Returning a gun purchased online.
 

Recently a friend of mine purchased a nice-looking English boxlock on GunBroker. The seller listed the specifications including minimum wall thickness' and chamber length (2.5”). He bought the gun for a relatively low price.

When he received the gun it looked like a nice little gun, but upon closer inspection, it was obvious the barrels had been sleeved. Additionally, the chambers were not 2.5”, in fact, the chambers are pretty much non-existent. He emailed the seller, explained why he was rejecting the gun, and the seller replied, "I’m sorry you don’t like the gun. Do go ahead and send it back," which he did.

The question is should the seller reimburse him for the cost of returning the gun? To be clear, he did not return the gun because he “didn’t like it,” he returned it because the seller made material misrepresentations. The seller is in the business and has several English guns listed on GB, so he isn’t a casual seller. One only had to look at the barrel flats to see the gun had been repriced for nitro loads and the seam where the barrels were wet sleeved isn’t hard to see, so I think it’s safe to assume the seller intentionally left out the fact it was sleeved.

Based on the foregoing, is it reasonable to expect a dealer to reimburse a buyer for the cost of returning the gun?

JDG

The good news is the seller did not give your friend the run around and is willing to allow the guns return. I have read a number of stories where the seller refuses to take it back and it is next to impossible to force them.
I would ask for shipping reimbursement but probably would cut my loses and move on if the seller refused.
It would be interesting to know if there were pictures of the barrels where the sleeving was evident? Also if there were pictures of the barrel flats and water table.
I have only returned one gun after I rejected it and don’t recall if the seller reimbursed me or not.

Be thankful the seller is willing to return your money. Beleave me many will give you the run around and will refuse to reimburse. Of course a good seller knowing they made a mistake in the listing will reimburse shipping. Personally, I wouldn't push the shipping and be thankful you're getting the purchase price back.

I personally believe that if it is the event of a gross error in the listing, 100% of the buyers money should be returned. But if the buyer just returns it for a case of not liking the gun, or if the issue was clearly shown in photos of description, that the buyer is only entitled to the purchase price. Not shipping expenses.

There was only one time that I purchased a gun where there were multiple issues. The gun was advertised as being tight and having good bores. But it was loose with pitted bores AND loose ribs. I insisted that I got ALL of my money back including return shipping. And the seller did it.

Recently I made a mistake in selling a gun. For some odd reason I had it in my mind that a gun I listed was a 30” gun. But it was a 28” gun. When I got the call from the buyer letting me know that I screwed up, I agreed to take it back no problem. I sent him a pre-paid label. I then asked him about any transfer fees he may have had to pay to his ffl. He said it was $30. So I made sure to include that in my refund to him.

Of course all of this comes down to agreements between the two parties and the sellers desire to make it right and not wrong someone that they will never likely hear from again.
But on the other hand, you have to be happy to get most of your money back of the seller does not agree to pay for return shipping.

It really boils down to the seller acknowledging that they made an error. In this case, the seller may not be too versed in double guns and how to see a sleeved barrel. So the buyer may be needing to educate the seller on the point and hoping that they realize they made a gross error and feel the need to refund more than just the purchase price.

There were no pictures showing the sleeve seam or the flats, which suggests that the seller, who is in the business of selling used English guns, chose not to include them. That's what I have a problem with. He also said the chambers were 2.5, implying that he measured them, which he obviously did not do. This wasn't an oversight; it was an intentional omission of material facts about the gun.

I appreciate the fact that the seller was willing to accept the gun back, but that's the minimum expectation.

JDG

From time to time, we all make honest mistakes and acknowledge them. But this guy, who appears to sell a lot of older SXSs, has not acknowledged anything. My buddy told the seller why he was returning the gun, and instead of saying, "I didn't know, or I apologize," he said, "If you don't like it, you can return it."

My buddy will ask to be reimbursed for the cost of returning the gun, given the nature of the issue.

Thanks,

JDG

Life is too short to piss over soggy Cheerios. I'd ask for the shipping money back, if he says no, just move on. I've had problems getting a gun returned, and when I gave the guy a scathing review he called me and then he got the Italian Treatment over the phone.

That's my plan. I'll give him a chance to make things right, then give him an appropriate review on GB.

I have only had one time that I sent a gun back due to an issue. It was a long time ago and the gun was a Winchester Model 88 Rifle. It was advertised as in very good condition and the pictures in the add seemed to back up those claims. When I received it there was a very noticeable crack in the wrist of the stock. I immediately contacted the seller from my FFL's store, and he agreed to take the gun back. Low and behold two weeks later the gun was back at my FFL's store. A note in the box indicated that the seller did not think the crack was present when he initially shipped the gun to me. There was no sign of damage to the shipping container nor inside. The gun was very well packaged, but at this point I knew I was in a loosing situation. I subsequently sold the gun by reducing the price and being honest as to the crack in the stock. The seller was a pawn shop in Colorado. I vowed to never purchase from a pawn shop again.

Brian is absolutely correct. I have been on both sides of this issue. If I made a mistake in describing the gun, I owe the buyer a full refund. If the gun is being returned because the buyer just did not like the gun once he got it in hand, then the return shipping should be on the buyer. In either case, the seller owes the buyer a refund of the purchase price as a minimum as long as the seller was notified within the approval period.