FFL Transfer Charges

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So let's say you bought a new pistol from Bud's. You're paying $340 including shipping. High Price Transfer Store looks at the same pistol. They pay $249 to their distributor and price the same pistol for $409 on their shelf. You would be charged a $160 transfer fee.
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If there is a shop out there that charges $409 on a gun they paid $249 on and can stay in business I want to shake their hand. That's over 39% mark up on a new gun. This is unheard of in the industry outside of Philadelphia pawn shops.
More likely they are charging $349 on the same gun they paid 299 for.

I don't have a problem with a shop charging a legitimate fee for an honest service, but charging a $160 for a $30 service just to screw you for a profit is disgusting.
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Why do you think it is a $30 service? I'd love to know what other people do so I can dictate how much they ought to get paid as well. If you don't want to pay that much, well you know the answer.

'Course, if you want to post your transfer prices and explain how you decide where to set them, that's always welcome.
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I charge basically $40 because anything less isn't worth it to me. I used to charge $20 and did lots of transfer business. Then I noticed something: people who come based on my being the lowest price won't buy anything else because they can get it cheaper at WalMart. They need to do their transfers at WalMart in that case.
Of course for some customers I'll do $20, sometimes I've done it for free.
 
My guy charges $15 and is completely by the book and very professional. He also has shipped 2 guns for me that I sold....for NO additional charge (I paid the shipping charges of course). This gives me a little additional security as he is REQUIRED by law to make sure the guns are shipping to a verified FFL. Besides that, he gets a reduced shipping rate and as an FFL has more shipping options that non-FFL's don't have. Works for me and he's been great. For reference, I am in the suburban Chicago area.

Warner
 
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Mozart 2 -

check on Auction Arms - they have a list of local FFL holders based on your zip. I'm on the east side of the TC, and there's three listed, running from $10 - $25.

p.s. Gander Mt sucks. just my opinion...
 
I charge $50. It is not worth it for me to charge less.

Fees vary widely between different areas of the country. What
may seem like a lot to one person will seem cheap to someone else.
 
@Bubba613: I pulled those numbers out of my rump for a purpose of example. I have no idea what sort of profit margin they use; all I know is what I was told- their transfer fee equals the markup from their distributor price to their shelf retail.
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No joke you did that.
People somehow have the idea new guns have margins like diamonds or women's clothing. They don't. They have margins like flour or gasoline.
As to the store's practice, it makes sense to me. If someone doesn't want to pay that they can go elsewhere and the shop won't do many transfers. Maybe that's what they want.
 
I charge $50. It is not worth it for me to charge less.
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And this is probably a very conclusive statement on the whole matter. If a shop finds that they do a lot of business on low-cost $15-20 transfers, and a large number of customers want to pay them for that service (and buy other items while there -- including other guns they saw on display while in the shop for their transfer), and that the time spent provides a decent cash flow, then they'll usually continue to do them.

If they find that they are spending a lot of time on these transfers and the customers requesting them really don't ever spend another dime with them -- and the high-volume, low-cost revenue stream isn't helping make the ends meet -- then they'll probably push the price up until they feel they're getting a better return on the time spent, or stop having to take the time...

Some (usually smaller) companies seem to make up a significant part of their income from transfers -- the more the merrier. Some seem to find that providing that service doesn't reap them any benefit.

If you refuse to patronize a shop that puts their transfer fees up over $30, that affects them (and you) in some way. If you agree to pay a dealer $50+ for a transfer, that influences their decisions as well.

At some point there is a balance found and everyone is as happy as they're going to get. ;)
 
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Repeat thread or not,I learned something.Thanks guys for the info on
transfer fees.I've been in the market for certain guns that I can't
find locally.A lot of times I see the guns a lot cheaper off the internet.
From your post ,if I shop around,$25 is the going price with anything
over $35 to be a bit on the high side.
Also,I can certainly see an excessive transfer fee would come into
play on me doing business with them.If they charge those kind of fees,
then it tells you right up front what kind of deal you are going to get
on their other products.
 
