If you call the main NFA phone number - 304-616-4500 - you will get one of our customer service reps. They were hired to ANSWER THE PHONE, and that is one of their only jobs. They take the routine calls - checking status, is it in the system, how long is it taking these days...etc. So, if you call and ONLY speak to them, you are not taking up an examiners time at all. If the customer service reps can not answer the question and/or there is a problem with the application, you are then forwarded to the examiner handling the transfer. This too, is not a real problem, as it probably helps get the issues resolved.
The people who get ahold of the examiners direct phone number, call to find out how to fill out their forms, and have to get walked through the whole process from getting the forms, to explaining what a CLEO sign off is, to where to send the check, are the ones that take up a HUGE amount of time, and do hold up work on other transfers. This, in my opinion, is where the NFA dealers come in to play. If you are purchasing an NFA item through a dealer, and trusting them with many thousands of dollars of your money, then trust that they know how to do the forms - and let them do it. If they don't know how, or you don't trust them, then quit using them and find someone else.
Answering the phone is certainly part of our job, and I have no problem helping out, even with the newbie questions. Teaching people how to go about finding, buying, and/or selling NFA weapons is not. These sorts of calls take up a good portion of the day, and do prevent work from being completed.
Calling me personally, every day, to check the status of your transfer, WILL NOT get your transfer approved any faster. I have caller ID, and will remember you / your phone number...!!! Smile
A few reminders:
1) Your check cashing does not mean the transfer is in the system or approved, it only means that Chicago has received your money and cashed your check. I recommend sending a form of payment that you can track - so you can see when it cashed.
2) It currently takes anywhere from one to three weeks from the time your check cashes for the paperwork to actually make it to the NFA Branch, and get entered in to the system.
3) Calling any time within the first few weeks is just wasting everyones time.
4) With the current turn around times, if you wait at least five weeks before your first phone call, you will probably be pleasantly surprised that you, or your dealer, already have your forms back approved - and you wont have to call at all. This is assuming that you sent the paperwork in legible, complete, and have all the supporting documentation.
5) Form 1s can take up to a couple weeks longer then Form 4s due to coming to the NFA Branch directly - and then being forwared to Chicago for payment processing.
6) Nothing says you can't call everyday and talk to Mary, Cindy, or Tim (our customer service team), but it really isn't helping the work get completed any faster.
Hope that helps some - it was long enough, so it better...!!!
Dan Pinckney.