$130 transfer fee from gun shop! need help

[tikka338win]

So I went in to my local gun shop to buy a .338 win mag tikka t3 ss synthetic on the 1st of july. they told me that they would have to get it from their distributer who was supposed to get it on the 15 and ship it to them shortly after. The price was steep at $730 after tax and everything. So now yesterday I finally got fed up of them telling me "10 more days" without even checking with the distributer so I got them to call their distributer. Now today i got them calling me back saying that it would be in until september! With this I told them that I had found one on gunbroker, and after they had looked it up and called the dealer, they then called me back and told me that they could infact get this gun which was $548+shipping. Now the gun shop tells me that im going to have to pay the original $730. With some very expensive shipping (which i garantee its not) leaves it at a minimun $130 transfer fee! Maybe i'm not calculating in a tax or something, but I feel that i am being ripped off. It is being shipped from KY to WA. Any suggestions on what course of action I should take would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Kingcreek]

I assume you have not paid them anything or entered into a binding agreement? you don't have to allow them to take advantage of you.
1.tell them why you will NOT be doing business with them, ever
2. find a new dealer
next time do a little homework. knowledge is power.

 

[Hanzerik]

Cancel all orders with that shop and find a different gunshop to do business with. That’s a crazy transfer fee. The guy I use charges $10 for transfers. If I were you I would do the purchase myself, pay the shipping, and have it shipped to an FFL that has reasonable transfer fees. Don't have the gunshop "buy" it for you.

 

[SHOOT1SAM]

Since it's coming from Kentucky, and your dealer wants to screw you, I'm assuming that it comes with its own Kentucky Jelly!!

Look on Gunbroker; they have a link to find an FFL in your area, contact them & pay, probably $25 to have the rifle transferred in and definitely let your "former" dealer know exactly why you will never do business with them again.

Sam

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

For rifle: Buds Gun Shop

And Shotgun News FFL Finder for a local FFL that charges a reasonable (typically $15-$50) transfer fee. Most of the ones list their fees in that search.

 

[KiltedClaymore]

ditch 'em

 

[Jim K]

The dealer just wants to make the profit on the gun one way or another. If he doesn't want to handle transfers on items he has in stock, or can get from a distributor, I can understand that, but he should say so.

It sounds like he is just plain lazy and doesn't want the sale, so accommodate him and go elsewhere.

Jim

 

[harmonic]

I've run into this before. It's not a transfer fee. It's just that if they have to order from one of their distributors, they charge the same as if they're selling the gun themselves.

I'd say go on Gunbroker.com and click on the heading at the top of the page that says, "For buyers." Scroll down to the fourth linked category, "Find a transfer dealer." Type in your zip code and you'll get a list of FFLs who will transfer the gun for you. Then go to one of these guys to find your gun:


http://www.ajcsportshop.com/
http://www.armchairgunshow.com/
http://auctionarms.com/
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/index.php
http://www.bullocksguns.com/
http://www.calssportingarmory.com/
http://www.cdnninvestments.com/dowournewcat.html
http://www.centerfiresystems.com/
http://www.collectorsfirearms.com/
http://www.dallasguns.com
http://www.discountgunsales.com/
http://www.eastcountyguns.com/
http://www.galleryofguns.com/
https://www.gilbertsguns.com/
http://gunbroker.com/
http://www.gunlist.net/
http://gunsamerica.com/
http://www.impactguns.com/store/
http://www.kyimports.com/
http://www.lisc.net/p90.htm
http://oldguns.net/
http://www.ozarkguns.com/index.htm
http://www.sportingarms.com/
http://www.simpsonltd.com/
http://www.summitgunbroker.com/index.html
http://www.the-armory.com/
http://www.thegunsource.com/default.aspx
http://www.ordnanceoutsellers.com/index.htm

 

[rantingredneck]

+1.

Check Gunbroker for a list of FFL's in your area that do transfers $20-25 is the typical going rate around here. Some FFL's charge sales tax on the transfer fee, most don't. 130.00 is highway robbery. Do business elsewhere and tell them you are and why.

 

[FCFC]

Sounds wayyyyy too high.

If you haven't made a commitment to buy through them, consider walking away from the prospective purchase.

Even if you have made a commitment, the shop needs to justify and specify all its extra charges.

 

[Huddog]

I believe my opinion has already been expressed. I would cease immediately to do business with this establishment.

 

[rantingredneck]

When you're dealing with Gunbroker YOU buy the gun, not your local dealer. You have it shipped through your local dealer and pay a transfer fee and shipping to the actual seller.

This sounds like your dealer is taking a good gunbroker deal and trying to turn a profit on it from you.

 

[NG VI]

Any suggestions on what course of action I should take would be greatly appreciated.

Let them know you will be using ANY other shop to avoid giving them business in the future, strictly because of how offensive their attempted assault on your self-respect was. Maybe you should be a little more subtle than that, but any way you need to get the point across that they have just lost your transfer business and they will probably not see you very often any more, and it is because they just had to try and squeeze the blood right out of your wallet at any cost.

