Shop won't do private transfers

[Velzey]

A simple transfer for someone...

Sure no problem. Oh you charge more than 10-15$??? what a rip off

Me: Customer sends me a screenshot of an item he bought online...
Me: Um ok I need more than that, forward me the confirmation email
Customer: Do they have my email address?
Customer: I dont even have an account with that online auction website thing.
Me: well you hit the buy it now, didn't you?
Customer: wait can you get me a better price on that pistol? But I want it with this $125 set of night sights.....
Me: you sent me a screenshot of a buy it now page, at 1:30 AM last night, you didn't actually use buy it now?
Customer: NO
Me: so do you want that pistol? I will purchase it and get it here in a few days.
Customer: Ok
Customer: WAIT Do I have to pay shipping? Because that buy it now auction had free shipping! But did not have the night sights I wanted.
Me; losing interest in all this, and its 6pm now
Me; let me look around and see what I can find
Customer; calls at 6:45am wondering when his new pistol will arrive, and hey what kind of grips came on it.
Me: I don't even have shoes on yet...So no your new pistol isn't here yet.
Me: I go online and do the buy it now option and guess what free shipping was for last weekend only.
Customer: Oh that's ok we can split the shipping cost
Me: a couple days later, @ 10 am hey your gun is here.
Customer: calls me back 5 minutes before closing, and wants me to stay and do the transfer for him
Me: Ok whatever, shows up at nearly 8pm
Customer: hey did you take my pistol all apart and slick up the action?
Me: Did you want me to? I charge $150 or so for an action job..
Customer: Oh no that's to expensive...well you're a gunsmith don't you do that to all custom order pistols?
Me: NO
Me: time to do the transfer, and pay, balks at the $15 fee which is 10 to the state and 5 to me
No never mind that the customer has had me looking for some night sights, a better deal overall, free shipping, different grips, has texted me 75 times in the last 5 days, has emailed me 11 times. ( I kid you not) all over one transaction!!
So yeah that sounds about right. Some people I am picky as bubblegum as to who I do transfers for!
Lets not forget the login, logout, etc etc oh wait I hear thats the easy part of it

@MountainBear

 

[Koda]

I also appreciate the FFL point of view, when the time comes I will do my best to make it as smooth as possible and not be "that guy".

But at some point... every single one of us is going to have to sell our guns that means we will have to go somewhere. At this point it really isn't a matter of if its cost effective for anyone, cause its not, ...we will be going somewhere to do the BGC transfer.

 

[Ura-Ki]

For you guys Velzey and MountainBear not in the primary business of firearms sales, I can see this as a big issue for you guys, and I understand completely why it's a loosing proposition for you!

 

[Vendor Hidden]

A simple transfer for someone...

Ouch! The truth is anyone in business for themselves gets the occasional crappy customer. The trick is to learn to control the situation so that you don't become a victim. One of the benefits of not being a retail business is that if I don't want to do a certain job, for instance, I politely tell the customer why their project is not a good fit for my skill set, and suggest a couple of my colleagues that might work better. I usually send them to someone I know will help them. I know I'm giving up work, but I'm also eliminating major headaches, and I've come to realize that I'd rather be a little poorer than working on something I hate.

Of course, not every business has that option, especially in a retail environment.

 

[Velzey]

I should add, that my posted transaction process was not a member of NWFA,

 

[Ura-Ki]

 

[Alexx1401]

I should add, that my posted transaction process was not a member of NWFA,

See now that is an example of someone I would have told to go pound sand. In my mind a business owner does not have to kiss every a$$ in town. Pissing off someone like that I can't see hurting them. Last time I bought on auction it was a gun I could not find at the dealers here. They had never even heard of it. So I bought one off Gun B. Paid. Asked the dealer for whatever I would need for my FFL. Took all this paper to FFL in person. They wanted one more piece of info which I asked for, got, and took to them. They received the gun for me and I gladly paid them the $25. I have been dealing with this shop for a long time now. It's why I keep going back to them. Couple times I saw some gun I wanted for a few bucks less somewhere else. I still went to them because I have been satisfied with the service there. Now I "heard" they charge more for the transfer for others. I told the one who told me that maybe they do if you are not a customer. They keep treating me well, I keep giving them my money.

