FFL transfer fee for service on a NEW firearm

[zaphodB]

Hi Calguns,

I purchased my first firearm last Dec and this is my first post here.

I have a question regarding being charged an FFL transfer fee for service on a new gun that came defective (had a chipped extractor claw). Since this is my first handgun I am not sure if what happened is normal and wanted to hear if people thought this was OK or not. Here is what happened.

In November I purchased a new RIA 1911 9mm through a bay area gun store. After taking the gun home I discovered that 1/3 of the extractor claw was very clearly chipped. I contacted RIA and they had me ship the gun to them for service. RIA then confirmed the problem, replaced the extractor and shipped the gun to the gun shop I originally purchased it from (since I listed them as where I purchased it).

The gun shop said that RIA sent the gun as an FFL transfer and it needed to go through the background check process & 10-day waiting period a 2nd time. They then charged me $25 for the background check and another $50 for their FFL transfer fee.

If the CA requires another background check for the manufacture to return the firearm, then OK I can understand the $25 mandatory fee.

But it seems the $50 FFL fee is not fair in this situation. The service was to repair a NEW gun that I purchased from their store that came defective. It seems they should offer the FFL service for free in this case because the service was necessary to repair a gun that they sold defective.

What do you think? Is this normal or should I argue for the $50 back?

Thanks for any advice!

[Condorguns]

The only time a FFL will reDROS a firearm is if the factory replaced the frame thus changing the serial number.

I find it odd that RIA would replace the entire firearm for a basic part swap.

[Bullets&Whitewalls]

How can they charge you and make you dros a gun you already own? That makes no sense at all to me. I can see a few bucks maybe for the receiving end of it sure but I thought if you already own the gun and it has already been through dros that they could ship it directly to you. I may be wrong on that part though. I know handgun rules tend to be different.

[shooter777]

What was the shop?

[six seven tango]

I would be contacting RIA. If you sent it directly to them without going thru an FFL (perfectly legal), then they should have sent it directly back to you, no FFL as long as they didn't replace the frame (again, perfectly legal). Their shipping screw up is what triggered the FFL to charge you.

I'm not letting the FFL completely off the hook however. They should know better than to re-DROS, and should have cut you a break on their fees since you bought it from them originally.

[drifts1]

Unless the frame was replaced, something is not right here. The gun should of shipped directly to you. Is there more to this story?

[KrisDSA]

Tagged for later

[KrisDSA]

And very sorry to hear OP. Post FFL name please

[SkyHawk]

Fail all around. You should have inspected gun before purchase. FFL should have inspected gun before sale. Would have asked RIA to send me extractor and installed myself. RIA should have sent gun back to you directly. FFL should not have reDROS'd and definitely should not have charged a transfer fee for gun they sold you in F'd up condition.

FFL owes you $50-$75, RIA owes you some free mags. Give the FFL a chance to make this right then out them here if they don't.

[dwtt]

OP, there's someone who posts here on Calguns who works for Armscor, I think. His logon name is House or something like that. If you can get his logon name, pm him and ask why the company didn't send the gun back to you directly since that's what they should have done. The FFL, which you should name since he's a dirtbag, ripped you off and lied to you. There's no need to do a second DROS for a repair like an extractor replacement.

[ke6guj]

Fail all around. You should have inspected gun before purchase. FFL should have inspected gun before sale. Would have asked RIA to send me extractor and installed myself. RIA should have sent gun back to you directly. FFL should not have reDROS'd and definitely should not have charged a transfer fee for gun they sold you in F'd up condition.

FFL owes you $50-$75, RIA owes you some free mags. Give the FFL a chance to make this right then out them here if they don't.

I guess I fail everytime I purchase a firearm. most items I buy are NIB so I give it an exterior lookover to make sure it isn't scratched, messed up finish, or bad machining, but I don't field strip it to look at the internals. I've never closely inspect the extractor for damage either. I assume that the gun is internally functional.

[alfred1222]

OP, there's someone who posts here on Calguns who works for Armscor, I think. His logon name is House or something like that. If you can get his logon name, pm him and ask why the company didn't send the gun back to you directly since that's what they should have done. The FFL, which you should name since he's a dirtbag, ripped you off and lied to you. There's no need to do a second DROS for a repair like an extractor replacement.

Last time I checked we don't know the full story... Maybe OP just saw a chip in the extractor, but the problem went deeper and RIA found a flaw in the frame, causing them to replace the whole firearm. That puts the entire transaction, on the FFL's part, above board. Don't jump to conclusions.

I guess I fail everytime I purchase a firearm. most items I buy are NIB so I give it an exterior lookover to make sure it isn't scratched, messed up finish, or bad machining, but I don't field strip it to look at the internals. I've never closely inspect the extractor for damage either. I assume that the gun is internally functional.

I don't either, but then again I don't buy entry level guns. With a gun that isnt of the best quality, you should check for flaws. Now, if he had bought a nighthawk, I wouldn't say he should have field stripped it. But an RIA should be checked thoroughly

[teg33]

Op mistake is bought RIA, should buy Glock

[username111]

OP should Google "glock recall" and then ignore previous post.

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

[Oceanbob]

OP should Google "glock recall" and then ignore previous post.

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

Haha. You mean the Gen 4 free replacement recoil spring that Glock mailed out free to your home if you called them? Before 2011?

Not a big deal.

OP. Check to make sure the frame serial numbers are the same. If RIA did not replace the frame you got screwed by the FFL.

Please tell us who the FFL is.