Did I screw myself?
 

About a month ago, I bought a pistol off someone on the forums (had nothing but good trader ratings). They told me it was in exellent condition, and it works perfectly. I went to meet up with him and checked out the gun (put a mag in and shot to make it worked, didn't know much about GBB Airsoft guns, basically checked it out as if it was a real pistol). Payed cash ($300, had a brand new chrome metal slide, making it full metal, and upgraded recoil spring, which is the only reason I payed more) to him and was on my way. Later, I noticed it wasn't shooting anywhere near where I was aiming so I tried to adjust the hop-up but because I'm new to the sport I took it to a gun doc to basically show me how. He opened up the gun to take a look at it and informed me that the hop-up was completely destroyed.

I've looked everywhere (including oversees) for a replacement KSC USP Compact Hop-up rubber but absolutly no one has them in stock. And after messaging them all, they told me they were discontinued parts (Pre System 7 usp).

So did I basically just buy a $300 paperweight?

Considering the price of a brand new in box System 7 USP... I'd say, yup

Right on.

I know this is dumb to say but...

people waste money all the time! You are now a much more informed consumer.


Also, I would imagine you could home-craft a fix for your issue.

Oh Im definatly going to be a smarter buyer now but pretty much staying away from the classifieds. And as for fixing my gun myself, unless I make my own hop-up, its not gonna do much.

I hate to say it but "excellent condition" and "working perfectly" are subjective ratings. Anyone who's selling something will often have the opinion that their gear is better than new.

Things like hopup rubbers or magazine lips are consumables. That pistol could have been running just fine the last time used, but then it could have been put away for months or years even prior to the sale.

Step one is pull out that rubber and post up a really clear macro photo in the Dr's orner. Ask for folks with Sys7 or NS2 pistols to compare to theirs. You may strike it really lucky and find someone near you with one to compare hands on.

Don't screw yourself twice. The classifieds can save you big money and/or make available rare items.

Just gotta know what to buy and when:D

Well when someone has alot of good feedback still screws me, I dont know what to really look for in terms of the classifieds. Expecially when the gun doc said that the hop-up (the way the condition was) must have been like that for a long time, and it was very noticable (me being new to the sport I didn't know what to look for)

Fair enough, just be aware...the classifieds aren't filled with people looking to rip you off.

In my experience.

If worst comes to worst there's a guy in Japan who can source out parts for you. I think all you need to pay is cost of part, shipping, and train fare (and maybe toss a couple hundred yen his way to buy a coffee or something).

Actually I think there's 2 guys but the second guy apparently only does so for friends and long time members or something.

When buying used items from the classified like guns, be prepared to have them either rebuild or tuned up as you'll never know what might happen. If you don't know what you're doing or don't have access to a gundoc, buy brand new.

Yup, thats the new plan

PM'd

To expand on this chain of events, the price you paid was very low for a pistol like that.

It's good to browse the sold items archive and get a feel for what's out there and what the market is before diving in.

Sometimes when a price is low it merely means that the seller is in a jam. Other times it's becasue there may be something unsaid in the ad that is reflected in the dollars on the table.

I dont want to buy ANOTHER usp expecially one where i'd just be taking apart.

Try looking around for a broken pre-system USP that you could use for parts?

'That's your best bet if the specific part is non-existant

what pistol are you looking for now?

I'm not looking for a pistol, just parts for this usp

Try posting in the WANTED section if you haven't already

Edit: If you want to fix your USP then why? http://www.airsoftcanada.com/showthread.php?t=123231

Welcome to the club of getting ripped off of people with "great" trader ratings. Although the person you bought your pistol off of only has 1 trader rating. My mistake was to NOT read the posters other ads to see that he's asked questions about the "broken" pistol he had sold me. I put "broken" in quotations cause according to him it wasn't broken. I guess you call a cracked outer barrel NOT broken. Anyway, I digress.

I would contact the seller and try to work out a deal with him as he's obviously mislead you. If that doesn't work, well that is what the trader rating system is for.

But he's getting out of airsoft anyway so what's the point eh?

Please don't paint the classifieds with a wide brush. I've purchased many items off of them and only been burned once.

