Gunbroker transfers - are LGS ok with this?

[FArook]

I'm very new to gunbroker and had some questions that I couldn't find on this site. I made one purchase that had to be sent via FFL and it was sent to a local LGS in MA. They were listed on gunbroker as an option. When I picked up the gun they weren't unfriendly, but certainly not as friendly as they have been in the past. Is there anyone with experience that can shed light on the LGS and gunbroker relationship and how it works. I pay the transfer fee and purchased other items while there. Do gun stores not make enough money on the transfer or are they mad that you purchase online and send to them even though they are listed on the site? Do they support or not support it?

I'm really confused by the relationships. I support all of my LGS locations and purchase stuff from them all the time, but occasionally you can score some great deals on gunbroker.

Any help or insight as to how this all works or how LGS really feel would be helpful

 

[drgrant]

Dealers tend to get pissed off if you don't contact them about an inbound BEFORE you have someone send them a gun.

This is a 110% immutable rule unless you have some kind of existing arrangement with a given dealer.

DO NOT ASSUME that a given random dealer will perform an inbound for you.

ETA: at a lot of places that is sort of a double bagger- you didn't give them a chance to get the gun for you (or price match etc) and didnt ask lol

It's an etiquette thing.

 

[Bt74]

Some (most aren't) FFLs are crybabies. Will sit around with the old Fudds all day, chewing the fat, and get a case of ass if you don't buy some overpriced POS they've had in the case for months. Find one that appreciates the $30-40 spiff for 10 minutes of their time.

 

[whacko]

I'm confused as to why give a shit. You gave them money.....they provided you a service......why do you care how the ffl feels about it?

 

[miniion]

Dealers tend to get pissed off if you don't contact them about an inbound BEFORE you have someone send them a gun.

This is a 110% immutable rule unless you have some kind of existing arrangement with a given dealer.

DO NOT ASSUME that a given random dealer will perform an inbound for you.

ETA: at a lot of places that is sort of a double bagger- you didn't give them a chance to get the gun for you (or price match etc) and didnt ask lol

It's an etiquette thing.

I remember when Wayne in Westport gave me a lecture about this on my first transfer.

 

[drgrant]

Some (most aren't) FFLs are crybabies. Will sit around with the old Fudds all day, chewing the fat, and get a case of ass if you don't buy some overpriced POS they've had in the case for months. Find one that appreciates the $30-40 spiff for 10 minutes of their time.

Lol @ 10 minutes. Witn inexperienced people and bad remotes you can literally waste way more than that doing an inbound.

-First phone call - 5 minutes
Newb: "Can you take a transfer in on XYZ from gunbroker?"

Dealer: "yeah thats fine just have them send the gun I just emailed a copy of my FFL blah blah WELL CALL YOU when it comes in. Fee is 35 bux cash
only.

(2 weeks pass)

Newb Customer: "WEEAAAHHHAHAHAHHA WTF U GUYZ DIDNT CAWL ME YET WEEERZ MY GUN FROM PUDS!!!!!"
Dealer: "Do you have a tracking number from them? "
Newb Customer: "BWEAAAAH WATS DAT"
Dealer: "Did they send it UPS, Fedex, or USPS? there must be a tracking number. You need to go track the package. We're not going to do it for you. We don't have the
number.

(another 15 minutes wasted, more than likely)

gun finally comes in (another 5 minutes wasted playing phone tag to notify newb customer)

Dealer: "Your gun from puds looks like it was damaged in transit. Do you still want it? What do you want to do?"

And on and on and on.

Throw in an expired LTC or something (or lets say a nice delay, having to explain the entire NICS delay process to them) in the mix and now you have a month of bullshit for a $35 transfer.

No this doesnt happen all the time. But it doesnt really take much for that "10 minutes" to quickly evaporate.....

