$50 for a transfer

[Nimh]

My Dealer in Everett charges $15 for long guns and $25 for pistols. $50 is way over the top.

That rules out Discount Gun Sales for sure.

Transfer Cost: $75.00 + tax per serial number transferred
We will not accept transfers from Bud's Gun Shop or private parties

Who do you use?

 

[joken]

Devil, I know what overhead is and I also know what customer service is. When times are good it's easy for a business to pick and choose what they will and won't do. Some take the attitude that they will help you if you are willing to pay enough. Once you loose a customer they are gone forever. This business never will have a shot at my business because of this. On the other hand if they charged a market price and treated folks right they might just have enough customers to get by when times get tough. Would you rather profit a dollar or nothing? We still live in a somewhat free country and folks can do whatever they want, but not on my dime.

 

[korntera]

While $50 may seem high I disagree. I own a construction company and would be out of business if my minimum charge was in that range! Yes we are in different industries but think of the overhead and how often do you see someone at a gun store doing a transfer once or twice a day? So they worked all day for $100? Plus anything they sold minus all the overhead. I honestly don't see how gun shops even make money. But if you don't like the price go someplace else.

 

[Trlsmn]

While $50 may seem high I disagree. I own a construction company and would be out of business if my minimum charge was in that range! Yes we are in different industries but think of the overhead and how often do you see someone at a gun store doing a transfer once or twice a day? So they worked all day for $100? Plus anything they sold minus all the overhead. I honestly don't see how gun shops even make money. But if you don't like the price go someplace else.

When I read the thread subject I put myself in the FFL's shoes, would I want strangers coming over at odd hours tying me down to my house while I wait around all all day for $15? The answer, NO WAY!

 

[Riot]

When I read the thread subject I put myself in the FFL's shoes, would I want strangers coming over at odd hours tying me down to my house while I wait around all all day for $15? The answer, NO WAY!

lol

Well god luck since the FLLs I deal with charge $20-$25.

Besides you are literally doing 5 minutes of work. You check the paperwork, call in the background check and sign! Get your money then BOOM, you're done!

 

[mjbskwim]

lol

Well god luck since the FLLs I deal with charge $20-$25.

Besides you are literally doing 5 minutes of work. You check the paperwork, call in the background check and sign! Get your money then BOOM, you're done!

Really? Are you shuuua?
Cause it never taken me less than 30+ minutes to buy a gun.With filling out the paper work,as the dealer is filling out his part,then the call in,then the actual money part...
It takes more than 5 bubbleguming minutes.

hey if your guy doesn't mind working for free just to keep a cheap skate as a customer,then that's great.Take all the advantage of him you can.
My Dad taught me that they are just trying to make a living like the rest of us.

They can't do it for ever and run a reasonable business,pay their mortgage,car payments and other bills.

I bet y'all go to the local stores and fondle their merchandise huh?
Then you buy elsewhere?
When they go out of business,cause you buy elsewhere,where will you go to put your hands on the guns?
Or do you mind buying without actually seeing the gun? (not talking about guns you have many of either)

It is the American way to look out for number one and to heck with all others.

 

[Riot]

Really? Are you shuuua?
Cause it never taken me less than 30+ minutes to buy a gun.With filling out the paper work,as the dealer is filling out his part,then the call in,then the actual money part...
It takes more than 5 bubbleguming minutes.

hey if your guy doesn't mind working for free just to keep a cheap skate as a customer,then that's great.Take all the advantage of him you can.
My Dad taught me that they are just trying to make a living like the rest of us.

They can't do it for ever and run a reasonable business,pay their mortgage,car payments and other bills.

I bet y'all go to the local stores and fondle their merchandise huh?
Then you buy elsewhere?
When they go out of business,cause you buy elsewhere,where will you go to put your hands on the guns?
Or do you mind buying without actually seeing the gun? (not talking about guns you have many of either)

It is the American way to look out for number one and to heck with all others.

lol, hit a nerve did I?

It is the American way to have the option to "shop around". It's called CAPITALISM. If you don't stay competitive, then your market fails. Growing up with my Dad (who is a small business owner) I've seen, firsthand, how cheaper companies (like WalMart) can drive businesses out.

Am I mad at WalMart? No...

FYI I have bought a couple guns before looking at them (my WASR-10 and first Mosin Nagant).

 

[sadiesassy]

Found a place in Beaverton $10 transfer + $10 background check
USed it 2 weeks ago

 

[akula]

It's sad how some people just can’t grasp the idea of cost of doing business.

