FFL - INTERNET SALES, TRANSACTIONS LIKE PIZZA DELIVERY

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - FFL - INTERNET SALES, TRANSACTIONS LIKE PIZZA DELIVERY

Posted: 5/26/2009 3:18:05 PM EDT

Maybe a stupid question . . .

I'm applying for an FFL in Kalifornia. Hope to do this part-time, just to make a little extra disposable income - maybe it'll pay for my ammo each month - ha!

Hom-based business in my locale is limited by "no sales" rule in my home.

Trying to figure out how to make it work . . .

-Internet sales only?

Any way to legally make sales/transactions in customer's home? Like Avon or Girl Scout Cookies?

How are others with this limitation making it work?

Thanks guys/gals!

rich

Posted: 5/26/2009 3:26:44 PM EDT

[#1]

You cannot go to someone's home to do the sale. It must be done at your place of business or a qualified event like a gun show.

Posted: 5/26/2009 5:02:38 PM EDT

[#2]

Thanks. That's what I thought. Wondering how folks are making the "home-based businesses" work w/ the "No Sales on Premises" restrictions?

Looks like my only option is "internet sales" only.

rich

Posted: 5/31/2009 3:11:04 PM EDT

[#3]

I think the ATF wants you to have regular business hours to qualify for a 01 FFL.

Posted: 6/4/2009 9:24:45 AM EDT

[#4]

I just found an FFL in my area that has no regular hours, runs it out of his home in an incorporated neighborhood and does internet sales , transfers and gun shows. I thought that system died during the Clinton years. He said its a major misconception. We are in Illinois.

Posted: 6/4/2009 10:31:06 AM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:

I just found an FFL in my area that has no regular hours, runs it out of his home in an incorporated neighborhood and does internet sales , transfers and gun shows. I thought that system died during the Clinton years. He said its a major misconception. We are in Illinois.

I just got approved for that very thing. Though the city won't let me do transfers out of my house, cause it generates traffic to my neighborhood. I did manage to find an ATF approved work around.

Posted: 7/8/2009 7:18:29 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I just found an FFL in my area that has no regular hours, runs it out of his home in an incorporated neighborhood and does internet sales , transfers and gun shows. I thought that system died during the Clinton years. He said its a major misconception. We are in Illinois.

I just got approved for that very thing. Though the city won't let me do transfers out of my house, cause it generates traffic to my neighborhood. I did manage to find an ATF approved work around.

What was the work around?

Posted: 7/19/2009 9:42:51 AM EDT

[#7]

LOL, in my interview with the ATF, the agent specifically said that selling guns is "not like pizza delivery" so you definitely would not be able to do that.

Quoted:

Quoted:
I just found an FFL in my area that has no regular hours, runs it out of his home in an incorporated neighborhood and does internet sales , transfers and gun shows. I thought that system died during the Clinton years. He said its a major misconception. We are in Illinois.

I just got approved for that very thing. Though the city won't let me do transfers out of my house, cause it generates traffic to my neighborhood. I did manage to find an ATF approved work around.

What was the work around?

I would be interested too in what work around you used since the city will not allow you to have customers coming into your business.

Posted: 7/19/2009 6:33:39 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:

I think the ATF wants you to have regular business hours to qualify for a 01 FFL.

Yes but you do not have to have retail hours.

Posted: 7/19/2009 6:34:46 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:

Quoted:

I just found an FFL in my area that has no regular hours, runs it out of his home in an incorporated neighborhood and does internet sales , transfers and gun shows. I thought that system died during the Clinton years. He said its a major misconception. We are in Illinois.

I just got approved for that very thing. Though the city won't let me do transfers out of my house, cause it generates traffic to my neighborhood. I did manage to find an ATF approved work around.

What was the work around?

Wholesaler. He buys from FFLs and then only sells to FFLs. Everything comes and goes by common carrier, no foot traffic to the door.

Posted: 7/30/2009 11:20:33 AM EDT

[#10]

I have confirmed with the Seattle Branch ATF office, (I can confirm the Agents Name if needed)

That NO Internet Sales only applications will be approved. (they will most likely do an interview with you, and then deny you based on that alone)
I was give that answer when I wanted to move business locations to an area that didn't allow retail sales. (technically they did allow 6 per day, but ATF didn't allow the number, so they called city planning and told them to NOT allow my business license at that location.)