 

[AHM]

Dealers tend to get pissed off if you don't contact them about an inbound BEFORE you have someone send them a gun.
This is a 110% immutable rule unless you have some kind of existing arrangement with a given dealer.
DO NOT ASSUME that a given random dealer will perform an inbound for you.
ETA: at a lot of places that is sort of a double bagger- you didn't give them a chance to get the gun for you (or price match etc) and didnt ask lol
It's an etiquette thing.

Although wouldn't you that hope an FFL registering as
a certified preferred Gunbroker inbound dealer
has already done the math on that?

And...normally the worst part for an FFL is when
they receive a gun out of the blue that they can't (or won't) transfer.
But if (if) Gunbroker holds themselves out as "just pick your preferred in-state FFL,
and we do all the rest", then the FFL shouldn't have signed up
if they don't trust Gunbroker to not send them off-list guns,
or any particular guns, without checking first.

That really ought to tamp it down from "stupid idiot newb gun buyer"
to "sigh, more profit margin flying away <image of dollar bill with wings>"
(or "sigh, there's an hour of my life I'm not getting back <image of alarm clock with wings>").
If they visibly display the sads over that; well, they don't have to like it.

 

[drgrant]

Although wouldn't you that hope an FFL registering as
a certified preferred Gunbroker inbound dealer
has already done the math on that?

You would hope that but most of the transfers probalby go smoothly. Right up until they don't, lol.

Even if a dealer was on such a list I would still call and ask them first. I have no idea if their shop got flooded, theyre going to be on vacation for 2 weeks, they locked down for
inventory, blah blah.... theres any number of things that can screw you up even if a dealer is 110% willing to take an inbound. Also you can learn valuable
stuff like "Make sure the remote doesnt use Fedex, the local fedex drivers are retarded and have trouble finding this building and it might delay your gun getting here. " etc.

And...normally the worst part for an FFL is when
they receive a gun out of the blue that they can't (or won't) transfer.
But if (if) Gunbroker holds themselves out as "just pick your preferred in-state FFL,
and we do all the rest", then the FFL shouldn't have signed up
if they don't trust Gunbroker to not send them off-list guns,
or any particular guns, without checking first.

IMHO that BS is too complicated to assume a 3rd party will ever do it right. Particularly considering with handguns theres not even consistencey between
dealers. Even the "deli ticket emporium, boring but safe SKU" list is liable tonot e the same as Joe Boringdealer #5's list on the other side of the state.

That really ought to tamp it down from "stupid idiot newb gun buyer"
to "sigh, more profit margin flying away <image of dollar bill with wings>"
(or "sigh, there's an hour of my life I'm not getting back <image of alarm clock with wings>".
If they visibly display the sads over that; well, they don't have to like it.

Most of the better dealers dont get onery about any of that stuff, but they will modify future policies accordingly. So everyone is happy (or at least, not bent).

 

[cathouse01]

I have a good relationship with my local FFL so I aways call him before I pull the trigger on an internet purchase (pun intended). First, to ask him if he can get the gun for me. Usually he can’t, but when he can, by the time you add in shipping and a transfer fee he can come close enough to match the price that I have no problem buying it direct from him (this is much more the case now that internet sellers have to charge MA sales tax). Second, just to make sure he’s comfortable with the transfer (since he is making his living off his shop, he is a little more conservative on what he will transfer). If he’s not comfortable with the transfer, or it needs a frame transfer, I usually go through someone at the Mill, but again always notify them first (there are some transfers no honest FFL in MA will touch).

 

[Bt74]

Lol @ 10 minutes. Witn inexperienced people and bad remotes you can literally waste way more than that doing an inbound.

-First phone call - 5 minutes
Newb: "Can you take a transfer in on XYZ from gunbroker?"

Dealer: "yeah thats fine just have them send the gun I just emailed a copy of my FFL blah blah WELL CALL YOU when it comes in. Fee is 35 bux cash
only.

(2 weeks pass)

Newb Customer: "WEEAAAHHHAHAHAHHA WTF U GUYZ DIDNT CAWL ME YET WEEERZ MY GUN FROM PUDS!!!!!"
Dealer: "Do you have a tracking number from them? "
Newb Customer: "BWEAAAAH WATS DAT"
Dealer: "Did they send it UPS, Fedex, or USPS? there must be a tracking number. You need to go track the package. We're not going to do it for you. We don't have the
number.