Let’s say that the whole thing takes 30 minutes. That includes paperwork, background check, receiving the gun, and storing the gun. The store pays their employee $15-$20 per hour $20-$25 after taxes. In order for the store to be profitable the billable time for the employee should be in the range of $60-$80 per hour. So for 30 minutes worth of work they would charge $30-$40 plus $10 equals $40-$50 for a transfer.

 

[tionico]

well, I'll take up the other side.. sure, the dealer doesn't make anything on the firearm itself.... but I met my dealer through my first hunt for a transfer FFL. He's a great guy, we've become good friends, I've transferred quite a few guns through him, his price for the service is fair. I know exactly how much time it takes to do the paperwork and call. I've sat there and watched him do it. BUT.. having served me well in transfers, I've also bought a number of guns and other accessories from him, so by serving me when I needed it, HE has earned a lofelong customer.

By the bye, my most recent experience buying a long gun in Oregon (from FFL, his gun I bought) I can see why some dealers would want to charge a high fee to transfer. Your stupid state (er, squeeze me, more accurately the stupid Oregonians who tolerate current laws and don't give the idiots tha make them the toss) has decided the Feds aren't secure enough, so THEY have to get in the middle and run the BG check rather than allow the dealers to have direact access to NICS. We called for the check... to the Oregon State Police, as mandated by your insane law..... we were on terminal hold for FORTY EIGHT MINUTES waiting for someone to take the call to THEN call FBI and run the NICS check. Is this stupid or what? GET your legislators on the ball and get that insane law changed..... NICS almost never takes more then five minutes, most times less than two. In a large and busy shop (Cabelas at peak times) the only real wait is to get an open phone line to make the call....

 

[PDXSparky]

It's sad how some people just can't grasp the idea of cost of doing business.

Let's say that the whole thing takes 30 minutes. That includes paperwork, background check, receiving the gun, and storing the gun. The store pays their employee $15-$20 per hour $20-$25 after taxes. In order for the store to be profitable the billable time for the employee should be in the range of $60-$80 per hour. So for 30 minutes worth of work they would charge $30-$40 plus $10 equals $40-$50 for a transfer.

Which is the exact reason why some people with a FFL do transfers as a side job. They don't have to support a store with their billable time. They do it to help pay for their FFL (and probably because they just like guns).

 

[sadiesassy]

The cost to participate is what someone is willing to pay to receive the service.
It is a personal decision to participate in that activity. No one put a gun to their head.
MAny places have placed a higher price on it to discourage buying a gun elsewhere - there option.
My last gun - the gun shop did not charge for the background check - or they paid for it.

MAny times - you do things to pull people into the shop - who will buy other things.
HOw many times do stores have loss leader items - sellign below cost?
So how you attract and develop business is up to the owner.

I used a FFL dealer for an item I could not buy locally. The FFL transfer has now had over 30 referrals - and his business is up - they are buying other things. It is a lot cheaper than running ads in the newspaper.
Internet and social referrals are cheap advertising methods. and they level the playing field.
But piss one person off by trying to charge unreasonable prices - 20 people will hear that negative impression.

Background checks - In Oregon, if we used the federal system vs Oregon's Background check - it would be free
So $10 in Oregon is a government make work issue. Basically typing in teh information . So it is probably a minimum wage job.

So is FFL papwerwork expensive?

It takes me about 10 min to fill out paperwork. The issue is sitting on the phone trying to get through. Faster on the Federal system

I think you would be hard pressed to justify a $60 - $80 billable rate ($124000 - $163000/ yr rate)

But if it is a job that takes 30 min total at $20/hr - that is $10.00

With your logic then a person who works in a store who has to receive goods ( Lets say food) , fill out paperwork , ship off items, etc etc. should get a great billable salary- But most get something over Minimum wage.
But with your approach - most of our food goods would cost triple what they do now.
It is the cost of doing business. Go in and do activity based costing to see where your cost are and if they are fully emplyed in that activity or if they do something else.

 

[akula]

The cost to participate is what someone is willing to pay to receive the service.
It is a personal decision to participate in that activity. No one put a gun to their head.
MAny places have placed a higher price on it to discourage buying a gun elsewhere - there option.
My last gun - the gun shop did not charge for the background check - or they paid for it.

