View Full Version : Form 4 Approved but Stamps Not Received
This crap is starting to burn my bottom. I've now got 2 stamps that were supposedly approved more than 30 days ago but not received by my dealers. Yep, I used different dealers for these transfers so its not as if a dealer is not opening his mail.
I called the ATF and the nice lady who answered the phone told me to have the dealers send in a letter requesting duplicate stamps. Fortunately, they accept FAX's. Unfortunately, she said that they have another 30 days to respond to the request for a new stamp...because...you know...they sent it...and its not their fault that the mailman ate it. Someone brilliant once said, "There's lies, damn lies, and then there's the ATF."
Am I the only one that this shit is happening to?
Nope. There's a batch from mid-Jan approvals that nobody has seen. It's not just you.
In case you weren't aware, you won't be getting a duplicate stamp. You'll get a certified copy of the form w/o a stamp. Also, you could've requested the copy of you wanted.
Nope. There's a batch from mid-Jan approvals that nobody has seen. It's not just you.
In case you weren't aware, you won't be getting a duplicate stamp. You'll get a certified copy of the form w/o a stamp. Also, you could've requested the copy of you wanted.
Very interesting. I wonder what happened to them?
Very interesting. I wonder what happened to them?
Not sure. It's right about the time the big storm hit. Not sure if they didn't get mailed out and a box is sitting around the NFA Branch, or it's sitting at the USPS somewhere, or lost. Most of the ones I've seen people looking for 1/15, or within a day or two of then.
Not sure. It's right about the time the big storm hit. Not sure if they didn't get mailed out and a box is sitting around the NFA Branch, or it's sitting at the USPS somewhere, or lost. Most of the ones I've seen people looking for 1/15, or within a day or two of then.
Yep, I had one on the 15th and 16th. Unfortunately, I also had one get approved on 2/3 that I've not received.
jimmyheadgear
02-22-16, 06:42
Mine was approved on 1/19 and I'm still waiting also.
Mine was approved on 1/19 and I'm still waiting also.
Let me know if/when yours arrives and I'll do the same. Also, I faxed a request for duplicate certified Form 4's last Wednesday. You may want to do the same. I'll let you know when that arrives.
As luck would have it, one of mine arrived today. Interestingly, they mailed it to my Trust's address instead of my dealer. There was no postage mark on the envelope, so it's impossible to tell if it was a USPS mix-up. The signing official is Stephanie M. Custer dated 1/16/2016.
As luck would have it, one of mine arrived today. Interestingly, they mailed it to my Trust's address instead of my dealer. There was no postage mark on the envelope, so it's impossible to tell if it was a USPS mix-up. The signing official is Stephanie M. Custer dated 1/16/2016.
It should be simple to tell...was it folded such that your trust address was the only one visible?
Yes, but I've purchased about 10 suppressors over the years and all of my Form 4s have gone to my dealers.
Yes, but I've purchased about 10 suppressors over the years and all of my Form 4s have gone to my dealers.
Right. They're supposed to go to the transferor.
I think I misread your post. When you said there was no postmark so it was hard to tell if it was a USPS mixup, I thought you were talking about it being delivered to your house instead of dealer. Now that I think about it, you were probably talking about the delay. I was implying that the ATF folded the form incorrectly so that the wrong address was visible through the envelope window, not that the USPS delivered it to the wrong place.
I've seen a couple of the guys from the "lost batch" reporting forms showing up in the last two days. One of them was postmarked 32 days after approval. And there were other reports of forms being delivered to the transferee instead of transferor.
jimmyheadgear
02-23-16, 13:24
My stamp arrived at my mailbox today. It was sent to me not my dealer. 34 days since it was approved.
Right. They're supposed to go to the transferee.
I think I misread your post. When you said there was no postmark so it was hard to tell if it was a USPS mixup, I thought you were talking about it being delivered to your house instead of dealer. Now that I think about it, you were probably talking about the delay. I was implying that the ATF folded the form incorrectly so that the wrong address was visible through the envelope window, not that the USPS delivered it to the wrong place.
Another one arrived today. It was approved on the same day and by the same ATF official as yesterday's. Again, no postmark on this one so I have no idea if it's been sitting on a desk at the ATF or in a mailbox.
That leaves one more that was approved on 2/3...tick, tock, tick, tock...
Right. They're supposed to go to the transferee.
transferor.
Yes I know you know that and mistyped but corrected it for those that do not.
transferor.
Yes I know you know that and mistyped but corrected it for those that do not.
Thanks. Fixed my original. One of those dang words the iPhone tries to finish for me most of the time, and sometimes I don't catch it. :)
This is interesting, there has to be a screw up in the ATF's mail room. For those who do not know, when stamps are mailed, the Form 4 is simply folded up and put into an envelope with a window that shows the transferor's address directly on the form. Whoever is folding the stamps right now is folding them poorly enough that the transferee's address is showing instead. My local shop had more than 15 stamps show up at people's homes in the past couple weeks (multiple stamps are put into a single envelope).
