TBI failed us all and WE pay their salaries

[Smith]

I'm no government employee and the overnight job I have is just a step up from minimum wage and it was made clear to us that weather was not an excuse for not coming to work. I drove 20+ miles Friday night at 10 PM to get to work. Just saying.

[Guest GunRunnersUSA]

In no way someone's safety is more important than anyone else's safety is...it was snow..not a hurricane, or earthquake.

I had to work Friday and the FedEx trucks rolled out on Saturday morning snow or no snow. I was in the shop Saturday and today..snow or no snow.

There were plenty of Washington County sheriff's cruisers on the road, along with THP and county/state snow plows. I guess by that line of thought these fine state/county employees were in danger also...but they came to work.

The FBI/NICS do not close, if TBI chooses to close for "safety" that is fine, forward the calls to FBI..just don't hang up on the dealers.

Again we do most of our sales at gun shows, I pity the dealers who paid the table rent, room rent, eats and could not complete any transactions on Saturday.

There should be a plan in place like "call forwarding" if for any reason TBI closes lets forward the calls directly to FBI/NICS and not hang up on the dealers.

Such a plan would be simple to put into action, TBI process their backgrounds thru FBI/NICS anyway. I'm all in favor of taking a snow day but lets have a backup plan in place next time.

Another grand idea would let certain "on call" personnel do the backgrounds from the safety of their homes. TBI is pushing the dealers to a web based background to save money and time...which is fine if the fee was for free.

The same technology could be used for the call takers and they could save the state some money and work from home. I'm sure there would be several TBI employees who would be interested in such a program.

You all have to overlook me sometimes... what the Marine Corps started, FedEx finished. No excuses, run it by the numbers, on time every time, and of course TIME IS MONEY.

We must run government like business but we all know that will never happen.

I have been at FedEx for 17 years and we haven't gotten a raise in 3 years due to the economy. If I don't like it I could leave...but they run it like a business and FedEx is good at what they do and they make money every year...just like UPS does.

JP

[Guest GunRunnersUSA]

With all due respect, I don't think that's what the thread is saying at all. I think it's saying that TN put an unnecessary restriction on background checks in order to gather more revenue then weren't able to do their part of the job because of the weather. Were it not for the extra (and unnecessary) layer of government that TN had to add in there would have been no issue with background checks and all of the "idiots" out there could have conducted their business (for $10 less per transaction).

At least that's how I understood it.

EXACTLY...thank you...JP

[Krull]

Bottom line is I can answer a phone at home,,, I have access to a computer at home.......maybe there is a better way to do it. Also I see both points bit there is a better way. It's not right to shut down business of people because their job depends on your job............and majority of gun buyers have bought multiple guns this year ( I know I have) and I get the same stupid background check every time........I'm also a permit holder so why the crap have I paid 120 bucks to the government in one month?

There has to be a better way. Does UT and CO shut down gun sales every time it snows?

Edited January 31, 2010 by Krull

[-boatman-]

I can see both sides of this but...... I really did not want my wife out in the snow but she had to anyway for a while. But with the TBI (state government) office shutting down they essentially shut down every gun shop (private business) in the state. I drove 25 miles to work Friday night because it was my job to be there and I don't think it is right for the state of Tennessee to shut down every gun shop in the state. If it did not effect no one but them it would be different.

[GKar]

Like many businesses across the state and nation, my workplace has been under government pressure/mandate to establish a "disaster" plan so that the products and services we provide will remain available (or can be made even more available) in the face of a wide variety of adverse events - widespread power failure, inclement weather conditions, etc. We have those plans in place, and both state and Federal inspectors look at them as they desire. Those plans, if enacted, may requre a broad network of employees - perhaps including desk clerks, shipping supervisors, quailty auditors, and upper management - to make every effort to get to one/more of our facilities. So no, it seems not too great a leap to ask that government be prepared to offer those same things they require of the governed...

[pegasusrider]

Was the web based system shut down also or available when the live people went home?

[Guest GunRunnersUSA]

Mr. Woodley could answer question better. My understanding using the web background check if there is NO record of any prohibiting factors the approval number will be issued.

If there is ANYTHING that is questionable a human must double check the response will be delayed or pending until someone can review the "hit".

