In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
what do your FFL's charge you?
sorhabwesley
Member Posts: 3 ✭✭
I bought an item on gunbroker.com, a rifle...5.56 DPMS panther. I live in Hawaii. I am being charged 10% of this stores IN STORE COST price of the same rifle (this store that is in the middle of the pacific ocean on an island) they sell it for 1800$ I paid 899$ on gunbroker..I am MANDATED by federal law to ship it through them or a FFL dealer in general. Do all dealers charge you 10% of their cost in store just because you didn't buy from them? JUST TO RECIEVE the item in the mail?
Yes I didn't look around at different dealers..I just figured the biggest gun dealer in the Islands would have the best deal.
I am getting my own FLL now, I am not going to pay for someone elses again...
So is this a common thing among FFL holders/dealers?
Yes I didn't look around at different dealers..I just figured the biggest gun dealer in the Islands would have the best deal.
I am getting my own FLL now, I am not going to pay for someone elses again...
So is this a common thing among FFL holders/dealers?
Comments
Don
Flat fee $25- $30 in this area.
AT
My cousin's husband is an FFL. Free transfers!!
Mine charges me a flat 15.
$15 that is.
I went to go see,go to the home page of the auctions and look up transfer dealers,there are several listed in your area for a flat $50
Maybe he puts $75 in his pocket from your rifle purchase. So here you come with an ad from Shotgun News showing a gun he sells for $800 but you can order it from this outfit for $600. So, he should do this for you for $15? He's losing $75 by you NOT buying it from him. So he charges enough transfer fee to justify losing the sale. You can agree or disagree with this policy, but I hope you can at least see his point.
A better option for transfers are dealers who operate from home ("kitchen table dealers") or businesses who have FFL but don't rely solely on gun sales or at least new gun sales, like pawn shops. Pawn dealers often see a transfer as $20 for 10 minutes work and since they don't really sell guns for a living it's worth it to them. The home FFL has much lower overhead and generally keeps no inventory he has to push so he's a better bet for low transfer fees, too.
I don't think it's fair to complain about a shop owner trying to make a living.
As to your original question, I used to use a local pawn shop that charged $15 until the owner changed the store into a full-fledged gun shop and raised the fee to $50. I didn't complain, I just moved on.
There is a pawn shop near work that still charges $20 and I have a small store front dealer (has a location but no inventory, does special orders and transfers only) who charges $15. His hours are a bit inconvenient as he is only there by appointment. His full time job is as a medical doctor, BTW. Obviously does this for fun rather than seriously needing the money.
One FFL who is a member of this forum does transfers for free. But he is 60 miles away and by the time I make the drive it's cheaper to pay $20.
Some places that are more urban are costlier because it costs more to be in business. State or cities that are generally unfriendly towards guns (like California where high transfer fees are the norm) make having an FFL difficult which causes them to charge more for the hassle and also limits competition by driving some guys out of the business. Something like that may happen in Hawaii, a beautiful but anti-gun state.
Always bear in mind that while you can save a few bucks by doing a transfer opposed to retail store shopping, you lose the personal touch and any support after the sale. Make your choice.
There is a list of transfer dealers on the GB home page. Ask around. Find your best deal.
10%?? How did you find such a cheap FFL?
Mine charges me a flat 15.
$15 that is.
10% at this store is going to be 180 bucks!
I have a friend that does it for $20 bucks and every once in awhile for free, it costs him nothing.
The discounts he gets on ammo, parts and accessories pays for the annual licensing fees.
The local store recently put up a sign that stated they would now charge 40 bucks they used to charge 10-15
Finders fee: 15% <
Whatever this may be.
Sales tax: 7%
[V]
Near impossible for me to purchase from GunBroker.
You can understand how a storefront dealer who sells guns for a living might not be all that thrilled about you wanting him to transfer a gun for you that he would or does sell in his store. He has to pay rent, employee salaries, taxes and fees, utilities, insurance and all the other associated costs with doing business and must mark up the guns he sells to a point where he covers these costs and makes something for himself.