Don't be quick to point fingers or start yelling either, the seller may not have known much about GBB pistols either.

I sold a KJW m9 to someone on here which I thought worked fine. He knew more about pistols than me, and apparently there were a few parts that had to be replaced, so I helped pay for them. Both parties left contented and with +1 feedback.

+1
I've only really had one kinda negative interaction off the classifieds out of the fifty transactions I've made, and the seller and I settled things acceptably.

Generally there's three things you want to look at when buying from the classifieds: Trader Rating, Post Count and Join Date. If the first is in single digits (or negative obviously), the second in single or low double digits and the last really recent or really old then avoid for major purchases, otherwise you're pretty safe. We're really quite good at self-policing around here. If someone gets a rep for scams they basically become a pariah. And since this forum is pretty much *the* gathering place for airsofters in Canada, being a pariah here means the scammer is out of the sport.

As to your purchase, try to talk to the seller. It may have just been an innocent mistake and he'll refund some or all of your money. If he won't then leave a negative review. Then get on the gundoc section of the forum and see if anyone has any suggestions on how to fix up your gun.

...Mmmm sure he had nothing but good trader rating... he has 1 transaction :rolleyes:

Hey I resent that. My join date may be fairly old but it's not like I charge outrageous prices for my stuff (granted I've only made 2 sales, and the rest were me buying stuff).

It's better to get a feel of the seller and how well respected they are. Granted Kuro Neko may be slightly right about some of his points and they are generally good indicators but don't only use those as indicators.

PS: As a rule I usually give people I'm buying from/selling to other contact info in order to contact me just incase. You should ask the same of other people you deal with. For example one transaction I did, I got slightly wrong info and I contacted the seller through their phone number to sort it out.

I have noticed also that people tend to sell perfectly working guns with just a problem ( usually not mentionned): hop up rubber needs to be changed soon and oh surprise, they're out of stock everywhere...


are USP hop-up and Glock hop similar? if so I have one KSC glock rubber available, pm me.

If it was a System7/NS2 USP then for sure it will be the same hop up rubber as the Glock (Sys7/NS2 is based off the KSC Glocks gas design).

Worst comes to worst Aquamarine *might* be able to source you a hop up rubber from one of the various small airsoft shops in Japan.

Otherwise if you're going to HK or know anyone going to HK there's always the shops on Kwong Wa street that have little doodads and random parts here and there if you (or your friend) are willing to look.

I would say look in the Dr.'s Corner also.

If the guy had 10 threads about what a piece of junk his new WE SCAR was and all the parts he broke just testing it out, and the a week later the gun is in the classifieds, "only 50 BBs", or "just backyard plinking" you can just move on to another ad.

No disrespect intended. If I was looking at a sales thread by you then I'd take a chance on you despite the somewhat low trader rating, just cause you've been around a long time and have a very good post count. That indicates to me you're active in the community and wouldn't risk your rep on a scam. I really only meant the join date is the clincher if both the other conditions are true. For example, if your post count was 5 instead of 2600+ in the seven years you've been a member then I'd be pretty suspicious. Even then I'd weigh the content of those 5 posts as well. Granted in that circumstance I'd definitely not take the chance on a $600 gun. But for a $50 vest or a battery or some mags or such I might.

That's a very good point, and something that I should really do more often.

Lol.... I actually forgot to "banana" those For Sale threads.... I just remembered when you mentioned that... I donated those textbooks and passed off that ski ticket to a friend. The other for sale threads where I actually sold stuff to members was a computer keyboard and some Nintendo DS accessories.

Meh, I have a pretty low opinion of non-BNIB guns from the ASC classifieds these days. I've been screwed on ALL of my non-BNIB gun orders (that weren't done in person) in some way or another (usually a detail the seller "forgot" to mention -like broken slide locks, etc.), including 2 AEGs that didn't even function -one I was unable to repair, and the other had to have the entire front end re-machined. All the sellers had 100% positive feedback as well.

For gear, ASC classifieds have been excellent. For guns, unless it's BNIB or from a very, very reputable person, I won't touch it.