Ownership forfeit term

[freakshow10mm]

Do you guys have an ownership forfeit policy?

Say a customer leaves a gun in your inventory for a certain time period with no attempt to contact you to arrange for pickup. Do you hold it indefinitely or do you have a forfeit of ownership policy?

[WFAInc]

That's a good question. In for some replies.

[kemasa]

Yes. I threaten to charge storage fees if the firearm is not picked up within 30 days and the firearm is mine after 45 days as it is considered to be abandoned. I have a customer agreement sheet which the customer initials, signs and dates, so there is no question that they were informed. It can be waived with prior agreement. There are other things to convince people to do what they should :-).

[tenpercentfirearms]

I have been working on one for months. Some day I will find the time to get it ironed out and implemented. I really need one as I have been way too nice with guns sitting in my safe for well over two years or more.

[freakshow10mm]

I've got a 6 month policy. I talked with the paperwork chic at Ammo Bros and she said their policy is one calendar year.

STORAGE FEES

If you have a firearm shipped to us for transfer and do not pick it up within 10 business days you will incur a $15 per month storage fee that must be paid in addition to the standard firearm transfer fee. The time is rounded up to the next month. Example: one month and one day is charged as 2 months. Amount due will be $30 for storage fees in addition to $20 transfer fee for a total of $50 before the firearm is released for transfer. If you fail to pick up your firearm within 6 months from the date it is logged into the log book, it will be considered abandoned, you will forfeit ownership to Freakshow Manufacturing LLC and it will become company property and inventory.

I enforced it once. I let it go 8 months before the company considered it abandoned. Gearing up to do another one in a couple weeks. No contact from them since May.

So there might be an AMD w/ pinned stock up for sale here soon.

[kemasa]

Personally, I think that 6 months is far too long, unless there is a discussion and agreement about it. At a minimum there should be a storage charge possible. I have held onto firearms for longer than a month without charging. In one case the person was limited to the one firearm per month and was buying several firearms, but that was a known thing.

I personally don't get how people can just leave stuff for that long. I would want to get it into my hands and try it out.

[freakshow10mm]

Six months does seem like a long time and I've been thinking about severely shortening it. It's been in the safe since April, no payment, no return emails, no phone calls, nothing. No attempt since April.

They paid several hundred for this gun and if I had that kind of money in a gun, I'd definitely want it ASAP.

Yet it's been my liability for 6 months. I've had to keep track of it, make sure it's still there every day when I do inventory.

[kemasa]

Sounds like a nice gift :-).

The reason I have it at 30/45 days is because I can't imagine any reason why someone could not contact me within that time period to let me know what is going on. I have a couple of Hunting Heritage Trust California 2009 Henry rifles that have been in my safe for quite some time. The buyer decided that he wanted to sell them and is looking for a buyer, but at least I know what the deal is and don't have any incorrect expectations.

Have you done a web search on the person's name to see if something happened to them? I have always wondered about how to deal with an issue like that, but fortunately it has not happened to me.

[freakshow10mm]

Nothing came up for obits.

[kemasa]

What about other web searches? Perhaps the person got arrested, etc. You can also use zabasearch to see if there is any other addresses on the person.

[freakshow10mm]

Couple in CA but not what's on the invoice from the seller.

[kemasa]

Have you searched for recent activity on his email address (if you have it)? Have you tried calling the phone number that you have?

If you want to be safe, you could send a letter USPS with a return receipt and see what happens. Personally, it sounds abandon.

[freakshow10mm]

No phone number on file. They didn't put an order on my site for the transfer not is there a number on the invoice from the seller. Contacted the seller and they only have the info that was on the invoice. I've sent a letter a couple months ago to the address listed on the invoice with my business card and note inside. Nothing.

I think I'm wrapping this up and putting it up for sale. Seems quite clear to me they simply don't want it.

[kemasa]

The seller should have more info on them. If they paid by check, they should be able to get a copy of the check, which should have a phone number. If they paid by credit card, then contacting the credit card company might work to get in contact with them, if the credit card company is willing to call them for you. Most likely, they will not give out the phone number.

Getting a return receipt is a good idea (IMHO) before selling it. It shows that someone got the letter and their name. You can also limit it to the person who bought it. If it is returned, then it will help to show that it is abandon.

You can also find their phone number by using zabasearch and the phone websites.

[Fjold]

Send them a registered letter, return receipt requested, and tell them that you are going to charge them $X for a storage fee until XXX date where upon you will consider it abandoned property and sell it.

Keep a copy of the letter with the returned delivery receipt.