Numpls,
You are totally correct. It was a poor set of circumstances.
I bought an old Bear off a gentleman named Don Ward. After not receiving any bow or info after payment, for over a week, I sent the Bowdoc Don Ward several emails and PM's, assuming that old Bear guy Don Ward was the seller. However, it seems the Bowdoc Don Ward has been having internet problems. So when I thought he was ignoring me, it turns out he probably wasn't even getting my emails. But even then, it was just by chance that the guy I bought an old Bear from happened to have the same exact name, Don Ward.
The real seller, the "other" Don Ward, wasn't getting any emails from me, since I was sending them to Bowdoc Don Ward.
What I surely didn't think was that there was two Don Wards dealing in old Bear Bows.
I actually have a 1959 Grizzly that was refinished by Bowdoc Don Ward. So when I bought the recent 1959 Kodiak Special and saw on the paypal receipt that the seller was Don Ward, it was easy to make the leap that it was Bowdoc Don Ward. Make sense?
It was just kind of the perfect storm of misinformation. It's funny now, but I was starting to get pretty upset about the whole thing.
But I got a hold of the real seller of the bow, the "other" Don Ward, and the bow is now on it's way. If anything, that Don Ward should have emailed me after the purchase to let me know that it will be over a week before he ships.
To be honest, I've never bought a used bow where someone took up to 9 days before even shipping, without notification. In my opinion, that's way too long, unless the buyer is notified about the delay.
Anyhow, I apologized to the Bowdoc Don Ward and the whole mess is cleared up, finally.
This "who's on first" is over. LOL