Gunshop Ettiquette Question

[Red Lagoon 6]

So I went to a new local gun shop and bought a used Glock 17 at a very reasonable price. I am planning on sending it to Glock to have a factory refurb and the slide refinished (there is a lot of holster wear on the slide). Glock tells me that because I live in the People's Republic of Massachusetts they can not ship my gun back to me but must ship it to an FFL. When I was picking up my Glock I asked the sales associate if they would really charge me the $30 transfer fee when Glock ships them my gun after being refinished. The sales assocaite said they had to charge me the $30.

Am I out of line thinking that if I bought the gun at this shop that they should waive the transfer fee? I could understand being charged a transfer fee if I sent the gun to a shop that was not the same shop as where I bought it, but seeing that I bought the gun from this shop I thought that they would waive the fee.

I know its only $30 but I hate feeling like I am being nickled and dimed.

Any thoughts? Am I all wet? I really liked the shop that I went to, and in all honesty, even if they won't waive the fee, I will still go back there.

 

[atilla]

but... it's already your gun... why are they charging you a transfer fee to transfer your gun to yourself?

someone with more knowledge than i am will pop in with the correct answer but this seems like BS to me--and if it is you need to out the shop.

 

[bostonasphalt2]

If the shop ships it, they will write it into their bound book, do when it comes back from glock, they will have to sign it out of their bound book, initiating a necessity for a NICS check, so yeah, for the work they do, I get it.

If someone has information to the contrary, please add it!

 

[jasons]

Glock is wrong and your gunshop is wrong. It's perfectly legal to ship a gun to a manufacturer for repairs and have them ship it back. It's also not a "transfer" when you bring a gun to a gunshop for repairs (even if they need to ship it to the manufacturer.)

I'd recommend finding a new gunshop.

 

[drgrant]

Are they charging you for shipping and handling? $20-30 is reasonable for that, beyond that, find a different shop.

-Mike

 

[Dench]

If the shop ships it, they will write it into their bound book, do when it comes back from glock, they will have to sign it out of their bound book, initiating a necessity for a NICS check, so yeah, for the work they do, I get it.

If someone has information to the contrary, please add it!

Repairs dont need the check.

 

[jasons]

If the shop ships it, they will write it into their bound book, do when it comes back from glock, they will have to sign it out of their bound book, initiating a necessity for a NICS check, so yeah, for the work they do, I get it.

If someone has information to the contrary, please add it!

I don't think that's accurate, though I could be wrong. I know I've brought a gun to a shop to have the shop's armorer check it out. When I picked it up there was no NICS check. (He did look at my LTC to verify that I was who I said I was, but there was no call to the feds.)

 

[drgrant]

If the shop ships it, they will write it into their bound book, do when it comes back from glock, they will have to sign it out of their bound book, initiating a necessity for a NICS check, so yeah, for the work they do, I get it.

You have it wrong. There is no 4473/NICS on a repair unless the gun comes back with a different frame. It just goes in and out of the book, that's it.

-Mike

 

[glide]

You can ship directly to Glock and they will ship directly back to you. Even in MA.

I've used their refinishing services before. I

f they still give you a hard time about it, just send them the slide.

 

[Red Lagoon 6]

I will chat with the owner - he was a very good guy to deal with when I bought my gun. He was not there the other day when I asked about the transfer fee. It may just be a misunderstanding with the sales associate.

You all raise good points on why a fee should not be charged. I do not want to out the shop until I have all my facts straight. Like I said, I really liked the shop and the owner - I hope this is just a miscommunication.

Thanks.

 

[Parker Duofold]

Glock is wrong and your gunshop is wrong. It's perfectly legal to ship a gun to a manufacturer for repairs and have them ship it back. It's also not a "transfer" when you bring a gun to a gunshop for repairs (even if they need to ship it to the manufacturer.)

Call Glock again. Get a different customer service rep. Like others have said, you don't have to go through an FFL on this.

 

[davemata]

I know its only $30 but I hate feeling like I am being nickled and dimed.

Pay for the services you utilize. That's being respectful. Leave the entitlements to OWS.

 

[Smash05]

Pay for the services you utilize. That's being respectful. Leave the entitlements to OWS.

He does not need the services they say he needs.

 

[bostonasphalt2]

You have it wrong. There is no 4473/NICS on a repair unless the gun comes back with a different frame. It just goes in and out of the book, that's it.

-Mike

True, if you are dealing directly with whoever is repairing, but that gun shop is not doing repair work, they are just passing along property, hence my question.

