Does PA or Fed law forbid returning store-bought guns?

[Zumkopf]

Sorry for the idiot question from a newbie, but... I went to Dick's and bought a .22 for plinking and target practice. A few days later, I bought a cheap Savage 62 online. I never opened the box from Dick's, so I went to take it back. They told me guns are not returnable, by Federal law.

Is this true? Mind you, there are no signs that guns can't be returned, and they never told me they're not returnable, and I never heard this before, but I never had occasion to try to return one before. I do see remarks about people not liking guns and returning them, but maybe this law is new.

Or are the people at Dicks just being... difficult?

Thanks for the responses,
Zumkopf
Morrisville, PA

[gnbrotz]

I don't think I've ever seen a store that sells arms/ammo that will accept a return, but I can't answer the question about the law.

From a practical standpoint, it seems like there would be a HUGE liability risk in reselling any item like that, that was returned.

[knight0334]

There is no law either way... If there was, gunshops couldn't accept used guns in trade or as consignment.

Dicks is in the business of selling new/refurbed guns, not used ones. Which is probably why they elected to not accept returns.

[rady8um]

What kind of 22 is it? How much would you let it go for? Someone here might take it off your hands.

[Zumkopf]

Savage 64, with walnut stock and scope. 22LR. Nice rifle, really, and it's never been out of the box. I paid $190. It's a matter of principle - I hate being lied to, so now it's a matter of principle, but if someone wants it I guess I'd take a little less to be done with Dicks (no pun intended).

[Plinker]

I once returned a newly purchased Ruger Mark lll .22 to Cabela's which they issued me a replacement for. (I did have to pay for another PICS, though).
I guess that qualifies as a return, so I guess they are not forbidden in PA.
Shame on you, Dick's. Lying to customer's is bad for business.

Plinker

[dc dalton]

Unfortunately stores can 'make up' regulations like this and impose them as 'store policy' and without jumping through hoops and / or spending all sorts of time and money trying to 'make things right' you are the odd man out.

I'd take it as a lesson to NOT buy guns at Dicks, maybe write a complaint letter to corporate and sell the gun on the open market... sometimes fighting policies like this with big corporations like Dicks is like pissing in the wind and it tends to aggravate you so much it becomes counter productive.

[Robert Kayland]

It's not a law, per se... it's just that many chain stores don't sell used guns, and even if you didn't shoot it, it's a "used" gun, by law.

Some clerk might use the term "can't do it, by law", but that's just semantics. I believe the non-return policy is clearly posted in these stores, so it's one of those deals where you only buy with the understanding that once you leave the store, it's yours.

The usual action in these situations is what others have already recommended. If you don't have a buddy that will "help you out" and take it off your hands for what you paid, put it up on the classifieds and hope you get back most of your money (but be prepared to accept as low as 80% or so, in order to get a sale... I call it 'the price of an education'... why should someone pay a private individual the price they can get it for at a dealer, guaranteed new and warranted, right?).

[Montanya]

Yeah I bought a 22 from them while I still worked for the corporate office. It kept jamming up right outta the box. So I called the store and spoke to someone in the lodge (the guns area) about the issue and he said they had others of the same model and they could just do an even swap for me and Dicks would return it to mossberg. So when I show up at the store I tell the people at customer service I am there to exchange it and they tell me "We don't offer exchanges on firearms" I told her I had spoken to the guy at the lodge and he said they would. So they call the manager down who tells me the same thing, then they called the lodge guy down that I spoke with and he said he misunderstood, that the rifle would have to go in to mossberg for repair. So I said "ok send it in for repair, and issue be a recipt that you have possession of it" they said "Oh it's up to you to send it to mossberg" Well I had a shit fit and told them "I work like 20 yards away from the CEO's office and I talk to him plenty of times, if this is how you treat employees at this company I can see why the regular customers don't want to shop here"

Sooo, they agree to send it in for me to mosberg. Well after a week I called just to inquire how long it typically takes (as I don't think I asked them when they took it) and he says "Well once we send it to them it takes a couple weeks to a month" So I asked them what day they sent it and he said "oh we send in repairs every couple weeks so it hasn't left the store yet" Grrr..

I am so glad I don't work for them anymore, that removes any desire for me to want to shop there. Their customer service is HORRIBLE and they are too big of a store to give a shit if a customer or 2 decides to not shop there anymore.

[wa3ra]

I'd surmise that MOST dealers don't do it, because of the paperwork.

You bought it, it goes into the bound log as a sale; you bring it back, even for an exchange, it goes in as an acquisition; you replacement goes in as a sale; if they need to send the item back for work, that has to get logged; when it comes back, another entry; if it is a handgun, your replacement has a different serial number, so PICS gets run again...

You have them send it back, it goes in the book once; you send it back yourself, no paperwork at all.