FFL refused to do transfer??

[scoutfsu]

The problem comes in when the dealers are selling their guns significantly higher than the going price. $650 plus on a Glock? No thanks, they're $400 w/ the LEO/mil discount or still under $500 for the non discount. That's not including the tax and fees. That's just one example that's repeated over the entire spectrum of weapons/accessories. You see it all the time - $1200 Bushmasters, $700 Aimpoints, $26 Pmags....

I don't mind paying a reasonable amount. A reasonable amount is not a $200+ markup. To take the OP's example, Plum Crazy and Delton do not equal BCM. That's insulting and guarantees the guy will never step foot into their shop again. Kinda like this - "Oh you want to do a transfer on a Springfield TRP? No, not going to do it.....but we have these awesome RIA or ATI .45's for you to buy instead.....well, I guess I can order it. That'll be $2114 plus tax."

I might initially go into the store for the FFL transfer. What will keep me coming back, recommending the store to friends, and writing about it online are things like customer service, reasonably competitive prices, knowledge, good selection, etc.

Gun stores can be their own worst enemy.

[Metalhead]

Transfers are fine. Personally I'd rather make a quick $25 bucks for 5-10 minutes of work than make absolutely nothing. Granted, we'll do our best to beat the online price ourselves and alot of the times we can, but you cant win em all obviously. TN sales tax being as high as it is makes it difficult sometimes. I try to look at it from the point of view that, given in the same situation I would save as much cash as possible myself - especially nowadays. I do all my PC component shopping from newegg and tigerdirect, not only because they are the "Buds" for the lack of a better term of the PC world, but because I save a bunch of cash generally going with them than say, Best Buy or local places.

[Dolomite_supafly]

A couple of things to add to the thread.

First, everybody thinks there is no tax on internet sales but there is. Nobody pays it and that is why sellers on the internet are cheaper. The tax is called a use tax and should be paid on every interstate sale regardless of the amount or what it is. At some point the government is going to figure it out.

Consumer Use Tax

As a matter of fact the SE states have started working together to make sure everyone is getting their fair share of tax revenue.

http://www.tn.gov/revenue/pubs/seata.pdf

If we had to pay our sales tax on stuff from Bud's or CDNN then the local guys would be able to compete.

Another reason why some FFL's do not do transfers is because some buyers are not worth the hassle. Some buyers will have an item transferred in but there will be no contact information for the FFL either on the outside or the inside. The FFL might spend weeks or even months sitting on an item without knowing who it belongs to or if it is there for a repair or a transfer.

Another problem some FFL's run into is the amount of guns some people want transferred. I know of one shop that used to charge $25 for the first transfer and $5 for each additional. That worked great until he had a large shipment of Mosins come in. He had to shut his shop down and had machinists opening boxes so the guns could get logged in before the end of the day. The whole shipment had to be checked and logged in by 5pm when the shipment came throguh their door past 1pm. We are not talking about 5 or even 10 but a lot more.

With that being said there are dealers out there who think they need to make huge profits on every gun they sell. More power to them but when you can't sell anything don't complain or try to bad mouth the other dealers who are selling because their prices are reasonable. There are dealers out there who are dishonest and will lie, cheat and steal from you if given the chance. I know of a few that frequent the Knoxville shows. I avoid them like the plague and tell my friends to do the same. I have said it before but I saw a dealer with green tip ammo that he painted on himself so he could ask $750/1K. Technically the bullets did have a green tips but they weren't the penetrator rounds. I have seen dozens of examples just like this over the years.

Dolomite

[daddyo]

I've always looked at it from the viewpoint that it's the business' responsibility to EARN my business, and they have to do that by letting me know through outstanding service and fair pricing that they want my business. If they do those two little things, I'll keep coming back and I'll refer them to my friends. Word of mouth has always been and always will be the best advertising, and any sale is better than none at all. Any business with the attitude that they're doing me a favor by even acknowledging my presence can go pound sand. Treat enough of your customers that way, and it's just a matter of time before you close your doors for good.

Edited October 13, 2011 by DaddyO

[CM1021]

My suggestion, go take your business elsewhere. Then after your purchases, come back with a copy of the receipts, and show him how much $$$ he lost.

