Buyer beware - Shooters Investments NC

[Brian]

I am posting this review of a dealer who refuses to do the right thing. There is no liable issue, The facts are the facts. No name calling. You be the judge.

Shooters Investments of Raleigh, NC.

I recently had a high grade Browning shipped to my shop that a customer of mine wanted. He had me make the purchase.
Here is description from the website listing:
Collectors, shooters and hunters, this is hard to find combination Featherweight Superposed. It is the Continental Belgium made Browning with 20 gauge and 30-06 barrels. These were made on the light weight Featherweight platform. This one comes in its original box with manual. The 20 gauge barrels are 26in Mod and IC. The 30-06 barrels are 24in. This set has only light use with a couple minor marks on the stock. It will make a nice addition to any collection. I am selling this one on consignment and as such lay-a-way can’t be used. It does of course have the standard 3 day inspection. Shipping and insurance is $60 and please email me with any questions or larger pictures. (I now consign quality firearms @ only 10%! Let me know if you have any you would like to sell!) [14-0139]

http://shootinginvestments.com/Browning ... h=Browning Superposed continental

as you can see, no mention of any cracks in the stock. Says light use with only a couple of minor marks on the stock. Any reasonable person would expect a sound gun.

Price was agreed on and the gun was shipped to my shop. The day the gun was delivered, I inspected the box prior to opening as I do on all shipments. No damage, dents, scuffs . I pulled the wrapped buttstock out of the box and unwrapped it and inspected the buttstock. There was a crack in the wrist, small but there none the less. I immediately took photos and called Jay Barrington of Shooters Investments. He asked if I thought it was a new crack form shipment or an old one. I told him that it appeared to be an older crack. He said to return the gun. I did and it cost over $75.00 to return. Now there is a total of the gun cost plus shipping to me and return shipping. Shipping both ways was over $135.00. Jay refunded the purchase price only and no shipping. I emailed Jay and his response was that his policy is no refund on shipping. My customer paid the cost of the gun and shipping, I paid return shipping. Jay says that his policy doesn’t allow him to refund shipping. Jay admitted that he didn’t see the crack when he shipped it.












I told him that we are no taking about a difference in opinion on condition or whether the customer really likes the gun or not. We are talking about a gun that is broken and was broken before it was shipped to me. And now I have to pay shipping both ways. My customer wants all of his money back and Jay say he doesn’t have to pay return shipping nor reimburse the original shipping.

On Feb 2, 2015 8:57 PM, "Brian Perazone" <bpgunsmith@catskill.net> wrote:
Jay,
I received a check today for XXXX.00.
I am concerned that I was not reimbursed for the shipping.
I understand that if the return was due to my not liking something about the gun but having a stock cracked through the wrist , and as you said, you missed it, I shouldn’t have to pay for that mistake. Please advise if you are going to refund the shipping.
I sell on the internet also and if I shipped a gun with a structural defect and didn’t see it and the customer called and told me about it and wanted to send back, I would pick up the tab and refund the initial shipping.
I really don’t see how I shouldn’t get my shipping refunded. This was not an opinion on condition or I didn’t like the color of the wood, it was broken.
Please advise.
Brian
His response:
From: Jay Barrington [mailto:shootinginvestments@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2015 9:58 PM
To: Brian Perazone Gunsmith
Subject: Re: Browning issue
I qm sorry about this. I cant refund shipping for any reason...as you said the hairline crack was very hard to see and I certainly didnt know it was there. I am surprised you expect me to cover it especially on a used consignment gun .....I am again very sorry.
My response:
From: Brian Perazone [mailto:bpgunsmith@catskill.net]
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2015 10:22 PM
To: 'Jay Barrington'
Subject: RE: Browning issue

not even my initial shipping?
How is it my fault and I have to pay for some one else’s error?
The crack may have been hard to see but it was there. You shipped a gun that was not usable. How could I accept that?
You really aren’t going to hose me on the shipping are you?
Do you really conduct business this way?
If a dealer sent you a gun that you bought and it was like that, you wouldn’t want your shipping back?
His response after he initially would t even respond:
“See all my adds......return for any reason but shipping and dealer fees cannot be refunded....why is that hard to understand.....I sold 1200 guns last year with about 10 returned....no one else expected shipping to be refunded.”
I told Jay that if I sent a gun to someone under these circumstances; I didn’t see the crack, I would have refunded everything the customer paid and return shipping. The customer would t pay for the dealers mistake. If the customer knew the stock was cracked ,they never would have bought the gun.
Judge for yourself. Let Jay come on here and refute what happened. He cant. He just doesn’t want to do what’s right.
In my book, when you ship damaged goods, the end user isn’t stuck with the bill.
I would suggest being very careful when engaging in business with this person.

[Big Friend Ten]

Brian,

Thanks for the SITREP. I put that guy on my s**t list of evil sellers.

A gentleman would have refunded ALL your money and tried to do something extra for troubling you.

Mark

[Mike of the Mountain]

Brian, if his adverts do indeed say that dealer fees and shipping are non-refundable, then caveat emptor. That said, doing the right thing would be to return all your $$. If the gun was damaged in shipping, then it's not his problem, but if it was an existing defect (which it was) then it is his problem. "Gee, I missed it.", kind of like " I didn't see the posted signs Mr. Game Warden."

[Big Friend Ten]

."Gee, I missed it.", kind of like " I didn't see the posted signs Mr. Game Warden."

Or; How did I know she was married? I thought that she must have bought that 5 carat diamond on her ring finger!

[Fin2Feather]

Gotta agree with Mike; he states up front that shipping and dealer fees will not be refunded. I agree it's a crappy way to do business, and I would not order from him for that reason. The thing to have done was to ask the question "what if the gun is defective or not as advertised?" If he still stand by his policy, don't place the order.

[Mike of the Mountain]

BFT!!!!! Are you speaking from experience??

[Fowlgunner]

I just had the very same experience with a seller on Gunbroker.

I did not argue the point with him as it was obvious from his tone in the descriptions that he basically takes no ownership in what he handles or describes.

The description stated "Shiny Bore" he just omitted that it had been bent and then bent back poorly.

I did not bring up shipping in the conversation, although I did have to provide photo evidence of the barrel and packaging before he would give "Approval" to except a return.

I got an apology, but as I suspected no shipping refund either way and I had to give clearance to Gunbroker stating I returned the item for his fees to be refunded.

It just turned out to be a $50 inspection, a lot cheaper than traveling to Louisville or Tusla. LOL

[Fowlgunner]

Oh, I forgot to mention, Seller required "Positive" feedback to be left prior to accepting the return or any refund.

Maybe that should have been a hint! LOL

[eightbore]

Haven't heard from Brian lately. What's going on?

[Brian]

I emailed him back once more ; telling him he could have at least paid me the return fees. no response. he is not enough of a man to at least respond.

for some who say his conditions of sale are explicated and no refunds and I should have known that, consider this.
If you ordered a widget and the seller sent the wrong one and you called and told him so ad he said send back but you have to pay the freight both ways for his mistake. would you accept that?
this isn't a case of arguing over how much case color or % of blue.
Got it, would agree then that I eat what I have to . but the seller shipped an item that was not what I paid for. His mistake.
anyway, its water under the bridge. he has to look at himself in the mirror every day.