Long Wait Time for Rifle Parts

[Kansas Shooter]

I began a .308 AR build a couple of years ago with the purchase of a stripped lower from a manufacturer I found online. The company I ordered from speacializes in a lot of custom work and offers ceramic finishes in different colors to the .308 receivers. I found their customer service good and my FFL and I talked with the owner when we placed the order (the owner even gave my dealer a better price than what was advertised on the website). It seems like my dealer got the lower withing a couple, three weeks and the quality was great. The company has since begun manufacturing stripped uppers and complete rifles now too. AFter regaining interest in my project, I called and placed an order for an upper in the same color to match what I had on April 7. I noticed my credit card was billed two days after the order was placed and that made me think I would see my receiver show up in the next week or two. After the first month had pased, I began e-mailing the company inquiring when I might expect to see the part I ordered. The messages were returned all saying it wouldn't be much longer and that they had been really busy. On June 14 I sent another message and it was then that the owner asked what the seriel number is on my lower. It turns out that they are currently into the second generation of uppers and informed me that to have the best fit, I would need to send my lower back to them to be mated to the upper. I have researched this on their website, and they do offer to re-machine old lowers purchased from them. After another telephone conversation with the owner, I ended up shipping my lower receiver back to them for the proper fitting. This past Thursday made a month from when I returned my lower.

My question is:
I've seen some companies that admit they have pretty long wait-times to make and process orders; is it customary and ethical for a manufacturer to charge a customer's credit card before the item ships? I ordered my barrel kit at about the same time in April and it was to me a month to six weeks later. However, I was not billed for it until it shipped. Is my frustration justified, or should I be more patient?

Any thoughts would be appreciated,

Marty

 

[madcratebuilder]

A month to six weeks is a nano second in this industry. I don't really care one way or the other when my CC is billed and I'm pretty patient for the first six weeks, unless I have been told a certain time frame. Hang in their, it well be worth it.