I think the web system was up and running, just no call takers to answer the phone.

[Guest GunRunnersUSA]

Bottom line is I can answer a phone at home,,, I have access to a computer at home.......maybe there is a better way to do it. Also I see both points bit there is a better way. It's not right to shut down business of people because their job depends on your job............and majority of gun buyers have bought multiple guns this year ( I know I have) and I get the same stupid background check every time........I'm also a permit holder so why the crap have I paid 120 bucks to the government in one month?

There has to be a better way. Does UT and CO shut down gun sales every time it snows?

Exactly my point. If TBI would do your background once a year on your permit instead of once every 4 years this would satisfy ATF/Brady and no call would be required from my understanding.

I'm sure most permit holders would rather pay a once a year $10.00 background for their permit than $10.00 every time they buy a firearm.

That being said I have had TWO permit holders denied the purchase of a firearm...so no system is perfect.

[kckndrgn]

Was the web based system shut down also or available when the live people went home?

The web based BC were not working Friday night or Saturday. So not only did the phone calls stop, ALL background checks stopped. Why the website was down, I don't know, but it was.

[Guest HexHead]

That being said I have had TWO permit holders denied the purchase of a firearm...so no system is perfect.

Or something has changed in their status since the last time they renewed their permit?

Comparing the TBI clerk that processes the background check to fire, police or others who's work is critical is absurd. So someone can't buy a gun on any given Saturday so that the clerks don't have to endanger their lives or property driving to work in dangerous conditions? Big deal, it will still be there on Monday. You're really making a mountain out of a molehill here.

In the scheme of things, it's pretty low down on the list. Get over it.

[Daniel]

/agreed.

[Guest Tusculum]

Agreed Also, I contacted Mr. Woodley today telling him that I had 2 internet checks that wouldnt move off "Pending". He replied back saying that only himself and one employee could make it in. He explained that when the internet wouldnt show approval it was because the name of the person applying would be close to a felons name therefore the computer kicked it out. He said to email him their name and date of birth and they were both approved in less than 5 minutes. Sure it was frustrating, I even had a guy drive yesterday from Knoxville to for me to transfer a Springfield Custom Shop Professional he shelled out almost 3K for. He went home last night a sad man but Mr Woodlee approved him this AM after I sent the info. The guy came back today and was smiling. He understood that sometimes "**** Happens". No truer statement has ever been made. Thanks, Jack

[NuTcAsE]

Here's a novel idea...

How bout we end all this Bull:poop:? Let the dealers sell their products, let the consumers buy them and be left alone.

[Guest TnDeerHunter]

I can agree with both sides of the subject but if I had paid to setup at a gun show and had paid all the normal fees that I could not recover I would most likely only be looking at my side. That being said it does look like a back-up plan does need to be in place. No firearms sale is worth the risk of human life, the real question is what is the steps needed to get TBI to put in place a back-up plan.

[Guest GunRunnersUSA]

What is something you can not buy for any amount of money??

TIME

and Time=Money

I can only be in the shop 2 days a week due to my "real job" at FedEx which my bills.

So let's back up here just one second...when Brady started if TBI had passed like most of the states did...backgrounds would have went thru, I would NOT have sent $500.00 to Nashville last month.

The snow plows rolled, the cruisers rolled, and the FedEx truck rolled but no one thought about a back up plan for the MANDATED call to Nashville vs a call to FBI/NICS which was open??

You see I have been a dealer 25 years, until the last two out years working out of my house taking care of my "friends"...but everyone said do it John, you shoot straight, do a shop..your not greedy and it will be fine...

I could retire on the money TBI took in last year alone 10.00 at a time. Is it too much to ask for a plan of action come next snow storm?

But here again...I asked for my headaches...it just ticks..(no pun intended) me off when I lost one sat out of 52 due to a little snow on the road.

Truth of the matter is I had a man stop in from PA, my shop is on I-81 and wanted 2 high end rifles..I had to turn the man away.

That is unacceptable from my point of view. It was SNOW, not riots in the street, hurricanes, or earthquakes.

I guess I just need to mark my goods up like most other dealers and that way if I had a bad weekend it not that critical.

Or listen to my wife's advise and shut it down for good because it is NOT worth the aggravation...but I asked for it.