(another 15 minutes wasted, more than likely)

gun finally comes in (another 5 minutes wasted playing phone tag to notify newb customer)

Dealer: "Your gun from puds looks like it was damaged in transit. Do you still want it? What do you want to do?"

And on and on and on.

Throw in an expired LTC or something (or lets say a nice delay, having to explain the entire NICS delay process to them) in the mix and now you have a month of bullshit for a $35 transfer.

No this doesnt happen all the time. But it doesnt really take much for that "10 minutes" to quickly evaporate.....

Meh, I've done about 6 transfers with a guy in town (NES member) in the last few months. Granted, in NH, but I order the piece, send him an email, and when it shows he calls me. The guy is great, the transfer usually takes about 10 minutes. Granted, I don't call him the minute the tracking shows receipt of it, I let him contact me. He even gives me a break for being an NES member. I realize there are dopes that expect to immediately pick up an order, before the FFL has even had time to log it in....but don't be one of those dopes.

 

[drgrant]

Meh, I've done about 6 transfers with a guy in town (NES member) in the last few months. Granted, in NH, but I order the piece, send him an email, and when it shows he calls me. The guy is great, the transfer usually takes about 10 minutes. Granted, I don't call him the minute the tracking shows receipt of it, I let him contact me. He even gives me a break for being an NES member. I realize there are dopes that expect to immediately pick up an order, before the FFL has even had time to log it in....but don't be one of those dopes.

Yes, you're experienced, not a dink, and dont ask stupid questions, etc. It makes the transfer infinitely easier. You know how it works.

A lot of the noobs from post 2013 or covid era? good luck. they just think the FFL will somehow come to their house with a little amazon truck and drop the gun off or
something.

I was at a shop one time where one of the guys that works there had a customer on speaker (employee cant hear well) I literally heard the customer go

"WHATS A TRACKING NUMBER?"

We all looked at each other with astonishment, like we literally were just dropped into idiocracy


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YZnORoAWkA

 

[Wickedcoolname]

I'm a fairly heavy Gunbroker user and I do most of my inbound and outbound transfers through a local FFL. I always call first and he always seems happy for the business.

 

[40 Creedmoor fan]

I'm a fairly heavy Gunbroker user and I do most of my inbound and outbound transfers through a local FFL. I always call first and he always seems happy for the business.

Yep, that. Keep your FFL in the loop is all.

 

[Broc]

Dealers tend to get pissed off if you don't contact them about an inbound BEFORE you have someone send them a gun.

This is a 110% immutable rule unless you have some kind of existing arrangement with a given dealer.

DO NOT ASSUME that a given random dealer will perform an inbound for you.

ETA: at a lot of places that is sort of a double bagger- you didn't give them a chance to get the gun for you (or price match etc) and didnt ask lol

It's an etiquette thing.

My LGS solved this problem easy:

"If it is a gun we rwgularly carry or our supplier can get you, but you have it transferred, the transfer fee is $X."

"If it isn't a gun we can order, the transfer fee is $Y".

Since GB now charges sales tax, I am OK with that business model.

Although with the sh*t supply, it is almost impossible to find the guns I like at any supplier. For example: Good luck finding a .357 Ruger Vaquero.

 

[daekken]

The nice thing about my dealer was that his website straight up said "if it's legal to transfer, go ahead and send it, fee is $20, you don't need to contact me beforehand." He also would answer texts and emails.

Unfortunately, he's giving up his license in the summer, so I'll be on the lookout for a new FFL for modern guns, since I use my C&R for milsurps and get them at home.

 

[AHM]

Even if a dealer was on such a list I would still call and ask them first. I have no idea if ..., theyre going to be on vacation for 2 weeks, ...

That one did occur to me (afterwards).

The fact that the Gunbroker-defined process is defective from the FFL's point of view
probably says a whole lot about who has the power in the relationship.

