FFL dealer grrrr

Usmc5811

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Ok so I have been trying to get a firearm shipped to another dealer through my FFL dealer. I could do it myself but it cost me more to ship then to go through my FFL. I have shipped and or received 8'firearms in the past year. Usually no problem. But there have been a few. The first I was returning a mountain gun back to one of our members. I dropped the gun off the dealer and I packed it up and he printed out a shipping label. I sent the member a tracking number and expected him to receive it in 3 days at the most. Well 4 days later I get a call from the member saying the tracking number still isn't in the system. I call my guy and he tells me the girl who normally drops off the firearms at the FedEx office had forgot, no big deal it was shipped out that day. The next problem occurred when I shipped a Winchester model 63 to another member. I told the member that I had dropped off the rifle and he should have it in a couple of days, that was on a Monday. The following Monday I get an email that the member has not received his rifle yet. So I call my dealer this time there was a power outage ( it did happen) and that it fried his computers but that it would ship that day, and it did with a tracking number. Now I am trying to ship a 4" 28-2 NYSP. I dropped the firearm off yesterday only to find out that he didn't have a copy of the FFL to where it was being shipped. The buyer said it had been emailed last week. I call the buyers FFL dealer and have him send another email with a copy of their license, and he says he will in just a minute. I wait an hour and call my dealer still no license. I ask if he has a fax and he texts the number to me. I call the buyers dealer and give them the fax number and he tells me he will get right on it. This was 4:30 in the afternoon by now. So today I send a text to my dealer asking if he received the fax no reply. I went out and did my errands and when I get back I call him and he says no fax received. Now I am starting to get a little perturbed. Then my dealer asks me why I am doing this and not the buyer? I tell him that I just want to get this misunderstanding taken care of and I don't know which dealer is screwing up, and that it makes me look bad and I'm not the one running a business. So another call to the buyers FFL and get a real nice gentleman on the phone and explain to him that I have been chasing my tail for two days and could he please just email a copy to me and I would get it to the dealer. He agrees and a minute or two later it's in my mailbox. I forward the copy to my dealer and text him that it should be in his mailbox. I also texted a copy of the license to him also, and asked if he would please send me a tracking number when it has shipped and no reply from him. Tomorrow morning I will be calling him again to make sure he got one of the 2 copies I sent. And if he tells me he doesn't I am going to have to call BS, and personally deliver the copy to him and wait while its boxed up and shipped. I'm feeling mad as all get out and embarrassed too. The gentleman has paid for the revolver but hasn't received it yet. What would you guys do? I know I would like to go put my size 12 foot in him where the sun don't shine. I don't want to stop using this guy because he is within 10 minutes from my house and charges $20 transfer fee, plus what it cost to ship usually another $20. I know he is a busy man we all are but how can you expect to run a business doing things like this. It just boggles me. Anyone else had these kinds of troubles when dealing with a FFL? I know we are gonna have to have a sit down and get things straight. But why, if you don't want to fool with shipping firearms then just say so. But I would think that the $20 dollars I give him each time just to put my name in the book isn't a bad deal. The next nearest dealer charges $50 for a transfer fee. What would you guys do. Sorry but I needed to vent.:mad:
 
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5811,

Been there, done that.

Similar situation w/ my nearest FFL (works out of his house), the reliable LGS wanted $75, so he looked better. Had to get my buyers FFL sent to him three times, then he doesn't send me my copies on the transaction, so I remind him, only to find he didn't use the USPS to ship like we originally agreed and the bill is $40.00 higher than his quote (UPS picks up at and delivers to his house - he has to go to the PO to use their services).

To say I was ticked off would be an understatement, I paid his fee and told him I was PO'd and would be looking for another FFL.

Looks like I'll need one - two weeks after our last contact that guy's obit showed up in the local paper, turns out he was dealing w/ a terminal illness . I had no idea, and since we weren't friends or involved in anything other than the occasional transfer, I guess it was none of my business.

Now I feel like I was hasty and misjudged him in his final days, goes to show you that you never really never know what the other guy is dealing with.
 
It's no excuse for sloppy practices but the FFLs don't make any real money from doing transfers and shipping guns (versus selling guns) so it often gets low priority. My FFL is good friend and the cheapest in town for transfers and shipping and the shipping-out part is sometimes a real pain. I try to facilitate the process as best I can by packaging and boxing up (not sealed) for him and I try to always get the ship-to FFL from the buyer's FFL (some are funny about that so I don't always succeed) and have that inside the box too. Even so sometimes they don't get shipped out for a couple of days as the guy is just really busy with the "more important" stuff that actually makes him some money.

I feel your pain and frustration but it's pretty commmon.
 