 

[NickW85]

I have a friend in Mass who did this 2 months ago and did no go through an FFL. You already own the gun. This is not a transfer or sale. He shipped it directly to Glock and they shipped it right to his apartment after they refurbished it.

 

[glide]

I will chat with the owner - he was a very good guy to deal with when I bought my gun. He was not there the other day when I asked about the transfer fee. It may just be a misunderstanding with the sales associate.

You all raise good points on why a fee should not be charged. I do not want to out the shop until I have all my facts straight. Like I said, I really liked the shop and the owner - I hope this is just a miscommunication.

Thanks.

Why are you even talking to the gunshop owner at this point? Your transaction with them has ended.

If you want to use Glock's refinishing services, mail the gun in on your own.

 

[jasons]

As a practical matter it's usually cheaper to to pay an FFL holder mail the gun since they are legally allowed to use the (much cheaper) US Postal Service. Us peons have to use UPS or FedEx overnight shipping, which is generally way more expensive.

 

[Len-2A Training]

If the entire gun does not need a refurb, just package up the slide and barrel in a flat-rate USPO box and ship it. That is NOT a gun and not prohibited from shipment (the frame can't be shipped). Even if you choose UPS or FedEx, it is not a gun and can go ground.

There is NO NEED to declare it as a gun when shipping back to Glock, even if you ship the complete gun. The Fed law only requires this when NOT shipping to a "licensee" (holder of a FFL/mfr/gunsmith license issued by the Feds). It takes a careful and close reading of the law to determine this . . . as was done in one of my eLists a few years ago.

UPS and FedEx "rules" are NOT laws and therefore can be obeyed or ignored as you wish.

 

[jasons]

There is NO NEED to declare it as a gun when shipping back to Glock, even if you ship the complete gun. The Fed law only requires this when NOT shipping to a "licensee" (holder of a FFL/mfr/gunsmith license issued by the Feds). It takes a careful and close reading of the law to determine this . . . as was done in one of my eLists a few years ago.

UPS and FedEx "rules" are NOT laws and therefore can be obeyed or ignored as you wish.

True, but if you do and they were to lose the package you'd probably have a hard time getting them to pay an insurance claim.

 

[drgrant]

Call Glock again. Get a different customer service rep. Like others have said, you don't have to go through an FFL on this.

You don't but you will actually end up paying a lot more money not doing it that way, because of the shipping problem.

-Mike

 

[drgrant]

Why are you even talking to the gunshop owner at this point? Your transaction with them has ended.

If you want to use Glock's refinishing services, mail the gun in on your own.

I never send in Glocks on my own, it's always cheaper to have a dealer do it (well, at least the 2 or 3 dealers I use to do it that aren't jerkwads) and when the gun comes back it gets locked up in a safe when it arrives, instead of getting thrown behind a bush in my yard.

-Mike

 

[Len-2A Training]

True, but if you do and they were to lose the package you'd probably have a hard time getting them to pay an insurance claim.

Big deal!

That's why I have firearms insurance thru a 3rd party insurer. They even tell you that THEY will cover theft in transport thru USPO/common carriers and thus it is unnecessary to insure the package thru UPS/USPO/FedEx (talking about all guns here, not pistols specifically).

And if I shipped only the barrel and slide, it is NOT A GUN . . . but my gun insurance will still cover me.

 

[jasons]

Big deal!

That's why I have firearms insurance thru a 3rd party insurer. They even tell you that THEY will cover theft in transport thru USPO/common carriers and thus it is unnecessary to insure the package thru UPS/USPO/FedEx (talking about all guns here, not pistols specifically).

And if I shipped only the barrel and slide, it is NOT A GUN . . . but my gun insurance will still cover me.

Who do you use? I have a rider on my homeowners but I don't think it would cover a shipping loss.

 

[drgrant]

True, if you are dealing directly with whoever is repairing, but that gun shop is not doing repair work, they are just passing along property, hence my question.

For FFL purposes it's still considered a repair, whether the shop is repairing it or the shop itself is sending it out to Glock, S&W, or some gunsmith in tinbuck 3. Having another FFL in the middle does not take the gun out of "repair" status. This is a recognized industry practice because gun shops get guns fixed on their customers behalf all the time.

-Mike

 

[Len-2A Training]

Eastern Insurance, Jack Richardson located down the South Shore (Marshfield area IIRC).

Do a search of NES for "Richardson" and you should locate his info.

Also a magnitude cheaper for better coverage. They do have a minimum coverage however, so for those with only a couple of guns of small value, it won't work.