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BUYING GUNS ONLINE<br />
Ways to protect<br />
yourself:<br />
• Ask a lot of questions of the vendor<br />
• Ask the seller for, and check, references<br />
• Read the customer feedback<br />
• Keep records of emails and phone conversations<br />
with the seller<br />
• Get warranties and terms of service in<br />
writing<br />
• Deal with sellers who have lots of sales<br />
history and high positive feedback<br />
• If something seems too good to be true, it<br />
probably is!<br />
• Trust your instincts. If you don’t get a<br />
warm, fuzzy feeling about a seller or a<br />
deal, don’t do it!<br />
Key points in the<br />
transfer process:<br />
• Pay for the gun, including all shipping fees<br />
• Arrange for an FFL near you to receive the gun<br />
• Give your FFL the contact information for the<br />
shipping FFL, so he can send a copy of his FFL<br />
to the shipping FFL<br />
• When the gun arrives at your FFL and has been<br />
entered into his firearms<br />
transfer register, fill out the<br />
required transfer and other<br />
paperwork, pay whatever<br />
fees your FFL needs, and take<br />
your gun home!<br />
©iSTOCKPHOTO - RED LIGHT BY NATAQ - WALLET BY DOROO - BOX BY TALAJ<br />
being about the norm. Expect your FFL<br />
to abide by all the pertinent local and<br />
federal laws and regulations, and to<br />
charge you separately for a Brady/NICS<br />
check, unless you have a CCW and you<br />
live in a state that meets ATFE requirements<br />
for exemption from the Brady/<br />
NICS check.<br />
Some FFLs make online transfers<br />
easier than others. For example, Glen<br />
Parshall at Bargain Pawn in North Las<br />
Vegas has a process that is about as<br />
smooth as it gets. When I buy a gun<br />
online, and after I have paid the seller,<br />
my email to Glen with the seller’s name,<br />
address, what the item is, and my name<br />
and preferred contact method starts the<br />
transfer process. Glen sends the seller a<br />
copy of his FFL and they ship the gun<br />
to him. When it arrives, Glen logs it into<br />
his books, and then I stop by his shop,<br />
fill out the required forms, pay Glen’s<br />
transfer and Brady/NICS fees, and take<br />
my gun home.<br />
Getting what you pay for<br />
Nothing in life is foolproof. When<br />
you buy anything, online or in person,<br />
you are trusting the seller, so “Buyer<br />
Beware” is a good thing to remember–<br />
and practice! When buying from an<br />
online auction or sales site, pay careful<br />
attention to the terms of service, warranties<br />
and return policy if any, and<br />
what, if anything, the seller and the auction<br />
site will do for you in the event of<br />
a disagreement or problem. Check out<br />
the seller’s online ratings, and pay attention<br />
to how many sales he has and<br />
how long he has been selling. Check<br />
the seller’s customer feedback, which<br />
is usually posted along with their ads.<br />
Many online gun sellers derive much of<br />
their income from selling guns online,<br />
and they value their online reputations,<br />
which is why they actively solicit, and<br />
care about, online feedback from customers.<br />
Use that to your advantage. All<br />
things being equal, sellers with a larger<br />
number of sales, a longer time selling,<br />
and a higher positive feedback rating<br />
can more often be relied upon to be<br />
“straight shooters” in their business<br />
dealings. However, don’t let that substitute<br />
for your own due diligence. Check<br />
the sellers out! Keep records of your<br />
emails and notes of your conversations<br />
with sellers. In case of a dispute, those<br />
records may be useful to you. Get warranties<br />
and terms of service in writing.<br />
Internet gun sites often have some<br />
sort of complaint resolution policy to<br />
help buyers experiencing problems, so<br />
check in advance for things like that<br />
MAY/JUNE 2011 n CONCEALED CARRY MAGAZINE n <strong>US</strong>CONCEALEDCARRY.COM<br />
when you contemplate buying something<br />
online or for that matter, anywhere!<br />
If a site doesn’t have such a policy,<br />
take your business to one that does.<br />
If possible, pay with a credit card.<br />
While a credit card payment sometimes<br />
raises the purchase price by the amount<br />
of the card company’s fees (typically<br />
about 3 percent), it may offer advantages<br />
if you need to challenge a sale.<br />
Buying guns online doesn’t need to<br />
be a hassle. With a little common sense<br />
and due diligence, it can be a safe and<br />
cost effective way to augment your gun<br />
collection. H<br />
Contacts<br />
Glen Parshall<br />
Bargain Pawn<br />
1901 Las Vegas Blvd. No.<br />
North Las Vegas, NV 89030<br />
(702) 399-9950<br />
www.bargainpawn.com<br />
Duncan R. Mackie is a ten-year police<br />
veteran, police firearms instructor, and<br />
life-long gun enthusiast living in Las<br />
Vegas, NV. He holds several NRA pistol<br />
certifications,and is a life member of<br />
the NRA, GOA, CCRKBA and the Second<br />
Amendment Foundation. He may be<br />
reached at LVGUNGUY@gmail.com.<br />
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