And it's $20.00 for the phone call!?!

[PennsyPlinker]

Today was a fun day for me. I left the house this morning and traveled down to Southampton to spend the morning shooting with FNG19. He had kindly offered to let me shoot his Browning Buckmark in response to my request the other day. So I brought a couple of my own guns along, and we had a very nice two or three hours shooting a couple of ragged holes in the target. We followed that up with a lunch at a local diner, where we sat and jawboned for a while.

On the way home, I decided to stop at Target World just off of County Line Rd. I am never sure what municipality I am in along that road, but you local guys will know where it is. They have a very nice place there, although the prices were a little higher than what I am used to. Range time there is 50% more than what I would pay if I went to the Firing Line in Whitehall! But while I was lurking about looking at the guns in the counter displays, I overheard one of the salesmen there talking to a couple who were buying a GSG5 for their son. He was describing the process for the PICS check, and he said:

"...and it's twenty bucks for the phone call. There's nothing I can do about that."



I'm thinking, I only get charged TWO dollars for that phone call! Maybe they add a couple of bucks on where I shop, but no one has ever nicked me for a twenty. There won't be any danger of me buying a gun there any time soon. Of course, according to Mrs. Plinker, there isn't any danger of me buying a gun anywhere for a while. We ll at least she is buying me one for Christmas, so I can't complain too much.

[ChrisF4i]

"...and it's twenty bucks for the phone call. There's nothing I can do about that."

Wow, that's a really bad business move there. That kind of dishonesty will make him lose a lot of business in the future.

[The_Game]

I can't say that I wouldn't have commented had I heard that.

[PennsyPlinker]

I can't say that I wouldn't have commented had I heard that.

Like one who takes a dog by the ears is he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him. Proverbs 26:17

I could have spoken up, but it would not have changed anything, except to get a bunch of people angry at me. And while I will step in to help someone genuinely in trouble, the proverb above is a good guide for behavior, because it describes the likely outcome very accurately.

[Robert Kayland]

The local gun shop here in Emmaus charges $10 for the PICS. I grouse to him about it, especially since Cabelas is $2.

Does anyone know if the FFL actually gets charged for using the PICS system or a per-call fee for the PICS checks he has to make?

[Michele]

I would have politely walked over to them, handed them my cell, and said, here use my phone its free.

$20 bucks, now that is way out of line. Doesn't make for a good business relationship. When I got any of my guns, I was never charged for a "phone call".

[PennsyPlinker]

The local gun shop here in Emmaus charges $10 for the PICS. I grouse to him about it, especially since Cabelas is $2.

Does anyone know if the FFL actually gets charged for using the PICS system or a per-call fee for the PICS checks he has to make?

At the Handgunner he usually leaves it on speakerphone, and I can hear at the end, "You have been charged $2.00 for this..." phone call, check whatever.

[Robert Kayland]

At the Handgunner he usually leaves it on speakerphone, and I can hear at the end, "You have been charged $2.00 for this..." phone call, check whatever.

I guess these other FFL's are wanting to have their entire phone bill paid for the month, then.

On a side note, I heard if Cabelas went out of business the PSP would have to lay off dozens of people.

[FUNDAMENTALS]

Uh, there is a little more than $2.00, Firearms Sales Surcharge, 18 PA.
SECTION 6111.2, a. Surcharge Imposed, There is hereby imposed on each sale of a firearm subject to tax under Article II of the act of March 4, 1971
(p.l.6, No. 2) known as the Tax Reform Code of 1971, an additional surcharge of $3.00. All moneys received from this surcharge shall be deposited in the
Firearms Instant Records Check Fund.
Section b, Covers Increases or Decreases.
Section c, Revenue Sources.
So there is some additional cost that most people are not aware of and
you do pay, which the dealer would include in his costs.

[The_Game]

But the PICS call is still only $2.