Advice is only useful when it is:
1. TIMELY received;
2. Accurate; and
3. TIMELY acted upon.
If you had doubts about the mags - and you did - the logical course of action would be to investigate prior to taking possession of them. You didn't.
When you belatedly learned that the mags were almost certainly post-ban and, therefore, illegal, posters suggested you return them to the dealer in exchange for legal ones, or swap them for legal ones with those who can possess them (LEO's or residents of other states). There were offers made to help you out in just that manner.
Instead, you wasted $150 in mags and let the dealer get away with illegal antics by acting rashly. A few moments of rational thought would have provided you with a far superior outcome.
I suggest you read more, and listen to advice from those qualified to give it prior to rushing into ill-considered acts.
At least the major problem is resolved, albeit expensively.
I am new here so I just have to ask? Do you talk down to everybody here or just the newbies? You have an incredible knack for pointing out peoples mistakes and short comings, and to your credit, do it more eloquently than anyone else here. I tell my kids that it is the easiest thing in the world to be mean but it takes character to treat all people with respect.
I did investigate. That is why I asked the dealer for Pre- Ban mags. Now I suppose I could have taken a picture of the mags with my cell phone and posted it here for your review but I trusted the dealer. That, I admit was a mistake. I think I also mentioned that I asked a LEO and a firearms instructor, who I still have a high opinion of, for advice. By the way the LEO was also the same person who I took my safety course from. Silly me!
I really did appreciate the offers to swap the mags and did consider returning them as well. However I was of the opinion that being in POSESSION of the mags was a felony. Therefore I reasoned that it was possible that if in fact the mags were banned, and for some reason I ran into an issue with the trade/transfer/return, I would be guilty of a felony.
Did you seriously suggest that I trade them to a LEO, who knows that my posession of the mags constitutes a felony? " Thanks for the mags, put your hands behind your back and turn around" After all, we have already established that misplaced trust can be dangerous.
As for the dealer I certainly did not let him get away with any thing. When I marched into his shop and embarassed the shit out of his infront of a store full of people, I felt that it was an adequate way to lodge my customer complaint. I am about 6'2" and 260lbs and at least one customer walked out as I was a bit loud and angry.
Now I am just a simple country boy, joined the Marine Corps right out of high school, started at the bottom of the company I now run, and still split my own firewood by hand. But I don't consider the $150 to be wasted. All of the really important lessons I have learned in life have been the most expensive.
I learned that even though some people really do mean well, they can be mistaken. That was also seen in some of the replies to my question here. I learned that gun dealers may try to rip you off. And although I am sure that you will undoubtedly make me pay for it with your superior command of the English language, I have learned that you Sir, can be a condescending prick. What I have yet to learn is if it is the norm or unintentional