Leonidas24
02-25-16, 01:00
There's been a couple instances as well of Form 4's received that had the wrong date stamp for the certifying official (Jan 2015 instead of Jan 2016) and others that have arrived with the envelope flap tucked inside instead of sealed. It's vexing knowing that after nearly a hundred years we're still forced to rely on an incompetent bureaucracy that can't lick and stick a f*cking envelope.
This is interesting, there has to be a screw up in the ATF's mail room. For those who do not know, when stamps are mailed, the Form 4 is simply folded up and put into an envelope with a window that shows the transferor's address directly on the form. Whoever is folding the stamps right now is folding them poorly enough that the transferee's address is showing instead. My local shop had more than 15 stamps show up at people's homes in the past couple weeks (multiple stamps are put into a single envelope).
Moreover, I suspect that approved forms are sitting around the ATF for weeks after approval. I've had two arrive 35+ days after approval. I've got a third that was approved 22 days ago and counting? Wanna bet it's going to be late too?
I am the transferee mentioned above who received the stamps instead of my transferor, having waited for a 32 days post-approval postmarked stamp to arrive. My approved F4 was 1/15, and my letter arrived on 2/23 (postmarked 2/16). Interestingly, the letter came to my trust (home) address instead of my dealer due to how the documents were folded in the clear plastic window of the envelope. I had just gotten off the phone with my dealer asking for an update when I luckily checked my mailbox and there it was. So check your mailbox at home just in case.
Stamp arrived today on a can that was approved on 2/3/16 - exactly 30 days :(.
I just received two suppressors. Stamps approved 01/29/2016, received at my dealer 02/24/2016.
I dropped off another lower for engraving at THSF yesterday and had an opportunity to get Scott's take on what is happening with Form 4s. He agrees that something seem weird at the ATF mail room lately with a number of forms delayed and / or incorrectly folded so that they get sent to the transferee.
I dropped off another lower for engraving at THSF yesterday and had an opportunity to get Scott's take on what is happening with Form 4s. He agrees that something seem weird at the ATF mail room lately with a number of forms delayed and / or incorrectly folded so that they get sent to the transferee.
Yeah, the quote from an email he sent me Friday said:
They are fully aware of the mailing issue at the NFA branch and have hopefully corrected it.
Guess we'll see if it continues.
joshua_capitolarmory
03-08-16, 10:17
Wait times are all over the map, early Aug to late October. As are the times between arrival and approval. Don't worry about it too much, patience is a virtue.
The folding issue has been addressed over there, they took it very very seriously.
How do you guys know you were approved? E forms?
How do you guys know you were approved? E forms?
Most of them are calling the NFA Branch and asking.
something seem weird at the ATF mail room lately with a number of forms delayed and / or incorrectly folded so that they get sent to the transferee.
Just had that happened to me.
domestique
03-16-16, 13:59
How many of you with delayed forms are going through large dealers?
I have 2 dealers I use. One is a small mom and pop size, the other is much larger. The larger dealer always takes longer to receive the approved forms. I wouldn't be shocked if the ATF holds onto forms and batch ship them back to dealers.
How many of you with delayed forms are going through large dealers?
I have 2 dealers I use. One is a small mom and pop size, the other is much larger. The larger dealer always takes longer to receive the approved forms. I wouldn't be shocked if the ATF holds onto forms and batch ship them back to dealers.
Two of mine that were delayed came from SilencerShop and the third was from Boltcarrier.com.
Technically, the one from Boltcarrier was not delayed because it arrived at exactly 30 days.
I have several pending with THSF that were purchased between 11/17/15 and 2/10/16. No word on those although I'm hoping that the ones from Nov and Dec will be approved in the next month since my last approvals took about 4.5 months.
jerrysimons
03-24-16, 12:55
This happened to me in Aug 2015. Dealer never received a stamp, he had to call and request a certified copy that has the words "certified copy" embossed in place of the stamp. My complaint is that for the purposes of showing a copy of the form, the embossed letters don't show well through a printed scan the way a stamp does.
My complaint is that for the purposes of showing a copy of the form, the embossed letters don't show well through a printed scan the way a stamp does.
Very lightly shade it with a pencil before you scan it. Won't take much. That's how lots of people do the embossed notary stamps before scanning to upload into eForms or email to dealer.
Very lightly shade it with a pencil before you scan it. Won't take much. That's how lots of people do the embossed notary stamps before scanning to upload into eForms or email to dealer.
Yep, that's what I ended up doing. Despite already having a couple of stamps approved via eForms, SilencerShop had requested I darken the notary stamp on my trust prior to them filing the F4.
Another approved Form 4 arrived yesterday at my dealer, THSF. This one was in hand only 8 days after approval.
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