FFLs that don't sign up have control over their own destiny. (At what opportunity cost?)
-vs-
FFLs that get with the program get the short end of the stick. (At what price paid in agita?)

IMHO that BS is too complicated to assume a 3rd party will ever do it right. ...

So in order for shops to enlist, they're either naive,
or they've decided it's worth it.

Most of the better dealers dont get onery about {lost margin or risk of wasted time by using Gunbroker channel}, but they will modify future policies accordingly. So everyone is happy (or at least, not bent).

Well, except that they don't get to dictate the terms to Gunbroker, amirite?

Maybe part of the Gunbroker payoff to an FFL
is they get the opportunity to sweet-talk the buyer,
to convince them next time to cut out the middleman "I can get it for you for less".
(For any commodity gun).


I'ma hope that you see the needle-sharp point I'm making,
but just for the folks playing at home let me underscore:
I'm not trying to deny The Standard FFL Etiquette for inbounding from out-of-state.
I'm just speculating how being a Gunbroker receiving affiliate might alter the Standard.

I was at a shop one time where one of the guys that works there had a customer on speaker (employee cant hear well) I literally heard the customer go

"WHATS A TRACKING NUMBER?"

We all looked at each other with astonishment, like we literally were just dropped into idiocracy

I can imagine it. (Hopefully someone 75+ on the other end of the line?)
(Pick your own favorite codger-age, people).

I was throwing down my retro credentials recently that when I try and figure out something
we bought over Amazon in the past decade, and I have to use their stupid order history system
that requires you to pick the calendar year by hand from a pulldown menu,
I am very proud of the fact that when I hit 2018, it says, and I quote,

You have not placed any orders in 2018.​

Not because our first Amazon buy was in 2019.
Because we buy online so seldom we can go for a year between deliveries,
and that year the stars aligned.

It's a short hobble from there to someone who maybe has ordered online,
but never wigged to the fact there are these magic numbers that give you package tracking,
and dozens of web portals recognize them.

My FFL gobsmacker was idly browsing at a small FFL in Clinton,
and hearing the poor SOB call someone and say,
"we've had the gun here for a month; when are you picking it up?".
(Cue the lame-ass excuses, I bet).

I feel sorry for anyone whose life is such a shambles that
they order guns they don't have the scratch to finish purchasing.
But I feel even sorrier for some FFL that has to carry the piece on the books
until the buyer gets his life (or wallet) squared-away.

 

[FalArAk]

Since GB now charges sales tax, I am OK with that business model.

What exactly does GB charge tax on?

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Name one other industry where you can pay the vendor to use their license to let you buy something from a wholesaler or other vendor and pay them $40 for the transfer to cut them out of a traditional markup.

I had JP (yes, that JP) ask me how I liked a shotgun he sent. WTF? Yeah, I sent you a shotgun 6 months ago. Visited the dealer and it was "oh yeah, we have it right here with your name on it".

I was sending guns to an NY FFL via a MA FFL (helping someone who moved). Called the receiving shop "We never got the guns, we looked everywhere except under the bottom shelf" .... "Could you please check under the shelf?" ...... "Is one of the gun a wide body 1911 with a Holosight?..... "Yup, that's it". It was like that scene in the original French Connection where the cops searching the car said "We've looked everywhere except under the running boards".

 

[Broc]

What exactly does GB charge tax on?

If you live in MA, sales tax on guns.

 

[puška m70]

Some (most aren't) FFLs are crybabies. Will sit around with the old Fudds all day, chewing the fat, and get a case of ass if you don't buy some overpriced POS they've had in the case for months. Find one that appreciates the $30-40 spiff for 10 minutes of their time.

Exactly. I'd think most FFLs LIKE to do transfers. They make $20-30 for filling out a form for 10-20 minutes. That's like $100/hr and they didn't have to take up time procuring or storage space on inventory to make that money. Plus they are getting someone who's forced to browse their retail selection for that time, and likley buy something.

