| Who We Are, Why We're Doing This, and Other Important Stuff
My name is Manny Dela Cruz and I'm the founding member
of GunAuction.com. I originally came up with the idea of creating
a online auction website for guns after seeing other auction
websites on the Internet that dabbled in firearms. I wasn't
impressed with what was out there, and too many folks were trying
to charge big money for poor service. I also have a great love for
things that go bang and I spend a lot of time at the range. So I
figured it might be fun to create a website that catered to the
shooter, while providing a great public service!
A retired Navy Commander toting an MBA and law degree, Bob Lancaster has been a
key advisor and business consultant since inception. Bob's been living
and breathing guns for over 40 years. He's been to see the Elephant,
knows the importance of our 2nd amendment and has gone to the line
protecting it. An avid hunter, he is a member of the North American
Hunting Club, Ducks Unlimited and a life member of California Waterfowl
Association. Bob's two favorite sayings are "there's nothing so sad as
an unfilled tag" and "so many guns, so little time." A member of the
American Gunsmithing Association, the NRA and the CRPA, he reloads,
gunsmiths and deep-sea fishes as hobbies in the off-season. From 5 inch guns
to .17 Remington, if it goes bang, Bob's probably shot it.
Keeping our computers running, and generally wreaking havoc on our system otherwise,
Michael Wiederhold is our Senior Developer. If you've ever seen an error message
at GunAuction.com, Michael is most likely the root of it. Seriously, Michael is the
source of most of the really hard (but really useful) programming at GunAuction.com. As long
as we continue to supply him with an unlimited supply of Diet Coke, and a quiet office to
listen to his tunes, he'll keep plugging away.
I've pulled the trigger many times and I understand guns. I also
understand the hostile climate that many of us who like to shoot,
have to endure to perfect our craft. We at GunAuction.com believe
the Second Amendment is the "keystone" to the Bill of Rights, and we
put our money where our mouths are. We contribute on a regular
basis to pro-gun causes, and we vote a pro-gun ticket. Even in
the current hostile climate, we're not afraid to say, "We're gun
owners and members of the NRA!"
We're constantly striving to improve the site, so if you have any suggestions,
or a problem with our site, feel free to write us.
We're new at this, but we have a strong belief in constant
improvement, and we'd like you to be happy with the service.
Thanks for visiting and good luck!
Manny Dela Cruz - CEO
Is This Legal?
That's a question we get asked quite a bit. The answer, of course,
is yes. GunAuction.com doesn't actually deal in the transfer of
firearms. What we deal in, is the bidding process for those who
want to sell their firearms.
I'll give you an example: Let's say I want to buy a new gun from a
legally authorized dealer. I go in, fill out all the appropriate
paperwork, and pay my money. Then, after the end of my waiting
period (courtesy of the Brady Bill), I go in and pick up my new toy.
How is using GunAuction.com different? Well, you'll still have to go
in and sign papers, and go through the same legal process of
transferring ownership of that gun as if you were buying
the gun from the dealer (unless you're an FFL holder, yourself.)
But with a dealer, you're pretty well stuck with the dealer's prices.
You may shop around from dealer to dealer, but you usually don't get a
very good deal.
Buying something at auction gives you the opportunity to find that
something at a much lower price. Of course, that won't always be
the case. If something is really in demand, you might actually pay
more for that item when you buy it at auction. But the chances are,
if you're looking for something pretty normal, you're going to get
a great price for it.
You don't have the convenience of handling the firearm before buying
it. But a reputable dealer will let you return the weapon unused
for a refund, if it doesn't meet with your satisfaction. Of course
there are no guarantees, but with the ability to post a review
of the person you're purchasing from, you're a lot better off.
How are the transfers managed? If you win your firearm at auction,
you then find someone in your area who is an FFL holder. An FFL
(Federal Firearms License) holder is someone authorized by the Federal
government to manage the transfer of firearms. Most people who post
weapons at this site are FFL holders. Any store that sells firearms
(legally) is an FFL holder. They'll be able to manage the transfer
of your gun from the Seller to you. Of course, that means you'll have
to go find an FFL holder, but there are over 90,000 in this country -
we don't think that'll be a problem. Just visit your local gun store,
they'll know what you're talking about.
We're not going to "gild the lily" when it comes to the process.
It takes patience to wait for your firearm to show up at the dealer.
But going through the process of bidding on an item is fun, and you might
as well get a good deal for your money.
That's where we come in.
GunAuction.com Glossary
This is a glossary we've compiled for the sake of those who are unfamiliar
with GunAuction.com terms and phrases that might be used on the website. They
are in alphabetical order for your use. If you know of something that's
missing, by all means give us a holler.
Auction: I know you're shaking your head, but there are folks out there
that have asked this question. Yeah, I don't know what planet they're from, but
we're here to help. An auction, for those who need to know, is a methodology
whereby a Seller can present an item for sale and give Buyers the opportunity
to bid on an item/items. At the close of the auction, under the correct circumstances,
the item/items go to the bidder who is willing to pay the highest price.
