looking for best handgun transfer fee in bay area

[Cokebottle]

@keen
in my experience, its 'service fee'
then they do the 35 DROS on top of it

Maximum fee by state law is a TOTAL of $35 for a person to person transfer where both the buyer and seller are present.

$25 DROS plus $10 for the FFL.

That is a mandated limit and any more than that is a misdemeanor offense and they need to be reported to the DOJ.



If you are buying from elsewhere and having it shipped in, the DROS fee is still $25, and must be itemized as such on the invoice.
The FFL transfer fee is not limited... Turner's charges $125 (plus the $25 DROS). Some other shops may be as low as $10-$25, but in general, $35 plus $25 DROS is about the lowest you're going to find anywhere.

[Tripper]

Then Turners is more the raping type fee to me, 75 i guess is just highway robbery.
35 + DROS is even half reasonable
it just still seems to be more 'because we can' rather than having an actual reason for charging such a fee, like market research, cost analysis, etc...

[Tripper]

@cokebottle
where is it 35ish

[Cokebottle]

and, yes, I'm saying there ARE FFL's that provide that service to their customers, without charging 75 bucks, as a matter of fact, they still only charge 35 DROS, and no service fee at all.

DROS is $25.

PC sections 12071(b)(11), (12)$19.00 DROS fee
$1.00 Firearms Safety Testing fee
$5.00 Safety and Enforcement fee.
If the transaction being processed is a dealer sale, consignment return, or return from pawn, other charges may be imposed as long as this amount is clearly shown as a "dealer fee" and not misrepresented as a State fee.

PC section 12082
If the transaction is a PPT, no more than $25.00 in State fees described and $10.00 per firearm for conducting the PPT.
Example:
For a PPT involving one or more handguns, the total allowable fees are $35.00 for the first handgun, and $31.00 for each subsequent handgun.
For PPTs involving one or more long guns, the State fees are limited to $25.00 for the whole transaction plus $10.00 dealer fee per firearm transferred.

[Cokebottle]

@cokebottle
where is it 35ish

In your area, I don't know.

There's one in Fresno and one in Ridgecrest that charge only $10 plus DROS (kitchen table, not gun shops).
Bright Spot Pawn in Riverside was $25 plus DROS last year. First of this year they went up to $35 plus DROS.

Like I said... $35 plus DROS is generally the absolute minimum for FFL transfer fees. MOST shops are in the $50-$75 (plus $25 DROS) range for FFL transfers... $75 is on the high side, but is certainly not "highway robbery".
Turners is charging $125 because they simply don't want to deal with it.
They'd rather you take your transfer business elsewhere, and if you're going to transfer through them, they're going to make it worth their time.


But if both the buyer and seller are present, it's a PPT, and a PPT is limited to $35 max total out the door (assuming you have an HSC and the seller provides a lock with the gun).
Anything more than $35 for the PPT transfer is illegal.

The state has mandated that all transfers must go through a dealer.
The dealer fee was limited to $10 to avoid any lawsuits based on the grounds that the dealer requirement imposes an undue financial burden on the transaction.

[97F1504RAD]

oh, absolutely, sometimes its just not doable, or, its someone here selling what i want, that is either used or the store does not carry, or CANT get it as quick as I can, the excellent price here isnt so good when i have to add 75+35 to the price. Now I'm paying more than new price for a used gun in some cases.

for example
say I want to get a couple of the Palmetto lowers for 49 bucks
they each end up costing me 125 EACH, which means its not a deal no more...

I think your a bit confused on the fees.

DROS is 25.00 if you buy a gun from the FFL
DROS is 35.00 for a PPT which is 25.00 for DROS 10 Fee to FFL This cannot be any more than 35.00 by law

Then if you buy a gun online the DROS is 25.00 Plus whatever Fee the FFL charges in your case your saying 75.00

And I would assume that if you DROS'd multiple lowers it would be the 75.00 plus the 25.00 DROS, and the amount of lowers would not matter, however some may charge and additional 10.00 per lower but not the full 75+25 for each lower.

