There are no concrete ways of making a deal between seller and buyer. We provide some suggestions for making a transaction easier.
All aspects of the transaction should be worked out before any transfer of funds or merchandise begins. These include but are not limited to the price, who will pay for the shipping, who will handle the transfers and pay that cost, if required, and if the seller will take the gun back.
The prospective buyer should either call or e-mail the seller with questions that cannot easily be included in the advertisement. There are countless question that have different meanings for each buyer, such as:
Be sure that the caliber, condition, and defects(scratches and nicks) are discussed. You may well want to ask if the advertised condition is as described in the ETHICS/POLICY section. The only dumb question was the one that wasn't asked.
Get an agreement on whether the seller will take the gun back if the buyer is not happy with the condition of the gun. Determine how much time the buyer has to make a decision about the return. Decide the method of payment. There are multiple options, but let's consider three.
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Some people are very uneasy sending a check/money order to an address without knowing if the advertisement is authentic. Even if the seller verbally agrees to a return policy, there is no guarantee that it will be honored. Little abuse has been publicized, but because of scams that exist in the U.S. today, many buyers would prefer more safety in their transactions. To alleviate the uneasiness, we will act as a third party broker
between the buyer and seller for a $10 fee. If the third party agreement
is desired, the buyer would send a check/money order for the purchase
price plus $10 to P.O. Box 1835 Friendswood, Texas 77549 along with both the buyer's and seller's name, address, phone number, e-mail address if they have one. We will notify the seller that we have received the funds and that they can ship the gun. When the buyer receives the gun, they have to determine if they want to keep or return the gun. In either case, they notify us and the seller of their decision. If they accept the gun, we forward the purchase price of the gun to the seller. If they decide to return the gun, we hold the monies until we are notified that the seller has received the returned gun. At that time, we will refund the purchase price of the gun to the buyer. As to our credentials for acting as a third party broker, Knives and More operates as a Texas registered trade name and also holds a current FFL. References will be provided upon request. Is peace of mind worth $10? Only the parties involved can answer this question. This service is offered as an additional service to the listing on the internet, and is not required in any form or fashion. If there are improvements that we can make in providing this type of service, we would like to hear from you. |
A common belief is that modern firearms manufacturered after Jan 1, 1898 must be shipped from an FFL(Federal Firearms License) to an FFL holder. The Federal Firearms Regulations Reference Guide ATF P 5300.4(10-95), page 105, provides details on this topic, since there are exceptions, except for handguns. A request was made to publish that section of the Reference Guide. BATF stated that this information was online at http://www.ustreas.gov/treasury/bureaus/atf/atfpubs.html. It is online, but appears to be in WordPerfect 5.1 as a file that must be downloaded for viewing or printing. It states that an individual may mail a shotgun or rifle to a resident of their own state, or to a holder of an FFL in any state. Handguns are not mailable.
If FFLs are required, you may want to check the FFLs that we have listed who will ship and receive. If there is not one listed, you have the option of calling a local pawn shop, a local gun dealer, or a local gunsmith to locate an FFL who will carry out the transaction. Another source of FFLs who will do these transactions can be found in paper publications such as SHOTGUN NEWS. If a sending FFL is involved, they will need a signed copy of the receiving FFL's license before he can initiate the shipment. Always ask the charge for the service before agreeing on a deal with the buyer.
The buyer, if not an FFL holder, will need to locate an FFL to recieve the gun, except as stated above. The receiving FFL has other paperwork if the transfer is a handgun. They are required to complete the paperwork and initiate the background check as required by the Brady Bill, unless the buyer has an BATF approved Concealed Carry Permit. Again, be sure to ask the cost before enlisting an FFL holder for the service. You should also verify that you are obeying all state and local laws before even thinking about the purchase.
Guns may be shipped by Postal Service, UPS, or other carrier with restrictions as outlined in the Federal Firearms Regulations Reference Guide. From past experience, since most guns weigh over 2 lbs, it is usually more economical to ship UPS rather than Postal Service(Since the strike, this may not be true). Fedex has recently entered the shipping game with a new ground service. There are certain restrictions that can cause suprises such as package size, whether you are shipping to a residence or business, and if the area is a remote rural area. The best advice at this time is to visit the websites of the three major players and see who has the best rate. The URL of the sites would be supplied, but they change from time to time. The best starting place is their home page and then find their rate calculator. [try www.ups.com for UPS; www.fedex.com for Fedex; and www.usps.com for the USPS]
Be sure to include the amount of insurance that you wish to have. The USPS charges $1.30 for insurance from $0.00 to $50.00 and then another amount if the value is between $50.01 and $100.00. It is my practice to always insure for $50.00 if the value is less than the $50. and $100 if the value is between $50. and $100. My finding, which is not a scientific finding, is that insured packages never seem to get lost, even if they are only insured for the base amount of $50. This is only a suggestion, since you may have a better carrier in your area.
Package the gun as if you were the buyer. Boxes can be purchased in the larger cities that can match the size and shape of the gun. The carrier will require an adult signature when the package is received.
If you have questions about laws, you should contact the local ATF office and your local law enforcement agencies. They are usually happy to provide information.
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