Basic Auction: This kind of auction is called Basic because the item can be sold for the amount
the Seller lists the item at. It is also called a Non-Reserve Auction. For a more in
depth explanation of our Auction Styles, click here.
Best Offer Auction: This is an auction where the seller lists an item starting at a BuyItNow price,
and buyers can make an offer to the seller. For a more in
depth explanation of our Auction Styles, click here.
Bid: The amount of money you are willing to pay in a given auction, that
you've submitted as an offer in an auction.
Bid Increment: An amount the Seller specifies that the bid is increased by
every time someone bids on that item.
Dutch Auction: A kind of auction we run where the Seller can list multiple,
identical items and buyers are encouraged to buy one or more of those items. For a
more in depth explanation of our Auction Styles, click here.
Feedback Forum: An area where Buyers and Seller can leave feedback about each
other about the quality of their interactions and transactions. For more information,
click here.
FFL: Stands for Federal Firearms License. An FFL holder is needed in the
transfer of ownership of many types of firearms across state lines, and within
most states as well. If a Seller says that an "FLL is required", that means the
Seller won't transfer the ownership of that firearm to the Buyer without a valid
FFL holder on the Buyer's side to transfer the weapon to. Most gun stores
(of which all have an FFL) will manage the transfer of the firearm for a small fee.
Minimum Bid: The minimum amount you can bid on an item. It is usually the
current High Bid plus the Bid Increment.
Reserve Auction: A kind of auction we run where the Seller is allowed
to set a Reserve. For a more in depth explanation of our Auction Styles,
click here.
Reserve Price: The minimum amount the Seller is willing to sell an item at in
a Reserve Auction. The Seller has the option of choosing the amount the
item will sell for. Reserves are always set higher than the Starting Price.
Reserve Price Not Met/Reserve Price Met: An indicator, when an Reserve Auction
is displayed, of whether or not the Reserve Price has been met.
Starting Price: The amount the Seller would like the bidding in an auction
to start at. In a Reserve Auction, the Starting Price is always lower than the
Reserve Price. In a Basic Auction or Dutch Auction, the Starting Price is also the
amount the Seller is willing to sell the item at.
Auction Types at GunAuction.com
Basic Style Auction
Basic Style Auctions are auctions where the seller doesn't specify
a hidden Reserve price, and the Starting Price offered is a price the
Seller is willing to Sell at. So if a person places a bid in a Basic
style auction, the Seller is obligated to sell at that price. Proxy
bidding of the kind described by Reserve style auctions also occurs in Basic
style auctions, except that the proxy bidding kicks in immediately. Again,
Max bids are kept hidden while proxy bids placed by the computer and bids
beaten by a proxy bid are displayed.
Reserve Style Auction
We actually run a Modified Reserve Style auction. We differentiate
from a traditional Reserve Style auction in that our proxy bidding doesn't kick
in until after the Seller's reserve price has been met. All bids placed in a Reserve
auction are hidden until the reserve price has been met. After the Seller's reserve
has been met, proxy bidding kicks in, all bids are visible, and Max bids are kept hidden
while proxy bids placed by the computer and bids beaten by a proxy bid are displayed.
Dutch Style Auction
Dutch Auctions are initiated by a Seller that is auctioning two or
more identical items. What you bid is the per-unit cost with a quantity of
up to whatever the seller is listing. For example, if you bid $5 and list
a quantity of 3, you are offering to buy 3 for a total price of $15.
There is no proxy bidding or BuyItNow! in a Dutch Auction. And the
Starting Price offered is a price the Seller is initiatlly willing to sell at.
The Final Value Price in a Dutch Auction is the lowest common price for the full
quantity offered by the Seller that bidders are willing to buy the items at. For example:
if a seller lists 10 items for sale at $5 each, and the total quantity of items bid on
is just 8 at a price of $5.50, then the Final Value Price is just $5 - because not
all the items offered were bid beyond the initial starting price of $5. But if
someone bid $6 on the full quantity of 10, then the Final Value Price would be $6.
It's possible for the lowest bidder to reject a partial quantity, if they bid on 5 (for
example), but only won 2 or 3. In that case, the seller could offer the partial quantity
to any one of the non-winning bidders for the Final Value Price.
Winning bidders are determined first by the per-unit amount bid descending, then the quantity
descending, then the time a bid was submitted ascending. If a user goes back to increase his/her bid
amount, the date/time the bid is submitted shifts to the date/time of the new bid. At the end of a
Dutch Auction, only the winning bidders are notified that they've won. Sellers will be given a list
of winning bidders and their bids and quantities at the conclusion of the auction. If you are
a winner in a Dutch Auction, you will be sent an email by the AuctionBot notifying you of how much
you owe the seller, and how to contact the seller.
Best Offer Auction
A Best Offer Auction is an auction where the seller lists an item with a BuyItNow price,
and buyers have the option of either buying the item using BuyItNow, or then can make the
seller an offer. If a buyer makes an offer, the seller can either accept the offer, decline
the offer, or decline all offers and lower his BuyItNow price. The seller has a limited amount of time
to accept the buyers offer, or the offer automatically expires. That length of time is determined
by the buyer when he posts his offer. If the seller doesn't accept a buyer's offer, there are no
winners in the Auction. Just to be clear - if you make an offer, unless the seller accepts it, you
didn't win the item.
