My ffl says no more Buds Gun Shop transfers

[chevyman097]

Ya, 35 bucks for less than 30 minutes of an FFLs time is a slap in the face. All dealers should wise up and stop accepting guns from out side sources.

 

[Wanderling]

I did mine through a guy with FFL license who isn't a dealer. He only charged $15 and was a pleasure to deal with. LGS were asking between $45 - 75 and had a really stinky attitude.

His entire time spent processing my paperwork was 15 min. He received my gun in his office (2 min max). Less than half an hour. At local shop rates, that's $90 to 150 an hour. They must really be losing money processing these orders.

 

[abq87120]

I would dump this LGS and find another one. I pay $25 to receive a gun from a very nice lady locally who also does CCW classes, etc. She has made a lot of money off me for filling out a piece of paper, calling the FBI and handing me my gun. Takes all of about 10 minutes. Not bad. Thats a rate of about $150/hr.

 

[wrigh003]

I asked at a local shop yesterday what their transfer policy was. $35 if they don't have it in stock (actual words were "if we don't sell it..." so, room for interpretation there...), $50 if they do. I thought that was fair. It might keep me coming back, they get a cushion to keep me from beating them up over just a few bucks, but also gives me the ability to keep them honest with a price check via the www without feeling bad.

CZ-82 in "decent" shape for $300? Cmon, now...

 

[jerkface11]

Don't even mention having to be there to receive the package, sign for the package, take responsibility for said package. Open package, store package, secure package document package, retrieve package, present package.oh yea fill out paper work, plus everything else that has been mentioned. Most of us are looking for a deal, but for a guy to make a living someone has to pay him some $$$$$.

Yeah now he gets to be there when the package would have been delivered and be there when he would have been filling out paper work. Only now there isn't anyone paying him.

 

[Dazen]

The FFL that I use has done over 16 transfers for me over the years and has sold me 10 firearms. If they had not done those transfers for me i probably wouldn't have bought those guns from them. I just don't see how turning down transfers is good for business.

 

[Lex Luthier]

Being cheap obviously has other unavoidable inherent costs. Retailers get screwed all the time because of cheapskates. Business owners are obligated to write off costs associated with cheapskates in the name of supposed good customer relations. Employees just trying to keep their job in a crappy economy become bored and apathetic having to deal with constant questions that result in occasional sales.

How about making a deal with your LGS that you will buy that overpriced gun for retail price if he does (choose appropriate quantity) of your cheap transfers?

Or, you can know what you want, know what it's worth, and pay the inconvenience cost that everyone else does.

 

[Nushif]

I have never ordered a gun online, even though prices here are pretty darned steep.

Simply because I *like* walking into a gunshop. and i *like* the people that work there. and I *like* having a gunshop around. Call me odd. Were I a gun dealer, I would try to reach a certain price, but on the flipside ... I'd also expect something back for running a gunstore, letting people handle guns, talking guns ... preferably money.

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

Yeah now he gets to be there when the package would have been delivered and be there when he would have been filling out paper work. Only now there isn't anyone paying him.

And since 90% of us seem to be unwilling to pay for it, the LGS goes out of business, or tries to stays in business loosing money.

 

[billdeserthills]

I don't blame you for wanting to get a deal and buy from Buds, but do you actually spend any money with this FFL besides the transfer fees, for stuff you buy from Buds, etc? ( A lot of people don't) If not, he isn't making any money dealing with you and is probably making a smart business decision. A guy has to make a living, and he didn't get his FFL to loose money just doing transfers. The good news is you just need to go down the street to work with a someone who will play tat game. Might be worth your while to spend some real cash with him to keep the transfer relationship going. Just a thought.

As an FFL for 6 years I disagree & I charge $25 to transfer. I'd be happy all day to sit on my chair & call people to fax my ffl to while I make bank all day long and never worry about inventory either.
Your lame FFL is upset cause he is jealous of Buds Guns, in my opinion

 

[Dnaltrop]

I look at Buds, but very rarely do I see them with a price that beats my shop 5 blocks from my house after I factor shipping in.

