Firing Line's New Transfer Fees-Price Gouging

[trlcavscout]

I Know dealers bitch about doing transfers especially on new guns. If it was a good enough deal to buy online and wait I dont mind paying a transfer. All the FFL has to decide is do they want my $15-$25 or not? They can make that off me or they can make nothing off me.

[sneakerd]

Batteriesnare-

[JohnFuller]

I am not taking anything personally. The Firing line doesn't owe me anything. Other than the "cost" of letting a box sit on a shelf for a few days while the background check goes through, I don't think there is a whole lot else other than labor. This is not an issue of supply and demand. And to Sneakered, I did not complain about the prices at FL. I think I can find almost anything you sell at a minimally cheaper cost elsewhere, but I cannot always justify the savings with the shipping. That could be said for any other retail operation. That is why I specifically pointed out the thousands of dollars I have spent there for things other than guns. My point, generally, is that keeping prices low on things like a transfer fee will still get people in the door buying everything else from the shop. Perhaps when this current craze dies down, customer service will become a bigger issue. My 2 cents.

[Great-Kazoo]

5 post in to the board and you complain about transfer fees. While i understand your frustration with FL over a "sudden" increase for their fee, perhaps gouging is the wrong term. EVERYTHING GUN RELATED HAS INCREASED,
Now since you are new, you might want to look over the forum and see we have an area to post Dealer reviews / Complaints. Good Day Young man.

[drew890]

The OP doesn't fully understand what the definition of Price Gouging really is. FL raising their in house prices on a transfer does not constitute Price Gouging. A FFL transfer is a service performed by the business. Price Gouging pertains to goods or commodities, and is generally applied only to life sustaining items. Contrary to some people's opinions, a gun transfer is not a life sustaining transaction (not yet at least). It is a service provided by a private entity. As such the entity can place whatever value that they believe fit to provide this service. This value can be driven by external competitors, sustainability, overhead, etc.
The term Price Gouging is being over and falsely applied by too many people in the past month. This is business.

[Ridge]

Nobody on here seems to understand what price gouging is.

Price gouging is jacking up the price of necessary survival items like food and water in time of emergency. Jacking up the price of a transfer fee on a firearm during what is probably the biggest purchase craze in many years is NOT gouging, it is free market in action.

[Gunner]

It's simply offering an item at a price. You do not have to buy that item. Free markets, you may charge what ever you want.

[waxthis]

I really think a group hug is in Order. It's a shit time to buy and sell period, we WILL get through it...

[brobar]

Yep... gouging and taking an advantage of a situation are two completely different things. You can't blame them for taking advantage of the current frenzy. However, you can let people know of those who aren't taking advantage of the situation and also do your business there if you so choose. I wouldn't do transfers at FL even before the price increase. It had nothing to do with their fee and more to do with their customer service in other areas. Where I do my transfers... the staff is friendly, attentive, they give great service and the prices are good to boot. The FL will eventually bring that fee back down once the frenzy dies down and customers realize they have other choices where they aren't capitalizing on the frenzy. In the meantime though... there are dozens upon dozens of places in the area that offer FFLs for half of what FL is charging. So that puts YOU (OP) in the driver's seat. Pay the fees at FL or go to one of the many other places who aren't charging that much.

While I don't do transfers at FL... I'm sure others will appreciate you bringing the fee to their attention so they can now shop around for a more competitive fee. Thanks for letting us know!

[Jmetz]

For what it's worth, last I checked Rapid Fire Bunker was still doing transfers for $15.

Confirmed, and They are very nice people and want your business. They are way the hell out of my way but Steve is on a couple forums I'm on and I'll go out of my way to give my business to where I'm treated well.

As for The Firing Line, I've never cared for them (no offense sneakerd). Every time I've been in there the generally feeling I get from the counter staff is that they are unapproachable and too bad ass for the likes of someone that doesnt work at a gun store. I did a transfer through them a couple years ago and it took over a week after the lower came in for them to get to it. The general attitude was that they didn't care and they'll get around to it eventually.

That was the last time I did business with them.