GunBroker|Winchester Rifles|Forum|Winchester Collector

Gunbroker can be a very frustrating place, and they help to perpetuate a lot of fakes and deceit. One of the biggest problems is that they will not allow a seller to remove an item after it has been listed (helpful if there is misinformation in the listing). Also, once a bid has been placed, the title and description cannot be changed by the seller. But for me, the biggest problem is the fact that Gunbroker allows sellers to list an item as “as is”, with no refund given. I have fallen victim to trickery several times… the first was a 1903 Colt Hammer model that looked very nice in the photos, but arrived with a grip that was broken in two. It had obviously been dropped after the picture was taken. I returned it, but the seller sent it back to me saying that all sales were final. My loss. Another time, the bore on a Model 94 Winchester was described as “very good, 95%” When I got it, the bore was junk, with severe pitting, and a bulge in the barrel… looked like it had never been cleaned. I hesitated to leave negative feedback for both these sellers, for they would have retaliated against me with a negative.  (Ebay solved this retaliation problem by not allowing sellers to leave a negative for a buyer, a simple and elegant solution). Gunbroker can be a very dishonest forum, and so I certainly learned my lesson.

Yes, a seller may end or edit an auction at any time before there is a bid on the item.  I have done it when a rifle (not a Winchester) exhibited an issue after I listed it 

Also many items are listed by brick-and-mortar gun stores and are for sale over-the-counter simultaneously and become unavailable. 

I have had one major issue with an ‘as is, no refunds’ auction (1903 Springfield re-welded Drill Rifle palmed off as original and photographed so you couldn’t see the welds).  In that case, I contacted the seller and politely threatened a fraud complaint to GB and negative feedback.   He refunded my full purchase price and shipping. 

As a seller, I have invoked ‘as is’ once.  I sold a sporterized 1903, auction started at .01 and the rifle sold cheap.  The purchaser contacted me claiming a minor problem requiring $70 worth of gun-smith repair and wanted me to pay for it.   I reminded him that the rifle had sold ‘as is’ and for much less than I thought the rifle was really worth, BUT I offered to split the fee with him when it was done.  I never heard from him again.  No feedback either direction on that one.