Assuming this is a General Discussion thread... Have any of you got the slightest guilt when picking up a gun you have purchased from someone else @ a FFL? I mean I know you're paying transfer fees but I think it wouldn't come close to their profits of buying a gun off of them. I'm a big supporter of small local businesses and haven't yet used a FFL to transfer yet. If it ever comes to it I think I'll probably transfer at a shop I've never been to. Am I looking into this too much or do you think a shop owner would be happy just to collect your $$ off of a transfer?
-
If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership The benefits pay for the membership many times over.
-
Be sure to enter the NES/MFS May Giveaway ***Canik METE SFX***
Guilt Trip When Picking Up From FFL?
- Thread starter Ma$$hole
- Start date
No guilt here. I've never used a dealer to make an FFL transfer on a new gun that I could have purchased from them, or a used gun that I felt they were likely to get a good specimen of anytime soon. I like to keep local small business viable as well, and when they've got what I'm looking for I'm happy to buy from them. When they don't, there's not much I can do.
They are doing it for a fee. I don't get guilty over anything that involves me paying someone to do their job. If they had whatever gun in whatever condition at whatever price I was buying, I would have bought from them. They can't get bent out of shape if they can't offer what you were looking for.
Considering the relatively tiny amount of work it takes them to receive a gun and do the transfer, I wouldnt be surprised if their profit margin on transfers, considering the time involved, was higher than the profit they make on selling a gun.
Considering the relatively tiny amount of work it takes them to receive a gun and do the transfer, I wouldnt be surprised if their profit margin on transfers, considering the time involved, was higher than the profit they make on selling a gun.
KMM696
NES Member
Not at all guilty. I'm paying for their time.
Besides, the last time I had a rifle transfered, I bought another rifle he had on the shelf. Anything that gets the customer into the store is a good thing, right?
Your shop owner should be happy to take your transfer fee and wish you well, but some don't. I've dealt with dealers that looked on that transfer fee as a lost sale, and let me know about it. I don't typically go back to them, for anything. A dealer who's actually trying to sell should be taking your transfer with a smile, and then asking if you have ammo for that caliber, do you reload and need bullets, do you need a holster, we have some scopes over here that would work well on that, etc., etc.
I wonder in some gunshops if anyone there has ever sold retail anywhere else, ever......
Besides, the last time I had a rifle transfered, I bought another rifle he had on the shelf. Anything that gets the customer into the store is a good thing, right?
Your shop owner should be happy to take your transfer fee and wish you well, but some don't. I've dealt with dealers that looked on that transfer fee as a lost sale, and let me know about it. I don't typically go back to them, for anything. A dealer who's actually trying to sell should be taking your transfer with a smile, and then asking if you have ammo for that caliber, do you reload and need bullets, do you need a holster, we have some scopes over here that would work well on that, etc., etc.
I wonder in some gunshops if anyone there has ever sold retail anywhere else, ever......
I'd say you're right, though there could be a difference between the margin on a new gun versus an old one. Just a guess, but I imagine guns tend to sit in a store's inventory for quite a while. If you can do 4 transfer's in the average time it takes to sell 1 gun you have in inventory, you're probably better off. Particularly if the average customer buys a couple boxes of ammunition when they get a new gun.
Nope, not a bit. I do the large majority of my business through one FFL so he gets most of my transfers, my FFL purchases, and my consignment sales. Plus I steer other people to him as much as possible With business loyalty like that, what is there to feel guilty about?
The dealer I work with is more than happy to do them. In fact, that's mostly all he does, he keeps very little inventory on hand, just a couple dozen handguns and not much more. And the $15.00 he charges is more than fair, though he is increasing it to $20.00 this summer. There are all different kinds of dealers out there, if the one you are transferring through acts like it's a hassle for him, try a different one next time. But don't feel guilty about it either way.
dwarven1
Lonely Mountain Arms
The FFL I use is one I frequently mention in my posts. He charges $25 and he knows that he's making money on it. If he didn't, he'd raise his prices. Heck, when I order a new gun from him, he just wants to make sure that he's making a little money on it and doesn't charge me list - just shows me the dealer cost and tells me what he wants over for profit. His thought is that he's not tying up any money in it, so there's not a lot of time involved in it.
It's all a carefully scripted plot, though, to keep me coming back as a customer. Funny thing is that it works.![[grin]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/041.gif "Grin [grin]")
It's all a carefully scripted plot, though, to keep me coming back as a customer. Funny thing is that it works.
I've had some dealers give me not just guilt but grief. But, if they had what I wanted priced anywhere near the price plus the $25 to transfer it there wouldn't have been a need for me to go elsewhere
One time I transfered in a garand and the guy behind the counter(not the owner) commented at least a dozen times about the garands they had in stock. When we unboxed it he saw that none of his were even close to the quality of mine and his prices were $200+ more. He laughed and asked if I wanted to sell it. I still do plenty of business with them.