JP

[Krull]

Or something has changed in their status since the last time they renewed their permit?

Comparing the TBI clerk that processes the background check to fire, police or others who's work is critical is absurd. So someone can't buy a gun on any given Saturday so that the clerks don't have to endanger their lives or property driving to work in dangerous conditions? Big deal, it will still be there on Monday. You're really making a mountain out of a molehill here.

In the scheme of things, it's pretty low down on the list. Get over it.

What if you went to work and your boss said well I don't think we want to give you a paycheck this week because the people who print the checks didn't ce to work today.......so basically we have decided that since they didn't come to work we will not pay you the money at all sorry.

I bet you wouldn't take to kindly to someone just telling you to "get over it"....

This is how these people make a living.....

[TGO David]

Back to the subject at hand... I don't feel like the TBI failed me. Seems that the subject of the thread is a bit melodramatic.

[lowbud]

Back to the subject at hand... I don't feel like the TBI failed me. Seems that the subject of the thread is a bit melodramatic.

I guess it would be different if you were in a dealers shoes. maybe not. I can see the op's point on loosing sales becasue a "required" service couldn't be performed.

but hey.. what do I know. that's why I don't have a FFL. that's also why I picked up my new guns on Friday!

Edited February 1, 2010 by lowbud

[Guest 1817ak47]

I can understand the guys anger, you pay all the money and time to set up and can't sell and lose money because the state decided to use tbi instead of the fbi. and as a reslut lost a weekend in sales and likely lost more money than he made, sounds like there was no real reason that tn needed there tbi to do the checks instead of the FBI

[Jasongar8]

but I asked for it.

You got it right. You did decided to start your own business, and happens to all business owners. There is alot of things you can't control when you go into business for yourself, it's a crap shoot sometimes. And this time around all the gun shops in TN got the short end of the stick. It sucks but thats the way it is.

[Guest HexHead]

I can understand the guys anger, you pay all the money and time to set up and can't sell and lose money because the state decided to use tbi instead of the fbi. and as a reslut lost a weekend in sales and likely lost more money than he made, sounds like there was no real reason that tn needed there tbi to do the checks instead of the FBI

From what my dealer tells me, when he calls in a sale, they also check to see if the weapon was stolen. The FBI system doesn't do that. TN is certainly in the minority of states that offer that service.

[Guest gunslinger707]

Yes it is...I guess that there have been 20,000 firearm sales since Jan 1st in Tennessee alone.

That translates into $200,000 for TBI. These are just the call in's and web checks by dealers not private sales between individuals.

Now don't get me wrong TBI does a great job, they are courteous, professional and they have VERY quick response times. That being said FBI will do them for free but Tennessee mandates we go through Nashville.

Our sister state VA just charges $2.00 call which is quite reasonable.

Due to my schedule at FedEx I can only be in the shop on Sat and Mondays..and I could sell nothing yesterday because of a little snow....come now..we as a state can do better than that.

JP in 10-E-C

you've answered your own ? MONEY

[Oh Shoot]

Well, there are weekend sales and WEEKEND SALES.

I'm thinking of a vendor that drives 700 miles round trip for the Knoxville shows and couldn't sell anything. I'd imagine the vendor in mind likely does $40-50K (or even much more) over a two day show.

I hope for their sake they didn't show due to weather forecast, being about the best big outfit that always comes; I don't know, didn't go myself.

- OS

[Almond27]

Exactly my point. If TBI would do your background once a year on your permit instead of once every 4 years this would satisfy ATF/Brady and no call would be required from my understanding.

I'm sure most permit holders would rather pay a once a year $10.00 background for their permit than $10.00 every time they buy a firearm.

That being said I have had TWO permit holders denied the purchase of a firearm...so no system is perfect.

There is just one problem with this, what about the 18-20 year old age group who isn't eligible for a permit through the state till age 21. The state would then have to come out with another sort of firearms permit for that specific age group to say they are eligible to buy firearms. And like you have already brought up yourself you have had two permit holders turned down. I don't see how one background check a year would ever work. Someone could go out get charged with an assault charge and then the next day after they are bailed out go buy a gun because they already passed their once a year background check. Edited February 1, 2010 by Almond27