What's a Haggle?
If a Reserve auction ends without the reserve being met, the seller can start a Haggle with the
Final High Bidder, and the two can negotiate to see if a sale price can be found for the item. The Seller
starts by sending an offer to the High Bidder, and the High Bidder has 24hrs to Accept/Counter/Deny the
Seller's offer. If the High Bidder responds, the Seller has 24hrs to reply. If either party doesn't respond
within a 24hr period, the Haggle ends without a winner, and the Seller can relist the item for sale at Auction.
If either party accepts, the Seller is charged our Final Value Fee on the agreed-upon sale price, and the High
Bidder is named the winner of the item at the new agreed-upon price even if that price is lower than the
Seller's Reserve.
Haggles can only be conducted between the Seller and the High Bidder - if you weren't the
High Bidder, you can't participate in a Haggle for that item. High Bidders can request that a Seller start a
Haggle for a particular auction, but a High Bidder can't start a Haggle him/herself. (High Bidders are provided a link
in an email to request that a Seller start a Haggle. High Bidders can also request a Haggle through 'Manage My Bids' - but only
in Reserve auctions where the reserve hasn't been met, within 72hrs of the close of the auction.) Sellers can only start the
Haggle within 72hrs of the close of the auction - after that, the seller can only relist the item.
Penny Auctions
Penny Auctions are very exciting because bidders are enticed to bid by the possibility getting
something for a very low price. And the seller is pretty much guaranteed to sell whatever they're
listing.
A Penny Auction is a Basic auction that starts at one penny. That means no reserve, and the item
sells for whatever the price is at the close of the auction - even if it's just one penny.
We basically have two sets of Seller standards for Penny Auctioneers.
Penny Auctions
The staff of GunAuction.com must personally approve a Seller as a Penny Auctioneer.
The minimum criteria that a seller must meet before being approved as a Penny Auctioneer is rigorous
and involved in order to maintain the existing quality of sales at GunAuction.com. If you're interested in
becoming a Penny Auctioneer and:
| 1. You have at least 50 Positive Feedbacks...
2. You have less than 2% Negatives...
3. You've paid us at least $100 in fees... |
Once Qualified under the above criteria, a Penny Auctioneer may list a Penny Auction under any category.
Here are the parameters a Penny Auctioneer's auction must meet when the auction is set up in order for it
to be a "Penny Auction" (If your auction meets all the following criteria, it will automatically be a "Penny
Auction" and you don't have to do anything else!).
| 1. The Auction must be a "Basic" style Auction.
2. The Auction must start at a penny. |
You can still use any Special Features you'd like.
Firearms Category items will show up in our special category Penny Auctions - Firearms
on our Home Page. All other categories will show up under our special category Penny Auctions - Non-Firearms
on our Home Page.
Contact Bob Lancaster at Bob@AuctionArms.com for further information. Only Firearms
Penny Auctioneers are required to go through an approval process.
What is the 3-Day-Inspection-Period?
When a Seller sells a gun, the Seller is required to give the Buyer at least three business days after
the date of receipt by the Buyer's FFL to inspect that firearm. If during the 3 Day Inspection Period, the
Buyer decides to decline the sale, the Buyer can return the gun for a full refund. The Buyer must contact the
Seller by telephone to notify the Seller of his/her decision to return the gun, and pay for return shipping,
insurance and any other fees related to the return of that gun. The Buyer may return a firearm for any reason.
For full details of the return policy, please review our
Terms and Conditions.
What is the 10-Minute Rule?
The 10-Minute Rule refers to what happens when someone bids in the last ten minutes of an auction. For Basic, Reserve, and Dutch auctions, when someone bids
in the last ten minutes, the auction is extended another ten minutes to give everyone the opportunity to bid in that item. The 10-Minute Rule does not apply
to BuyItNow, Store Items, Best Offers, or Haggles.
What browser is supported by AuctionArms.com?
Currently, AuctionArms.com is best seen using Microsoft's Internet Explorer 6 with all the lasted patches and security updates, and with
Adobe Flash installed. Javascript should also be enabled.
You should also be able to use AuctionArms.com with Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7 without any problems - though this particular browser
hasn't been completely tested at AuctionArms.com.
Use of any other browser with AuctionArms.com is not supported, and though AuctionArms.com was developed with a eye towards an open standard,
and many other browser types should function without issue, any difficulties that develop with their use are not supported.
Non-Gun Related - Fibber McGhee's Closet
If you consider yourself an 'Old Timer', then you probably remember the old radio show 'Fibber McGee and Molly',
that ran from 1935-1959 on NBC. There was a set piece where whenever Fibber needed something, he would run to his
closet, open the door, and a bunch a stuff would fall out (depicted by the sound of many falling objects). Then
he'd reach in and find what he needed.