Maybe he puts $75 in his pocket from your rifle purchase. So here you come with an ad from Shotgun News showing a gun he sells for $800 but you can order it from this outfit for $600. So, he should do this for you for $15? He's losing $75 by you NOT buying it from him. So he charges enough transfer fee to justify losing the sale. You can agree or disagree with this policy, but I hope you can at least see his point.
A better option for transfers are dealers who operate from home ("kitchen table dealers") or businesses who have FFL but don't rely solely on gun sales or at least new gun sales, like pawn shops. Pawn dealers often see a transfer as $20 for 10 minutes work and since they don't really sell guns for a living it's worth it to them. The home FFL has much lower overhead and generally keeps no inventory he has to push so he's a better bet for low transfer fees, too.
I don't think it's fair to complain about a shop owner trying to make a living.
As to your original question, I used to use a local pawn shop that charged $15 until the owner changed the store into a full-fledged gun shop and raised the fee to $50. I didn't complain, I just moved on.
There is a pawn shop near work that still charges $20 and I have a small store front dealer (has a location but no inventory, does special orders and transfers only) who charges $15. His hours are a bit inconvenient as he is only there by appointment. His full time job is as a medical doctor, BTW. Obviously does this for fun rather than seriously needing the money.
One FFL who is a member of this forum does transfers for free. But he is 60 miles away and by the time I make the drive it's cheaper to pay $20.
Some places that are more urban are costlier because it costs more to be in business. State or cities that are generally unfriendly towards guns (like California where high transfer fees are the norm) make having an FFL difficult which causes them to charge more for the hassle and also limits competition by driving some guys out of the business. Something like that may happen in Hawaii, a beautiful but anti-gun state.
Always bear in mind that while you can save a few bucks by doing a transfer opposed to retail store shopping, you lose the personal touch and any support after the sale. Make your choice.
There is a list of transfer dealers on the GB home page. Ask around. Find your best deal.
That's assuming you are going to buy it at the higher price. All the dealers around here act like you are taking food from their children's mouths. The cheapest I could find wanted $75. So I just didn't buy the gun at all.
we used to say there was a bridge tax when I lived on Whidbey Island because everything there was 10% higher than on the mainland. Last gun I bought online the guy charged me 25 dollars to receive. the guy I used to use raised his price to 50 bucks...not going to pay that much for the privledge of paying more than anyone else in the US for a gun, then adding shipping, and an ffl fee on top of it when I can go to a gunshow and find what I want.
Thats why I think it is rediculus to buy any new gun online.
one sells no guns: $55
(list says $25... he says GB wont let him change it)
Other one listed no longer does transfers.
Indoor Shooting Range/pawnshop: $50
Gunstore: $85
$8 NICS
Fl sales tax 7%
Add shipping,(I can get a long gun shipped from WV for $15 and a instate seller wants $35)
It doesn't make sense to buy online.
Allen
Thats why I asked if he got Kissed[xx(]
One shop local here charges $50 per $500 of retail value. Retail $501? $100 transfer. Plus sales tax on full price plus xfer fee (another 6.25%)
Another shop won't even do transfers at all, even for someone inheriting an item from out of state. Literally will chase people out the door screaming and yelling.
But then the shop I deal with and help out at shows with does it for $25 flat fee, including phone call ...
My reason for this: I think you would all agree that 10% above wholesale is reasonable. Let's say a gun wholesales for $800 and I charge $889 & 9% sales tax, total $969.01. My profit $80 after shipping. Reasonable, right? Customer orders gun on internet from another dealer, $889, $25 shipping & $25 transfer fee. Their total cost $939, no sales tax. Internet dealer makes $80. customer saves $30, it cost me $55 loss in profits.
I used to buy all my hunting/shooting supplies from him.
I need to find a new Guy,................
Free transfer, no registration, no bacgroundcheck, no permits, heck - not even an age-limit.