Seeking Opinions on a Recent Kibler SMR Purchase Experience

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EC121 said:
As a heart attack.
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Interesting. It should be noted that I never actually took possession of the rifle. I was refunded before it was ever even shipped.

It’s curious to me the seller would drop the price by $750 for the sake of something that -according to him- was a non-issue. He maintained there was absolutely no problem up until the very end of our interaction.
 
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Am I the only one here that finds the seller’s actions dubious?

The whole time he maintained that the crack at the tang was so minute that it was hardly noticeable or noteworthy and he never offered me any sort of a discount whatsoever. I wonder if he’s in the habit of giving 50% off deals to his friends on perfectly good rifles?

Believe me… I’m not the least bit sore over the deal falling through knowing what I know now. The silver lining for me is that I got a rifle in which I feel the builder paid a great deal more attention and care to.
 
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EC121 said:
Your deal is over.
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Thank goodness, too! In hindsight, I’m thankful. I just can’t help but feel an extreme disappointment and even disillusionment that this guy I once looked up to is not the person I thought he was.

I think that what you’ve brought to light just serves to underscore the fact that his character and reputation are not as spotless as he would have one think.
 
Second-rate Marksman said:
Am I the only one here that finds the seller’s actions dubious?
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What’s so dubious? He disclosed to what could be a potential issue, he refunded your money, you don’t like the way he refunded your money……

Second-rate Marksman said:
he never offered me any sort of a discount whatsoever.
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Is this the problem, you wanted a discount by pointing out possible flaws but instead got a refund.

Second-rate Marksman said:
Surprisingly, the seller became upset and refunded my money immediately, even though I never requested a refund.
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You mentioned several days later when referencing viewing the pictures, probable he already moved on to a new buyer.

Second-rate Marksman said:
I didn’t want to name this individual for fear of the fallout that might follow. It should be noted, however, that he isn’t a “nobody” putting together Kibler kits on his kitchen table. He’s a rather well-known name in the community and is generally well-respected. He was by me, too, up until recent events. You would all probably be shocked if I name-dropped.
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Who is it? The people deserve to know.
 
wiscoaster said:
Sounds like everybody's happy. Would that have happened on Gunbroker?
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For the bad rap that Gun Broker gets, I can’t say I’ve ever had an issue. I’ve been buying and selling on the site for some 15 years or more.

Sure, it all worked out in the end, but the entire situation could have been avoided to begin with. It’s disappointing to think that I was sold a rifle with a defect that should have been disclosed beforehand. This guy’s not an amateur, after all… he’s supposedly been building rifles for decades! The refund was not instantaneous, and I’m still waiting for it to clear several days later. It’s just an aggravating experience all around.
 
Iceman said:
What’s so dubious? He disclosed to what could be a potential issue, he refunded your money, you don’t like the way he refunded your money……


Is this the problem, you wanted a discount by pointing out possible flaws but instead got a refund.


You mentioned several days later when referencing viewing the pictures, probable he already moved on to a new buyer.


Who is it? The people deserve to know.
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Some folks apparently don’t take the time to read the initial post, so I’ll recap:

The seller disclosed the crack at the tang a couple of days after I had already paid for the rifle. As I’ve already stated, I was none-too-pleased, but opted to continue with the purchase. It was after reviewing the photos on my computer (that were initially viewed on my phone) that I discovered an inclusion and what I still believe to be a second crack just forward of the lock. It was my inquiry about this that caused the seller to go off the deep end.

I never asked for a refund, nor did I expect one. I would have continued with the purchase at the agreed upon price if he could have assured me there wasn’t a second crack. If there was a second crack, you couldn’t give me the rifle. What I find so dubious is that the seller has now sold this gun for $750 less than what he offered it to me for. He adamantly maintained there was nothing wrong with the rifle to begin with, so why the steep discount? Who does that? This was not a used firearm. It was a brand new kit build.

I don’t understand what you mean about him moving onto another buyer. I had already paid for the rifle and was waiting for it to be shipped when I discovered the aforementioned possible second crack.

I’m not going to name drop. You’ve made awful light of the situation, so what exactly do you feel people “deserve to know”?
 
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This post is literally going no where. Let me sum it up Buyer - man I like that rifle, heres my money. Seller - I want you to be aware of a corrected fix. Seller- Ok no worries. Days later Buyer - drooling at pics wait what is this. Builder - Man this dudes a pain in the backside the sales not worth it to me (my take on it) here is your money back. Buyer- I got a full refund but I am offended by it, because he didn't communicate with me just refunded the money. But no worries I bought another rifle in same caliber and style from a different builder and am happy. Buyer - I think I'll make a post about it maybe I can get validation this way since the builder shut me down.
Moderator's can we please end this debacle. The OP has given a full refund. He got offended by refund. No one was taken advantage of. The OP bought the same version rifle from someone else with refunded money. Let's move on with life please. Thanks
 
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I found this thread very interesting because I do not have a very good eye when it comes to picking out flaws. Almost bought several items in the past here when flaws were pointed out by other members. Rifle looked pretty good to me but might not be what others would want.
 