We liked the idea of a closet full of sundry items, a veritible cornucopia of non-gun related items. Also, I spent
a lot of time in an Irish Pub in San Diego during my days in the Corps called 'McGhees'. So we merged the idea behind
the radio show with the name of my favorite bar to produce our latest masterpiece. (The creative process in action -
I'm not claiming it's pretty - just that it works.)
Fibber McGhee's Closet replaces the old 'ZZZ - Other' category that was meant as a catch-all for such items. But unlike
'ZZZ - Other', all forms of auctions are available to be used. You can set your starting price at whatever, and even run
a Reserve Auction if you like. All normal GunAuction.com rules and regs apply.
Any seller can also list a Penny Auction in the "Fibber McGhee's Closet" - you do not have to be pre-qualified. BUT you
may not list firearms in in this category. All auctions created in this category that start at a penny
will be "Penny Auctions" and will have the Penny Auction symbol.
BuyItNow!
BuyItNow! is a feature a Seller can specify during the auction
creation process where that Seller can name a price he/she
is immediately willing to sell at. BuyItNow! itself doesn't cost the seller
anything to use, but if an item sells using BuyItNow!, then that seller
will be charged the normal Final Value Fee for that item.
If the bidding meets or surpasses the BuyItNow! price in a Basic auction, or if the bidding
meets or surpasses the BuyItNow! price in a Reserve auction, BuyItNow! automatically becomes
disabled for that auction. If a bidder decides to use BuyItNow!, that auction
is immediately closed and the bidder is named High Bidder of that item at the
Seller's BuyItNow! price. As with all our auctions, there is no Bid
Retraction available for BuyItNow! If you agree to BuyItNow!, make sure you're
willing to purchase the item.
What is a (*** HIDDEN ***) Bidder?
A (*** HIDDEN ***) bidder occurs in Reserve auctions where the reserve hasn't been met.
The identity of the bidder is hidden until the reserve is met. It is not something
either the Seller or Bidder specifies, but is an automatic feature of the site.
What are Featured Auctions?
A Featured Auction is an auction where the seller pays a premium to have his/her listing
appear at the head of any list of items at GunAuction.com. So if your auction for a Winchester .30-06
is a Featured Auction, and someone searches in Rifles, your auction will appear ahead
of other rifles. It's a good feature for highlighting your item.
Proxy Bidding
Proxy bidding is an automatic feature of Basic and Reserve style auctions.
When you place your max bid, if it's higher than the current high bid plus
the bid increment, you're max bid will remain hidden until the proxy needs
it to outbid someone else. This process of outbidding someone until your max
bid is met is called proxy bidding.
Proxy bidding utilizes the money left over when you submit a max bid, and are
the high bidder on the item with a high bid of less than your max.
For example: you see someone has a high bid of $250 on that nice rifle you've
always wanted, so you place a max bid (the
max you're willing to pay for that rifle) of $450. Well, you outbid their posted
high bid of $250, but a proxy bid is submitted on their behalf of $470 (which
also happens to be their hidden max bid). You just got outbid by proxy.
If you were to submit a bid larger than their $470 (say $510), and assuming the
Bid Increment is just $10, you will become the high bidder with a bid of $480.
The difference between your hidden max bid and your current high bid is used by
the proxy to defend your standing as high bidder.
Proxy bids can be placed on your behalf (until your max bid is
reached) throughout the entire auction. Proxy bidding frees you from having
to keep track of the auction, keeps your costs down by placing the minimum
bid necessary to win, and prevents you from being outbid at the last minute,
unless someone places a max bid that is higher than yours. You will be
notified at any time that you've been outbid, or at any time a proxy bid
has been placed for you. In case of a tie for high bidder, the earlier
bid takes precedence.
WARNING: PROXY BIDDING DOES NOT KICK IN ON RESERVE AUCTIONS UNTIL AFTER
THE RESERVE HAS BEEN MET. Proxy bidding is an automatic feature of the site, and
it can't be disabled. If you submit a max bid, and your high bid is lower than
your submitted max bid, you're still responsible for any proxy bids submitted on
your behalf up to, and including your max bid. Proxy bidding is also not available
for Dutch Auctions.
Bid Increment
The Bid Increment is the minimum amount your bid must be increased by, above
the current high bid, to be submitted legally. The Bid Increment is set by the seller, and is a
fixed number for the duration of the auction. Proxy bids are increased by the bid
increment, except in cases where the bid increment is not a factor of the
max bid. In other words: It's possible to be outbid by just $.01 if you're being
outbid by proxy - the proxy won't adhere to the bid increment if the high bid plus
the bid increment is greater than the max bid.
I got outbid by less than the bid increment?
The Bid Increment is the minimum amount your bid must be increased by, above
the current high bid, to be submitted legally. That's submitted by you. But you
can be outbid by less than the bid increment IF someone has placed a max bid
that is not evenly divisible by the bid increment AND you're trying to outbid them.
For example: You see an item with a current high bid of $100 and the bid increment is $10. You
submit a bid of $110 at the last minute to try to outbid the current high bidder, but the person who
you're trying to
outbid has a hidden max bid of $110.01. (You can submit a bid that isn't evenly divisible
by the bid increment.) Your bid gets accepted but you get outbid by proxy by $.01 - and you just
ran out of time because you submitted your bid at the last minute.
