The world of air rifle collecting is fraught with danger. This forum, it's structure and its policing are very good; and keep it a safe place to read, comment and trade. Now, I think most of us like to trade and everyone likes a good deal.

However, I had a recent experience which re-established my cynicism in trading and recalibrated the controls i need to use to ensure my interests are protected.

It all started when I bought a scope from another internet based sales site - F*** **s. I should point out that this is where I met the "seller". I bought an Optima Moonlighter from him advertised on the site. During our telephone conversations it transpired he also had a Venom Hw77 Mk2 0.177 full lazaglide in a venom Tyrolean stock and was looking to sell. Was I interested? To cut a long story short he turned up at my place with this gun. We had agreed on a swap and cash. In addition to the cash I let my Don Blocksidge fully engraved Hw35 0.177 in an Hw50 Tyrolean stock go!

This guy - the seller - had all the chat. The gun had been bought from a reputable and known guy. It was then fully verified by someone trading under a pseudonym - let's call him "The Airgun Specialist". The seller runs a league has a website. I had no reason to doubt!

On shooting, the gun felt a bit harsh. So I sent pics of the gun and then the action over to the only man I know who can guarantee me a clean and straight answer on venom guns.

His report was clear right enough. Standard internals. Hand made top hat. 100% not lazaglide. And not a venom stock either. An early CS Tyrolean. The brass guard was a cheap foreign mould. The action was worn and bluing faded. Horror story. I had been royally fleeced.

So here we have a web of deceit. If the seller is innocent then The Airgun specialist is either incompetent, lying or in Cahoots with the original source. If the seller is lying then he runs the risk of some serious flack and he's implicated a known entity.

To his credit the seller did offer me the chance to return the gun. But by the time he'd replied etc, I'd made a decision to treat it as an expensive life lesson. Rather than sit and cry in my soup, I asked Steve Pope to do a number on her. I won't go intimate details, but when it's finished I will share the pics. My decision to go down this path was almost wholly driven by the psychology of it all. There was no way I could pick up the rifle and think crazy thoughts of revenge every time I put it to shoulder. So now - when she's done - I hope I will smile and think of how those guys- whoever was responsible for this scam - were probably picked on in the playground and that's their way of feeling like a big and clever men. I've got a nice gun. They will always be cheap.

Thankfully I'm not cash strapped. I can shrug it off. Even though it was sore and I lost a good gun. But imagine if it had been an old bloke parting with a chunk of pension. Or an 18 year old lad buying his first gun.

Shame on anyone trying to pull a fast one. Thankfully the vast majority of people I've met and dealt with have been real gentlemen.

What's the answer? Name and shame? Don't buy or trade outside of BBS? Set up a trader star rating like good deals on here?

Any thoughts appreciated.