New Member: How badly did I get ripped off?

Like others have said it could have been worse and it could have been a little better.

Don't feel bad I just bought a stripped AR-15 lower thinking I was going to save a lot of money building it myself only to find out in the end I may save less than $50.00 by the time its all said and done.............lol:eek: Actually by the time I bought the tools required I spent more than a complete rifle cost...........:) but I had fun building it and it really does help you understand the rifle a lot better.
 
Think of it this way. You were supporting your local business' and tax base. You relied on the local business'expertise and his knowledge to some extent and that Is worth something in the transaction. In general I am willing to pay a little bit more to a local brick & mortar store for the convience of being able to inspect the item and decide if that is what I want before I pay for it. Consider that the local merchant has to carry the stock so we can look at and hold a product to see if it is what we want. The merchant pays for that stock up front or close to up front and that has a cost. If you bought those things on line, is it possible you could have purchased an incorrect piece for your weapon? How much would that have cost? Return shipping at best and possibly doubling the cost of a part that can't be returned. Did you consider shipping in the cost of the online parts? Most local merchants will help if there is a warranty issue. What if we didn't support our local merchants? We would loose the advantages of purchasing in person.

There is value in purchasing from a local merchant. Was $300 to much to pay for what you did get? I bet it as closer than you think.
 
ripped off

i paid 1500 bucks over book value for a 90 dodge diesel in 97.my roudy friends all laughed at me. then i spent another 2500 that it didnt need but it was what i wanted to do. still driving it today most of those that laughed have traded at least twice. it is in bad need of paint now but it has a home and is in great mechanical shape
 
You just received a $300 lesson, it's paid in full so enjoy the rifle. Buying at a retail gun shop is normally at retail prices. On-line is always cheaper, except Cheaper than Dirt:mad:.

It pays to check prices on-line and what the selling prices are on Gunbroker. You need to look at completed auctions on gunbroker to see what the actual selling prices are.

Enjoy your DPMS, shoot the heck out of it and get your monies worth.
 
johnm1 is right on. Supporting the local stores is important or they will go away. However some are better than others. I have stores locally that charge MSRP minus $25, and I have stores that charge online price plus $25. I support the latter, but I am glad they are all here. The fun part is finding out which is which :)
 
Keep in mind that I do know that the value of the local merchants 'expertise' varies significantly from store to store. Depending on the store, that value can be little or quite a bit. Mostly I deal with people who sell what they have and don't have a lot of information on their stock. But that stock turns over quickly and I get to see and put my hands on stuff that I just can't do over the internet. I shop more than I purchase. As in I have a weekend routine that includes three gun stores.

There is a time that the internet is the right choice. I try to balance where I make my purchases. Sometimes I will pay an extra on a big ticket item just to keep the transaction in the local community. But when I choose to pay more locally it is almost always with a mom and pop type of outfit. I am less loyal to the big box stores. Though some of that money stays in the community, it is much less than a local gun store (LGS).
 
Grand total:1116.48
Had I bought from online and done an FFL transfer with shipping? Roughly 800.I overpaid by 310 dollars roughly, how bad of a rookie mistake is this?
Click to expand...
300 bucks? In the world of guns that's practically nothing. You'll make that up toot sweet, by better reasearching your purchases in the future like we all do. I've wasted plenty of money over the years. But I'll bet I've more than made up for it in smart shopping in just the last few.

I'll just bet you'll be fine. Enjoy your new rifle, and think about the savings on the next ones. And a hearty welcome!
 
you may or may not have gotten ripped off. DPMS has a number of different models. the only ones that actually go for 600 are their oracle and sportical models. they may have taken one of their more expensive rifles and put it together.

if it is a sportical, you overspent but weren't ripped off. getting ripped off would have been a base model sportical(that one on the internet for 600) for $1100. I spent 700 dollars on an AK47 that I could have easily gotten for $500. am I happy about it? no but now I know better. take it as a learning experience, pick yourself up, and start shooting.
 
but I had fun building it and it really does help you understand the rifle a lot better.
Click to expand...

Knowledge is worth more than $$.

Also I think I almost enjoy building AR's as much as I do shooting them now...

Like most have said.. don't sweat it, and enjoy your new rifle.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top