I won an auction on Monday. I followed the check-out process and chose the send a USPS money order for payment. The total amount on the GB invoice came out to be about $25 more than I think it should have. I accounted for the tax, shipping and their new "compliance fee" whatever that is. I contacted the seller about the total and was told that GB calculates the fees and he has no control over it. I have sent GB two requests for an itemized invoice or an explanation but have gotten no response. I have let the seller know the situation and that I am going to complete my purchase either way. I know it's not a lot of money but it bothers me that they won't tell me what I am being asked to pay for. I am thinking about sending a money order to the seller for the amount that I think is correct and see what happens. Opinions, suggestions?
Gunbroker Question
- Thread starter Mike1647
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LVSteve
Member
Are you sure you got the tax rate right? I see that AL has sales taxes all over the place depending on where you live.
twodog max
Member
I have used Gunbroker quite a bit in the past. All these new fees have really changed things for me. I am not sure I will buy there again. Just bought a rifle from Guns America vendor. Easiest online purchase ever no ridiculous add on fees.
OP
If they would respond to my request one of my questions is what tax rate are they using. usually for Alabama an out-of-state purchase is 4%.
Read the seller's fine print. I've seen a lot of negative feedback on GB because the seller has a policy of "Shipping and handling is $25 (or whatever) plus shipping costs" and the buyer didn't read it . . .
I've done ok with Gunbroker.
Granted, I only buy used stuff that I can't find locally.
Granted, I only buy used stuff that I can't find locally.
LVSteve
Member
That's pretty much everything except Glocks and Sigs at MSRP or more here in Vegas.
RalphMP9FS
Member
I won an auction last week on GB, and they charged me a 10% sales tax and a 1% fee. I thought the Illinois out of state tax was 6%, but they charge your local tax rate. Also, don't forget shipping cost.
OP
Looks like it's the tax. If I calculate the total using the tax rate where my FFL is it comes out to about what the total is. So it is state and local tax. Gunbroker sure isn't what it used to be.
LVSteve
Member
It's the same with most online purchases these days. The states weren't going to let all that lost revenue stay lost forever. The in state retailers felt they were losing out, too.
I had a feeling your discrepancy might be zip code related. I take it your FFL is in another county. We don't have that problem here, the counties are too big.
OP
The seller made no mention of any other fees, only shipping and a CC fee if using a CC. I'm going to send the seller the amount shown on the invoice. If it is something GB is doing then I don't want to cause him any trouble. I will look for other sources for deals from now on.
OP
Yes my FFL is in a different county that has a 10% sales tax rate.
Nothing good ever remains the same. Someone always feels the need to fiddle it up, in the name of "New & Improved".
Dave from Pa
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
It sounds like the seller is tacking on his gun broker fees to your invoice. On anything I've ever bought off GunBroker the seller pays his own fees. Just like when I buy a handgun or sell a handgun in Pennsylvania all handgun sales go through a dealer and the buyer always pays the transfer fee in addition to the purchase price.
LVSteve
Member
GB has a fee that everybody pays. I think it's called the compliance fee, basically a CPA employment fee for keeping the taxes straight.
OP
My FFL confirmed that the tax rate GB uses for his area is 10%. Sent the seller full payment today. Lesson learned.
Since about January, new fees and taxes are handled by GB and not up to the discretion of the seller. The seller pays his own percentage fees to GB and isn't able to tack on anything else.
It is not fine print, but I know there are many inexperienced buyers out there that only read the description and not the terms and conditions, but all additional costs are outlined above the description so do not know how they miss that.
I am a Gunbroker seller and a $25 fee for shipping is way low!! I just shipped 5 handguns that that were all under $400 each and posted a $30 UPS shipping fee. By the time I added insurance, the average fee was $34.00, so lost a little. About the only ways to ship today under $35 for a handgun is to not add insurance or have a commercial contract with UPS.
Gunbroker does detail the fees of a sale (see example below) for all to see if they look. There are way too many buyers who do not pay attention. If one thinks that they can simply go to other websites and see the same quantity of firearms for sale, it just will not happen, and all sales tax states are going after every major online seller who does not collect sales tax so the savings of shopping elsewhere will be short lived.
Attachments
The seller cannot add their selling fees as Gunbroker prepares the invoice to include compliance fee, state/city sales tax, and shipping.
BTW: The Compliance Fee is a fee assessed by GunBroker.com and added to the price of the Item at the time of purchase. The U.S. states have been very active in passing new laws applicable to GunBroker.com, including in the areas of taxation, privacy and firearms. These laws have increased the compliance costs of GunBroker.com substantially.
The compliance fee is currently 1% of the purchase price of the item.
The Norseman
Member
No Hassle Fee
Would not break my heart if Gunbroker went away.
But with our “Got to have It Now” Culture, it will
fester with Criminal Intentions until people wise up.
I see now that this Criminal Element is moving to
the Gun Forums.
The Best of Luck to you against the Criminal Minds
out there.
Would not break my heart if Gunbroker went away.
But with our “Got to have It Now” Culture, it will
fester with Criminal Intentions until people wise up.
I see now that this Criminal Element is moving to
the Gun Forums.
The Best of Luck to you against the Criminal Minds
out there.
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