MAny times - you do things to pull people into the shop - who will buy other things.
HOw many times do stores have loss leader items - sellign below cost?
So how you attract and develop business is up to the owner.

I used a FFL dealer for an item I could not buy locally. The FFL transfer has now had over 30 referrals - and his business is up - they are buying other things. It is a lot cheaper than running ads in the newspaper.
Internet and social referrals are cheap advertising methods. and they level the playing field.
But piss one person off by trying to charge unreasonable prices - 20 people will hear that negative impression.

Background checks - In Oregon, if we used the federal system vs Oregon's Background check - it would be free
So $10 in Oregon is a government make work issue. Basically typing in teh information . So it is probably a minimum wage job.

So is FFL papwerwork expensive?

It takes me about 10 min to fill out paperwork. The issue is sitting on the phone trying to get through. Faster on the Federal system

I think you would be hard pressed to justify a $60 - $80 billable rate ($124000 - $163000/ yr rate)

But if it is a job that takes 30 min total at $20/hr - that is $10.00

With your logic then a person who works in a store who has to receive goods ( Lets say food) , fill out paperwork , ship off items, etc etc. should get a great billable salary- But most get something over Minimum wage.
But with your approach - most of our food goods would cost triple what they do now.
It is the cost of doing business. Go in and do activity based costing to see where your cost are and if they are fully emplyed in that activity or if they do something else.

First of you can’t compare food costs (grocery stores) to gun shops. Grocery stores operate on a margin of 2-3% while most small retail businesses have to make 25-30% to stay in business.

You also can’t charge by employee salary alone. Let’s say a store only charges $10 for the transfer to cover the expense of the employee, if the customer pays with a credit card the store is already losing a couple of cents to credit card fees. What about the space in the back that is allocated for transfer guns? The liability of storing the guns (one in a thousand transfer guns is scratched while in storage and the customer has to be compensated).

Billable rate is always much higher than the wage of the employee. You really think that car mechanics and plumbers make $100 per hour?

I'm not saying that anyone has to pay $50 for a transfer. I'm just surprised that people are so shocked when a store charges that much.

 

[Ballistic]

-snip-

I'm not saying that anyone has to pay $50 for a transfer. I'm just surprised that people are so shocked when a store charges that much.

I think the only reason people are shocked by $50 is that so many shops charged half that amount of less. If everyone charged $50, then we'd all be saying that's the cost of a transfer.

But when many shops charge $15, $20, or $25, then $50 seems ridiculously high.

 

[Riot]

First of you can't compare food costs (grocery stores) to gun shops. Grocery stores operate on a margin of 2-3% while most small retail businesses have to make 25-30% to stay in business.

You also can't charge by employee salary alone. Let's say a store only charges $10 for the transfer to cover the expense of the employee, if the customer pays with a credit card the store is already losing a couple of cents to credit card fees. What about the space in the back that is allocated for transfer guns? The liability of storing the guns (one in a thousand transfer guns is scratched while in storage and the customer has to be compensated).

Billable rate is always much higher than the wage of the employee. You really think that car mechanics and plumbers make $100 per hour?

I'm not saying that anyone has to pay $50 for a transfer. I'm just surprised that people are so shocked when a store charges that much.

You're absolutly correct, you cannot compare a grocery store to an FFL dealer. A grocery store has to pay for the driver and delivery of the goods...even has to do the ordering. However, when doing the transfer the buyer has to do the leg work...all the FFL does is hand off the firearm to the buyer and process the paperwork (oh, and make a phone call).

Look, I realize that people are just "trying to make a living". But if private dealers can afford to charge $20, then what makes you ever think I'm going to pay $50 for the exact same service? Because I should? Because it's "American" of me?

If you ran to get gas and saw that one one side of the street it was $3.80 a gallon but on the other side was $3.75, where would you get gas? Why would you get on me for complaining how bad gas prices are or for choosing the cheaper choice? An FFL dealer is an FFL dealer...choosing the cheapest FFL dealer isn't going to hurt my firearm or the economy any. Is there like some NRA approaved FFL list we should only deal with?

 

[deen_ad]

lol, hit a nerve did I?

It is the American way to have the option to "shop around". It's called CAPITALISM. If you don't stay competitive, then your market fails. Growing up with my Dad (who is a small business owner) I've seen, firsthand, how cheaper companies (like WalMart) can drive businesses out.

Am I mad at WalMart? No...