When inquiring about Dealer to Dealer sales only, and Shipping from the location instead of doing Retail Sales, I was told that "A customer MUST be able to walk in and do a transfer during your stated business hours."

I might have been given conflicting information, as is common with the ATF, and I do feel they were looking for reasons to deny my application change.

Essentially, avoid the hassle, Cover you bases, and find a suitable location to handle the transfers in a correctly zoned area.

Posted: 7/30/2009 12:17:02 PM EDT

[#11]

I talked to our city zoning about this and would issue business license with not on license (walk in sales not allowed), and said they had done it for other FFLs, which means those businesses got approval. There has to be an avenue to allow for people to sale at gunshows and internet only with a license, one would think.

Posted: 7/30/2009 12:22:17 PM EDT

[#12]

ATF has made it very clear for years that they would not approve an FFL who intends on doing Gunshows only... so the chances of getting them to allow an internet/gunshow FFL, would be slim. (not impossible, but not so probable.) The interviewers want to hear some certain key words. "for profit" "retail sales" "transfers."

They will ask you many questions during an interview, and I've heard some real horror stories about them playing "good cop, bad cop" to try and fish out information that could possibly get you denied.

Don't hesitate to try, but be prepared, and get your ducks in a row before the interview.

Posted: 8/2/2009 7:25:23 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:

I have confirmed with the Seattle Branch ATF office, (I can confirm the Agents Name if needed)

That NO Internet Sales only applications will be approved. (they will most likely do an interview with you, and then deny you based on that alone)
I was give that answer when I wanted to move business locations to an area that didn't allow retail sales. (technically they did allow 6 per day, but ATF didn't allow the number, so they called city planning and told them to NOT allow my business license at that location.)

When inquiring about Dealer to Dealer sales only, and Shipping from the location instead of doing Retail Sales, I was told that "A customer MUST be able to walk in and do a transfer during your stated business hours."

I might have been given conflicting information, as is common with the ATF, and I do feel they were looking for reasons to deny my application change.

Essentially, avoid the hassle, Cover you bases, and find a suitable location to handle the transfers in a correctly zoned area.

I just got approved for my FFL and the only condition was that I do ONLY Internet sales, dealer to dealer. My agent also said "Man, I'm not even gonna go into the 4473 procedures with you cause you're never going to need them."

ETA, Home based, so no retail sales (walk in traffic). He told me if I wanted to sell locally then just do a Gunshow every now and then. He even went as far as to tell me what some other guy used as a work around to sell locally.

Posted: 8/2/2009 7:43:56 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:

LOL, in my interview with the ATF, the agent specifically said that selling guns is "not like pizza delivery" so you definitely would not be able to do that.

Quoted:

Quoted:

I just found an FFL in my area that has no regular hours, runs it out of his home in an incorporated neighborhood and does internet sales , transfers and gun shows. I thought that system died during the Clinton years. He said its a major misconception. We are in Illinois.

I just got approved for that very thing. Though the city won't let me do transfers out of my house, cause it generates traffic to my neighborhood. I did manage to find an ATF approved work around.

What was the work around?

I would be interested too in what work around you used since the city will not allow you to have customers coming into your business.

The work around was Mini Storage, my ATF agent told me about how he just approved some guy out of a mini storage shed. The place allowed businesses and was zoned commercially so he was good to go.

I went out and got a 5x10 storage unit for $40 a month. I didn't follow through though, the city and the ATF approved me but the Fire Marshall came back and said it was a fire hazard. I'm guessing it had to do with my description on the zoning app' "Internet and Retail sales of goods", it wasn't very detailed and he thought I was actually going to be storing goods onsite.

I didn't fight it just because I think I jumped the gun a bit and should concentrate on my Internet sales for a while without having the hassle of 2 different locations and records, I was planning on keeping the firearms at home and only doing transfers at the business location.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - FFL - INTERNET SALES, TRANSACTIONS LIKE PIZZA DELIVERY

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