ATF hotline for bad FFL holders

Anybody know if these is a number for getting the ATF involved for an FFL that has essentially stolen my money?

I have no idea on the ATF, but do tell if you can. If a business is being shady, word of mouth goes a long way, especially in this small industry.
 
Yes, do put it out . I’ve never wanted to see a gun shop go out of business but shady business practice is a good way to do it! Ive got one near me that I haven’t set foot in since 2012!
 
Having been a FFL, I've never heard of any such animal.
 
Out with it man, who is the offender?
 
BBB would be the ones to talk to about business practices.

Even the BBB really only cares about "members" and has limited ability to do anything more than lower the stores rating. Not all stores even belong to BBB theses days. Blasting away on Yelp, Google reviews, Facebook, Twitter can sometimes get results but only if the shop looks at it or cares about their reputation. Sadly, there are those that do not give a flip about reputation and have a very thick skin regarding what people say about them...
 
Just a small time Gunbroker FFL out of KS. Cashed my MO several weeks ago and keeps promising to ship only for the day to pass and a new excuse to pop up for why it didn't get shipped.

Not ready to burn him just yet, but currently lighting a fire under his ass.
 
Even the BBB really only cares about "members" and has limited ability to do anything more than lower the stores rating. Not all stores even belong to BBB theses days. Blasting away on Yelp, Google reviews, Facebook, Twitter can sometimes get results but only if the shop looks at it or cares about their reputation. Sadly, there are those that do not give a flip about reputation and have a very thick skin regarding what people say about them...
... or these forums. Lol

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk
 
Just a small time Gunbroker FFL out of KS. Cashed my MO several weeks ago and keeps promising to ship only for the day to pass and a new excuse to pop up for why it didn't get shipped.

If you actually mailed him that MO then it becomes postal fraud so while the ATF may not care the post office has a half dozen ways to get that reported.
 
My take on the OP:

I'd need a "firewalled" sub-forum to say what I think about the idea of getting the BATFE involved in any aspect of my life.
 
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If you actually mailed him that MO then it becomes postal fraud so while the ATF may not care the post office has a half dozen ways to get that reported.
I had the same thought when I read a money order was involved (it was a USPS MO, right?). I’d write one more email telling him that next Tuesday I will report him to the Postmaster for mail fraud if the item isn’t in my hands.
 
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I had the same thing happen to me.

I put a deposit on an AK with a shop in a neighboring town. After about a month passed without receiving my gun (the guy kept saying he missed UPS each time), I contacted the magistrate's office in his town. The magistrate knew the dealer's father and coincidentally, was going to be with him at supper that evening.

He called me the next day and told me I could come get my deposit back. Turns out the guy used my money for cocaine and never ordered the rifle.
 
I had the same thing happen to me.

I put a deposit on an AK with a shop in a neighboring town. After about a month passed without receiving my gun (the guy kept saying he missed UPS each time), I contacted the magistrate's office in his town. The magistrate knew the dealer's father and coincidentally, was going to be with him at supper that evening.

He called me the next day and told me I could come get my deposit back. Turns out the guy used my money for cocaine and never ordered the rifle.
Just like you to feed the poor guy’s drug habit. ;)
 
For everyone that says they never use a Credit Card, there's a story like this. This is exactly why I ONLY use CC's for online purchases. Your ability to dispute a transaction is 100x better than with MO, check, etc.
 
I had the same thought when I read a money order was involved (it was a USPS MO, right?). I’d write one more email telling him that next Tuesday I will report him to the Postmaster for mail fraud if the item isn’t in my hands.

This. I dont think ATF is the correct enforcement authority.
 
For everyone that says they never use a Credit Card, there's a story like this. This is exactly why I ONLY use CC's for online purchases. Your ability to dispute a transaction is 100x better than with MO, check, etc.


I only use credit. period. Reward card also means I get free money for paying my bill. Cabelas card means those rewards can't be used by my wife :) and yes, you have entire dedicated consumer protection department to deal with scumbag predatory business practices.
 
I had the same thing happen to me.

I put a deposit on an AK with a shop in a neighboring town. After about a month passed without receiving my gun (the guy kept saying he missed UPS each time), I contacted the magistrate's office in his town. The magistrate knew the dealer's father and coincidentally, was going to be with him at supper that evening.

He called me the next day and told me I could come get my deposit back. Turns out the guy used my money for cocaine and never ordered the rifle.
I had a similar experience back in the 1980s. I bought a new Ford Ranger pickup. Paid the guy doing the sale 1200 bucks and financed the rest. I’d also put $100 down to hold the truck that was not added into the deal. About 2 weeks later I get a call at work from the owner of the dealership asking when I was going to pay the rest of the money for my truck? I said “What money?” He’d said the $1200 that you still owe us. I told him that I’d paid that the day I did the deal and had a receipt for it. He asked how I paid it, check, credit card, MO... I told him cash, 12 $100 bills. It got quite and I said to ask his guy. He said he hadn’t seen his guy for 2 weeks. I almost laughed at him! Then I told him that he owed me a $100 that was put down on the truck but not figured in on the deal. He tried to weasel out of it saying that he’d already looked like he’d lost $1200 and he wasn’t going to lose anymore. I told him that I had a receipt for that too! And I’d call a lawyer. He hung up and a couple days later I got my money in the mail. They found the guy later that week holed up at a hotel with a girl and a bunch of Coke! He was married to a girl that worked in the office were I worked at the time.
 
