Online gun purchases

[Slater]

It seems that many (if not most or all) online firearms retailers now charge sales tax where this is applicable. In my neck of the woods, that's brought many online prices close to or equivalent to local prices. Especially for the higher-end guns.

Have Internet retailers felt any effects from this or is it pretty much business as usual?

 

[buck460XVR]

Used to be, without sales tax, buying online might save you some monies. Now, with the tax included for most sites, plus shipping and a higher transfer fee once the gun gets to your FFL, buying locally, if you have a decent LGS makes much more sense and costs no more. I'm lucky, I have two LGSs by me that pretty much match online prices, plus since they make the sale, at least with long guns, the BG check and transfer fee is included. With handguns, while the transfer fee is included, but they do charge for the extra BC. I know not all others here are so lucky. Kinda what keeps online businesses in business.

 

[Thibaut]

A LGS in my town charges tax plus $9.95 shipping plus BG check - I think that is $4.95 or thereabouts if you order from their online site and pick it up in store. DItto for RK Guns - though I think they might be $12.95 ship. I ordered online from a great TN store - good price - no ship fee - tax not included - had to pay FFL fee $30 and BGC at pickup. Not sure if I am allowed to mention their name but they are nice people. Smokey Mountain Guns SO nice, really, that I would order from them again even at a higher price. My LGS has grown quickly and they're good with the range element. Customer service is a hoot. Not a funny hoot. Just a hoot. Customer service is very important to me. If I owned a gun store, I would focus on hiring retired LEO's or retired guys with proven gun knowledge and a semblance of a personality. I would hire younger people for the menial stuff and back up and hope that they might get a clue from the older guys. I know that it doesn't work exactly like that but in my store it would.

It seems pretty obvious that my LGS - mentioned above - is turning to online sales. Distributor to them. $9.95 from us. Little virtual stock. Something like that.

 

[MosinT53Hunter]

In my neck of the woods, any firearm online purchase you always have to expect to shell out $100 extra or more. Say for an example, a $200 milsurp rifle on Gunbroker. Shipping can range anywhere between 25-50 bucks. Then the FFL fee, about 40 bucks. Then kick in the sales tax on top of all that at about 8.3 . Not as fun as it used to be.

 

[Hokie_PhD]

In my neck of the woods, any firearm online purchase you always have to expect to shell out $100 extra or more. Say for an example, a $200 milsurp rifle on Gunbroker. Shipping can range anywhere between 25-50 bucks. Then the FFL fee, about 40 bucks. Then kick in the sales tax on top of all that at about 8.3 . Not as fun as it used to be.

In my area all the local shops are also over $100 or more than common guns. So buying online and shipping to one of the smaller FFLs makes much more sense.

 

[jdc1244]

In my area all the local shops are also over $100 or more than common guns. So buying online and shipping to one of the smaller FFLs makes much more sense.

The same is true here in West Central Florida.

And there are still a few online resellers who don’t charge sales tax.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

We only ever charged tax when purchased and delivered in state.
Never even contemplated assessing tax for an out of state jurisdiction.

I would wonder how many are actually paying the tax forward to their jurisdiction when the delivery is out of their state or is it like the *handling* scams that blew up in the past 10 or so years.

The bookkeeping nightmare would be considerable.

I know it's hard enough to pay taxes effectively when attending a gun show out of state, taxes on interstate sales sounds *off* to me.

Todd.

 

[hso]

many online prices close to or equivalent to local prices

The saving grace for many was the dodge on taxes made the difference between the additional costs of shipping paid on the "great deal" and the LGS. With taxes, shipping and sometimes additional fees ordering a gun into the LGS isn't the deal it used to be.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

You guys gotta find smaller FFL's to deal with. My go to is $20 for a transfer. I'm getting taxed either way. Shipping is generally fairly minimal.

If I'm looking at a gun with at least $75-100 savings its absolutely worth it, as much as I like to try to support LGS's.

That being said, yes I have bigger LGS's that charge $50-100 for a transfer. Obviously they dont want to deal with it and I dont use them.

 

[sparkyv]

WHAT???

yes I have bigger LGS's that charge $50-100 for a transfer. Obviously they dont want to deal with it and I dont use them.

 

[Trey Veston]

No typical gun shops in WA for 50 miles or so. My FFL is a full-time deputy that recently opened a shop out of his home. 90% of my gun purchases the last few years have been through him.

I click on the gun I want at Bud's, or CDNN, or PSA and my FFL pops up as the only option in my area, so I pay the price of the gun, no sales tax, and usually no shipping, or $10 or less. It arrives at the FFL within ten days. I drive the 15 miles or so to pick it up from him, he adds the WA state sales tax and a $15 transfer fee, and I get my gun.

That was before I-1639 went into effect and haven't bought anything since. I know there is now an additional "Tax" on semi-auto rifles and lowers, 10-day waiting period, and some stupid safety course I have to attend. Not sure about pistols.

There is a decent gun store over the border in Idaho that has the Hellcat or P365 for $499. I was on Gunbroker yesterday and idiots are asking over $600 for Hellcats.

When I buy from the Idaho store, they charge me Idaho sales tax and transfer it to my WA FFL. When I pick it up from him, he adds the additional 1% amount of WA sales tax.

