Did I do the right thing? Mods/members please input

[Mossy Man]

Moderators/Members, please chime in.

I started off a trade in the private sales forum here last week (some of you may have seen it), and a member wanted to buy my SR40C.

He lived about 90+ miles away (i stated FTF sacramento area only) and wanted to give me my asking price for it....we haggled a while (he complained driving twice out to PPT to me would ruin the deal for him) and i mentioned that I would ask for more if he wanted me to drive it out to him.

Eventually he said he had plenty of guns and only wanted the SR40C to keep his full size SR40 company.

So we haggled it a bit and I said I could meet him halfway and eat my fuel/time costs and sell for my asking price.

I was cool with that, so we exchanged numbers and I gave him a call. He said he couldn't personally meet me for the sale because his foot was hurt, so he was going to send his friend for me to PPT to, and his friend could PPT back to him later.

At this point I'm kind of going "wtf?" because I know FFL's can't do this sort of thing. So I tell him I'll call him back and instead I just PM him telling him no, I don't feel comfortable with the sale and I changed my mind.

He then PM's me back later accusing me more or less of auctioning the weapon, and says that "he's just the broker who found the sale and forwarded it to the buyer"

so now the story's changed from wanting it to accompany his full size SR40, haggling over price, to having a broken foot and sending his friend for me to PPT to so he can PPT to the buyer (so why did he haggle so much over the gas money if willing to pay for PPT twice?), to simply being a broker finding a sale for another buyer.

I didn't sell the gun to him (or his friend) and decided I had given up selling the gun completely. So I took it off list and here I am.

Was I wrong here, and did I do the right thing?

The last thing I want is a gun owned by me being used in a crime....

[BakerStBobby]

I don't believe you are wrong because you are following your instincts. Better safe than sorry. If I were in your situation, and the guy did and said the things you say he did and said...I would have walked away from the transaction as well.

[tradecraft]

I would have done the same. There are plenty of other uncomplicated buyers out there.

[clay32]

It may not have the exact symptoms of a straw purchase, but it sure sounds fishy, I would have done the exact same thing.

[verb1]

Sounds like typical conning to me. I would've canceled the sale, too.

[vintagearms]

Your not in the wrong. I would have done the same thing.

[kb58]

Yeah anytime the word "friend" pops up in a sales as I get real suspicious.

[notme92069]

Definitely not worth the trouble. There is always another buyer somewhere.

[keenkeen]

Once the buyer starts to give "stories" it gets to complicated for me...

Cut them loose and find a buyer without the baggage.

With all the types on this site I am sure they will think you are "auctioning"...who cares, you don't need their business anyway.

[Dark Sky Solutions]

So I fully agree with your decision. It I your gun and if your instincts said something is fishy then go with it.

I do have a question though. If his"friend" was doing the ppt he would get a background check right? It would be a totally legal transaction on your end. Did u make the decision on your morals? If so no worries. What I understand of the situation is u would have been legally in the right.

[RazzB7]

I think you did the right thing. If it didn't feel right, it didn't feel right. You don't need any more justification than that, IMHO.

[Mossy Man]

It was not a new member but he was not well established either

[gl0ckc0ma]

Wait I dont get it.

Who cares who buys it, even if he sent his neighbor. The person your DROSing to is the person your DROSing to, as long as I get my asking price, I could care 2 ****s to who it is. IMHO it is up to the state (DOJ) to figure if he is not worthy or unable to qualify for a firearm, not mine.

I have buddys that will sometimes tell me what firearms they are interested in when were shooting the **** about guns, and if I see a good deal on here, I will let them know and even PM or make a phone call to hook them up. I see win/win. seller gets a buyer and my buddy gets the firearm he wants.

This just doesnt make any sense to me.

[tileguy]

what a bunch of sissies. a person wanted to buy your firearm great you had it for sale didnt you. if the person purchasing it is legal to purchase it great, the deal goes through and if that guys wants to sell after he buys it from you who gives a darn. its his to sell.

[Mossy Man]

So I fully agree with your decision. It I your gun and if your instincts said something is fishy then go with it.

I do have a question though. If his"friend" was doing the ppt he would get a background check right? It would be a totally legal transaction on your end. Did u make the decision on your morals? If so no worries. What I understand of the situation is u would have been legally in the right.

I know the straw sales laws don't distinguish if the 2nd buyer is eligible or not. Its still illegal.

But thats for ffl not ppt.....my moral standing is that either way its the same concept and i dont want to contribute to any possible crime if i can avoid it.