My LGS does 10% over cost consistently. (and I think they do indeed use the davidsons' gun genie as well) They don't keep a huge stock, but i'm patient enough to let them order in what I want.

It also keeps the wheels greased for when I do need them to just run the paperwork, rather than making their larger cut.

 

[Beaux Nehr]

Seriously, it isn't, or at least not nearly $35 bucks!
He has an annual FFL fee to pay.
He has insurance it pay, on himself, his employees, and his business.
He has taxes to pay, local & state sales tax, property tax, inventory tax, income tax, plus a few others.
Then there is wages, Social Security, unemployment insurance, sick time, and other expenses on any employees.
And lets not forget rent on the building.

All so you can go into his store and coon-finger the guns, then undercut him by buying the gun from Bud's!

Then expect him to pay his phone bill so he can call the ATF and do your background check to give you the gun?

And then keep your record in his ATF "bound book" for the rest of the years he can manage to stay in business?

Mercy! Mercy! Mercy!
The scoundrel really stuck it too you didn't he!!

Never thought I'd see the day when I corrected RCmodel :\
RC, even if the OP had never been born, and transfers didn't exist, the gun shop owner still would've been paying for everything but the background check, and the few minutes he spends on the phone.

Unless I'm missing something, the actual cost of a call lasting a few minutes and a background check, and the wages of an employee to perform said call and background check don't add up to $35. If they do, he's overpaying himself and/or his employees by waaayyy too much

 

[jon_in_wv]

Oh boy, I just can't wait to see how you get rich doing transfers ... and can do -all- the work to do 10 in less than an hour

Nothing like taking what a person said out of context to make yourself look smart huh? I didn't say I was trying to get rich, nor did I say I was just going to do only transfers. Additionally, I've had quite a few weapons transferred and none of them took more than a few minutes. So between twisting my words and looking smart, you succeeded at one of the two. Nice try though.

 

[elano]

One shop in town always has new gunss coming in and gettting sold, always has a crowd of people in the store, always making sales to loyal customers and negotiating prices.

The other store has the same guns sitting on the shelf, won't budge much on price, won't order things for you, it's always dead in there.

Why is this? People want good deals. Shop A only makes $10 per gun but sells 200 per week. Shop b makes 35-100 per gun but only sells maybe 5 per week.

Seems like a no brainer to me, all the potential customers of shop B are going to shop A, and hardly ever stop back in because they know it's just the same ol same ol high prices, lousy selection, and rude service. At least that's what I think is going on.

 

[oneounceload]

Personally, my local guy who can order guns from a different distributor can beat Bud's EVERY time. He accepts transfer from Bud's, but he'll offer to get it and beat Bud's - this way I get a better price, he makes a profit and stays in business

a, 35 bucks for less than 30 minutes of an FFLs time is a slap in the face.

Guess you missed the part about all of the rest of the overhead a brick and mortar store has to pay, eh?....

Guess you must work for someone else and have NO idea what the owner has go through just to keep you employed and the business open. Ask your local auto repair place why their shop rate runs typically about $95/hour

 

[jay21]

Transfers fees are part of the business, I charge $20 and it is less about the "time of transaction" but the "risk." Every gun you pick up from my shop is a potential lawsuit, for all i know you are the next VA Tech *****...Plus if i miss something on the paperwork or accept a fake ID (unknown to me at the time) i risk my business and FFL. The reason many FFL's i know do like like dealing with buds is that "we" smaller dealers cannot get the drop ship option from vendors buds does. That being said, I need to make a living and $20 for a transfer is worse than $40-50 i might make on the sale but better than nothing. It sucks, but that is business and if i have a buyer that is a good customer most of the time (hell even a steady) I am more likely to do whatever they need to help them out. Just my $.02, but be happy many dealers are only charging transfer fees they are, regs are looking to get real muddy soon as ATF is looking at additional requirements as soon and they can bury Fast and Furious

 

[jerkface11]

Guess you missed the part about all of the rest of the overhead a brick and mortar store has to pay, eh?....

I guess you missed the part where he has to pay overhead even if no one is coming in to pay $35 per transfer.

