$50 for a transfer

[tionico]

funny thing..... I was in need of some medical care a while back, got out the phone book and started calling around for a doctor. First question most asked was "what type of insurance do you have?" I have no insurance, I will be paying cash at time of service. Guess what the most common response was? "Sorry, we don't take cash customers, only those with insurance paying for services".

How insane is THAT? You talk about dogging the insurance companies to finally pay up, months of delays, etc for funding... and I want to pay cash on the desk before I walk out, done, end of story... and it took at least ten phone calls to find a doctor willing to deal in cash. Cost of doing business? Hah.......

 

[Riot]

If you are getting a transfer for less than $50 you are taking advantage of your FFL

Whatever helps you sleep at night...

 

[tionico]

If you are getting a transfer for less than $50 you are taking advantage of your FFL

oh really, now? Are you saying my FFL is stupid? Independently wealthy? Ignorant? Playing Santa Claus?

If you have to pay fifty cents for a bagel at the bagel shop, YOU decide whether that bagel is worth eight bits. If I come along and sell them for two bits, and I start selling them by the truckload, are all those buyers taking advantage of me?

Anyone smart enough to be in business knows he can't STAY in business unless his inflow is larger than his outflow. How all that sorts out is the concern of the business owner, not me. How it all sorts out for ME, however, is MY concern. I'll stop buying things online or from out of state before I'll pay fifty bucks for a transfer. I look at one number when I consider any purchase.... the TOTAL cost in MY hands. I've passed on some screaming handgun deals on GunBroker..... private seller has to pay eighty bucks for UPS/FedEx Overnight shipping.. a company policy I refuse to support. I'll wait and find the same gun from a FFL who can ship it for $12 by USPS Flat Rate..... my transfer costs don't change in either case. My cost in hand does.... until UPS/FedEx change their baseless policy and allow ground shipments of handguns, I'll buy from dealers.. unless the deal is good enough to cover the outrageous shipping fees extracted by the Common Carriers. WHO is taking advantage of WHOM on this overnight shipping insanity? Ah, but I can still vote with my wallet...... and I do.

 

[boots]

Ive seen quite a few FFLs advertising transfers for $25-$30

 

[billdeserthills]

PLUS 10 Bucks for the state. Geesch! Life must be real good right now for some of these dealers. There is another one here locally that will only accept from another FFL. That's why I try to purchase FTF. Ken in Corvallis.

Don't put up with that, fight back by getting your own FFL!

 

[billdeserthills]

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 .

If you think Bud's is too high you must not be paying sales tax on gun purchases in your state.

 

[Abiqua]

My dealer charges $20 for Title I transfers, $30 for NFA transfers.

 

[sadiesassy]

No sales tax in Oregon

 

[billdeserthills]

No sales tax in Oregon

Well that kills it then. In Arizona getting out of paying sales tax (10.3%) by purchasing from Bud's generally saves you money...

 

[sadiesassy]

I think you will see that change in next year or two as states figure out how much they are really missing in taxes due to internet sales.
That would be a great Aid to brick and mortar stores. Re level the playing field.

 

[sadiesassy]

So can you clarify
As I understand - Arizona has a ~6% sales tax
However, they hit vendors with a 10.6% tax (that they are allowed to pass along all or part of that). POtential sales tax could go up to 10.6%

We have an inventory tax that is paid as % of sales. The cost is either eaten by the vendor or is added in tot he cost

So even if internet sales were taxed - then they would probably only pay the 6% rate?

Is that a correct interpretation?

Well that kills it then. In Arizona getting out of paying sales tax (10.3%) by purchasing from Bud's generally saves you money...

 

[billdeserthills]

The State gets the 6%, the city I operate out of gets some & the county gets the rest. In Phoenix sales tax runs 9.3% on guns, in my town of Cave Creek tax runs 10.3%. As far as levelling the playing field by taxing internet sales, I would prefer to Let Freedom Ring & screw the Internet Sales Tax in any form.

 

[TCOV]

While people responding to this post keep talking about the cost to a dealer to do a transfer I just don't see any cost unless it is a high volume shop with people lined up at the counter waiting. I have purchased guns from every shop in my area and had transfers done by several. $30 is the most paid. If I come into the shop for a transfer and no one else needs service then the money made from my transfer is money the dealer would not have made that day and he would have had no income for that 15 minutes or so. When I buy a gun that he does not stock or a used gun I want and need a transfer he has not lost a sale. It's called being in retail business. I can see restricting transfers on new guns that he may have in stock but on used or unique guns he can choose to make easy $30 or nothing for that 15 minutes or so. I can see a high volume shop not wanting to be bothered and WA now has the issue of collecting sales tax but it is still a choice of making a little gravy money or nothing while waiting for another customer to show. How many times does a dealer talk to someone over the counter and they leave without a purchase? Did the dealer just lose $50 or so? I don't think so. The dealer charging $50 just doesn't want to do transfers. GRAVY MONEY is what one of my dealers called it while handling a transfer for me.

