Todd2433 may have himself to blame; but I'll bet that most of us have been there too-- to some degree or extent. His loss is certainly large, and the lesson learned is equally large. As long as we continue in this field of collecting, we will also continue to expose ourselves to these unscrupulous a$$-suckers. I am by far no expert in this field, and greatly rely on information and the expertise held by those forum members here. IMHO, it does appear to be a fraudulent transaction. If so, I would suggest contacting, and getting that web site involved in recovering your loss. Letting them know that they may be a party to this fraudulent transaction if your loss is not recovered. If they are reluctant, inform them that you will contact their State Attorney's General Office and report this incident. I would also inform the seller that you will be contacting, and reporting him and this incident to his States Attorney Generals office. Then do it! You can get the contact information right on the web. They will get involved. If this seller may have violated any BATF laws or regulations, call them also. If any laws or regulations were, or even may have been broken--they will go literally knocking on his door, and their visit will not be pleasant for him. If you suspect that he may have violated any BATF laws, just mentioning what you are willing to do may cause him enough discomfort to refund your money. Good luck.