One time I transfered in a garand and the guy behind the counter(not the owner) commented at least a dozen times about the garands they had in stock. When we unboxed it he saw that none of his were even close to the quality of mine and his prices were $200+ more. He laughed and asked if I wanted to sell it. I still do plenty of business with them.
If a dealer is offering that service for a fee it is part of his/her total business package. There is no need to feel guilty... besides I'm sure you purchase most of your supplies from the dealer who does the transfers.
Mark L.
Mark L.
Chris
NES Member
- Joined
- May 24, 2005
- Messages
- 13,411
- Likes
- 8,254
Yea, I so Hate that. And then you have him look up some ammo prices and you end up adding that on. And then there is that little accessory you've been meaning to get. And then...
Damn Transfer fees cost me almost as much as a C-Pher Group Buy!.
Damn it.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2007
- Messages
- 6,022
- Likes
- 757
I don't feel bad.
Think about this.
FFL-Patrick sells a S&W 1911 to Consumer A (FFL makes his profit)
Consumer A uses it and decides to sell it to Consumer B at the FFL ( FFL makes money on the transfer)
Consumer B uses it and decides to sell it to Consumer C at the FFL ( FFL makes money again on the transfer)
They can make money on the same gun over and over provided they keep a good relationship with their customers and regardless of the individual sale price of the gun they are transferring.
Think about this.
FFL-Patrick sells a S&W 1911 to Consumer A (FFL makes his profit)
Consumer A uses it and decides to sell it to Consumer B at the FFL ( FFL makes money on the transfer)
Consumer B uses it and decides to sell it to Consumer C at the FFL ( FFL makes money again on the transfer)
They can make money on the same gun over and over provided they keep a good relationship with their customers and regardless of the individual sale price of the gun they are transferring.
An FFL who lays guilt trips on those doing transfers (cough BULLSEYEcough) is alienating a customer.
Yes, he did not sell that gun. Then again, he might not have been able to anyway. He's making $25-40 for filling out a couple of forms (the FA-10 can be done on a computer) AND now has the transferee IN THE STORE.
That's an opportunity to sell ammo, a case, a cleaning kit, targets; heck, maybe even another gun.
I don't see a "loss" at all.
Yes, he did not sell that gun. Then again, he might not have been able to anyway. He's making $25-40 for filling out a couple of forms (the FA-10 can be done on a computer) AND now has the transferee IN THE STORE.
That's an opportunity to sell ammo, a case, a cleaning kit, targets; heck, maybe even another gun.
I don't see a "loss" at all.
I have used an FFL once. It is the same place I bought the other 4 from, and I am a member of their shooting range. I went in before I purchased this gun to see if they had it or could order it...nix on both counts. They never minded doing the transfer for me. I think I'm a favorite of theirs.
I've had some dealers give me not just guilt but grief. But, if they had what I wanted priced anywhere near the price plus the $25 to transfer it there wouldn't have been a need for me to go elsewhere
One time I transfered in a garand and the guy behind the counter(not the owner) commented at least a dozen times about the garands they had in stock. When we unboxed it he saw that none of his were even close to the quality of mine and his prices were $200+ more. He laughed and asked if I wanted to sell it. I still do plenty of business with them.
I normally avoid this problem by calling my FFL up front. I tell him I found someone selling a particular gun for x dollars and I ask if he can get me one for a similar cost. If he can I will buy it from him. If he can't I ask him if he'll do the transfer for me. I've never had any problems using this method. Sometimes my local guy has had the gun on his shelf at a much higher price and he agreed to sell it to me at my price because he wanted to move the gun. At other times he agreed to do the transfer because he knew he could sell the one on his shelf at the higher price (just not to me).
I don't think that paying 25 bucks for an hours worth of time unreasonable, more so if it's something that I can't do for myself.
I've never felt guilty; mostly because I seldom get out of the store without buying something. I've often purchased firearms that have caught my eye doing such a transfer. Believe me, the owners are wise doing private FFL transactions.
I would think the good dealers would look at it as a learning experience....Maybe they come to the conclusion that, "Hey, maybe I should try to keep one or two of them around" or maybe, "Hey, I guess maybe my prices are kind of high on that."
![[rolleyes]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/042.gif "Roll Eyes [rolleyes]")
If a gunshop owner is resentful doing transfers, he should perhaps not offer the service to his customers.
And as Scriv alluded to above, it's $25 to $40 for perhaps ten or twenty minutes worth of work. I can't imagine a gun dealer turning that down.
And as Scriv alluded to above, it's $25 to $40 for perhaps ten or twenty minutes worth of work. I can't imagine a gun dealer turning that down.
![[frown]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/003.gif "Frown [frown]")
---![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
Its like anything else that they dont make much on but sell anyway because you might need it one day and it will get you in their shop.
