Gun Show Ethics - What Would You Do?

Great work. But in your case you were the person who was aggrieved not some bystander who wasn't part of the transaction.

What's being discussed here is whether some know-it-all at a gun show who goes around eavesdropping on complete strangers should take it upon himself to intrude if he overhears something that offends his over-active sense of social justice. It isn't a life and death issue, oppression, serfdom or any other matter more serious than someone who doesn't know what he's doing being out a few hundred bucks on a gun.

The holier-than-thou who are still determined to intervene and intrude based on their own set of "values" should also be the very last people to complain when the government does exactly the same thing for the same reasons to gun owners. Interventionism at gun shows and intervention by government share the same basic desire to impose your values and viewpoints on another person whether they want it or not.

Tis true, but in this situation, I felt it appropriate to warn others so they didn't get scammed by this guy, felt it was similar enough to merit adding it.
 
Tis true, but in this situation, I felt it appropriate to warn others so they didn't get scammed by this guy, felt it was similar enough to merit adding it.
It is very appropriate to share your experiences but they were your experiences of which you had direct knowledge and involvement.

Fair enough, removed from my post.
Thanks. I've reflected your edit in my post.
 
Approach the table and ask where they got the repro scope and mount. You picked up an SVT40 for 299 at crappy tire and want to scope it.
 
The guy who said I worked at a gun shop doesn't know what he's talking about. I have not and do not work at a gun shop.

Feel free to PM if you want additional information.

Have you noticed that opinion is tipped the other way from you just a tad?
Ever heard the saying " If you run into an *sshole in the morning...you ran into an *sshole. If you run into *ssholes all day long...you are the *sshole "?
Perhaps rethinking your position and fading back from the post might be a thought. But if you feel the need to continue, good luck...you likely will need it.
 
Have you noticed that opinion is tipped the other way from you just a tad?
Ever heard the saying " If you run into an *sshole in the morning...you ran into an *sshole. If you run into *ssholes all day long...you are the *sshole "?
Perhaps rethinking your position and fading back from the post might be a thought. But if you feel the need to continue, good luck...you likely will need it.

Tee-hee.......

GGG(SJW)
 
If I see someone getting burnt I'll say something face to face. Had my bell rung a few times for my trouble, rung a few myself. Would do it again in a heart beat.

Always liked this quote from Kingdom of Heaven,

"Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong. That is your oath."
 
Have you noticed that opinion is tipped the other way from you just a tad?
Ever heard the saying " If you run into an *sshole in the morning...you ran into an *sshole. If you run into *ssholes all day long...you are the *sshole "?
Perhaps rethinking your position and fading back from the post might be a thought. But if you feel the need to continue, good luck...you likely will need it.
Weaklings follow the crowd and let their opinions be swayed by those who appoint themselves holier than thou.
 
It is very appropriate to share your experiences but they were your experiences of which you had direct knowledge and involvement.


Thanks. I've reflected your edit in my post.

So in your opinion it is perfectly okay to fraudulently represent a product? And its up to the buyer to know everything about anything they ever want to purchase?

You realize it's illegal to make false, misleading, or deceptive representations right? An example of that would be: "A representation that the goods or services are of a particular standard, quality, grade, style or model, if they are not." Which means selling a regular svt40 as a sniper is illegal, and you'd rather the seller get away with scamming people and breaking the law...
 
I've seen this at every gun show I've attended. Some guy had a badly bubba'd SKS in a tapco stock with one of those perforated metal handguards, front sight and bayo lug crudely cut off and barely filed the burrs off, no real cleanup work, rusted bare metal, a hideous homemade muzzle brake crudely welded onto the barrel, no cleanup or finish over the now surface rusted weld, and topped off with a cheap dust cover scope mount and nc star scope. Had a tapco mag too and the entire this was scratched and scuffed all over like it lived on the floor of a boat or box of a truck. He had some poor guy interested at $850. I gave him a wtf look and walked away. I didn't want to hear what he thought his full wood No4 was worth. I routinely see scams like this and inflated prices on everyday stuff trying to cash in on sadly uninformed buyers that don't know better. I met the nice guys from Target Sports at a gunshow and had a pleasant chat and experience buying a nice Chinese SKS for a mere $225 and half a crate of Czech surplus for whatever it was, prices were right inline with current retail minus any shipping charges. I even left my email address and they followed up with a request for some M1 clips that they hadn't brought to the show. Vendors like that I like. They were great to talk to and let the products more or less sell themselves with no BS or price gouging. Sadly though there are plenty of greasy scammers spewing a steady stream of colorful lies to really hose people. I mostly go to shows now to browse, look at all the guns and accessories and talk with other gun owners. I don't expect to find a worthwhile deal and keep my BS detector cranked to 11. Its not all bad but do your homework before you go. If you see something you think you want, go check it out on your phone or tablet if possible before you buy. Just to make sure you're not buying a $200 rifle for $350 or whatever the case may be.
 
So in your opinion it is perfectly okay to fraudulently represent a product? And its up to the buyer to know everything about anything they ever want to purchase?