[Tripper]

i'm not confused at all
I know the DROS itself is 25 bucks, I've no problems with that, I'm not talking about DROS, i know the 25+10 thing.
if i have 5 lowers shipped in, it will be a $75 fee for EACH lower
the 5 lowers of course would be on the same $25 DROS.
but it would be 75*5 for having FFL receive them, total 375, plus my $49 each purchase price of course. then the 5 lowers on a single DROS for 25+10
no confusion.
Heres the breakdown
5 @ $49 = $245, price of lower
5 @ $ 7 = 35 shipping from palmetto per lower
5 @ $75 = 375 'service fee' from ffl to receive/process them
1 @ $35 = 35 DROS (25+10)
total = $690, basically, 132 per lower plus DROS

yes, thats 375 to receive/log 5 lowers.

where do you think i'm confused

[kemasa]

...
Heres the breakdown
5 @ $49 = $245, price of lower
5 @ $ 7 = 35 shipping from palmetto per lower
5 @ $75 = 375 'service fee' from ffl to receive/process them
1 @ $35 = 35 DROS (25+10)
total = $690, basically, 132 per lower plus DROS

yes, thats 375 to receive/log 5 lowers.

where do you think i'm confused

In your example above, you show $35 for the DROS, that is NOT correct. The DROS is $25. For a PPT, the FFL can charge an additional $10, but it can NOT be represented as the DROS fee.

Some places give a discount for multiple firearms transferred at the same time.

I don't see a complaint about the shipping. $7 for each lower? If it is shipped in one box, it should be less than $35.

agreed.. I think the only FFLs that can afford to do it for cheap are those that are still kitchen table FFLs. They probably are not paying rent, insurance and do not have much more overhead costs to their operation than just being at home. Anyone that has to run this in a shop of some sort has thousands of dollars of overhead and if they aren't getting transfer volume of 100s of people a month probably can't make up the margins.

Actually not. While the monthly cost is less, it is harder to do a lot of traffic, sometimes because the amount of people can be limited by the local city. Yeah, if there is no insurance, it helps, but then if there is ever a problem, most likely the home owner's insurance would be canceled (it is hard to have a home based business which the home owner's insurance does not have an issue with it). The only way it can be done for less is if the person does not care to make money and charge almost nothing for their time.

thats what I'm saying, if its so much overhead to do this, how can so manyh afford to NOT charge the 75$ fee

wait, your saying, that having a, i dunno, a glock 27, come in to your shop as a ship-in, it is costing you what?
and how long does it take you to process that? not including the DROS. just the receive and log.
what is the 'real' cost.
as i said, i'm amiable to paying a service fee, 75 bucks aint it. there is NO way you can justify that it costs you 75 bucks to receive/log/store a firearm.
those costs that your trying to include, you would have without the ship-in, and are a cost of doing business.

Part of the cost is the ability to do it. Another aspect is ALL of time and effort to deal with ALL the paperwork and permits. That is a cost which has to be spread across each and every transfer. Also the time spent talking to someone who never pays a penny. Honestly, I don't think that most FFL have really sat down and calculated the complete time to process a transfer, from talking to the customer and getting the information, sending the FFL, receiving the firearm and logging it, starting the paperwork and then finishing the paperwork and logging the firearm out. That does not include the time to get/renew all the licenses and permits, nor do the tax returns, deal with inspections, keeping up on all the laws and issues, etc.

i think thats my point, many FFL's pay the same price for the same gun from the manufacturer, whereas some FFL's charge only a small markup, some more markup, some even more markup, I've seen normal Glocks for prices ranging a couple hundred bucks in diff between a couple FFL's.

Some FFLs get a deal based on volume, which makes it hard for the lower volume places to compete. If there is a firearm advertised for less than you can buy it from the manufacturer, there is no way that the FFL can buy and sell it for more since customers can see that price and they will want to pay the lower price. The prices vary based on how much money the FFL wants to get or needs to get based on their overhead costs. Some FFLs might work for $1/hour, others won't.