It's also possible to be outbid by less than the bid increment if someone submits a max bid that
isn't evenly divisible by the bid increment, and the person they're outbidding has a hidden max
that's less the theirs.
For example: You see an item with a current high bid of $100 and the bid increment of $10. You
submit a bid of $110.01 but the person you're trying to outbid has a hidden max bid of $110. A
proxy bid of $110 for the person you're trying to outbid will be made, and then your bid of $110.01 will
be accepted as high bid of $110.01. You outbid that person by $.01 - legally.
Lessons to be learned? Primarily, don't wait until the last minute to submit your bid, don't restrain your
bids to a number evenly divisible by the bid increment, and perhaps lastly, bid what the item is
worth - not what it takes to win. It's a lot easier to defend your high bid with a proxy bid than it is
to keep submitting bids at the last minute to stay on top.
I'm not getting any email from GunAuction.com - why?
Due to the nature of the items for sale here and for security reasons, it should go without saying that you should
have sole access to your email, and consequently sole access to your GunAuction.com account. There are a variety of
reason why you might not be getting email from GunAuction.com. First and foremost, do
we have your correct email address? You can verify this by going to the
User Admin Page. If have your correct email address,
the next question you might ask is whether or not you've got SPAM filters engaged on your email client that are inadvertantly
filtering all GunAuction.com email. There are so many different SPAM filters potentially in use,
that it would be impossible for us to tell you how to make that determination. However, you
should be able to contact your ISP and have them figure it out.
If those suggestions don't provide any clues as to why you're not getting email, your next stop is to contact your ISP. Maybe
they have a system-wide SPAM filter that is causing the problem, or maybe you're having a problem with your email account
that you don't know about. In any case, should you have a problem that you want to contact us about, please use
the email address that you registered with us. That will go a long way towards helping diagnose any email problems
you might be having.
What is a Watch List? How do I use it?
When you auction an item, you can keep track of it's progress by using 'Manage My Auctions'. When
you bid in an auction, you can keep track of it using 'Manage My Bids'. If you haven't participated
in an auction, you can keep track of it using your 'Watch List'.
There is a link on the item display
page that says (put this auction on my Watch List) and has a set of glasses next to it. When you click
on it, you're prompted to enter your nickname and password, after which the auction will be added to your
Watch List.
You can view your Watch List by using 'Manage My Bids' and then by clicking on the 'View
Watch List' button that appears at the bottom. Items appear on your Watch List in the order which they close,
starting with the most recent. Items will remain on your Watch List for one week after the auction
has closed.
How do I contact the seller of an auction?
See the seller's nickname in the auction? Click on it....
Can I sell guns online?
Absolutely. GunAuction.com has been around for over eight years, and what we do is perfectly
legal and on the level. Firearms law is not concerned with how a buyer or seller contact
one another or negotiate a purchase price. Firearms law is only concerned (rightfully so)
with the mechanics of how a gun changes ownership. It's perfectly legal to list a gun for
sale in a newspaper, as long as you correctly comply with local, state and federal laws regarding
the actual sale (method of transfer) of the weapon.
GunAuction.com brings buyers and seller together (over the internet) and gives them a way to
find an agreeable price for product (through an auction format). As long as you comply with local,
state, and federal law regarding how that weapon is transferred from the buyer to the seller,
it doesn't matter if you meet the person at a gun show, through a magazine or other print medium,
or online over the internet.
If you're going to transfer a weapon across state lines, there must be at least one FFL involved.
FFL stands for Federal Firearms License, and it's someone who's gone through the laborious process
outlined by the BATF for becoming licensed by the Federal Government to legally deal in firearms.
While not all transactions require an FFL, it's best to check with someone locally who has an FFL
to get the full scoop on how to properly transfer ownership of firearms, whether the transferee is
a close relative or a complete stranger from out of state.
All gun shops have at least one FFL to legally transfer their guns, so going to your local gunshop
is a great idea to get more information on how to transfer a firearm. GunAuction.com has an FFL
Network where you can find an FFL holder locally who is willing to transfer a firearm for a small
fee. These same folks should also be happy to answer any questions you have regarding the transfer process.
How do I become a seller?
In order to become a seller, you must first Register.
In order to be a seller at GunAuction.com you must be over the age of 18 and have a credit card. You
must also agree to follow all GunAuction.com Terms and Conditions
Click here to become a seller.
How do I list an item for sale?
You must first become a seller.
After you've become a seller, it's best to start by taking pictures of your item. We recommend that
you take those pictures using a digital camera, and be familiar with the process of getting those
pictures from your camera to your computer. We can't explain this process in detail, as it's different
for every brand and make of digital camera. Suffice it to say, that the pictures should be on the
computer that you're using to list the item with.
Once you have your pictures together, you can start the auction listing process by using the
Sell an Item link at the top of every page.
Details instructions are included in that process to help you along.
What is 'My Pictures'?