You realize it's illegal to make false, misleading, or deceptive representations right? An example of that would be: "A representation that the goods or services are of a particular standard, quality, grade, style or model, if they are not." Which means selling a regular svt40 as a sniper is illegal, and you'd rather the seller get away with scamming people and breaking the law...

I'm no expert but it is my understanding that this would fall under civil law. Like when I bought a truck sold as all good but the seller bought it cheap with a slipping tranny and flushed it with fresh fluid and added some additive so it didn't slip during the test drive. A week later it started slipping and my only option was try small claims court which I had little chance of recovering anything from. It is legal to privately sell and fully misrepresent an item. Any disagreement is between buyer and seller and there is no law to protect you. Recourse is through the courts on your dime for legal assistance. It is a buyer beware kind of world unless you can afford a lawyer or effectively represent yourself.
 
I've seen this at every gun show I've attended. Some guy had a badly bubba'd SKS in a tapco stock with one of those perforated metal handguards, front sight and bayo lug crudely cut off and barely filed the burrs off, no real cleanup work, rusted bare metal, a hideous homemade muzzle brake crudely welded onto the barrel, no cleanup or finish over the now surface rusted weld, and topped off with a cheap dust cover scope mount and nc star scope. Had a tapco mag too and the entire this was scratched and scuffed all over like it lived on the floor of a boat or box of a truck. He had some poor guy interested at $850. I gave him a wtf look and walked away. I didn't want to hear what he thought his full wood No4 was worth. I routinely see scams like this and inflated prices on everyday stuff trying to cash in on sadly uninformed buyers that don't know better. I met the nice guys from Target Sports at a gunshow and had a pleasant chat and experience buying a nice Chinese SKS for a mere $225 and half a crate of Czech surplus for whatever it was, prices were right inline with current retail minus any shipping charges. I even left my email address and they followed up with a request for some M1 clips that they hadn't brought to the show. Vendors like that I like. They were great to talk to and let the products more or less sell themselves with no BS or price gouging. Sadly though there are plenty of greasy scammers spewing a steady stream of colorful lies to really hose people. I mostly go to shows now to browse, look at all the guns and accessories and talk with other gun owners. I don't expect to find a worthwhile deal and keep my BS detector cranked to 11. Its not all bad but do your homework before you go. If you see something you think you want, go check it out on your phone or tablet if possible before you buy. Just to make sure you're not buying a $200 rifle for $350 or whatever the case may be.

People charging outrageous prices is not scamming someone. If someone wants to buy a tapco sks for $800 then that's on them, but if the seller was trying to claim it's a sks-d THEN it's fraud.

It's the buyers responsibility to know what something is worth, but it's the sellers responsibility to accurately represent their product.
 
You're welcome to your opinion but I have to disagree.

People charging outrageous prices is not scamming someone. If someone wants to buy a tapco sks for $800 then that's on them, but if the seller was trying to claim it's a sks-d THEN it's fraud.

It's the buyers responsibility to know what something is worth, but it's the sellers responsibility to accurately represent their product.
 
So, when anti gunners misrepresent stats, lie about data, twist information, that is awful and evil and we should always rise above that, call them on their lies, and argue from a position of truth.

But at a gun show, dealers can lie, twist, and misrepresent items in order to earn more money on items that will never recoup that value, unless more lies are told, and we should just shut up and mind our own business.

Someone's just upset that his business model has been challenged.
 
People charging outrageous prices is not scamming someone. If someone wants to buy a tapco sks for $800 then that's on them, but if the seller was trying to claim it's a sks-d THEN it's fraud.

It's the buyers responsibility to know what something is worth, but it's the sellers responsibility to accurately represent their product.

I agree.

Asking a high price is fine - might be dumb, but fine. Asking a high price and justifying it with lies, is fraud.
 
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While we're on the topic of ethics, I trust that the OP will agree that where I'm about to go is fitting with his thread.
The EE...What in the ever loving name of morality can be said of individuals on the EE who put WTS items and do not honour an "I'll take it"!? Numerous times now I've run into this, where I've said I'll take it (no question on price), only the aspect of where the item is to be shipped to, how the payment is to be made etc, etc. But certainly in my world a tentative agreement. The agreement is that I will pay the seller $X amount for item Y and the seller has agreed...then sells to another (because more $ were offered, the location was more convenient for the seller, or on one occasion, the seller sobered up and changed his mind as to whether he was going to sell and completely reneged on the deal!)
Apparently, I'm not able to leave a negative trader rating to warn others that you are potentially dealing with an adolescent drunkard, or an honourless Philistine who could not properly define a gentleman's agreement if he had a gun to his head. So what's the answer? Am I being overly sensitive about people taking moments of my life's energy and discarding it in the street like a Tims Horton cup? Is it not appropriate to ear mark these sh1tstains for fear that others also fall into their manipulations?

*edit*...feel free to ask me how I know that canceling an EMT will cost you $5...Then expect me to ask you, who is it that owes me the $5?
From now on, am I to tell sellers that they have to sell $5 less in the event they back out of a deal?
 
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