Bud's Gun Shop VIP peeve!

Buds add's them afterwards in an effort to make a price appear lower.
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The thing with Bud's is, you don't have to pay with a credit card. Their advertised price is the "Cash discount price". If you send a check or money order, or walk in and pay cash, you pay that price. They only add the 3% if you use a credit card. The difference is you have to wait for the check to clear, usually a week.

If it's a $350.00 gun, you can pay an extra $10.50, and have it ship right away, or save the 10.00, and wait and extra week. On a big ticket item, I'd send a check, and spend the savings on ammo.
 
Buds is local to me and I understand the VIP membership.
Drop by any Saturday an the place is slammed with customers. About half are buying and the rest are tire kickers. Someone have to pay the counter personal and sales staff to answer the phone. Buds is trying to separate the buyers from the lookers but time will tell if it works.

When they first opened I purchased a platinum membership that was supposed to have the same perks but most never materialized. Then they came out with the VIP membership and wanted me to pay for it on top of my platinum.

The 3% credit card fee in understandable. The markup on the new guns is between 5-10% and Buds can not afford to absorb the fee. No need to charge everyone the additional 3% when some pay cash.

They still only charge $10 for FFL transfers and have never asked my why I did not buy the firearm directly from them.

I do try to stay out of there, every time I end up in there something ends up following me home.

Doug
 
Oneounceload. Most gun stores you deal with may add the 3% charge. Advertising their cash or lowest price. I notice a tendency here to speak for most online stores. None of the stores I deal with, and I buy a lot of guns, add a credit card charge. So I guess in my experience most stores don't add charges after the sale price.

Like most people here I don't care who deals with Buds. If you wish to do business with them that's great. Myself I manage to save between twenty and a hundred dollars per purchase by not dealing with them. And at the end of a year or so that adds up to one additional gun for me.
 
I've purchased one rifle from Bud's. That transaction seems to have gone ok BUT...I have yet to fire the rifle.

One beef I had with them on a subsequent purchase was a pistol. You have to understand that Bud's sells a LOT of guns whether you like it or not. To sell as low as they do, SOMETHING has to give.

They either accept making very, very little ona gun, OR...they have some "angle" that allows them to make a bit more "somehow". That "somehow" could be guns that are not quite first or top quality, small blems etc or guns that are not the latest versions.

Not saying they actually do this...just thoughts on what they "could" do to be able to sell cheaper. Remember, if a deal is too good to be true, they're probably counting on your being a sucker.

I have spent $800 on guns since my Bud's purchase. Both from local Gun shops.
 
Manson said:
Oneounceload. Most gun stores you deal with may add the 3% charge. Advertising their cash or lowest price. I notice a tendency here to speak for most online stores. None of the stores I deal with, and I buy a lot of guns, add a credit card charge. So I guess in my experience most stores don't add charges after the sale price.

Like most people here I don't care who deals with Buds. If you wish to do business with them that's great. Myself I manage to save between twenty and a hundred dollars per purchase by not dealing with them. And at the end of a year or so that adds up to one additional gun for me.
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Actually, the truth is that every store you deal with that accepts credit cards passes the cost on to you. Rather than telling you up front, EVERYBODY pays a small piece.

That's what I do too. Does anybody believe that I just eat the 2.7% cost of accepting credit cards? No, I do not. Neither does any other business.

The difference is that Buds passes on those charges ONLY to those who actually use the service. It's hard for me to imagine how one would argue that such a practice isn't MORE fair. After all, why should cash customers subsidize credit card fees?

In regards to the VIP service, I really don't get the issue. Buds is offering a product that some will find beneficial and others not. What's with the angst? It would be like me offering a VIP program wherein members receive a discount on pizza topping. Maybe you like the idea, maybe you don't, but how does it affect doing business with me? Just because I have a service/product that you don't like?
 
The thing with Bud's is, you don't have to pay with a credit card. Their advertised price is the "Cash discount price". If you send a check or money order, or walk in and pay cash, you pay that price. They only add the 3% if you use a credit card...
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I've been buying handguns since the '70's and going to gunshows for the past 20+ years, and without exception, every dealer that I've ever dealt with has added at least 3% for a credit card purchase of a firearm, so this practice is nothing new. That's why I've never bought a gun with a credit card.