 

[Deavis]

I can feel the pain of the FFL dealing with lame customers, but on the other hand under the 941.... if you have 2 gun nerds in your shop while waiting for Kate to approve them: One has enough $ to buy a gun, just did, and needs some goodies to go with it (sling mounts, scope, add, ammo, dies, etc).

The other has a fresh pocket full of cash.

I don't see how this is bad for a decently stocked LGS?

 

[MountainBear]

NO! Don wanna...

Sorry, quoting my 18-month old son...

 

[whitney]

I can feel the pain of the FFL dealing with lame customers, but on the other hand under the 941.... if you have 2 gun nerds in your shop while waiting for Kate to approve them: One has enough $ to buy a gun, just did, and needs some goodies to go with it (sling mounts, scope, add, ammo, dies, etc).

The other has a fresh pocket full of cash.

I don't see how this is bad for a decently stocked LGS?

I resemble that remark.
Sent you a PM regarding a separate for sale post.

~Whitney

 

[DirectDrive]

How 'bout....
"Buy the gun here and the transfer is ___."
"Outside sale, and it's ___.

I've seen free on the top one and $30 on the other.
YMMV

 

[Koda]

How 'bout....
"Buy the gun here and the transfer is ___."
"Outside sale, and it's ___.

I've seen free on the top one and $30 on the other.

The profit margin on new guns isnt that great

 

[jbett98]

This thread reminds of a shop owner who claimed to lose money on every transaction.
When asked how he stayed in business he said.
"Volume, lots and lots of volume!"

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

One of the many flaws in requiring a BGC. If some (close by) shops refuse, sure its their right (I suppose) but its even more time and money to drive to the next closest shop, then the shop after that and so on.. Then you have no price guarantees for transfer costs either.. Most shops hover around $25-$35.. But shops "could" charge whatever they wanted.. (Which again is their foolish right) But its even more out of pocket for the private parties wanting to legally transfer a firearm.

At some point people are just going to say "eff it" and do what they want. Selling a firearm privately now means Im having to take a loss. Why would someone buy a firearm for a lightly used and slightly discounted price when the $25-$55 (in extreme cases) transfer bumps the price up to an almost "new" price.. And why would someone pay in full for some common firearm they could just buy new outright? So the government is essentially diminishing the value on your property via a BGC.

The only thing these BGC's were designed to do was discourage and irritate the law abiding from private sales essentially eliminating them along with creating a ghost registration scheme..

 

[Mister Bisley]

They have and always will be the problem for the law abiding citizen.

 

[Misteramax]

I won't say who I helped and did work for. Please don't ask. After doing shows and seeing what it's like on the other side of the table, being the guy trying to sell a gun, dealing with customers can definitely be silly at times. Most of my encounters were positive and do want to return to the industry with my own business.

Some customers, regardless of what kind of store you run, will just be difficult. If a person is being an outright angry loser in life, my favorite thing to do is say: "hey, cool story". And just walk away and do something productive or help someone else. I don't cater to disrespect. That's why when I give my business to a gun store im extremely laid back and understanding if a mistake happens. You guys gotta listen to some serious bs and I'll be damned if I walk into a guys shop acting like a self entitled f@#$&*.

As for sb941 fees. I pay 30 to 35 bucks depending on where I go. That's fine. Do I like it? No, but if the state forces it down your throats... Your time isn't free. It's like if that temp. Court order passes. I would bet you all a box of 9mm ammo, shops would be ordered to put seized guns in their books with no compensation of any kind. Kate brown needs to stop reading Karl Marx.

 

[Sstrand]

I have a suggestion for all you "crybabies."
When you do a deal include the cost of a background check along with the time and travel to and from someone who will do it . . . If it doesn't pencil out don't do the deal . . . simple! don't adopt a "Snowflake attitude!"
An alternative: start a movement to have "state-owned" gun shops replace private businesses. Can you say department of motor vehicles???

Sheldon

 

[Boboclown]

An alternative: start a movement to have "state-owned" gun shops replace private businesses. Can you say department of motor vehicles???

And then the DMV will have quicker service than the gun stores.

 

[Mister Bisley]

Hefty bills are usually passed along to the taxpayer

 

[Koda]

I dont see anyone here suggesting we riot, flip cars, smash windows, block traffic....

Next well be told to "shut our mouths" unless weve been a victim of 'gun violence"....?