I understand, You need to make money to have the business run, but do you really have to make it all on ship-ins, can you really justify 75 bucks, or do you charge 75 because thats what the market will bare and thats what the FFL's around you charge. Did you really do a serious look into what it actually costs you to provide the service, or did you simply find out that the FFL down the street and the other FFL in town charge 75 so I will too.
or are you really suggesting that it takes an hour or more for you to process a ship in, and you should make 75 bucks an hour.

I don't charge $75, but it is the choice of a FFL to charge what they want. If you don't like, go some place else. If you can't find some other place, become a FFL and stop complaining. How much do you make per hour? I bet it is more than some FFLs.

How would you like it if some customer told you that you don't deserve to earn what you do?

[97F1504RAD]

What ffl is trying to charge you 75.00 for each lower?
Like I said most charge only 10.00 for each additional lower.

Also in your above example the last lone would be only 25.00, NOT 35.00 like you listed.

I would suggest that if you have a FFL trying to charge you 75.00 per lower to find yourself another FFL. Try Triple A in Vallejo.

[Cokebottle]

i'm not confused at all
I know the DROS itself is 25 bucks, I've no problems with that, I'm not talking about DROS, i know the 25+10 thing.

You've been saying through the entire thread that DROS is $35.
It's $25 plus transfer fees.

if i have 5 lowers shipped in, it will be a $75 fee for EACH lower
the 5 lowers of course would be on the same $25 DROS.

Find another FFL.

Most FFLs in the area around here will charge only $10 for each additional lower after the first, provided they all come from the same shipper, so 5 lowers would be $75 + $40 or $115 plus $25 DROS.

But this is up to each individual FFL... there is no legal requirement.

5 @ $49 = $245, price of lower
5 @ $ 7 = 35 shipping from palmetto per lower
5 @ $75 = 375 'service fee' from ffl to receive/process them
1 @ $35 = 35 DROS (25+10)
total = $690, basically, 132 per lower plus DROS

Again... NO.... DROS is not $25 plus $10.
DROS is $25.
DROS is ONLY $25.
DROS is NEVER more than $25.

PPT transfer fee = $35 total. No more.
FFL transfer fee = unlimited plus $25 DROS (plus sales tax).

[Tripper]

sorry, i think i typed 35 where 25 should go, however, I'm not commenting on the DROS, so, to me its not relevant, nor am I talking about the shipping fee from palmetto, again, not relevant.
but, there are FFL's that will and do charge 75 bucks or more even, to receive EACH firearm.
yes, it would seem an FFL would charge the fee for a shipment, rather than each item in a shipment.
and its 25+10, everywhere I've ever been for DROS when buying a firearm directly from any FFL that i've ever been to.
and again with the become an FFL thing, as i said, if you want to shoot guns, become an LEO or join the military. sorry that one doesnt fly, although the rest of the points made are, umm looking for the word, enlightening i guess, so I do thank you for that insight.
generally the fact of the matter still remains, the fact being, FFL's can, so they do.
oh, my bad, correct me if I'm wrong, but, it seems to have been referenced in other threads/posts, that the processing of such a thing should take around 15 minutes, so, that would equate to 300 bucks an hour. so yes, it seems consumers should complain about something like that, since we are required by law to do this, it should be a fair price.
and. I have asked, what do FFL's really think is a fair price for this service. do you really think the fair price is 75 bucks, or is it charged just because they can, and thats what everyone else charges, so far, all ive gotten in response is 'because we can', and become an ffl and quit complaining, I'm consumer remember.
it could be reversed, you became an FFL knowing full well you would have to pay to do x y z, permits, licenses, insurance and such, maybe you shouldn't have became an FFL if you aren't willing to treat customers right, and give them a fair price for services.
(although it does sound as the respondent here isn't actually the type I'm referring to), so dont take this as directed at you please. its just for sake of debate.

oh, and, my clientele telling me I shouldn't earn what I do, would actually be rather amusing.