The next nearest dealer charges $50 for a transfer fee. What would you guys do. Sorry but I needed to vent.:mad:

I pay. Local 01 charges me $45. I drop the gun and the buyer info. It's done. Cash MO after gun is received (local PO hates when I clean out all their cash). Joe
 
I work at a local FFL and some days you are just overwhelmed. You are trying to keep the lights on by selling guns that is what you are there for. Since the internet craze here the transfer and shipping has increased 100 fold. Packaging and shipping takes time. I am not sure about your state but up here we can ship guns personal to an FFL why don't you do it yourself?

Good luck Pete
 
But I would think that the $20 dollars I give him each time just to put my name in the book isn't a bad deal.
So all he does it put your name in his book. Who packs the gun, who drives it to FedEx who uses his license. Sounds to me like your running a business with all the guns your selling. Get your own FFL. Then maybe you can just put his name in your book for $20.00.
 
It's no excuse for sloppy practices but the FFLs don't make any real money from doing transfers and shipping guns (versus selling guns) so it often gets low priority. My FFL is good friend and the cheapest in town for transfers and shipping and the shipping-out part is sometimes a real pain. I try to facilitate the process as best I can by packaging and boxing up (not sealed) for him and I try to always get the ship-to FFL from the buyer's FFL (some are funny about that so I don't always succeed) and have that inside the box too. Even so sometimes they don't get shipped out for a couple of days as the guy is just really busy with the "more important" stuff that actually makes him some money.

I feel your pain and frustration but it's pretty commmon.
Correct, no real money in it BUUUT......as a loyal customer if that spend a lot of money in that store they can do small favor. I'm lucky that my LGS is a,stand up store that takes care of their customers. They'll happily do transfers and shipments but if they started to give me BS or the run around (within reason) about some small thing like shipping after the amount of money I spent there....well I wouldn't come back.

I work at a local FFL and some days you are just overwhelmed. You are trying to keep the lights on by selling guns that is what you are there for. Since the internet craze here the transfer and shipping has increased 100 fold. Packaging and shipping takes time. I am not sure about your state but up here we can ship guns personal to an FFL why don't you do it yourself?

Good luck Pete

True there are crazy days. I've walked into my lgs to pick up a layaway or a transfer only to turn around and walk right out. I wasn't going to get in the way of the sale frenzy that was going on. I have the firearm already held and I can pick it up next time. However when I drop off a gun it gets written up and usually boxed within 10 min if not that same day.

The cost to ship a handgun is almost double the price if you do it yourself. It has to go priority and UPS charges something like $80 - $90 for it, where as my lgs is about $30 - $40
 
Packaging and shipping takes time. I am not sure about your state but up here we can ship guns personal to an FFL why don't you do it yourself?
In addition to
The cost to ship a handgun is almost double the price if you do it yourself. It has to go priority and UPS charges something like $80 - $90 for it, where as my lgs is about $30 - $40
, some FFL01's won't accept a shipment from a non-FFL.
 
No Offense, but ...

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If it was a dealership I could understand, but I haven't seen any firearms for sale at his business. He does mostly mods like cera-coat and AR builds. I don't mind being told I'm busy it might take a few days, but if you tell me you are shipping it that day and it doesn't until days later there is something wrong.
 
USPS is the cheapest way to ship a handgun but can only be used FFL to FFL. An unlicensed individual cannot ship a handgun USPS. There is nothing illegal about a private individual shipping a handgun to an FFL thru UPS but it is against UPS company policy to ship it any other way except overnight because a small number of UPS employees may be dishonest and cannot be trusted. Overnight eliminates a lot of people handling it and it receives special attention. A lot of handguns are getting shipped regular UPS to an FFL by not declaring that they are handguns. This could get messy if a loss occurred but people are taking the chance to save shipping costs. At least this is my impression of what is going on but I could be wrong.
 
For the OP, been there done that .

If you run it this again ask the FFL to check his junk mail file. Depending on how his junk mail rules are set; those emails with attachments may just be going straight into the Junk Mail file.
 
For the OP, been there done that .

If you run it this again ask the FFL to check his junk mail file. Depending on how his junk mail rules are set; those emails with attachments may just be going straight into the Junk Mail file.

That was the first thing I told him to do. I texted him earlier to ask if it would ship today. Got a call a minute later saying yes he has it but is busy and may not get it shipped out today. I told him that I understand but would atleast like a text saying you did or didn't receive the FFL copy. Just letting me know what is going on helps a lot. I texted last week asking if I could get a hard copy of his FFL because I was having another firearm shipped to me and the seller couldn't read the copy of his FFL that I emailed him. I never got a response, so I showed up a few hours later to get one. He told me that he had not answered me because he didn't have one on hand. Then he pulls one out of his file cabinet. I think if I had any hair on my head I would have pulled it out. Is it so hard to send a quick text?
 
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