And go back and check history and see how many mom & pop stores Sears and Montgomery Wards put out of business after they started! Same with Safeway, they put two mom & pop groceries out of business in our neighborhood some 55 years ago.

 

[mjbskwim]

lol, hit a nerve did I?

It is the American way to have the option to "shop around". It's called CAPITALISM. If you don't stay competitive, then your market fails. Growing up with my Dad (who is a small business owner) I've seen, firsthand, how cheaper companies (like WalMart) can drive businesses out.

Am I mad at WalMart? No...

FYI I have bought a couple guns before looking at them (my WASR-10 and first Mosin Nagant).

I don't have any nerves to hit any more.sorry.

Walmart exists because America is stupid enough to shop there and put all the other guys out of business.It isn't wally's fault.
The consumer can't see the forest for the trees.Buy from wally and screw everyone else.
Feed the rich bury the poor

If you are getting a transfer for less than $50 you are taking advantage of your FFL
Then he can't afford to do business,then he goes out of business anyway cause YOU bought from someone else
Yes he does the transfer so MAYBE you will buy something else (kinda stupid with your record huh?) But too bad,cause you bought that on line too.

YES that is the American way.
But your market fails ,now days because the guy with the biggest buying power screws the little guy.Because nobody cares about anybody but themselves.
Feed the rich and bury the poor.

(this bubblegum stats with F)
bubblegum everyone,I only care about myself.

So what happens when the government starts messing with the big retailers?
Who will you get the guns from?
No,those guys are gone.

This is why America will have only a few retailers left. Because WE put the little guy out of business.
Who will set the prices when the little guy is gone?

 

[Cougfan2]

I've never paid more that $30 total including the OR background check fee.

 

[James1300]

Its a flat $25.00 here. Columbia Gun Rack in Kennewick, Wa.
If your buying an AK-47(but not from them) Grigg's Sporting Goods in Pasco, Wa. wants $50.00
I throw as much buisness as I can to Holly at Columbia Gun Rack, She is fair with her prices.

 

[sadiesassy]

UNfortunately - most places are operating on thinner margins - it is the economy . Just drive down the road and look at all the vacant spaces in strip malls. It is all about retaining customers.
The internet has changed those dynamics.
Most educated people know what billable rates are. I was responding to the irrational approach the person was making. Again the rates he was qouting were irrrational and illogical

I would say many people do not understand there are options and just pay the bill. So they do not know if they are paying a premium.
Personally I think $20 - $25 for FFL would be reasonable - but found a place that only wants to charge $10 - So now I have to ask - why can one place only charge $10 for FFL portion but another wants $50 - $75.
The only logical answer: The difference is pure profit.

I view FFL primarily as a means for transfer between private people state to state.
But as I found out - many places will not do it and several gun stores charge a high premium. So as a consumer I have the power to make a decision. If I educate myself - I make a decision that benefits my needs
When you look at a place like Buds - by the time you pay transfer fees, and everythign else - It is usually a wash.
So if I can find it local at a reasobale price - great. ( Regardless if it is a gun shop or Walmart or BiMart).

But this issue comes up in many industries :
Tell you what I will swap your higher transfer fee but I want you pay for services when rendered and you take over filing your own medical insurance forms or pay a reasonable price :lets say $50 a filling). SO when the insurance bounces it for no reason or they "Lose it again" ( They can do it several times ) , you spend time collecting irrelevent information, Phone call follow ups,
Now - You get to carry the financial risk, take the time to follwo up until something is paid or not. Take 3 months of filing and answer questions to get paid
I think it would be a fair trade - $50 FFL vs you having to play games with insurance companies.
Also - PLease pay in cash so I do not have to pay credit card fees.

Every business has a cost. You make a personal decision to participate or not.

Somone is making money in guns - Just look at all the gun shops going up .

First of you can't compare food costs (grocery stores) to gun shops. Grocery stores operate on a margin of 2-3% while most small retail businesses have to make 25-30% to stay in business.

You also can't charge by employee salary alone. Let's say a store only charges $10 for the transfer to cover the expense of the employee, if the customer pays with a credit card the store is already losing a couple of cents to credit card fees. What about the space in the back that is allocated for transfer guns? The liability of storing the guns (one in a thousand transfer guns is scratched while in storage and the customer has to be compensated).

Billable rate is always much higher than the wage of the employee. You really think that car mechanics and plumbers make $100 per hour?

I'm not saying that anyone has to pay $50 for a transfer. I'm just surprised that people are so shocked when a store charges that much.