FFL quick check

Hope this doesn't violate the rules here, if so please remove. If not then I'm hoping someone knows the answer.

I had a firearm up for sale and a gentleman from a different state was interested in purchasing it. He gave me a name of a gun shop that he wished it shipped to and when I asked for a signed copy of the FFL  and  wouldn't ship without it (or an e-mailed copy) he said that I could go to the FFL QUICK CHECK to verify the gun shop and just sent it to them.

I absolutely refused this request and said that to my knowledge the FFL Quick Check was so that I could verify the FFL  copy that I receive, not to be used for shipping purposes. 

Was I wrong in denying this sale without a signed copy of the FFL License?  Am I wrong in thinking the FFL Quick Check is just for verification of a hard copy?


Virgil

Hello Virgil,

I ran into the same situation myself and held a hard line.  The Quick Check site is not updated regularly and does not provide any type of legal paper trail (documentable confirmation) for you.  When in doubt....follow the law.

Jim

Hard copy, you are selling on your terms not his.  My buddy (has FFL) wouldn't even print out a website link to a PDF of the FFL, he insisted that the buyer email him the PDF - audit trail.

- Dave

I don't know, but, the quick check appears to be designed to verify what the ffl information is. I imagine as long as you can document your usage of quick check it would be Ok. Although you are completely within your right to demand a signed copy.

I just retired as a FFL dealer of 27 years you as a individual should not be sent a copy of anybody's FFL, Swapping FFL's is for dealer to dealer transfers, ( some might do it but most wont) you as a seller has two options. If your lucky your buyer's dealer  will accept a gun from a individual, and many will not, but if they do like me I required a photo copy of your drivers license so I can book gun into my books then on to the buyer, Second option this is how the majority of dealers do it when dealing with a gun shipped to them for transfer by joe public, you must take the gun to a FFL in your state and have them do the transfer, then you are logged in to his books as to sending the gun and the buyer is logged in to the books of the receiving dealer. This creates a paper trail of transfer on both ends. The person was correct in having you verify the dealer you are sending too is a current licensed dealer, You should have looked him up, verified then called and verbally verified they would except your package and what they needed from you.

DavidR wrote: You should have looked him up, verified then called and verbally verified they would except your package and what they needed from you.

To continue the story.  I did look up and call the FFL the buyer first gave me, no dice the FFL would not except from a private party and the FFL never heard of this person even though the buyer says he uses him all the time. (strike one). The buyer gave me another supposedly often used FFL and once again I called and again no private party transfers and never heard of the buyer. (strike two) I  again contacted the buyer and told him the news, the buyer was pi$$ed to say the least and insisted that I send the firearm anyway, he denied the FFL to FFL transfer at which point I told him something didn't smell right and I would fine another buyer. (strike three)

I have no problem dealing with FFL to FFL but there is no way I'm sending a gun willie nillie to some dealer on a whim and wish that a buyer wants me to send to. I feel that I did the right thing, I called the FFL both times and offered to go the FFL to FFL route. I might be wrong but 3 strikes and by by buyer.

But you did answer my question. The buyer of this firearm made me out to be at fault but I did like you said and called the FFL to verify the transfer so I think I can say I made the right decision by not sending this firearm.  Thank you for the answer.


Virgil

Hey if it smells fishy then best step back. I would!

Virgil,

As a current, and almost 30 year FFL holder to cover my gun-smithing practices, I think that what you did was right on all levels.

"Technically," an individual can send a firearm to an FFL and he does not need the FFL. Doing so without all parties being in agreement ahead of time is poor judgment, and you saw it as just that.  Smartest thing, as you insisted, is to send FFL to FFL for full documentation.

I recently had a guy have another dealer ship a gun to me without ever talking to me. Since I did not know the person who ordered the rifle, I would have refused.  The person who ordered the rifle swore that he knew me, and that I had done this before, which was not true. It was not a good way for him to introduce himself to me and he was lucky that I did transfer his rifle, although I made sure to charge him a high fee for doing so.

-Ron

When should the seller ship the gun before or after getting funds from the buyer?

I have never sold/purchased a gun online before and I have a gun to sell.

You are the seller.
When you have cash/funds in hand, then send to buyer.
No different than your local grocery store.

When I sell I get funds first.
When I buy I deliver funds and wait till it clears before expecting shipment.

Clarence