It keeps us from wasting our time when someone gets a denial, or a delay then walks out the door. We're all familiar, I'm sure with the expression, "time is money." A lot of stores don't charge first, and don't have a paperwork fee. Those stores tend to also have slightly higher prices. The, "cost of doing business," is almost always bull. That cost is passed onto everyone else in the form of higher prices. Why should I have to pay more for ammo to subsidize your getting impatient and walking out because the FBI-NICS gave you a delay? Or because someone gets a denial?

Thanks for the answer to a question I didn't even know existed lol.

What happens when a denial happens? Do you refund 100% of the amount or do you keep a fee?

I think it's a very reasonable choice for SAA to make. If an FFL chose to run the NICS check before charging, at risk . . . I think that would be a valid option as well.

Either way, I think it's a choice the FFL should make based on their client base (lots of denials or not) and approach they choose to take with their customers.

well tell obummer to hire more FBI-NICS employees, in turns around stimulates the economy, people get happy about work, we walk in and walk out with out the wait, saving all on you and the world goes round.


but yes you do have a right as a store owner to run it the way you see fit.

It makes sense to separate it from overhead, so you can charge for it, and thereby charge less for other items.

Also makes sense to charge for it ahead of time, since it is just a service, and it is easy to walk out on, thereby 'stealing' the service.

How much lower, would you say, are your prices on other items, than the other guy's prices, because of this? (Rough guess, or maybe an item or two, for comparison.)

...

Interesting... So if someone pays with a credit card it costs you money to process the charge (between 2.5% & 4% depending on the card). So say the get denied and your refund to their card... That's 2 transaction so double fees.
Who pays these fees?
Don't get me wrong, I understand where you're coming from but it seems like 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of another.
Personally I just bring hundred dollar bills and fill out the paperwork

About 5 years ago (and prior to that, I am sure) it was common for guys off the bases around here to use the NICS background check as a cheap, often free, way to see if they had any warrants, restraining orders or youth convictions that would catch up to them. All the while never really buying a firearm. Just having the check run. Filling out the 4473, calling or typing in the check and so on takes anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes. That can be A LOT of time wasted in a gun shop. How many legit sales do you think can go out the door because you can't pay attention to them in that time? Lost sales are like dropping money on the floor and leaving it. Not to mention the wasted time of the employee...

It was online during my last 2 purchases(Not at SAA). Why do they have to call it in anymore?

Sometimes calling is... Quick....er. sorta... Not really. Sometimes they have a alien id card. Sometimes they just don't like doing it online.

...

If there's a deny, we charge a $30 fee. That fee is refunded if you come back with a successful appeal and buy the gun.

The times we've had to call in the NICS check have been when our computer system or theirs has been down (or our service Colloseum Software - AIMIbook), during Black Friday when two of their call centers went down as we were getting a "call back later" message, and on non-citizens because the E-check form doesn't work correctly with the alien admission number.
dan360 experienced the Black Friday thing. It was freaking painful! Some people didn't believe me when I said NICS said to call back until I put it on speakerphone. "All circuits are busy, please call back later... Good bye. Click."

Classic,
Yes we do pay the fees twice, but that too is part of the reason we have the $30 denial charge.

We have had a couple people decide not to try and buy after seeing they'd be charged for a denial. They said they just wanted to try and see if they could pass.

There have been a few where it didn't even get to the sending to NICS part because, no it doesn't matter how long ago your felony or your conviction for domestic violence was, it's still a disqualifier.

I can't say how much less (if any to be honest) our prices are than others. Our prices are based on what we pay for an item and sometimes we overpay, so charge more. We do try to keep our markup pretty low though. Our percentage on guns is less than the interest on your Visa, and there are items that make the state/county/city more in sales tax than we make in profit.

So you fill out the form, pay the man at the register, wait for a response.

It's a go u walk
It's a delay you walk and come bacm
It's a denial u scream at the employees and yell obscenities until they call lakewood pd.. They take your $$30 for their wasted time and give you the rest..


It's simple...

"Sent Via Time Traveling Blue Police Box"