transfer fee

[patriot9879]

HI, I recently bought a S&W 5906 from a dealer on the internet. I have never done this before, but I have bought several guns from a lgs here in the Denver, CO area. The internet vendor had their FFL on file and suggested that I do the transfer through them. I contacted the lgs today and discovered that they want $35 to do the transfer. Is this normal or high? This is my first time buying off the internet so I am not sure, and the internet vendor told me the transfer fee would be $25 at the most. I'm asking more for future reference.

Thanks

 

[Hunterdad]

Seems to be the normal price. The place i use charges me $25, but I spend quite a bit of money with them. There is another place around the corner from where I work that charges $75.

 

[jcwit]

Normal price here in No. Indiana for transfers is $20.00. But other areas vary.

 

[rcmodel]

Go here, type in your zip code & distance and see what the going rate is:
http://www.gunauction.com/help/fflnetwork.cfm

rc

 

[allaroundhunter]

I have a friend that will do it for free, and another that charges $15. Two great guys to do business with.

One place around me charges $50 (trying to get you to do business with them), but considering they also charge ABOVE MSRP it still would be cheaper to buy from an online retailer and do the transfer through them...

 

[patriot9879]

thanks

thanks for the response y'all. I especially liked the web link. It seems that $35 is towards the high end but not unreasonable.

 

[mberoose]

Totally depends on the state. $35 is normal around here. There's a place down the street from me that charges $70 for a new gun, and $40 for a used one.

 

[rellascout]

The fee will vary state to state and often from vendor to vendor.

I paid $10 to $15 when I was in VA and now pay $10 in WV.

I think that $10 to $25 is reasonable. I personally would not pay more than $25.00

 

[theautobahn]

I'm spoiled, my LGS doesn't charge a transfer fee (just asks that buy from him if his price is within $10-$20 of what you can order it for [and he's almost always lower, anyway]). His philosophy is that he knows you're probably going to spend that money you saved on the transfer fee with him anyway.

If not for that, I would say $25 is the max I would be willing to pay.

 

[SimplyChad]

Ive seen every hing from 10 bucks to 10 %

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

...and the internet vendor told me the transfer fee would be $25 at the most.

He has no way of knowing that, and should not have said that.

$35 isn't a ripoff, but it is about the most I would want to pay. That eats into your cost savings pretty quickly. $25 seems to be about the average around here.

 

[chevyman097]

Either way it doesnt matter. I would consider 25 being about the most i want to pay. If i understand correctly the gun is already shipped and at the dealer? Then you just have to bite the bullet and pay. It would cost you more to have it shipped back then reshipped.


That being said. Always know all the details before shipping. You should contact the dealer and make sure you know the prices and everything ahead of time.

 

[firesky101]

Lowest price within 50 miles of me is $70, thus I have never ordered on line. At least my preferred LGS is usually cheaper than the big boys.

 

[Byrd666]

It can vary by a very wide margin. My range guy, an FFL, said he would do my transfer at $15.00 because I am a range member. A local LGS charges $25.00 regardless. Another not so local shop charges between $35 and $50 depending on his mood.

 

[justin 561]

In my neck of the woods (palm beach county) the going rate is usually $35. I looked around and found a guy who does it for $15 and he sells only ammo so he also gives discounts on (my spec) hand loaded .223. I've called several that were $50-$60, and one was even $100 ..But the $100 is now a empty store front and the phone is disconnected so I assume their prices for guns weren't exactly competitive.. $35 is at the very top of what I would pay.

 

[p2000sk]

Two LGS around here would like $35 for the transfer if you're not buying the firearm from them. There is this one guy who'll transfer to you for $20 if you pick your item from some particular catalog, but he's merely doing it as a favor and he doesn't have a big overhead like a brick and mortar LGS.

 

[drsfmd]

When you get your own ffl, you get to decide on the transfer fee... a high transfer fee (and $35 is NOT high) is a clear message that he doesn't want to do a transfer for you... he wants you to buy the product from him directly.

You can't make a living and run a bricks and mortar shop doing $15 transfers...

 

[mgkdrgn]

HI, I recently bought a S&W 5906 from a dealer on the internet. I have never done this before, but I have bought several guns from a lgs here in the Denver, CO area. The internet vendor had their FFL on file and suggested that I do the transfer through them. I contacted the lgs today and discovered that they want $35 to do the transfer. Is this normal or high? This is my first time buying off the internet so I am not sure, and the internet vendor told me the transfer fee would be $25 at the most. I'm asking more for future reference.

Thanks

Be glad you don't live in Washington DC. There is only ONE FFL there, and he charges $125. (and with all the bovine scat he has to put up with he's underpaid!)

 

[dragon813gt]

I used to pay $30 but that store unfortunately closed. The next closest one wants $50. I hate that store and won't pay their high transfer fees of above MSRP prices for firearms they have in stock. So I haven't ordered off the internet in awhile. $35 doesn't seem to be to high.


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[gym]

I paid $100 when I moved to vero beach and needed it done that day. My cousin had flown into NY from Chicago and was doing me a favor, I had no choice after the 5th phone call I bit the bullitt and did it. I was an expensive rifle. Since then I have found as low as 10-15 dollars, but recentlly they are all back up to $35. I have one pawn shop who said he would do it for 10 bucks. I have never used him before and was a little concerned, but in life you have to give folks a chance. They are more in FL than they once were.

 

[boomhower1820]

Around here I've seen anything from free to 5% or $50 minimum. It just varies from shop to shop. $35 is high but not unreasonable.

 

[fallout mike]

I once asked the owner of a small local gun shop years ago if he would do a transfer for me. He said he would for $100 plus 10% of the costs. This is a guy that between my dad and I had bought 20+ guns from. And he was extremely rude about it. I never haggled with his prices, bought my scopes, ammo, hunting clothes , everything gun and hunting related from him. He was out of business shortly thereafter.

 

[il.bill]

Across the river from St. Louis in Southern Illinois I see the transfer fees usually range from $20 to $60, depending on the gun shop. My neighborhood FFL dealer charged me $20 for my first couple of transfers, but has dropped it down to $10 for the last couple of Internet used gun purchases. We get along very well, and I always talk to him beforehand about a possible pending online purchase.
I have also purchased a new small 9mm pistol with holster directly from him, as well as several boxes of ammo over the last few months.

 

[ptb351]

The place I have used charges $15. I live in Maine.

 

[Double_J]

I have seen $25 to $35 as the usual range in my searches. There was one shop that I used ONE TIME that stated if they had the gun in stock your transfer fee was $50 or 10% of your sale price, whichever was greater. They also happened to be the ONLY store within a 30 mile drive that would do transfers.