unethical skydivers?

[ASullivan 0]

I am new to the sport as you can see and i am asking a lot of questions. I have been warned about people trying to sell gear just to get it off their hands and gear not being up to par. This is the last sport i would expect a person to be unethical in and i was wondering if any of you had experienced this first hand and the advice you have for the newbies.

[mnealtx 0]

Easiest way.... have a trusted rigger act as go-between... gear gets sent to rigger... rigger checks it out and okays it, then tells you to send the money.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[bigorangemd 0]

The way they do it at our DZ is all gear is sent to the DZ, where it is inspected. It may even be test jumped for you. If acceptable you pay the DZ, who passes it on down the line. I was very impressed by this practice and am glad to see it is standard. Great way to keep us newbies safe. Also in gear selection, I asked my instructor about everything I got.

[panzwami 0]

Biggest point is always to err on the side of caution. Talk to instructors who know you personally to make sure the gear you are considering is safe for your exit weight and skill level, and is not too small, too fast, etc. Don't ever buy gear out of your skill level simply because you got a great deal.

As for the condition of the gear itself, always have it inspected by a rigger of *your* choice that *you know and trust*. Don't ever let the seller tell you "it's OK, my rigger already looked at it and it was fine." Ask your DZO if you can use the DZ as the escrow agent, and have the seller send the gear to the DZ (not your home) for you to inspect before buying.

Some sellers might not be comfortable with one or more of the above policies, and that's fine. By no means does it automatically mean that he/she is trying to pull one over on you. But keep in mind that you are putting down a crap ton of money on something to which you will be ENTRUSTING YOUR LIFE, so don't ever let anyone convince you to compromise your standards. You can always find other gear.

[SCR10480 0]

Very good questions, and legitimate concerns. I have been buying (and selling) used gear off the Internet for some time now, and I've yet to be misled, lied to or ripped off. At the same time, I have tried to maintain a high degree of honor in all my transactions as well.

One very good way I've found to ascertain the condition, and quality of a given piece of gear, is to have the seller send it to the manufacturer for inspection. Once the inspection is complete, the results can be conveyed to the prospective buyer...by the Manufacturer, NOT the seller. If it's "all good" then money is sent (to the seller) and the equipment is shipped from the factory to the buyer.

PD has done this for me, as well as Sunpath, Precision, Aerodyne, RWS for a modest inspection fee...and shipping, of course.

Also, make certain that you have the skills to use the equipment you buy. Let your experiance decide, not your enthusiasm!

[bmcd308 0]

Just a reassuring note - at WFFC, someone dropped a wad of jump tickets and cash, and it was turned in to manifest.

I am sure for every story like this you can find another that goes the other way, but I have found that most skydivers (and a far higher % than the general public) are really good people who care about each other.

That being said, when buying gear, be careful to get gear that is suitable for your purposes as defined by you, your instructors, and your rigger, not by the seller.

Brent

----------------------------------
www.jumpelvis.com

[jceman 1]

One point no one has brought up yet is that not everyone who is selling gear on the net is a skydiver.

A search through Ebay alone finds pawnbrokers selling gear and folks selling gear that they don;t really understand -- are they theives, fences, Farmer McNasty who "found" cutaway gear, or what? Probably all of the above.

A skydiver will have no prblem working with a trusted third party and/or the recommendations of trusted friends. I have bought and sold gear this way and have never been ripped off.

Take some basic precautions and treat others with respect; it does work.

Faster horses, younger women, older whiskey, more money.

Why do they call it "Tourist Season" if we can't shoot them?

[Designer 0]

Just be careful out there!

[ChrisL 2]

Just plain humans in this sport.
All types of people just like the rest of the world.
Some of them will have no trrouble ripping people off or
selling sub-standard equipment.

Be careful and dont give any money to anyone unless you have a rigger inspect the gear first.

__

My mighty steed

[GravityGirl 0]

I buy and sell a lot of used gear. There are some opportunists out there, but the good news is...

....this is a small sport. Everyone knows someone who knows the guy/girl selling or buying the gear. It's easy to check up on.

I usually ask for the buyer/seller's home DZ and their rigger. Then I call the rigger who last packed the rig or I call the DZO or S & TA to ask about a buyers qualifications. I get to make new friends in the process or say hello to an old one. AND I have qualified my buyer or seller enough to make a comfortable transaction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

[daveb 1]

Quote

... Talk to instructors who know you personally... have it inspected by a rigger of *your* choice that *you know and trust*. ... Ask your DZO...

Interesting story here. I still own my first rig, a Xerox container with a Griffon 190 main and Swift 210 reserve. I cannot sell it (easily), because it is not TSO'd in the US. I bought it from the DZO's brother who was the DZM at the time. I never felt it was dangerous equipment, but I bought it when I had 20 jumps and knew nothing about the sport, and nobody ever warned me I might have trouble selling later on. My point? The inexperienced have a really tough time knowing what choose. I'd run it by more than one person, even if you trust them. Opinions from a variety of experienced jumpers -- with no vested interest in selling the gear -- will help you keep in the clear. Sure, talk to your instructors, riggers and DZO, but also talk to your friends and up-jumpers.