|
Even a badge doesn't mean the guy is on the up & up, I have a ham radio guy near me that is also an officer and he has a great deal of bad/rip-off history, most police are very good sources, and just because someone says they are a police officer doesn't mean they actually are, occasionally there is a bad apple.
I like to get as much info about a seller as I can, land line phone numbers were mentioned, use one of the many "reverse lookup" sites to run the number through and see if they are the actual registered owner of the number.
Google their email address, name, home address, their actual base IP internet address can be very valuable.
I like a picture of the item with a distinguishing item in the pic, say him holding the item in front of his face, and close ups of the item, the face pic will run off many badguys quickly, they don't want their face involved, but the could get someone else to pose, it does prove one thing though, that they actually have the item.
Google will return many phone numbers with addresses.
Serial numbers are a great source of info as well, call the manufacturer and ask about the serial number, they may tell you that item wasn't stainless as it is being advertised, that would be a deal breaker, and don't forget a pic of the serial number, they are often difficult to get clear images, but a serious seller should be happy to take the extra time, though some folks don't like to send serial numbers, bad guys can probably find a use for them.
Just a few ideas, get creative, it will greatly limit your exposure to rip-offs!
|