 

[1MoreFord]

I can still get better deals online a lot of the time with some careful shopping. There is also the greater selection online than local for me. The last four pistols I've bought have been rare(and full retail) to non existent locally.

 

[labnoti]

LGS/FFL here charges $70 for a transfer and also collects the tax. They do discount additional guns transferred at the same time/transaction. Even so, online prices often result in a total cost $100 lower (on a $1000 gun for example) even after tax and transfer fee. I pay the BGC fee ahead of time instead of per-transaction in the form of a CCW permit.

Sportsmans Warehouse, Cabelas/Bass Pro and other big retailers do sometimes compete with online retailers on price, especially since around here they can be more than $50 over and still beat on the transfer fee. It depends on the gun. I would say about half the time, the big retailers will beat online because of the high transfer fees I would have to pay my local FFL. It is possible to find a local FFL that won't charge as much but probably not for me. I have no FFL-holder buddies, so I pay their full asking price, and like I said, often enough the deal is still lower than alternatives.

 

[Labguy47]

$35 transfer Fee $15 background check + 7.9% sales tax, but I find deals they cant match.

 

[84Bravo1]

Long time Gunbroker Buyer. I have scored quite a few great deals there, and have considerably added to my collection there over the years. Active on the GBGD forums.

 

[theotherwaldo]

Between the fact that I don't buy new guns and I seriously dislike buying a firearm sight-unseen, online purchases are a rare occurrence.
My last online purchase was from a THR member and involved nominal shipping and a $35 transfer fee.
The previous online purchases were over a decade ago for used black powder guns and were mailed to my door.

 

[Trey Veston]

Between the fact that I don't buy new guns and I seriously dislike buying a firearm sight-unseen, online purchases are a rare occurrence.

I'm the opposite; I don't buy used guns since often folks will sell a gun with a problem rather than getting it taken care of properly.

Why don't you buy new firearms? Is it due to depreciation? Don't like newer designs? Not judging, just curious.

 

[ATLDave]

Almost as though a lot of e-commerce usurping local business was built on a whole lot of "free rider" activity. Make the local stores pay all the sales tax, rely on the local stores to provide expensive showrooms... then swoop in and undercut them with prices made possible with your lack of sales taxes and showrooms!

 

[dogtown tom]

I'm the opposite; I don't buy used guns since often folks will sell a gun with a problem rather than getting it taken care of properly.

Why don't you buy new firearms? Is it due to depreciation? Don't like newer designs? Not judging, just curious.

BTW.....the overwhelming majority of "gun with a problem" that I ship back to the manufacturer are brand spanking new guns.
Does it have wear indicative of being used? A gun with significant honest wear (not abuse) means the owner used it because it didn't have a problem.

 

[dogtown tom]

Almost as though a lot of e-commerce usurping local business was built on a whole lot of "free rider" activity. Make the local stores pay all the sales tax, rely on the local stores to provide expensive showrooms... then swoop in and undercut them with prices made possible with your lack of sales taxes and showrooms!

I find it difficult to call it "free rider". A seller in Georgia should not have to collect sales tax for the State of Texas. The problem isn't that seller getting a free ride, it's the buyer in Texas who is. That sales tax doesn't benefit the GA seller because he doesn't live in Texas. Thats wrong.

 

[84Bravo1]

Yes

BTW.....the overwhelming majority of "gun with a problem" that I ship back to the manufacturer are brand spanking new guns.
Does it have wear indicative of being used? A gun with significant honest wear (not abuse) means the owner used it because it didn't have a problem.

Yes Sir. That sounds about right.

 

[bearcreek]

You guys gotta find smaller FFL's to deal with. My go to is $20 for a transfer. I'm getting taxed either way. Shipping is generally fairly minimal.

Yup. The guy I use started out charging me $20. After I'd sent him some more customers it went down to $10 and the last few it's been $0. If he can get the gun I'm looking for I buy from him. I don't really care if it's $50 more or whatever. The relationship is worth more than that.

 

[silicosys4]

I'm the opposite; I don't buy used guns since often folks will sell a gun with a problem rather than getting it taken care of properly.

Why don't you buy new firearms? Is it due to depreciation? Don't like newer designs? Not judging, just curious.

Out of the 60+ used guns I've bought, I've only gotten 1 that could arguably be called a lemon. Of the 10 or so new guns I've bought, three were lemons requiring warranty work.

 

[Trey Veston]

Out of the 60+ used guns I've bought, I've only gotten 1 that could arguably be called a lemon. Of the 10 or so new guns I've bought, three were lemons requiring warranty work.

Interesting. I do remember that I have bought a used pistol once; a S&W 642, and it was flawless in all ways. Ex-wife got that one. Out of the dozen or so new pistols I've bought, two had to go back to the factory. Both were S&W.

Maybe I should re-think my line of reasoning...

 

[stchman]

I just checked and Bud's does not collect sales tax. Bud's only collects sales tax if you live in KY or TN. Bud's also give free shipping to my FFL. All I have to do is pay a $20 transfer fee. I recently bought a RAP 9 from CDNN for $300. CDNN was giving a special on shipping, $5. The pistol cost me $325 after transfer. I guess it all depends in what state you live in.