FFL Transfer question about DSarms FAL

[idakfan]

Hello everybody. I thought here the best place to ask a question I have.

I contacted DSarms www.dsarms.com today and asked about transfer prices versus the retail prices on their website. I was told that I need to do the following to get a transfer price instead of the retail price on their website:

1) Have my FFL send their info to DSA (so they have a valid FFL on file)
2) Have my FFL call them to verify transfer prices for me (customer) to pay DSA directly.

I haven't talked to a local dealer yet but I know two of them do transfers for $15. I assume this transfer for $15 is all I need to pay to have the local dealer contact DSA and send their FFL?

With DSArms prices having gone up at least $100 from what I can see on their site, I'd really like to pay transfer price.

Retail on STG58A Austrian FAL Rifle is $995.00. I'd assume the Transfer price is $895.00?

Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

[444]

By transfer price, I assume you are talking about "dealer price" or wholesale price.

It depends on the dealer, and, you may never know exactly how much markup you are paying. DSA won't undercut it's dealer network by giving out their wholesale prices to non-dealers. They will only tell the dealer what the actual price is. The dealer may or may not share that information with you. If he doesn't, you won't really know if he is charging you $15 to do a transfer or $115.
Usually, when you pay a dealer to do a transfer, you already know the exact price of the item you are buying and you pay the person selling it directly. An example might be if I advertised a gun on an on-line auction site and you won the auction by bidding $100. You know the price is $100. You pay me $100. Then you pay your dealer $15 to do the transfer.
But when you are buying something new, you may not know the wholesale price. And you arn't paying the manufacturer or the wholesaler directly: you are paying the dealer the whole sum and he is ordering it for you. This is more like buying a car, where they have all kinds of different prices: sticker, invoice........... People say, I only paid $500 over invoice, or whatever. But the average guy would likely never know what the dealer actually had in the car and how much profit they actually made on the deal.

 

[Chuck R.]

When I ordered my SA58 I went through our skeet club on post. They charge a standard $15.00 fee for transfers as long as none of the clubs money is tied up. The manager sent DSA a copy of the club’s FFL along with a letter “authorizing” DSA to deal directly with me. He also had to follow up with a phone call due to DSA’s changing out some help. Once that happened, I was quoted the dealer pricing based on how I wanted the rifle built. Overall it was a pretty painless process and DSA delivered the rifle a month ahead of schedule.

I ended up getting the SA58 for $1075 + $20 shipping + $15 transfer fee. At that time the SA58 listed for $1325, so it’s worth trying to get a transfer guy to work with you.

Chuck

 

[ShootAndHunt]

That is right! When the manufacturer (not the dealer) charge directly to you via the authorization of a dealer, you get the dealer price.

 

[idakfan]

444 and Chuck R. thanks for the detailed replies. I was afraid of what 444 said and this was my main concern. Hearing Chuck R's story makes me feel good that if I find a nice FFL who will do business with me we can work out this type of arrangement. Incredible savings Chuck!