Contact the NC Attorney General’s office. They have a Consumer Affairs Section. TALK to someone. They will explain you have to file a formal written complaint, but will outline the process.

Get the name of the owner or the principle person. Go to the NC Secretary of State office website. If you search for the owner or the business name, you might find the LLC or LLP that owns if. File a formal complaint with them.

If the above does not resolve it, notify the business that you intend to file a formal complaint with the ATF. Also give them a deadline for either refunding or providing the merchandise. Tell them that in addition to reporting them to the various agencies, you will meet with the Magistrate and will initiate a small claims filing to refund your money as well as all expenses incurred in resolution.

Good Luck
 
Doesn’t gunbroker have a system that protect buyers?

edit - I did a search on gunbroker website:

GunBroker.com recommends the seller and buyer make contact within 5 days, buyer makes payment within 10 days from the time the listing ended, and the seller ships the item within 14 days from the time payment is received.

Please, make sure to review the seller's listing and Terms of Sale for specifics regarding their transaction process.

Please, contact the seller directly to make payment and shipping arrangements, as well as request shipping and tracking status. Please, click here for instructions on how to contact the seller.

If a seller is unwilling to complete a transaction, we ask you to notify Customer Support and to post appropriate feedback. See Submitting Feedback.

If you have not received the item or a refund after 30 days, you may be eligible for Buyer’s Protection coverage under our Buyer's Protection Program.
 
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Just a small time Gunbroker FFL out of KS. Cashed my MO several weeks ago and keeps promising to ship only for the day to pass and a new excuse to pop up for why it didn't get shipped.

Not ready to burn him just yet, but currently lighting a fire under his ass.
Doesn’t gunbroker have a system that protect buyers?

edit - I did a search on gunbroker website:

GunBroker.com recommends the seller and buyer make contact within 5 days, buyer makes payment within 10 days from the time the listing ended, and the seller ships the item within 14 days from the time payment is received.

Please, make sure to review the seller's listing and Terms of Sale for specifics regarding their transaction process.

Please, contact the seller directly to make payment and shipping arrangements, as well as request shipping and tracking status. Please, click here for instructions on how to contact the seller.

If a seller is unwilling to complete a transaction, we ask you to notify Customer Support and to post appropriate feedback. See Submitting Feedback.

If you have not received the item or a refund after 30 days, you may be eligible for Buyer’s Protection coverage under our Buyer's Protection Program.
I had an "issue" with a guy on GB some years ago, and I contacted both GB and the PO (I'd paid with a MO). The seller was a one-off, so I doubt he was concerned about his online reputation. In any case, GB got on his case & I learned there ain't much you can do about small-time fraud through the PO.

Maybe I was lucky, but my calmly-worded but serious emails and GB's intervention on my behalf worked out & I received the gun. It took about a month.

So, if you haven't filed a complaint with GB yet, I'd start there.

Good luck! No-one likes a da** thief!
 
Just a small time Gunbroker FFL out of KS. Cashed my MO several weeks ago and keeps promising to ship only for the day to pass and a new excuse to pop up for why it didn't get shipped.

Not ready to burn him just yet, but currently lighting a fire under his ass.
Small claims court filing through the long arm statute might get his attention and cost him more than the item you paid for.
 
Thanks everybody. Funny how not responding to private messages suddenly changes when I threaten to get the PO, LEO, and possibly the Feds involved and suddenly he finds the time to ship and send the tracking number.

Really started irking me when he started using excuses like his family being in the hospital (not terribly smart when I can look him, his wife, and adult children up on FB and see photos of them celebrating Christmas, and certainly not in the hospital).

I really hate having to be a jerk...
 
You just need more practice..


Honestly though, I was a hothead for many years, and it took a metric buttload of work and time to get to the point of actually being able to rationalize, reason, and just calm the hell down instead of working myself up into an Irish carbomb of a mess over anything that bristled the lines in my black & white world. I've found over the years that simply being cordial and remaining calm disarms many situations.

Case in point, I had a homeowner threaten to go inside, get his gun, and shoot me. I remained calm, smiled, and told him to go ahead if he needed to. He went inside and never came back out. He still sees me out when I work on the adjacent property and gives me a wide berth.

I'm also not one to threaten, especially with the authority of any agency, and I absolutely despise when that is my only recourse.
 
And just to keep going, at any point this clown could have said something like "look, man, I'm swamped with stuff, it's the holidays, and I'm super stressed about everything and just can't ship the item until a month from now." I would have been irate, no doubt, but those that know me in real life know that I am easy enough to get along with that I simply would have rolled with it.

But using your family in a fictitious way to bolster your own trifling behavior is unacceptable for me. There are people in this world that have that weight crushing them into the ground and they manage to perform all of their duties like champs. Despicable, really.
 
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