[b]stemcell[/b]:
I've been thinking about your problem, and I've decided that the entire incident is completely your fault.
1) You didn't immediately contact the seller to tell him that you can get one twice as nice for half the cost at Wal*Mart.
2) You didn't inform the seller that the scope is a piece of junk, and you're doing him a favor by even taking it.
3) You didn't inform the seller that your second cousin's next-door neighbor's babysitter's ex-husband's brother-in-law's dog groomer was a Delta SEAL Sniper Force Recon Corporal-Captain and used one just like that against the Krauts in DaNang in 1954, so you already know all about the gun anyway.
4) You didn't offer to trade some obscure piece of nothing that even you don't want for the gun.
5) You didn't use the magic phrase "cash money" when making your offer. That's how buyers know your for real. Of course, when it comes time to make the deal, put it on a credit card.
6) You didn't ask, "What's your bottom dollar?" followed immediately by, "Will you take less than that?"
You see, you broke several rules of engagement for a sucessful firearms transaction. I'm sure you caught the seller off guard by being upfront and honest. Hope you've learned your lesson.