'My Pictures' is a utility used to place pictures in your auction. Posting an auction is a two step
process at GunAuction.com. First, you list the item for sale. This involves
creating the auction by listing things like the manufacturer, your description, and the amount
you'd like to sell the item for. Then you use 'My Pictures' to upload the pictures of those
items to GunAuction.com, and assign those picture to their auctions.
We recommend that you take those pictures using a digital camera, and be familiar with the process of getting those
pictures from your camera to your computer. We can't explain this process in detail, as it's different
for every brand and make of digital camera. Suffice it to say, that the pictures should be on the
computer that you're using to list the item with.
At the top of 'My Pictures', you'll find two buttons - one that says 'Upload Pictures', and another that
says 'Upload Pictures - New'. We strongly recommend that you use the 'Upload Pictures - New' button,
as it's about ten time fasters than the old method of uploading pictures - and ten times easier.
'Upload Pictures' - otherwise known as the 'Old Stinky Method of Uploading Pictures'. This page has
ten slots on it, each with a 'Browse' button that you individually browse through your computer for each
picture, then submit to GunAuction.com. GunAuction.com does nothing to the photos until after
the pictures are uploaded to the site. After being uploaded, the pictures are resized to 700 pixels
wide, and they will appear in 'My Pictures'. This method, while reliable, is quite slow and will take some
time - so have some reading material handy.
'Upload Pictures - New' is the new hotness!!! Your first time pressing this button, you'll be prompted
to download and install an ActiveX control from Aurigma, Inc. After doing so, a slick little GUI (that's computerspeak
for Graphical User Interface) will appear. This GUI looks remarkably similar to Windows Explorer, which should make
it quite easy to use. The left pane should contain a list of all your drives, your 'My Documents' folder, etc'.
The right upper pane will contains a list of all the pictures in whatever directory you've selected in the left pane. The
upper right pane will only display images files that are in the .GIF or .JPG format, but you can change how those files
are displayed by the dropdown list above it. Thumbnail is the default. If you place your cursor over
an image, you'll notice a rotate icon appears in the lower left and right of each thumbnail. You can use these icons to
rotate your images 90 degress left or right. Pressing an icon twice will rotate the picture a full 180 degress.
Also, there's a description link below each thumbnail. Clicking that link will permit you to change
the description of that picture, which will be uploaded and kept with that picture in 'My Pictures'. If you don't change
the description, the original file name will be used as the the description of each picture. This is important,
because if you'd like to specify an order to how those pictures will appear in your auction, you either need to update
the description, or make sure each image name has a sequential number in it. Ex: Filename1.jpg, Filename2.jpg,
Filename3.jpg, etc...
The lower right pane is the list of files to be uploaded. You can use the buttons in the upper right pane to select
the files you'd like to upload, or you can drag-and-drop the files from the upper right pane, to the lower right pane.
As you add files to be uploaded, there is a meter above the left pane that tells you how big your collection of pictures
is.
After you've select your pictures and click the 'Upload' button, three things will happen. First, each picture will automatically be
resized to 700 pixels wide BEFORE uploading to GunAuction.com. This is important because a resized image is about a tenth as big as the original image,
meaning that your upload will take about a tenth as long as the 'Old Stinky Method of Uploading Pictures'. I don't know
about you, but a tenth the wait time to do an upload is always better... The second thing that happens is a watermark
that says 'AuctionArms.com' will be added to your picture in the lower left corner. The watermark is not optional.
Sorry, it's an important security feature. The third thing that happens is the resized and watermarked picture is uploaded
to GunAuction.com. A progress meter will appear with an approximate estimate of how long the upload is going to take. After
the upload completes, an 'Upload Complete' button will appear, and you'll automatically be redirected to 'My Pictures' where
you'll be able to see your pictures.
Once in 'My Pictures' you can select the auction that you've created from a drop-down list at the top of the page, and then select
all the pictures of that you're going to include in that auction. After you've selected your pictures, click the 'Add to Auction'
button and your selection will be listed. If you don't already have a thumbnail included in that auction, you'll be given
the option of selecting a picture to use as a thumbnail. Not only will a thumbnail be generated to appear in the listings beside
your auction, the picture used to make the thumbnail will appear first in your auction. The thumbnail is a special feature
that costs a mere $0.50.
After the pictures are added to your auction, they are automatically removed from 'My Pictures'. You do have the option of protecting
a few pictures, and you will not have the ability to either delete these pictures, or remove them by adding them to an
auction - unless you unprotect them. IMPORTANT: If you protect a picture, add it to an auction, then unprotect and delete
that picture - you will also remove that picture from the auction! Take care with the Delete button, as it removes the picture
completely from GunAuction.com - not just from 'My Pictures'.
How do I include pictures in an auction?
The easiest way to add pictures to your auction is to use
'My Pictures'.
How do I manage my auctions?
At the top of every page is a link called 'My Auctions'. If you are a seller, clicking on
this link will take you to a page that list all your active auctions. There is special information
in 'My Auctions' available only to you, that helps you keep track of the activity of your running
auctions.