Then advise him you will no longer buy there, and will tell all your friends, and everyone on this forum, about his lack of customer service.

Simple: He wants to sell stuff, then he should try to be easy to deal with. Yeah, a transfer fee might not be much $, but being polite and giving good customer service might just win you a new customer.

Acting like he did, just ended a customer relationship. Do that too often, and you don't have a business.

this is my thought on the whole thing!!

[timcalhoun]

As been said, the profit on guns is very, very small. I do a good bit of transfers for folks and I don't care what they paid as I'm not in the gun selling business or would want to be. Basically you have to be big enough to buy in bulk to start making money on guns, otherwise you need to make your money on accessories.

Aslo, as dolomite said, the law is clear that you are suppose to pay tax on out of state purchases...........it's just not enforced.

Here is an interview on out of state sales where Haslem was interviewed:

In an interview with TNReport recently, Haslam said emphatically that he believes Congress will do the right thing and help the states.

"Ultimately, they're going to have to," he said. "It's not just the states. If you're a mayor, it's killing you, too. You also get property tax revenue. If you're a mayor, you have to have new growth, but am I going to build a shopping center in today's world? Probably not, because I used to think I would get a store, like a Barnes & Noble, to be an anchor.

"That new growth is what helps local governments. I think eventually the cost will be so big it will have to be looked at."

But would a member of Congress go anywhere near such a thing? Why look like a tax-raiser when you're not getting any of the tax?

"That's the problem," Haslam said. "I'm afraid the problem will get so severe Congress will say, 'Oh, wow, these folks are getting hit with a double whammy. Number one, we're sending them less money from Washington as we start to cut the budget. Two, a bigger piece of our economy is now transacted online, not subject to the sales tax. These local and state governments are getting smeared.'"

Haslam does insist he sees both sides of the issue.

"It's a hard issue," he said. "I understand why people think, 'I've got a book store here. I'm paying property tax, sales tax, I'm supporting local government and state government. They're not doing either.' Believe me, I really get that.

"I also understand Governor Bredesen's point. If you don't let them build here, they're going to build in Georgia or South Carolina. That's a pretty compelling argument, too."

Tennessee feels the crunch in ways many other states may not, Haslam said.

"Ours is a little more stark, because we live off the sales tax. We have no income tax. If I'm talking to the governor of Virginia on his list of priorities, it's probably No. 52. It's not that big a deal to him.

"One of the issues is in Tennessee if you look at our tax base, we live off the sales tax. There are a lot of exceptions and exemptions to it. As Internet sales pick up, a smaller piece of our economy is subject to the only tax we have in the state (not having an income tax). That's an issue."

And the problem is likely to get bigger, not smaller, Haslam said. "Amazon doesn't just sell books anymore. You can buy a refrigerator from them if you want to. You know what I mean?"

[Guest luvmyguns]

No one can make them do a transfer. But the way I see it $15 to $20 for 10 to 15 minutes of their time is a pretty good paycheck. I know they may not make as much money as they would selling one of their own firearms but on the flip side they get to make money on an item they don’t have to keep in stock, and It gets people into their business which could lead to future sales.

I would think being a small business you would want this.

The gun shop I use to transfer firearms has no problem doing it and in return I go in a couple times a month and usually buy something.

[Guest TnRebel]

That's why I use Pawn Shops for FFL transfers

[JoeBobOutfitters]

We do $25 transfers and IMO, that's a fair deal for both dealers and consumers alike. Unless a gun store has millions in inventory, they won't have exactly what the customer wants all the time. $25 to do (generally) 20 minutes of work max isn't a bad deal when margins are really slim to begin with. Making the whole process simple and easy for the consumer, IMO, keeps them coming back for more. We have had multiple customers buy guns through us, and do transfers, within the same month. Being "their" FFL goes a long way. Good customer service keeps customers coming back.

If the business doesn't want your business, I would shop elsewhere. It's his business to run how he sees fit, but its your pocket book!

[Guest hawkeye10]

There are several pawn shops here in Murfreesboro that do transfers. They all charge $30 including everything. The gun stores are a lot higher. Don

[Guest]

You need to find a new FFL.

If you see yourself coming to middle TN anytime soon, you can have the guys at D&T Arms do the transfer for you at $10 transfer + $10 TICS = $20 OTD.