 

[gemini97424]

Here is a link on GunBroker which allows you enter your Zip Code and it will list all the FFL/transfer agents in your locality. The only drawback is the FFL/transfer agent must have registered as an FFL with GunBroker, no registration no listing. GunBroker.com - FFL Holder Network Here is a link to the ATF web where you can download all the registered FFL's in a particular State as of March. ATF Online - Statistics - Listing of Federal Firearms Licensees Maybe a new section on NWF listing FFL/transfer agents and what they would charge would also be something to think about. I am a Class 01 FFL but am not in the business of buying and selling firearms, I did accept firearms for cleaning or minor repair which required the FFL and a firearm register to be maintained. I no longer accept firearms for cleaning or repair but I do transfers for friends and associates. Not having a business makes the Tier 1 Supporting Vendor on NWF cost prohibitive, there would have to be quite a few transfers just to offset the cost of becoming a Tier 1 Supporter.

 

[ruSSrt]

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

Please tell me who is your dealer? My last ffl transfer cost me $40 and I'm about to order ar lower, but really don't want to pay $40 again.
Help please?

 

[sadiesassy]

So this really gets down to a business decision

Some places find an opportunity at $10 - $15 ( gravy , add on opportunity, potential customers) while others discourage it by asking much higher numbers ( Sounds like punishment for not buying there , or do not want to deal with it).
But if you have them lined up – that may be a good strategy. ( May be a nuisance)
Unfortunately – if you are buying from a private individual - you need to use the FFL.

Local shops are hurt by online sellers ( Little to no brick and mortar cost) who can sell without paying sales tax. But some people come unglued at the suggestion that the field be leveled for local dealers by enforcing sales tax to be collected for all on line sales.
Lots of local businesses have been impacted by the no tax on the internet .

 

[TCOV]

The advantage of gunshop over a lot of other "brick and mortar" retail shops is that it is easy for them to also put their product online with the auction services and reach more potential customers. Several local shops here do that. List with a reserve price and state that gun is for sale in their shop until reserve is met. Some guns will bring a better price online than in the shop. It's just about how much work the dealer feels like doing and how much money he wants to make. Some don"t seem to care or do enough sales without going online. You don't see many gunshops without a computer handy so they do get some benefit from the net. In WA the sales tax/use tax is supposed to be collected on internet sales requiring ffl transfer so there is no advantage for the buyer there.

 

[sadiesassy]

This just in - They may looking to level the playing field
Democratic senator wants Internet sales taxes
4/11/2011
A Democratic senator is preparing to introduce legislation that aims to end the golden era of tax-free Internet shopping.
The proposal--expected to be made public soon after Tax Day--would rewrite the ground rules for Internet and mail order sales by eliminating the ability of Americans to shop at Web sites like Amazon.com and Overstock.com without paying state sales taxes.
Dick Durbin of Illinois, the second most senior Senate Democrat, will introduce the bill after the Easter recess, a Democratic aide told CNET.
"Why should out-of-state companies that sell their products online have an unfair advantage over Main Street bricks-and-mortar businesses?" Durbin said in a speech in Collinsville, Ill., in February. "Out-of-state companies that aren't paying their fair share of taxes are sticking Illinois residents and businesses with the tab."
At the moment, Americans who shop over the Internet from out-of-state vendors aren't always required to pay sales taxes at the time of purchase. Californians buying books from Amazon.com or cameras from Manhattan's B&H Photo, for example, won't pay the sales taxes at checkout time that they would if shopping at a local mall--which is what Durbin means by giving online retailers an "unfair advantage."
Read more: Democratic senator wants Internet sales taxes | Privacy Inc. - CNET News

 

[billdeserthills]

Well as long as Democraps are feeling fair about spreading the sales tax money around maybe they should disband most of the IRS and get that Fair Tax going...Seems a little fairer to just pay tax on what each of us buy & use instead of letting the rich keep it all.

 

[Misterbill]

For those on the dry side, Attic Clutter in Yakima will do transfers for $20.