I also have refused to join Sam's Club and Costco because I don't need 500 rolls of paper towels or 50 lbs. of hamburger at a crack. So, I'd rarely shop there and the enrollment fee wouldn't be worth it to me.

As far as Bud's is concerned, I've bought 7 guns there, dating back to 2008. I've never had any trouble. Each transaction has been fast, friendly and efficient. If I wanted to get ripped on price, ignored, told that my gun is "crap" and virtually worthless, or suffer a wide variety of snotty remarks, I have any number of LGS owned by arrogant blowhards to frequent. I prefer not to do that, so I gladly shop online in the comfort of my own home, pay my good FFL friend $25 to transfer my gun, and buy from Bud's.

I'm never in so much of a hurry that I can't wait 72 hours to buy a gun, so Bud's VIP membership is of no concern to me. I choose not to be a part of it, and I'll wait if I want that gun. I've been waiting over a year for Ruger to build enough 1911's so that everyone who'd like one can have one, so I can wait a few days for Bud's to give those who've paid for a certain privilege to step to the front of the line.
 
Keep in mind that in addition to being an Internet gun dealer, Buds has to compete with the other local gun stores. Buds is local to me so I know several of Bud's competition in the area have a cash price and a credit card price (except for the chain outfits). And, no, you don't have to pay with a card. You can send them a money order for example.

Personally, I don't like the VIP thing and won't pay it. But, I have no objection to Bud's trying to make a few bucks that way. That's what they're in business for.

Added: A few local stores competing with Buds that have a large Internet presence:

http://centerfiresystems.com/
http://www.jetguns.com/
http://www.gilbertsguns.com/
http://shootersconnectionstore.com/

And there are other fine gun stores in the area without such a large Internet market that I won't even mention (except my favorite, Classic Arms and Archery).
 
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In my area there are NO gun shops unless you drive over 100 miles. Buds has been and is still very very good to me. I just bought a rifle 2 weeks ago from Buds. No complaints. I am not a VIP member either.
 
Brian I realize all stores factor in CC costs in their pricing. I spoke to that in an earlier post. The issue for me (at least one of them) is attempting to appear cheaper by making the adjustment at the point of sale. If people like dealing with Bud's the difference in price, especially for the gun they want and is found in stock, may not be an issue. But without doing the calculation I know that a $400.00 gun at one of several places I deal with is cheaper than a $400.00 gun at Bud's. And in many cases I get very reasonable shipping that means a lower total.

As someone else has already pointed out I too use a credit card for the convenience. The fact is I don't have any credit cards. It's a debit card. The money is immediately withdrawn from checking. I understand (not sure) the charge for a debit transaction is twelve cents. If this is true many purchasers are paying between ten and forty dollars for a twelve sent transaction.

Additionally my dislike for Buds extends beyond pricing. I personally know of one case and have read of several others in which Bud's asks buyers to submit a review and than "edit" it to remove unfavorable comments.

As always this is just my internet opinion. And we all know what those are worth.
 
You have to understand that Bud's sells a LOT of guns whether you like it or not. To sell as low as they do, SOMETHING has to give.

They either accept making very, very little ona gun, OR...they have some "angle" that allows them to make a bit more "somehow". That "somehow" could be guns that are not quite first or top quality, small blems etc or guns that are not the latest versions.
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You said it in the first sentence here. Bud's sells a LOT of guns...

That is their angle.
Small gunshop: Orders 1 of Brand X Model Y - cost $700
Medium gunshop: Orders 5 of Brand X Model Y - Cost $685 each
Bud's gunshop: Orders 25 of Brand X Model Y - Cost $650 each

It's the same way Walmart does it. You buy a lot more at one time and you get a volume discount. It's always been that way. Bud's can make more than the small guy and sell it for less. That's the angle of how the big box stores can sell more for less. The consumers saves a little, the maker moves their product and life goes on.

The same can be said for items that are "dated" as you say. In grocery stores, if a date coded item falls under XX days to expiration at the warehouse, sales reps calls the big box stores and tells them they have short-coded product they have to move and if you buy X amount of cases they'll knock off 30% or more to move it. Cars, the same thing. If Model X has a new design and will introduce it in August, the factory calls the dealers and tells them if they order 50 of the "old" models they'll get a $1000 per car rebate and if they order 100 of them they'll get a $2000 per car rebate, etc. All the dealers now advertise these cars "below invoice" but the larger guy makes an extra $1000 per car so he cuts $500 more off and sells $500 less per car than the smaller guy yet makes $500 more per car when he sells it.

