What is the best/preferred method of handling shipping and payment here? I have looked at several posts and can't quite figure it out on my own. Thanks! (I apologize in advance if this information is somewhere else that I haven't found.)

i think you'll find most like money orders and the post office for ship

Well, you are asking this question on the classified--firearms only thread, so I will assume your question pertains to purchasing guns here on ARBAY.
In TX, I can purchase a gun from another Texan(face to face) w/o any paperwork. Each state has it's own laws.
If I buy from an out of state seller, then I would send funds to the seller w/ a copy of an FCL document where the gun is to be shipped.
I have done this several times w/ no problems.
Check your state regs. Make sure your FFL will accept a gun from an individual(non FFL holder). Be prepared to send a copy of your DL w/ the funds for the seller's records.
USpsmo is the preferred method of payment.
On Items other than guns, the seller makes an offer, you accept. You send the funds , the seller sends the goods.
As we speak, I am waiting on brass and bullets I bought here. I also bought a rifle and am waiting on the seller to give me a total cost and address where to send the funds and FFL doc.

Thanks, TK. I should clarify. I am looking at the possibility of selling firearms. As in Texas, here in Wisconsin a face-to-face transaction involves no paperwork. I have a couple follow-up questions, if you don't mind. If the buyer is not an FFL, I must ship to an FFL for buyer's pick-up, correct? What method of shipping may I use? Is there any sort of documentation I must include with the gun?

Thanks again!

Legally, you can ship either through UPS or FEDEX to an FFL holder that will accept firearms from a non-licensee and must include a legible copy of your drivers license. The buyer should clear it with the FFL holder first. Some of the Post Offices will not ship firearms period, even though they can. You can legally ship longguns through the post office but not handguns.

If your post office won't ship a long gun for you, ask to see the post master. I had to do that once and he told the clerk to shut up and process the shipment.

Although I prefer USPS money orders, I also have had no trouble with [personal checks. Of course I always tell buyers the gun will not ship to them until their check has cleared both my bank and their bank...

I will NOT accept business checks or money orders from other than the P.O. I don't take business checks because even though it is still a federal offense for them to commit "fraud" through the mail (how they would send their check to you), you can't put a business in jail, or even have it arrested. People committing fraud by mail can both be arrested, and in extreme cases, be jailed.

Money orders from other than the P.O. are too easily forged or may come from issuing sources whose money orders are very difficult to cash locally.

Just a thought. What if, just as a courtesy, we started sending the government notification of every firearms transaction that did not require a record?

Could they keep up?

Wow, I'm glad JudgeG accepted a cashiers check drawn on Chase, NA. He didn't even specify certified funds. Heck, he and I only practice law. What the hell do we know?

By the way, that was a great transaction. I've been meaning to let him know that. It was my first firearm purchase from here. My second was FTF with Jimatcat before we had a BBQ lunch. Another great deal. Del Prater was another great transaction.

My best advice is to pay attention to the seller. I have only sold one thing here. It was a brick of .22 WRM to just-a-hunter. I was a little slow in sending, as I had to learn the intricacies of ORM-D shipping and fit getting to the UPS hub in my schedule. I communicated that and he was fine. A similar situation occurred with a product purchased from Will. My checks were at my office (he accepted personal), but I was away. It was communicated.

Many of the members mentioned above are long standing members. All great transactions.

This ATF FAQ has all you need to know on shipping firearms.

https://www.atf.gov/content/fi...s-unlicensed-persons

LWD

Thank you all very much for the information!

lavaca; you are joking I can only assume.
My bank is very leery of postal money orders and they will only cash them for members; they say that forged and stolen postal money orders is one of the biggest problems they have. Every time I cash one, they ask me, "Do you know the person who sent this?" So, be aware that there are lots of forged PO MOs out there. Not here on AR though. I hope.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
...they say that forged and stolen postal money orders is one of the biggest problems they have. So, be aware that there are lots of forged PO MOs out there.

And yet some sellers on Gunbroker will only accept Postal Money Orders.

dpcd -- same thing at my bank and I've heard from other sources too.

I request buyer's send a Bank of America Cashier's Check or their own bank's but if it isn't a B of A check I'll the item until the check clears.

I was going to buy a nice trap gun that was in the low 5 figures and the seller insisted on Postal Orders - I told it would about 20 of them to pay for his gun and I wasn't going to pay for 2o money orders and I wasn't going to stand in line to buy them when I could get one cashier's check from my bank.

I think the fellow still has the gun as I see it listed every now and then.

dpcd"

Of course, sort of. If we did that, it would crater the system.