Private sale of handgun - when does buyer pay?

[erwos]

This doesn't sound right, Common sense would dictate a written bill of sale showing the amount of deposit, the total amount of sale and stipulate completion of sale upon approval.

Common sense isn't the law. I've bought/sold guns without a BoS. It also doesn't address the issue with the seller having their gun seized as evidence. They are taking a risk by even starting the transfer process.

In my opinion the sale can be cancelled by the seller with money returned at any point for any good reason, including disapproval. If the transfer does not take place, and the forms are completed at MSP, there should be no reason to take the firearm from the seller. Can anyone site reliable information to the contrary?

It's more "they can go to the courts, and the only paper evidence will suggest that they own the gun now". It puts the seller in a position of weakness. Also, see my issue about gun seizure for evidence.

 

[THier]

Here is MY experience, I met a fellow MDS member at Gun Connection, PAID for the AR, GC kept it until the "not disapproved" came through and I picked it up. Why should I make the seller meet me a second time? I was buying a product from him and waiting for MSP to ok me picking it up. It is NOT the sellers problem if I can't pass the backround check. What happens if the seller wants to spend the $$$$ to buy something, the back round check comes back and MSP says no? Why should the seller have to wait as well. ALSO if I am not approved, doesn't the owner have to do a transfer back to him? Now he has to pay for MY failure to pass the back round check!

Tom