Howdy all.

I'm looking to start a home based FFL.  My primary intent is to sell online, but since my FFL will be at home, I'm wondering what insurance needs I will have.  Do any of you have experience dealing with USAA as their homeowners insurance provider?  Will they get squirrelly if I use them for business insurance.  If I go with another provider for business insurance, will USAA get squirrelly knowing I'm running a firearms business out of my home even if it is primarily online?

I've seen other threads where some others had issues with their homeowners providers.  I would like to avoid issues with my homeowners policy. Have others had issues with USAA?  As a provider that serves service members and veterans, I wouldn't expect issues, but they are an insurance company.  I figured I see if anyone here has experience dealing with USAA before tipping my hand and asking them.

Thanks

Are you doing transfers for income?  Or what is your business model for "selling online"?

Someone here quoted like $3k for insurance, which is a ton of transfers just to break even.

it was more than my usual value of inventory. normally don't store many firearms but have some silencers awaiting transfers.

I'm not really looking to get into transfers.  They would be a secondary revenue stream. I'm looking to set up a small online retail shop.  I had seen another thread where someone was asking about their provider dropping their homeowners policy if they ran a firearms business out of their home.  I'm wondering if USAA is the type of company to drop a homeowners policy if a firearms retail business is run out of the home even if business insurance is in place.  I live in MD and my understanding is that some sort of business owners policy will be required to cover at least unemployment so I don't think its a question on whether I will cary business insurance.

I'm just wondering if USAA is the type of company to drop a homeowners policy if I run a firearms business regardless if I keep inventory at the house or not.

Do you intend to compete with the big dealers on gun.deals or GunBroker?  I don't know how they make money sometimes (I mean, yes I understand it conceptually but don't have a handle on how they compete and race to the bottom of pricing without losing)

Maybe the Maryland market is unique due to state laws.

I've had relationships with a few different transfer agents, some have left the practice.

I never found a carrier, i just been risking it. Nobody i have talked to would cover it.

Tell me about it. I went to 3 different brokers in my area. Firearms is the scarlet letter for insurance companies it seems. One of the reasons to make sure you form as an LLC to help protect assets.

Sporting goods
Sporting goods
Sporting goods.

I found firearm dealer insurance for my inventory in fifteen minutes.
A general liability policy in an hour.

An LLC or corporation may make you think your assets are protected, but Google "Piercing the corporate veil". Plaintiffs lawyers don't give a shit if your gun biz is SP, LLC or Inc.

Well aware about piercing a corporate veil, it does not just happen. There are elements which must occur to show a disregard for treating the LLC as a separate entity.  I have bylaws, checks are not cross-deposited. Reimbursements are made out to me as a check and clearly labeled, I have annual minutes of my 2 minute meeting with myself showing nothing needs to discussing. No loans except for vendor net terms.

If you actually run the company right, it is hard to break the veil. Those that don't run it and treat it as a piggy bank end up in hot water.