Included in your list of auctions is your pricing information, including BuyItNows and Reserve
prices, status on how many people have put your auction on their Watch List, status on how many people have
looked at your auction (if you've purchased a counter), and whether your item has sold. There are also links
for Closed Auctions, Billing, My Pictures, Bulk Feedback, Bid Blocking, and the ability to edit open auctions.
How do I edit an open auction?
You can edit an open auction by using the
'My Auctions' tool. There will be an 'Edit This Auction' button on the right side
of your open auction. When you click on it, you'll be given a Change Auction form with your auction
already filled in.
You can change the Item Name, Item Description, State the item ships from,
URL for the picture, and category (with limitations) that the item resides in. (You can move items around
within gun categories and non-gun categories. But you can't move an item from a gun category
to a non-gun category - a vice versa.)
You can't change the Reserve Price, Starting Price, Bid Increment, or Quantity of the item - as
those numbers need to remain the same for the life of the auction. (Imagine how upset you'd be
if someone was moving your target around while shooting.)
How do I close an auction early?
While we generally frown on sellers closing their auctions early, you can do so by
using the
'My Auctions' tool. There will be a 'Close Auction Early' button on the right side
of your open auction. You can only close auctions early if there are no bids in it.
Please use this feature sparingly, as many bidders rely on the published
closing times to place their bids. You could be short-changing yourself. Again, if you
already have bidders in your auction, you won't be permitted to close the auction early.
What happens after my auction closes?
Immediately following the close of an auction, you will be sent an email that contains the winning
bidder's contact information - including an email address and phone number. The winning bidder
will also be sent an email containing your contact information. You must make contact with the
winning bidder within three days of the close of the auction. While it is the buyer's responsibility
to contact you, you must also make an effort to be available.
After contact with the winner, arrange to have payment sent to you, via whatever means you specify. GunAuction.com
strongly recommends either the ability accept credit cards, as it's very convenient, or a postal money order.
Regardless of whatever payment you accept, make sure that you've received payment and that it's cleared before
sending product to the winning bidder.
After you receive payment for the item, ship the item immediately. The sooner you get the item in the mail,
the happier the customer is going to be. Make sure you use a service that provides a tracking number for the package,
get that tracking number to the customer. This will allow both of you to see that the package makes it to it's
destination, and will remove any doubt in the buyer's mind that you're actually doing something. Make sure that you
insure the package for it's value - don't ship without insurance! In the unlikely event that something happens to your
package it will be you - the seller - that will be filing a claim. With insurance, you're only protecting yourself.
After the buyer receives the package, it's perfectly OK to ask the buyer to leave feedback regarding the transaction. Don't
badger the buyer for feedback, but make it clear to the buyer that it's something you'd like, and that you'll be leaving
feedback on the buyer. Regardless of whether or not you receive feedback, make sure you leave it. Along with statistics on
the feedback you get, your record for leaving feedback is also available - and that could affect your ability to sell.
In the event that the buyer isn't satisfied with the purchased firearm, all sellers are required to accept a return of the
firearm, and issue a refund - minus shipping and insurance costs. This return policy is only mandatory in the event the
item is a firearm. But any seller worth his salt would honor this policy for anything sold at GunAuction.com. As a
seller, you don't want negative feedback, because that kind of feedback can negatively impact future use of the site.
Should a return occur, don't worry - GunAuction.com will issue a Relist Credit for the sale, freeing you up to sell the item again,
free of charge.
How do I contact a High Bidder?
After your auction closes, we send an email to you informing you if the item has sold, if it has - who the
high bidder is. If you misplace the email (for whatever reason) you can still
get into contact with the high bidder by using the
'My Auctions' tool. After logging in, click on the 'Closed Auctions' button
at the bottom, and then find your closed auction. If you have a winner, the winner's nickname will
appear as a link in the auction. Clicking on it will reveal the buyers contact information, including
and email address and phone number.
How do I post feedback on a Buyer?
To Post feedback on buyer go to Manage My Auctions
and click on the button marked Closed Auctions.
Next to each auction you will see a number of links. One of those links will be "Leave Feedback". Clicking on
this link will bring up the Feedback Forum with most of the fields already filled in for you. Simply type in
your feedback and if necassary change the rating to reflect your opinion of this bidder. NOTE: to receive a
relist credit negative feedback must be posted for deadbeats, and neutral feedback must be posted for returns.
How do I place a bid?
To place a bid on an auction you must first be
registered. If you are registered and you have confirmed your
account you can place a bid by going scrolling to the bottom of the auction you wish to bid on.
You will need to fill out the following four fields:
- Enter your Nickname:
- Place your nickname or email address you registered with here:
- Enter your GunAuction.com Password:
- Type in your GunAuction.com password here.
- Enter your Maximum Bid:
- This is where you type in your actual bid. Note if you want to make a Proxy Bid make sure that
the auction meets the qualifications for proxy bidding first. In order to make a proxy bid the auction:
- Must have had the reserve price met or exceeded on a reserve style auction
- Must be a basic or reserve style auction. (proxy bidding does not work on dutch auctions)
To make a proxy bid simply bid higher than the The Current Minimum Bid.
