MAN RIPS OFF OLD LADY!!!!!!!!

[Dirtebiker]

I am disgusted!!!!!!
Both by the guy who did it, but more with myself for not stopping it!(I did try!)

I stopped at a garage sale in between jobs today, just about to leave, when this guy walks up, and says " I'm a gun collector... Do you have any?" ( just an old (80ish) lady and young boy helping her)
She says yes, tells the boy to go get grampas gun.... I say " I may be interested also"
The boy is gone for a couple minutes and the guy asks me if I Am waiting to see what he brings out and I answered..." well yeah!"
Then the guy says to me... Do you mind backing off?( I wasn't any where near him ... Or to the garage door)
I heard him but said " what?"
He repeats... " do you mind backing off?" ..... And kind of shrugs towards the old lady...
I say, louder, " what are you talking about?!"
Him... " never mind"
Me.... " I don't know what your talking about?"
Him.... " never mind"
So, the kid brings out a gun case, the " CROOK" ( a nice way of putting it!!!) is on the kid like stink on s**t, he takes the case from the boy, turns his back to me, opens the case, works the bolt once, and says to the old woman... " I'll give you fifty bucks for it!" shoves the money into her hand... I am behind him, looking at her and shaking my head no, over and over!
She's a little dumbfounded, says something like " well, I don't know"
He pushes the money at her, zips the case closed, and practically runs down the driveway!
I said something to the effect of " I hope you feel good about yourself!"
Of course, the old woman doesn't even have time to comprehend what just happened...
He's gone and she says " I should have asked what you would give me."
I say... " yeah, I would have definitely given you more!( even though I barely got a glimpse of the gun... I don't even know what it was... Something I have never seen.. Just wish I had a chance to check it out!) (I can be pretty certain that any old rifle the old man had for 40-50 years would be worth more than $50... Before someone asks..." how do you know you would have paid more if you didn't get to see the gun?"

Like I said above.... I am disgusted with myself for not doing more to stop this woman from being taken advantage of!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This guy was like one of those scam artists that get someone to give them change for a twenty and end up walking away with $40!
I can just imagine how many times he has hit up widows at garage and estate sales!!!!

I like a good deal as much as anyone... But I will not rip someone off to get it!

 

[PatriotPride]

Damn. Doesn't sound like there's much you legally could have done.

 

[E5RANGER375]

what did the guy look like so we all can keep an eye out for him?

 

[IndySSD]

I'd say that is almost robbery....

Did you happen to get the license plate of the vehicle? I would have talked to the woman and had her call the police.

That's some old school "you'll take what I give you regardless of what it's worth or what you want and leave before you can object" thuggery.

 

[Westside]

sounds fishy to to me. did you get his license plate or anything. I'm with Ranger post a description so we can keep an eye out.

 

[Phil502]

I'd say that is almost robbery....

Did you happen to get the license plate of the vehicle? I would have talked to the woman and had her call the police.

That's some old school "you'll take what I give you regardless of what it's worth or what you want and leave before you can object" thuggery.

Absolutely.

 

[Dirtebiker]

I was still talking to her and another person that had just walked up( he may be on ingo as well... Looked like a newb, carrying his revolver way too far out of his waistband at 1:00 .... But that's another discussion.
He was so fast, I didn't even see his car!
The only description I can give... Older white male... Around sixtyish... Light grayish yellow hair... Around six feet tall... Small bandage on the end of his nose.
I guess if you hear someone at a sale say something like " I'm a gun collector, do you have any" .... Just watch and listen ( as I am sure most of you would anyway) and maybe you can be more aggressive at stopping it than I was.
I keep beating myself up for this... I know I could have , should have done more!!!!

 

[03mustgt]

I'd say that is almost robbery....

Did you happen to get the license plate of the vehicle? I would have talked to the woman and had her call the police.

That's some old school "you'll take what I give you regardless of what it's worth or what you want and leave before you can object" thuggery.

Theft. Plain and simple. I would have intervened. There would have been a clear agreement on the price before he left. If not, he would be getting a bargain on a set of bracelets.

 

[Kutnupe14]

I would call that theft. You should have got the plate and called the police. If I had found the guy, we would have brought him back to the sale and cleared the whole mess up. I hate people that take advantage of the elderly.

Another scam to look out for, guys will trim trees on an elderly person's property, and then knock on the door and as for $200. The elderly person will say that they didn't want their trees cut, and the crooks will tell them that they must have gotten he wrong address.... but they still will demand money for work done.

I used to stop in elder neighborhoods looking for guys doing that. I'd go and knock on the door while the guys were trimming, and ask if the resident had paid for their trees to be trimmed. ....of course this is all contingent on them talking to police.

 

[Bapak2ja]

Someone has to say it, so I might as well do it.

Where are the cops when you need them!!

I know, I know! Just kidding!

Still, this is one time when one really does wish a LEO would have been nearby. Hate to see the senior citizen abused in that way—or any way.

Rep coming to the OP for trying to intervene.

 

[femurphy77]

Guy definitely ripped her off. Unfortunate that you weren't able to get a vehicle i.d. I'd love to here his defense "dirtbiker was standing right there and saw me make the deal and the old lady take the cash". Dirtbiker; "You're in a heap of trouble boy for sure"!

What a P.O.S.

 

[sgreen3]

A deffinate shame, for someone to take advantage of an old woman like that. There are somethings in this world that is just wrong. An that would be one of them!

 

[Kase]

Yes it does sound like a rip off, but it would really help if you knew what the rifle was.
Who's saying it wasn't a 91/30 with a completely F'd up stock and rusted to hell? The op said he worked the bolt, and thats the first thing that popped in my head. Maybe I'm just being an optimist about it. No matter what it was though, he showed extreme rudeness and you did the right thing by trying to intervene

 

[schafe]

Stories like this really get my blood pressure up! This was a well planned theft from one of the most vulnerable in our society. The worst part is, even if you had gotten the plate number, and called the law, and he was brought back to make it right, prosecution of this incident would have been difficult. I'm sure that the theif would claim that they agreed on a price and the old lady was just trying to get more money from him.
I know it won't happen, but I hope this guy can't sleep from the guilt of taking advantage of this woman....... What a scumbag!

 

[E5RANGER375]

Yes it does sound like a rip off, but it would really help if you knew what the rifle was.
Who's saying it wasn't a 91/30 with a completely F'd up stock and rusted to hell? The op said he worked the bolt, and thats the first thing that popped in my head. Maybe I'm just being an optimist about it. No matter what it was though, he showed extreme rudeness and you did the right thing by trying to intervene

it really dont matter if it was a $15 bb gun. she didnt consent. its theft. its like opening your door for someone who then barges past you and grabs your tv and runs back out. no it wasnt burglary but it was theft

 

[Bunnykid68]

Theft for sure. Just because you throw money at me does not mean I am selling to you.

 

[Dirtebiker]

I stopped at another sale later in the day and was talking the people there about it, they said the same guy was asking them for guns also! I think I'll put a notice on craigslist warning others, I wish I could do more! It's eating me up!!!

 

[edsinger]

THIEF! I would call the law or have the lady do it, she did not agree to the sale. He needs an arse whooping...

 

[Benny]

I'd be lying if I said I didn't get sick from reading the OP.

Despicable.

 

[jsharmon7]

From the sound of it, he's done this many times before. He didn't want you around to intervene or overbid him and he knew that if he offered money quickly and didn't give her time to think about it he'd get away with it. One day it'll backfire on him.