This has been going on for as long as we've had competing stores. I have no doubt that it works the same way in the gun world. S&W is coming out with a new ModelXX-6. All the XX-5s need a home. S&W offers discounts to every dealer but the more you order, the less per unit you pay. I'd bet Bud's calls the gun maker and asks how many left in inventory and if the number works they'll offer to buy every one for a substantial discount. Is this aged or out-dated merchandise? Perhaps, but that is not misleading, that's buying smart.
 
I don't know the whole VIP thing, but they have lost some hi-end gun sales from me just the way they do business over the phone, DBs.

Calling them up and hearing, "I don't know sr., I don't know sr., I don't know sr." I'm still happy with my two S&W PC guns no thanks to Bud's. But FU Bud's.

TBS, I still do business whit them, the south will rise again.

And I'd just call and ask.
 
Manson said:
Brian I realize all stores factor in CC costs in their pricing. I spoke to that in an earlier post. The issue for me (at least one of them) is attempting to appear cheaper by making the adjustment at the point of sale. If people like dealing with Bud's the difference in price, especially for the gun they want and is found in stock, may not be an issue. But without doing the calculation I know that a $400.00 gun at one of several places I deal with is cheaper than a $400.00 gun at Bud's. And in many cases I get very reasonable shipping that means a lower total.

As someone else has already pointed out I too use a credit card for the convenience. The fact is I don't have any credit cards. It's a debit card. The money is immediately withdrawn from checking. I understand (not sure) the charge for a debit transaction is twelve cents. If this is true many purchasers are paying between ten and forty dollars for a twelve sent transaction.

Additionally my dislike for Buds extends beyond pricing. I personally know of one case and have read of several others in which Bud's asks buyers to submit a review and than "edit" it to remove unfavorable comments.

As always this is just my internet opinion. And we all know what those are worth.
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Debit cards that are processed based on their CC logo are charged a fee similar to any other card.
Debit transaction fees for cards run as debit are no more "fixed" across processors than are CC fees, one store might pay 25 cents, another 10, and Buds doesn't run them this way anyway, nor does any other online retailer I know of.

So far as the "attempting to appear cheaper", I guess it's all in the perspective. How else would they do it? Show the higher price and then discount it if you're paying cash? That wouldn't make much sense, IMO. I don't think they're hiding anything. Their terms of payment clearly spell out the charges, you don't have to add it to your cart before they tell you.

The issue with having to do a calculation is kind of a moot point, I think. I sincerely hope that most any adult knows that 3% of 500 is 15, of 300 is 9, etc, virtually without conscious thought. It's an "extra step", I suppose, but one that should be measured almost in milliseconds.

Ultimately, we ll do business with whomever we like best. I've had good luck with Buds in my limited dealing with them and I've heard a very high percentage of positive stories. For guns that I've wanted, they are as cheap or cheaper than any other source I've found. Naturally, your mileage may vary.
 
Like most things, people who are unsatisfied are the loudest 10 times over. I also do not join buyers clubs, but having the option is no problem. I am not brand loyal and I do not need to join.

I have had good and bad luck many places. Basically, if you buy something from a retail seller, you are not enhancing your financial standing. It is a game of consumption.
 
I've seen people get shipped the wrong gun from Bud's and they didn't accept a return on it so the person got stuck with a gun that was $200 cheaper than the one they ordered
 
When these people went to the FFL to pick it up, why did they accept it? That makes no sense. Did they think they were getting something better and it backfired?
 
Have never bothered with Buds but have heard mixed results of them. I know my dealer, my brother has gotten quite a few transfer from them w/o issues.
 
I am a VIP member on Bud's, but have never really used that service to my advantage.

I have purchased 3 guns from Bud's and they were as cheaply priced as I have found even on the auction sites. Factory fresh, new firearms.

VIP convenience is the trump card for their site and I do have to admit that they have been sterling every time I have utilized their services. I also like their auction services for their VIP members.
 
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