NOTE: We do not allow bid retractions on GunAuction.com. Ask questions BEFORE you bid.
- Enter your Comments:
- This is an optional field and we put it in here in case folks wanted to have a little fun as they bid.
Please do not use this feild to try to set your own terms on the auction or to insult anyone.
How do I keep track of my bids?
After registering, and assuming your email address is correct and working, when you place
a bid, an email confirming that bid is sent to you, along with pertinent information
about the item you're bidding on. If you're the high bidder at the close of the auction
and the winner in that auction, you'll also be notified who the seller is, the seller's
email address, and your final price for the item. You can also keep track of your bids on
the site by using the
Manage My Bids feature.
If I didn't receive an email, can I contact the seller?
Yes. You can best contact the seller by going to the closed auction (through the
Manage My Bids feature),
and by clicking on 'Closed Auctions'. Once you're at the auction, click on the seller's
nickname, and an GunAuction.com Contact Form will come up.
How do I post feedback on a Seller?
To post feedback on a seller go to
Manage My Bids and click on the button marked Closed Bids.
Next to each auction you will see the link: "Leave Feedback". This will bring up the Feedback Forum
with most of the fields already filled in for you. Simply type in your feedback and change the rating
to reflect your opinion of this person. NOTE: The default rating is positive. If this seller treated you
like dirt you should probably change it to negative.
How do I protect myself from fraud before I bid?
Before bidding on an auction you may want to ask yourself the following questions
and consider the answers.
1. Does this person have any feedback?
If he has lots of positives you can be sure he is a legitimate seller and won't simply take your money. However be sure to check his negatives too to see what kind of person you are dealing with. Note: In this case you'll want to be looking for feedback as a result of selling an item. Positive feedback for a purchase doesn't help to determine if this guy can be trusted as a seller.
2. How long is the auction posted?
We have found that those wishing to commit fraud will list items for a short amount of time, often only 1-3 days. This allows him to get his money as soon as possible and reduces his chances for exposure. If this is a short auction it may warrant a bit more scrutiny.
3. Are there no pictures or is the picture stolen from another auction?
Those unscrupulous individuals intent on committing fraud never take their own pictures of guns because SUPRISE they don't have any guns for sale in the first place! That's not to say that having no pictures is necessarily bad. Just check the seller out a little more closely before you bid. Comparing the auction to the other items on this list is a good way to do that.
4. Is the item described well?
Make sure that the item has an actual description. Does he describe the bore or the action? Does he say how much use the item has had? Does his description match his picture? A description that basically states that it's a great shooter is no description at all.
Opinions on the TYPE of gun are useless unless they are coupled with an accurate description of the weapon actually being auctioned.
5. Is the price too good to be true? Does this seller have a large number of items with prices that are well below their normal selling prices?
When a person falsely lists an item for sale he doesn't really care if he gets full price because, again he isn't really selling anything. Low prices don't always mean fraud but drastically low prices warrant a closer look before you bid. Ask the seller about the weapon in a case like this. The more difficult and technical the question the better. If you don't get a reply it would be wise to pass on this auction.
6. Is the seller offering unreasonable or unusual features?
Lets face it, the sellers on GunAuction.com are generally not just here for the fun of it. They
are good people trying to make a living or at the very least enjoying a hobby. Nobody is here to lose money. So when folks offer things like 10 day inspection periods and totally free shipping it warrants a closer look.
7. Can and does this seller answer questions in a timely, courteous and technically proficient manner?
Asking questions about the bore, finish and functionality is one of the best ways to screen the good sellers from the bad. Most sellers wishing to commit fraud won't bother answering and in that case it may be best to move on. Asking for a serial number is another good way to verify the weapon is for real. Again the more difficult and technical your questions the better, make sure this seller knows what he is selling.
If the answers to these questions leave you with a bad feeling let us know by shooting us an email at theheat@auctionarms.com
How do I protect myself from fraud if I have already won an auction?
There a number of things to keep in mind before sending your money to a seller that has little or no feedback for selling.
- How does the auction hold up against these 6 questions?
- Does he have feedback for selling? (does he have negative feedback for deadbeat bidding)
- Was the auction posted for only a few days?
- Were there pictures?
- Is there a detailed description of the item?
- Was the price way too good to be true?
- Is the seller offering unusual percs like a "10 day inspection period"?
- Has this seller answered questions about the weapon in an acceptable manner?
- Make sure and get a valid phone number for the seller. If he gives you a fake one contact us immediately and we'll look into it. You are not required to complete any sale in which the seller or an employee of the seller does not make himself available for a phone conversation.
- Verify the seller's name and address. If you get a bad feeling about an auction contact us and we can check the name the seller wishes to have the check written out to, against the name on his AA account.
GunAuction.com is a safe place to do business on the net. Help keep it that way by keeping your eyes open for those wishing to make a mess of our website and take your money. You can alert us to any breaches of the GunAuction.com peace or attempts at stealing your money by sending us an email to theheat@auctionarms.com
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