I have a guy who has cheap transfers, close to me and flexible hours. When I use him, it's usually for selling a gun to another buyer from NES/Armslist/etc. He gets paid $20 AND most times the guy I brought with me to transfer the gun to spends $50-$100 at the FFL's shop on ammo, cleaning supplies, etc.

 

[FalArAk]

If you live in MA, sales tax on guns.

I haven't been on GB in a while, never bought anything there.

Is GB doing this with all the taxable states, or is this a Maura thing?

What if I sell my KAC upper on there, they charge tax on that as well?

 

[Rob Boudrie]

It seems strange that a broker who merely puts buyers and sellers together is interjecting itself into the finances of the transactions.

I once had an expensive gun delivered via FFL from the manufacturer to someone who was assisting me on a consulting project. Ooops, should have had just the frame sent. In the state of WA dealers are required to collect state sales tax on incoming transfers.

 

[Broc]

I'm confused as to why give a shit. You gave them money.....they provided you a service......why do you care how the ffl feels about it?

I dont think the problem is a SxS, OU shotgun or a bolt action..

I think the problem is when people start shipping handguns, AR, AK, things that some FFL won't transfer or thst have 50 different SKU and only 3 of those are "MA approved".

That is the big deal, the huge PITA.

If you re shipping a bolt action or a Sharps, or a SXS shotgun, just ship it to the FFL you know, no need for a call.

I have asked several FFL, and that is usually what I was told, and the reason they like people to call first.

Also some FFL are d*cks. Hunters Rendezvous told me over the phone they would charge me sales tax if I transferred a Sharps through them (7 years ago), I laughed. They tried telling me it was like registering a car in MA. ... imagine finding that nasty surprise when you transfer a $2K gun without calling them.

 

[Broc]

I haven't been on GB in a while, never bought anything there.

Is GB doing this with all the taxable states, or is this a Maura thing?

What if I sell my KAC upper on there, they charge tax on that as well?

As far as I know, all the States that force them to.

It didn't start long ago, maybe a year or 2 ago.

 

[Andy in NH]

I had a local gun store tell me they wouldn't do a transfer on a gun if they already had that gun in their store.

I told them it was a custom rifle that I wanted shipped in.

The person at the counter asked, "How much does it cost?"

My reply was, "Why does that matter?"

The counter person said, "We charge a percentage of the price as the transfer fee."

I said, "Thank you very much", then left the store, and did my transfer somewhere else.

Shortly after that the store changed owners, name, and location, but I have not asked again about transfer fees.

 

[MaybeMe]

Shortly after that the store changed owners, name, and location, but I have not asked again about transfer fees.

Isn’t that… just a different store?

Was the new name Theseus’ Gun Shop?

 

[safetyfirst2125]

Never had any issues. Always just give my FFL a heads up and they’re very polite, friendly and helpful (Mass Firearms, fwiw).

 

[Broc]

I had a local gun store tell me they wouldn't do a transfer on a gun if they already had that gun in their store.

I told them it was a custom rifle that I wanted shipped in.

The person at the counter asked, "How much does it cost?"

My reply was, "Why does that matter?"

The counter person said, "We charge a percentage of the price as the transfer fee."

I said, "Thank you very much", then left the store, and did my transfer somewhere else.

Shortly after that the store changed owners, name, and location, but I have not asked again about transfer fees.

Imagine having it shipped and letting them know it cost $1.

Then them attacking you and asking for a receipt as proof.

That sh*t is so sketchy.

Did the store change names to RMV?

 

[free]

Never had any issues. Always just give my FFL a heads up and they’re very polite, friendly and helpful (Mass Firearms, fwiw).

Same here. Never a problem there. Great people. $25.

 

[Andy in NH]

Isn’t that… just a different store?

Ha, ha - yeah, probably.

A better description is that the new owner kept the name and the location.
Then later the owner changed the name and kept the location.
Then even later the owner kept the name and changed the location.

I could be completely wrong with how it all went down; the owner might have changed the name when they changed the location?