I've done I think 3 or 4 with them without ever an issue. Good group of guys there and worth the drive

I looked up D&T Arms, because I've never been there but will be in the area later in the week. On their website they specify $25 fee + $10 background fee. This seems about standard?

[JoeBobOutfitters]

I looked up D&T Arms, because I've never been there but will be in the area later in the week. On their website they specify $25 fee + $10 background fee. This seems about standard?

Yes that's a pretty fair price for a transfer. We've used D&T Arms for several transfers for TN guys in the past!

[Retired Navy GMC]

I looked up D&T Arms, because I've never been there but will be in the area later in the week. On their website they specify $25 fee + $10 background fee. This seems about standard?

Our standard transfer fee is $25 + $10 background fee, however, we do have a deal for TGO members of $10 transfer + $10 background.

[Guest Tom@GunDepot]

So I called a local FFL today that I have done a transfer with in the past and because he has good prices on his fees...so I call him to make sure the fee is still the same and get it all set up and he asks what I'm wanting. I tell him what I'm wanting then he said he wont do it because he carries a lower that is nowhere near the bcm I'm ordering!! This is the second time he has given me a hard time about doing a transfer!! Has anybody else ever had a shop refuse to do a transfer? I mean if I was wanting something he had in stock or something even close it would be different but he can't touch the lower I'm wanting!!!

Give us a call we want tell you what you want to buy is JUNK and ours is better...... That's just crazy! We hate Buds but we still do transfers as long as they are stocking the Weapon and not drop shipping it from a wholesaler.

Edited October 27, 2011 by Tom@GunDepot

[graycrait]

I hang out at a shop that charges 15.00 + 10.00 for the background.

[Parrothead]

i vote (again) for you to call Tri-Cities Gun Depot!!

[Guest 556or762]

I've heard of many shops refusing to do a transfer if it is an item they keep in stock. I just did a transfer at Guns and Leather not too long ago and it went great. I had a buddy do a couple before me and he ran into a situation where what he was going to order online was something they had in stock. Guns and Leather gave him a discount to match the online price and he ended up buying the weapon from Guns and Leather. Some of these smaller gun shops seem to get offended at the idea of folks going online to find firearms, but it comes down to money. Why would I pay $600 for something I can find online for $400? I'm all about supporting local businesses, but those businesses also need to realize that the consumer landscape is changing and they need to figure out how to change with it or go out of business.

One local business charges over $100 for transfers whether they have the firearm in stock or not. The mere question of doing an FFL transfer incited animosity from an employee there. I will never step foot in that establishment ever again. People wonder why small businesses are being beat out by wholesalers... it isn't just because of the better deal.

I just have to say it, if everyone did things like you and ordered everything online and just did transfers no shop would keep anything in stock they would just do transfers and at that point they would have to charge so much to keep the lights on NO ONE would pay it and guess what then they go out of business and you have NO ONE to do your transfers ever think about it that way? I have never purchased a gun online, I will ask a local store if they can get it what they would charge and then make it happen. I have never had anything be more than $100 over any online prices and if there is a problem I can go back to MY dealer and they will help me not to mention they will still be there with the lights on! Seems like a small price to pay to have a gun store around dont you think?

[Guest GunTroll]

Dolomite nailed it with the tax issue. All you online purchasers who don't send in a payment for that out of state purchase of a firearm are tax evaders whether you failed to pay the tax intentionally or not.

I get emails from TBI about the Amazon "scandal" all the time like all the other FFL's in the state. I even was contacted by a reputable dealer/retailer asking me for support in denying Buds and the like. There are brick and mortar gun shops somewhere that are raising hell over this issue. The day I am required to interject myself further into a transaction between an out of state seller and a instate purchaser is the day I will no longer do a transfer at all. Paying the sales tax out of "good faith" is up to you, the buyer. If the laws change about this topic, I'm done with transfers.

I think everyone should own/operate a business for themselves once in their life. Its an eye opening experience to how screwed up we have allowed our system to get. I hate running a business. I love gunsmithing.

And if you are a dick, I'll refuse you a transfer. And I don't sell firearms so I don't care about competition or whatever. Plenty of great brick and mortar gun shops around me. I'm glad they are there with in stock products. I hate retail!