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#1266065 - 10/15/17 09:01 PM VAis4GunLovers
76239 Offline
Marksman

Registered: 02/14/10
Posts: 203
Loc: Rappahanock
City or County: Rappahannock
I met with VAis4GunLovers after messaging back and forth for several days. He sold me a Krebs Custom 103K-S (modified Arsenal SLR107FR). I paid his asking price of 1650 without any haggling. He described the condition as “in amazing condition” and only "400-500 rounds through it". I drive 3.5 hours to Suffolk to meet for a FTF. I did a basic field strip during our meet and noticed a few nicks in the finish here and there, but nothing deal breaking. I pay, and we part ways.

Once I get home I do a complete, more detailed, strip of the rifle and I discover that the barrel has significant nicks and damage to the finish. Note, this wasn't visible unless you completely removed the handguards. The gas tube, recoil spring, and one of the trigger pins are not original. The gas tube is insanely tight, requires a death grip to remove by hand, and looks nothing like my other modern Bulgarian SLR pattern ones. The recoil spring assembly button is a grey/parkerized color, while every other Arsenal Bulgy recoil spring buttons I've owned/own are jet black like all the rest of the rifle. One of the trigger pins is a blued finish, and is slightly undersized in the receiver hole. Definitely not an OEM Bulgarian trigger pin.

So far none of this is absolutely deal breaking, but I wanted to point them out since I paid the price for what these rifles cost brand new in 2014. You shouldn't have to fix and/or replace anything on a premium $1650 AK rifle that was described as "amazing condition".

The deal breaker moment hit when I realized the original lower handguard retainer ring was completely removed. This is a permanent modification and it was not disclosed at all. What is on there now is a aftermarket clamp retainer ring with allen screws. I am ashamed of myself for not catching it.

So I text VAis4GunLovers immediately to express my disappointment about most of the above, and he instantly responds with a long defensive text telling me I have no right to feel buyers remorse, and because I did not notice these things during our FTF that its too bad.

I would like to point out that VAis4GunLovers was very cordially and polite before and during our FTF. It was after he had the cash and when I expressed my disappointment that revealed his true character. Not one ounce of remorse about any of the above mentioned details. No kind of apology. Completely cold attitude, and deflected all the blame at me for not noticing during our FTF.

This negative feedback is not to attack him personally, but to make others aware of his business etiquette. He is a shady salesman, so make sure you carefully inspect anything he sells should you decide to do business with him. Once he has your money he doesn't care if you're satisfied, or if you discover something wrong that he didn't disclose.

I completely understand that I am also to blame since I should have looked the rifle over more detailed before agreeing to purchase. This is what happens when you trust the sellers ad description. I'm sure many others have had similar experiences. This was my burn experience on VAGT, and going forward I will tread more carefully and trust less. I've done business with so many people on VAGT over the past 7 years and have never once felt compelled to leave negative feedback for any of them until now.

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#1266269 - 10/16/17 12:23 PM Re: VAis4GunLovers [Re: 76239]
the cwa Offline
MODERATLY MONITORING MODERATOR

Registered: 02/27/10
Posts: 5662
Loc: Virginia
City or County: Prince George,23842
Message sent to VAis4GunLovers for response. Members not involved in this transaction ARE NOT to reply.
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#1266500 - 10/16/17 08:43 PM Re: VAis4GunLovers [Re: 76239]
VAis4GunLovers Offline
Marksman

Registered: 12/14/14
Posts: 301
Loc: Fairfax County
City or County: NoVA
Good Evening Chris,

Thank you for your message. I have to admit, I'm quite surprised at the negative feedback.

The rifle was as I described. As far as I'm aware, all of the parts on the rifle, aside from the safety, hand guards, and stock as well as the hand guard retaining plate were, in fact, standard for this Krebs model. I'm not sure what kind of coatings should be on the pins for a Krebs but again, I'm sure that these are all standard Krebs.

I did mention to the buyer when he came for the FTF that the way the rifle came to me was with the long Magpul handguard that I had pictured in the advertisement, and that I took that off because it didn't really look like what I think an AK should. (After the purchase when he complained via text about the retaining plate I text him that I thought that it was an MOE handguard, thinking MOE was the model number, but that was not before he took the rifle and was a simple mistake). Surely that would indicate that the original handguard retaining plate would not be there? The photos that you can see below are a link to the same featured on my ad show the removable handguard retaining plate on there also.



If he wanted a rifle that was an accurate copy of the Bulgarian original, then why get one that has been altered this way with the barrel shortened? You buy a Krebs because he takes an AK, and he makes it far better. The reason why the buyer paid the same price it was sold for new is because these items are very high quality and hard to find. Truthfully speaking, I think I let it go at a very reasonable price.

Before the buyer purchased the rifle, he field stripped it in front of me including the bolt to check if the numbers matched.

I'm not sure if he attempted to remove the gas tube, but he had every opportunity to do so. For him to say that the gas tube was not the original perplexes me because the whole rifle, including the gas tube was covered in the very distinctive and durable Krebs coating. So to me that would indicate that it is exactly how it was shipped from Krebs. I still can't tell the difference between it and the product ones listed online so I don't know what he is talking about.

This rifle became a Krebs rifle, after Krebs worked his magic on it, so to say it isn't like his other Bulgarian rifles isn't surprising. But there's nothing about it that suggests to me as the second owner (and first time Krebs owner) that it wasn't as Krebs had shipped it to the original owner.

The buyer did also inspect the rifle very thoroughly. The light was also very ample for him to see everything. I did not rush him in the slightest. I waited for as long as he needed to be sure that he wanted the rifle and I am certain he saw every part of the rifle because he looked very close.

I was very polite and friendly, I answered all of his questions and did not try to prevent him from examining the rifle at all. I did everything I should have and he took the rifle. I find it both odd and concerning that I'm now getting negative feedback after what seems like him being getting buyers remorse for spending so much on a rifle and he is now lashing out on here because I refused to give him a refund.

I will never again sell anything to this buyer again. This has not been worth the headaches.


Edited by VAis4GunLovers (10/16/17 08:49 PM)

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