Public Service Announcement - SCAM

[AdvancedArms]

We encourage customers to educate themselves and make informed decisions.

This includes choosing a reputable dealer than not only provides customer service before and after the sale, but also competitive prices.

An industry scam (for a lack of better term) that has come to our attention.

When you purchase a firearm from a dealer in Pennsylvania, there are naturally some costs or fees involved.

The most important for consumers to be aware of is the actual cost of the Pennsylvania Insta-Check System (PICS) background check fee.

This PICS background check is conducted by the PA State Police and it amounts to on average $5.00 per firearm. The actually fee is composed of two components: $2.00 for the actual check + $3.00 per taxable firearm.....hence $5.00 on average.

In the case of 2 firearms being purchase at the same time, the actual fee would would total at $8.00, not $10.00.


The SCAM that we are referring to relates to a surprise fee at the end of a sale....other than the standard $5.00 PICS Check and 6% sales tax.
Some of the erronous fees reported reported by new customers have been in the neighborhood of $20.00 to $25.00

If you are purchasing a firearm from a dealer, you should NOT be paying an erronous or administrative fee....that is sprung on you at the very end of your transaction.

All fees should be review at the start of your purchase.


Some dealers for the sake of simplicity adjust the firearm prices accordingly ($5) and include the PICS fee in their normal firearm prices....this is nothing to be worried about....since you can tabulate firearm + sales tax....simple.


The best recommendation when price shopping or making a purchase is to ask for an OUT THE DOOR price. This will help protect you from any suprise fees.

[cakeshooter]

How do you fix that? We purchased a handgun at a well recommended and loved shop and they charged a $10 fee for one handgun...

Another well known shop charged us $50 to transfer an online purchase (which I kinda understand that since they aren't getting profit since we purchased online).

I just figured they all did that.

[AdvancedArms]

A $10 fee + a lower price might even out. The out the door (OTD) makes the best comparison....if you are shoping solely on price

Ultimately.....stick with the dealer that you like and provides a high level of customer service.

Saving $10bux or $20bux for poor customer service and no product support is definitely not worth it...stick with a good dealer over minor price differences.

Dealer loyality usually pays dividens in the end too....such special pricing, deals, extra help when you need it...et cetera

[cakeshooter]

A $10 fee + a lower price might even out. The out the door (OTD) makes the best comparison....if you are shoping solely on price

Ultimately.....stick with the dealer that you like and provides a high level of customer service.

Saving $10bux or $20bux for poor customer service and no product support is definitely not worth it...stick with a good dealer over minor price differences.

Dealer loyality usually pays dividens in the end too....such special pricing, deals, extra help when you need it...et cetera

Ohhh okay. Yeah the $10 dealer had the best prices around.

The $50 transfer...somebody gave me a heads up for a cheaper one for next time.

Thanks!

[DC2.2GSR]

How is that a scam? Transferring a firearm is a service that dealers provide. Sometimes people enjoy getting paid for the things they do with their time because it lets them buy things that are necessary for their survival.

At the shop where I work, we mark up our parts prices 25% over what we buy them for. Sometimes we even make a few dollars on the already dismally low PA collision repair labor rate. That's because we're running a SCAM!!!

We get it. You offer blah blah blah, at good rates. I think calling out other shops and accusing them of running a scam so that you look better is a piss poor business strategy, but that's just me.

[NathanB]

Wait like an OTD price like you offer in your shop Chris? I need to make another trip down there.

[AdvancedArms]

How is that a scam? Transferring a firearm is a service that dealers provide. Sometimes people enjoy getting paid for the things they do with their time because it lets them buy things that are necessary for their survival.

Slow down and read the post.

IT RELATES to the purchase of a FIREARM FROM THE DEALER....and THAT SAME DEALER charging a hidden fee labeled as a transfer to buyers who do not know the ropes.

[DC2.2GSR]

I read it just fine. I understand exactly what you're trying to explain.

What would be a scam is a shop labeling it a "State-mandated firearm sales transfer fee". To me, and anyone else with even a shred of common sense, "transfer fee" reads as "transfer fee for services provided", i.e. administrative fee. No scam, no hidden fees, just people trying to get paid for doing the paperwork.

[AdvancedArms]

FOR CLARIFICATION:


This post has nothing to do with ACTUAL TRANSFERS....such as internet, mail order,person to person, et cetera.


This is to educate new firearm purchasers who are buying anywhere in PA.

If you call 5 places and the average price of a noisy cricket is $275. You can expect to be out the door under $300.

At 4 of the 5 places this is the case....out the door under $300.

At the 5th place, you got blind sided with an extra $20 or $25 fee that you weren't expected.....and you are now OTD at $320..

That is the message I am relaying.

When I was attending school a Penn State Main....a dealer tried it on me.

We have had a few people relay similar experiences about it locally in NEPA....in the $25 neighborhood....so this is to bring new folks up to speed.

[NRA Recruiter]

Another well known shop charged us $50 to transfer an online purchase (which I kinda understand that since they aren't getting profit since we purchased online).

I just figured they all did that.

Most dealers will charge you a fee to process an online order or an person to person transfer. The fee will usually depend on what they have to do. If they have to mail their FFL, there's one fee. If the gun just shows up in the mail, there's another fee. If both parties walk through the door, there could be another fee. The smart dealer doesn't gouge on these fees for a couple reasons: they take a miniscule amount of work and they get foot traffic in the door. Foot traffic is vital in brick and mortar retail. So they lose whatever markup they may have made on the gun that you bought on gunbroker.com but now you are in the store looking at other guns and while you are there you are looking at holsters, cases, ammo, and a host of other high markup items.

All of that is irrelevant if the dealer is one of the thousands of slightly unscrupulous dealers out there who will charge extra money and claim that it is a mandated fee of some sort.

For my part, I would rather have the dealer charge me a few more dollars for the gun than to lie about fees. I respect honesty in a merchant and will gladly pay an honest merchant more than attempt to save a few bucks by going to a rip off artist.