[Tripper]

i'm still pretty sure i've always been charged 25+10 for any DROS i've ever done, which was not a PPT.

[ugimports]

i'm not confused at all
I know the DROS itself is 25 bucks, I've no problems with that, I'm not talking about DROS, i know the 25+10 thing.
if i have 5 lowers shipped in, it will be a $75 fee for EACH lower
the 5 lowers of course would be on the same $25 DROS.
but it would be 75*5 for having FFL receive them, total 375, plus my $49 each purchase price of course. then the 5 lowers on a single DROS for 25+10
no confusion.
Heres the breakdown
5 @ $49 = $245, price of lower
5 @ $ 7 = 35 shipping from palmetto per lower
5 @ $75 = 375 'service fee' from ffl to receive/process them
1 @ $35 = 35 DROS (25+10)
total = $690, basically, 132 per lower plus DROS

yes, thats 375 to receive/log 5 lowers.

where do you think i'm confused

Here's what you'd pay at our shop assuming $57 for each lower (shipping inclusive):
Tax Collected: $24.94
FFL Fees: $163.13
DROS Fees: $25.00
Total Paid UGI: $213.06
OTD Total Paid: $498.06
Cost / Lower OTD: $99.61 (not bad deal all in)

I just saved you $200

In any case the average amount of time it takes us per transaction is about 1.5-2 hours. This includes the following activities which have some impact on every single transaction:
* Receiving items
* Logging in Item
* Following up with sending FFL, sometimes repeatedly if they didn't send their FFL docs or CFLC information
* Logging out of firearm
* Adding the CA DOJ safety warning to all firearms
* Waiting for customer to come do paperwork (30 min window)
* Waiting for customer to come pickup (30 min window)
* auditing documentation
* filing documentation
* answering all pre-purchase questions on legalities of firearms, quoting, etc...

This doesn't include any of the overhead associated with all the other items Kemasa mentioned (insurance, rent, etc...).

The actual act of running the DROS itself is perhaps ~15 minutes. But everything above is related to the COGS. NOT just the DROS and filling out of a 4473.

[Cokebottle]

sorry, i think i typed 35 where 25 should go,

No, you're not.
You're typing $25+$10... you know exactly what you are typing and it's wrong.

but, there are FFL's that will and do charge 75 bucks or more even, to receive EACH firearm.

Yes, there are.
That is why you need to shop around.

yes, it would seem an FFL would charge the fee for a shipment, rather than each item in a shipment.

Yes, there are.
That is why you need to shop around.

and its 25+10, everywhere I've ever been for DROS when buying a firearm directly from any FFL that i've ever been to.

The dealer can charge a "dealer fee" if they'd like, so long as they don't represent it as "DROS"
Turner's charges a $5 dealer fee on all dealer purchases.
In my area, I've never been charged a dealer fee from any FFL other than Turner's.

referenced in other threads/posts, that the processing of such a thing should take around 15 minutes, so, that would equate to 300 bucks an hour.

15 minute to receive it into inventory when UPS drops it off.
15 minutes to process the DROS when you come in.
15 minutes when you pick it up 10 days later.
Occupying space in their safe for 10 days.
Storage of paperwork for 20 years and forever being a responsible party to the transaction for DOJ/BATFE audits.


I'm not an FFL and I wouldn't do it for $10.

do you really think the fair price is 75 bucks

$75 and under is a fair price, though $75 is getting high.
Over $75 is starting to push "ripoff".
$60 or less is a decent deal.

Here's a good place to start for "shopping around"

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=63050

[manwhowalks]

the best i have locally is $75, i can drive 70 miles to los banos and get it for $35. is there anywhere in the bay area thats $35 or less?

I bought a gun through this place and as I remember the transfer fee was less than $60.

http://californiaderringer.com in San Mateo.

Obviously call to confirm. (The proprietor's name evades me at the moment...)