Second-rate Marksman said:
Hey everyone,

I recently purchased a Kibler SMR from a well-known builder here on the forum, and I wanted to share my experience to get some input from the community.

Shortly after transferring funds to the seller, I received a message saying, “I neglected to give you full disclosure here but I had to add a tiny little piece of wood right there on the lock side of the breech. It’s fully bonded together. Let me know if you are still okay with it!! It’s such a small area that I completely forgot about it.”

I’ll admit, I was a bit miffed by this late disclosure, but I decided to proceed with the purchase. A couple of days later, while reviewing the photos the seller sent, I also noticed what looked like an inclusion just forward of the lock. It didn’t bother me at first, but as I zoomed in, I thought I saw a possible crack. Wanting to be sure, I asked the seller about it as tactfully as possible. I wasn’t trying to make a big deal out of it—just wanted clarification.

Surprisingly, the seller became upset and refunded my money immediately, even though I never requested a refund.

I’m curious how others here might have handled this situation. Would you have moved forward despite the undisclosed wood addition? And does anyone have experience with a seller being this sensitive to questions about a rifle? I’d appreciate any feedback!

For the record, this was a brand new Kibler kit build. I’ve included photos below of the aforementioned issues.
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I think I would have sent an apology, taken my money and walked away from it. Life is too short to mess with such little misunderstandings.

I know I have the tendency to irritate sellers with my barrage of questions. It's not intentional on my part. Well, sometimes it is. :) But I like to know all the ins and outs of any product I buy. If they play along then great. If they show irritation right away? To heck with them! I don't need their product that badly.
 
Second-rate Marksman said:
Thanks for your input. I’m typically pretty cautious, but when I was told that it was “nothing to worry about” by someone with 40+ years of building experience, I figured “Who am I to question him?”

I ended up purchasing another .40 SMR from the user “olskool” for not too much more, and I really feel more care was taken with the build.
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The customer!
 
Second-rate Marksman said:
Thanks, Reds. A Kibler kit is definitely in my future. I’ve had a little experience browning and torch-bluing hardware as well as refinishing stocks and have been reasonably happy with the results. It’s difficult as a husband and father of four young kids to find the time to commit to a project like that though… just the season of life that I’m in right now!
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I was about to start sanding my Woodsrunner stock when I heard my 12 year old grandson say, "Can I help Opa?" I looked at him and asked, "Think you're old enough?" He vigorously shook his head.

So I set him up on the porch with the first grit of paper, sanding tools and the stock and barrel. Showed him what he was after and turned him loose. Over the next couple of hours he came in a few times with questions. Usually to show me a spot and ask if it had been sanded enough or not. He was being quite careful for a 12 year old. Anyway over the course of his visit he got 98% of the sanding done. I had only to do a little touch up here and there.

So now he's back home some nine hours away and neither of us can wait for his next visit when we stain and finish the stock. And if time permits, blue the barrel. That gun will be his someday.
 
Second-rate Marksman said:
Am I the only one here that finds the seller’s actions dubious?

...........................................
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I would say curious but, yeah, you're not alone. But what really got my attention was the way the 'New" owner jumped on here to brag about the deal he just made. I'd have to ask what his intent is as well?
 
Johnny Too-Tall said:
This post is literally going no where. Let me sum it up Buyer - man I like that rifle, heres my money. Seller - I want you to be aware of a corrected fix. Seller- Ok no worries. Days later Buyer - drooling at pics wait what is this. Builder - Man this dudes a pain in the backside the sales not worth it to me (my take on it) here is your money back. Buyer- I got a full refund but I am offended by it, because he didn't communicate with me just refunded the money. But no worries I bought another rifle in same caliber and style from a different builder and am happy. Buyer - I think I'll make a post about it maybe I can get validation this way since the builder shut me down.
Moderator's can we please end this debacle. The OP has given a full refund. He got offended by refund. No one was taken advantage of. The OP bought the same version rifle from someone else with refunded money. Let's move on with life please. Thanks
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First, I was never upset about receiving a refund—I was disappointed in the lack of communication that led to it… and the fact that my money is currently tied up in limbo while the refund is pending. My intention in posting wasn’t to seek “validation” but to share my experience for the benefit of others. Transparency in transactions matters, and discussing issues like these can help ensure that future buyers and sellers have smoother experiences.

As for the rifle, yes, I’m happy with the new one, but that doesn’t negate the concerns I had with the original transaction. I think it’s perfectly fair to address those in a constructive way. This is a forum, after all, and such posts are permitted. Why do you feel that moderators have the right to delete or close a thread simply because you disagree with its premise? Who made you the Forum Police?

Thanks for your input, but I’d ask that you keep in mind that there’s more to a situation than what appears on the surface. I’ve moved on, but that doesn’t mean I’d ever purchase from this seller again or recommend him to others. As long I continue to receive questions and comments on this thread, I’ll continue to reply to them.
 
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Appowner said:
I would say curious but, yeah, you're not alone. But what really got my attention was the way the 'New" owner jumped on here to brag about the deal he just made. I'd have to ask what his intent is as well?
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Yeah… I thought that was pretty tactless too.

I think that’s really great that you allowed your grandson to assist on the Woodsrunner. You’re a braver man than I!
 
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