I assume you have not paid them anything or entered into a binding agreement? you don't have to allow them to take advantage of you.
1.tell them why you will NOT be doing business with them, ever
2. find a new dealer
next time do a little homework. knowledge is power.

Exactly. I pay $20 at my one FFL, and $30 at the LGS where I also bought my first Glock. Neither of those prices is outrageous, and the FFL I go to often is willing to give me a deal on multiple transfers. I would never give my money to anyone trying to charge me $150 just because I didn't feel like waiting for them to get their act together, and found a much more competitive price elsewhere.

 

[RonE]

At $5 per gallon gas the $130 amounts to 26 gallons of gas. At 15 miles per gallon, you should be able to drive 390 miles. Can you find the rifle you want anywhere within 195 miles of your house?

Sounds like your local guy wants to be paid $130 for making a phone call. I would not deal with him.

Good luck!

 

[Seenterman]

Wayy to high

Whoa thats way to high. Sounds like a gunshop I was dealing with they drag their feet until you beat down their door (or in my case there telephone) until they make moves. I paid $50 for a transfer fee and felt I was getting ripped off but unfortunatly there are only two gun shops in my city. Im sure you have a better selection give your business to someone who deserves it.

 

[ProficientRifleman]

First, find another shop with which to do your gun business.

Second, post the name of the store that tried to rip you off on every gun board there is and they might start to understand how short term thinking can cost them their business.

Third, when you do select a gun shop to do your transfers, get an agreement up front as to the costs. Make sure both parties understand who pays shipping, etc. Then if YOU have paid the shipper for the gun and shipping, you should pay only the transfer fee to your local FFL. If he tries to get you to pay sales tax on the VALUE amount, he is ripping you off. I have had this very thing happen to me.

Best of luck in the future.

PR

 

[Bear2000]

I'm sorry, but I have little use for local gun shops anymore...

This will certainly upset some people, but oh well.

Unless you really like your local gun shop owner and therefore helping him or her pay their overhead and paying sales tax as well, you're almost always better off buying out-of-state from an outfit like Buds Gun Shop, R&R Arms, Able Ammo, or a seller off Gunbroker.com or some other auction site. They have much better selections and are, in my opinion, easier to deal with. It's easy to find an FFL who'll charge $20, sometimes less, for the transfer. Unless your state has no sales tax, that's going to be less than the sales tax on anything gun over $400. AND, of course, you're probably going to pay at least 5%, and probably 10-15%, off what your local gun shop will ask.

I bought eight guns last year - only one at a gun shop. I would have saved $100 on that gun otd if I had bought it online, just as I did with the others.

Nope, I'm pretty much done with local gun shops for buying guns. The ones near me at least are staffed by either dim-witted rednecks who know less about the products than I do and stare emptily past me or guys who will tell you that "This gun is better than that gun and I don't care what anyone tells you" just because they have it in stock. Nah, I'll get my advice from a large community of actual gun owners here, ask guys at the club to let me see their guns (and they can see and shoot mine), and then take my business to Buds or Able Ammo and one of my local FFLs (thereby putting something into the hands of a local citizen).

Local gunshops - sorry, I don't need them and their high prices anymore.

 

[Cliff47]

Tikka, where are you in our fair state? Maybe I can help direct you to a FFL that can do the transfer for less. Even though the GunBroker dealer finder is a help, it is not really up to date(shops close, transfer fees change, that kinda thing).

 

[FCFC]

Local gunshops - sorry, I don't need them and their high prices anymore.

Lots of them are going out of business. For most of those, I say good riddance.

I go to the local gun shops (and pawn shops) which are good and the online sources which are good.

I don't owe the local brick & mortar shop who can't run a viable and customer-oriented business a darn thing. If it cannot compete--with all the advantages it has--then it obviously isn't providing enough value to stick around.

 

[woad_yurt]

Cancel everything & give the pirate a good view of your heels as you walk out the door. Go to another dealer for the transfer. That's a ridiculous price. You should post the shop's name so others can avoid it.

 

[tikka338win]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I dont think I will ever go to another gunshop again to buy a gun. I live in the Seattle area if anyone knows a good FFL.

 

[woad_yurt]

Some gun shops are great; don't get down on them all. It took me a while but I finally found a great one near me. The owner is helpful, prices are good, etc. Look around.

 

[Bart Noir]

tikka, my suggestion is to go to the regular Monroe or Puyallup (this weekend!) gunshows, which are run by Washington Arms Collectors (WAC). Join, then you will be able to find dealer/members who will do $20 or $30 transfers to you.

http://washingtonarmscollectors.org/

Bart Noir

 

[nambu1]

Before I got my C & R, my dealer charged me 10% of total for a transfer.

 

[Bart Noir]

Oh yeah, tikka, there have been some threads about shops in the Seattle area dealers on THR, in the last year. Give it a search. And welcome to THR.

I personally like DJ's in Bothell and Ben's in Renton. Federal Way Discount Guns in, wait for it, Federal Way has low prices and good selection. Adventure Sports on northern Pacific Hwy is also a good shop, at least for how they have treated me and my friends. I am not sure of prices there, however.

Bart Noir