 

[Beaux Nehr]

Guess you missed the part about all of the rest of the overhead a brick and mortar store has to pay, eh?.... Guess you must work for someone else and have NO idea what the owner has go through just to keep you employed and the business open. Ask your local auto repair place why their shop rate runs typically about $95/hou

Ad Hominem and strawman fallacies, all in one post.

I don't understand this line of reasoning.
The guy is gonna buy from Bud's. You're saying the owner somehow makes more money if he never gets the guy's transfer??

I guess you missed the part where he has to pay overhead even if no one is coming in to pay $35 per transfer.

THIS

 

[jon_in_wv]

If you did 10 a week at $35.00 a pop, thats $350 a week or $1400 a month. That IS rent in a lot of areas and its a good start in others.

 

[R.W.Dale]

BOTTOM line is gun shops can either work with the internet or go away and be forgotten. Every other successful buisness in the modern age gets this.

I've actually listed guns online on behalf of one of our shops

HINT pawnshops have FFL's and a pawnbroker if he's any good is delighted to make anything he can from a person. They understand competition. Many dedicated gun shops don't.

posted via tapatalk using android.

 

[medalguy]

Last week I dropped in to the Houston Gun Forum store (Yes that's the name) to pick up a new pistol I ordered online . I walked in, the guy behind the counter reached over and picked up my pistol from the shelf, whipped out a 4473 which I filled out while he waited on another customer picking up a gun , showed my CHL, he copied down the number, handed me the gun, I handed hin $5 , and I walked out with the pistol. Easiest $5 he made all day, and I think he made quite a few Lincolns that day. He's the cheapest transfer dealer I know of.

 

[mgmorden]

If you did 10 a week at $35.00 a pop, thats $350 a week or $1400 a month. That IS rent in a lot of areas and its a good start in others.

Yep. As with ANY business, there is an overhead cost that needs to be paid, but that's life. The thing is most of that overhead is a fixed cost. Rent, lights, etc are all going to be pretty close to the same regardless of sales volume. Do enough of those transfers and eventually those are covered and it's all profit beyond that.

Realistically if it takes you more than 10 minutes (and I'm even being generous there) to receive a shipment, log in it, and send the person a quick email then you're being inefficient. When the person comes in it's another 15-20 minutes tops. Heck in a lot of states you can skip the NICS check if the person has a CWP which makes the process even quicker.

The guy I use is at http://www.hhbguns.com.

I have no affiliation with the guy - I'm merely using him as a perfect example of someone who knows how to run a modern gun business. Does transfers for $15 each with a little Durakote work available. He maintains no other stock. He's also very communicative with strong Facebook and Google+ presences and typically when I've sent him an email I've had a response back within 20 minutes tops.

From speaking with him, he does several thousand transfers per year and is doing pretty well at it.

As RW Dale says: gun shops have to adapt or die. When you're in a business whose business model is no longer sustainable then you have to move to something that IS. Trying to fight against internet sales is about as useful as standing on the shore and yelling for the waves to stop coming in.

Modern gun businesses I see as transitioning to being a hub for transfers, gunsmithing services, and running indoor ranges. Sales will typically be smaller accessory items - reloading supplies, holsters, belts, etc. Things that can be bought as an impulse purchase. Realistically an actual gun is a significant investment for most people and the modern consumer is usually going to do what is financially sensible and seek out the lowest price - which 90% of the time leads to an internet sale. Doesn't mean that local shops can't still make money - you just have to accept that the method by which its made and certainly the volume may change.

 

[hang fire]

For years I have been doing business and bought several guns from a local GS owner. But when i saw a gun I wanted and asked would he accept it on his FFL. Would have thought I had grossly insulted him, he wouldn't even reply.

 

[olafhardtB]

The hands down most important activity of any store front retailer is to get people in the store. I sell myself more stuff than the staff sells me, but first I got to get into the store!

 

[ElToro]

you guys should be so lucky. theres a few FFLs that will do incoming transfers for $75 but the going rate is usually $100. that includes the $35 combined fed/state of CA fees. and nobody will take an incoming transfer from a private individual. private party face to face deals are $35