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Sam1911,
Well put in post #36. I agree with every word. Good old capitalism...you gotta love it.
Thanks to Liberty1776's suggestion I found a small shop (right in my town, less than 15 minutes from me) that offers a low-cost transfer service as, well, just that, a service (i.e. customer service). It says in their ad, "We spend our time helping our customers getting the best service and price on their firearm investments." They just won hundreds of dollars (perhaps thousands, over time) of my business...
 
I pay $30.
I probably could get it cheaper, but I like the folks at this gun store.

A store I went to ONCE told me, "If you don't buy the gun from me, the transfer is $100."
Needless to say, I respect his right to charge whatever he wants, and I hope he respects my right to never go back.
 
$20, but that's always transfers for weird oddball stuff...

I'd never waste my guys time on a brand-new Glock or something. Then I'd expect to pay $100 :)
 
See post #30. GunBroker is performing a valuable service here.

My local (walking distance) dealer charges $20 for a transfer, and charges a reasonable mark-up on new guns. They get plenty of business, including all of mine (both transfer of used guns and orders on new ones).

Does everybody expect to pay the same price for a haircut?
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Not really sure how this is relevant. A haircut can be good or bad, depending on who does it. An FFL transfer is essentially a commodity, and is the same regardless of who does it. Therefore, price is a far more significant component...that said, I choose to support my LGS, although I could get the same "service" for $5 less down the road.

If my LGS suddenly decided that they wanted $50 vice the current $20 (or the $15 available up the road) I would conclude that my LGS did not really value my business, and I would take my business elsewhere.
 
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It is called CAPITALISM...........some folks need to review Econ 101.....prices for goods and services are set by market demands against market supply.

Some states, especially those with restrictive laws, require FFLS to do more paperwork and have stricter controls than other areas - coupled with the fact that there are usually fewer shops, means prices will be higher than another state where there are a proliferation of gun shops............doesn't mean they are a rip-off, just means that their pricing reflects the reality of their location - so stop bashing folks who charge more than they do in your neck of the woods
 
We charge $35 per gun....but if a person is a regular and gets a bunch from an auction we cut a little deal. It isn't always the same amount of time involved but it is close. The dealer is responsible for the recordkeeping, the 4473, the delivery, and often, the storage until the "buyer" finds time to come in and pick up the gun. Also, the dealer has to contend with the person who has no better things to do than follow the tracking numbers and call repeatedly to see if his gun has come in.

Another dealer asked me the other day if we were going to raise our fees. I said, "no, not right now". He said, "I charge $50." If you go to fifty, I'm going to $75. I don't want them."

Often, people buy guns on the internet, pay the shipping, our fee and could have bought it in the shop for less. I think $35 is small potatoes for the aggravation and loss of true business.
 
$10 if you have a CCW permit, $20 if you don't. I'm in Tucson.
 
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A lot of you guys need to add a location to your profile. It's pretty meaningless to say, "it costs $XX aroound here" if the rest of us don't have any idea where "here" is. ;)

I'm sure this has been mentioned before, Gunbroker has a search engine that helps you find a transfer dealer in your area. You can type in your zip code and find dealers and most list prices. In the Houston area it looks like $15 to $50 with $35 being typical.
 
An FFL transfer is essentially a commodity, and is the same regardless of who does it.
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Well, no it really isn't.
Is it worth it to drive 45 minutes so you can save $10? I dunno. For some people it is, for some it isn't. How about an extra $10 so you go to the shop that has cheap bulk ammo as well you can pick up while there? How much is it worth to avoid a bad attitude, or inept service ("gee, I guess your gun has been sitting there for a while.")?
Poorly educated consumers are the bane of any business.
 
i personally think any shop that charges $50 or more for a transfer shouldn't be doing transfers in the first place.
if you don't want to do them just flat out don't do them instead of ripping people off.
 
if you don't want to do them just flat out don't do them instead of ripping people off.
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and yet ANOTHER uneducated person regarding the economics of the situation - if YOU, as a WILLING participant pay the fee, you are not ripped off


Hey mods - can we get an econ 101 lesson as a sticky here? - this explaining it over and over gets old

While Al Gore's internet is a great way to discover things, something folks need to realize - what it costs in YOUR area is not the same as what it costs in MY area......doesn't mean anyone got ripped off.......it means that two parties got together, agreed upon a certain price for a certain service - there is no "ripping off"............
 
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