the tracking number to assure that it is boxed and ready to go. (gee, where have I heard that before?)

I'm thinking......how the hell does that insure its going to go out? Yeah you printed a label, so what? I can do that too. It doesnt mean, something will come up and you'll "forget" again. Or it gets lost, misplaced, stolen, etc. This supposed "two days" has turned into 2 weeks. And who knows how long it will be until its done, should I go along with it.

With it only being a couple states away, with priority mail and 2 day ETA. This thing should have been back to me within a week (like the eleventh or twelfth) Its been 2 1/2 weeks and it hasnt even left their property yet.

I also checked online and got two phone numbers for them, and they rang and rang with no answer (i left messages on both lines). I also checked reviews on random sites and found they said the same thing. I even saw on the BBB website there 2 complaints I think?? I can't remember what they were for, but they were supposedly resolved. So, basically...I'm not the only one with a problem. I checked their ebay feedback, it was good, or else I never would have sent it in the first place. But I was willing to take the risk.

So, what would you do? I never like to make rash decisions, so I figured I'd sleep on it. But I'm thinking now of saying "as of X mount of hours ago, I relinquished ownership of this barrel...you do whatever you want with it. As I said, I'm moving on...merry christmas"

[keiffith]

if the barrel nut is fucked, i would have just had a new one installed.

that said, there have been plenty of online shady practices i have seen, so do whatever you can to get it back, but you probably wont.

[HUHwhat]

I'm not sure what an off site deal entails, but if you used paypal file a claim.

I've had people try to rob me several times, but it was just a matter of money sent, and no product received.

Other than that it's good you have a paper trail.

[GunLawyer001]

. . . . .So I took a chance and did an off-auction deal.. . . .

Here's your problem. If a stranger is willing to cheat eBay, they're willing to cheat you, too.

One of the very few business deals I've had trouble with was a person who told me up front that he needed to pay me (for goods or services, doesn't matter now) after "moving some money around" so his wife wouldn't know about it. That turns out to be a big red flag. He's telling me that he plans to deceive his wife, the woman he shares his life with. So what are the odds that he's going to feel a moral compulsion to deal with me fairly?

Pretty small, it turns out. Had to sue him to get paid (I do that, as a matter of principle. I'll spend 10 hours suing to get the $100 you willfully stiffed me on. If people find out that they can stiff you, others will do it. I rarely have to sue anyone now on my own behalf.)

Let this be a lesson to you. When the two of you conspired to cheat eBay out of a fee, eBay wasn't the only chump involved.

[Franky4Fingers]

Let this be a lesson to you. When the two of you conspired to cheat eBay out of a fee, eBay wasn't the only chump involved.

Neither of us tried to cheat ebay out of anything.

They had auctions set up to thread certain barrels. Each type a different price. They had no AR auctions,...therefore, I had to work with them off auction.

[GunLawyer001]

Neither of us tried to cheat ebay out of anything.

They had auctions set up to thread certain barrels. Each type a different price. They had no AR auctions,...therefore, I had to work with them off auction.

No, the seller had to create a separate auction for AR barrels, and you had to win that auction or use BIN. EBay rules are designed to prevent sellers and buyers from contacting each other through eBay and engaging in business that eBay doesn't get a taste of.

We don't have to like their rules, but we don't have to use eBay, either. If you used Google to find the seller, then that would be fine. You used eBay, and you circumvented eBay's controls to reach a side deal.

The outcome kind of proves my point, doesn't it? I'm not saying that you're evil, or criminal. Just that you made a deal with someone who you knew was violating eBay's terms of service, and you should not be surprised that they also violated your personal expectations.

[hotdog]

What about suing him in "small claims" court?

You're obviously not going to go there but if he was sent a notice that hes being sued, that would probably be enough to get your stuff back.

Maybe call the local court and ask to speak to the clerk who handles small claims?

If you have to file in person, that would obviously be a problem.

Otherwise, maybe they court clerk would be willing to send you the form, sometimes its even available online.

If you can somehow figure out a way to get the claim filed, it may work.

To be honest, I'm kind of curious to see what I can find out. Wheres he live: state, county and city/town?

[dannyb]

If the barrel was sent by USPS, I think you can make a claim for mail fraud. If it went by another carrier, I'm not sure what your rights may be. IANAL.

[Hokkmike]

How good was their Ebay feedback?

And it would have been useful to find those negative BBB comments before doing business.

I am sorry for your frustration. Give it a little more time and see what happens. I don't know that there is much you can do. You certainly have learned from this and will be much better prepared the next time you conduct an internet transaction.

I know this is not what you want to hear, sorry....

Maybe some body else has better ideas.

[WCMG]

I'm curious on what the locals were charging to thread a barrel and what did the eBay guy want to charge?

The gunsmith I use in Washington PA charges $75 with barrel on gun. That's not cheap, but it's always perfect and he's a full-time gunsmith with a shop.