I have not bought anything off of GB in quite some time. I've heard there are added fees now for a buyer? Is it still possible to find good deals on there? Looking for a Kimber Hunter pro Disolve Blak.
I haven't bought much lately unless it's a real deal. Between sales tax, shipping and 3 or 4% for credit card use, it usually doesn't pan out. Then there's the FFL and potential shipping issues to deal with.
The sales tax is the killer. You can find sellers with no credit card fees and a few offer “free” shipping. But with sales tax + FFL fees it’s definitely not what it used to be. Then again, you can usually find exactly what you are looking for, which is nice.
Between sales tax, buyer fees, credit card fees, shipping costs, transfer fee at your FFL and sellers fees, the prices just get too high. I try to sell there and have some success, but it’s better for everyone if you contact the seller directly and ask for a direct sale. Alternatively even a local dealer might be able to beat that.
For the gun your looking for, it should be easy to find a dealer with a low price and then call them directly to make a deal.
If it’s a rare or collectible gun, it may be reasonable to pay the extra costs.
I think its still pretty competitive if its a current production new firearm. Rarer items can be a different story.
Pick a seller with free shipping and no CC fee. I thought the buyer fee was 1% last time I used it. $25 FFL fees are easy to find. I gotta pay sales tax no matter where I buy if its new.
Online retailer or GB I can usually save at least $100 on a $1,000 gun. And I don't gotta call around or waste time driving around town or talk to a goofball behind the counter.
I'll check with the local guy and go from there. Sometimes it takes a while to get an answer from him, but at this time of year there's no rush getting a new rifle ready. I won't have it in time for spring bear, and deer season is still a few months out.
fees, shipping and taxes add up...for both buyer and seller. contact the seller over the phone and tell em to kill the auction and you'll pay over the phone to save them fees and you sales tax if they drop the price for you.
but if it's a common firearm, you're better off going to your LGS and asking them to order it. calculate what you'd pay over GB and tell em to match that if the won't do better than that. if they wont do that for you, your LGS sucks...