Strange thing happened...

K

K80Geoff

New member
I have only been involved heavily in firearms for maybe 7 years. Most of you know that I like nice double shotguns and I recently arranged to purchase a nice two gauge O/U from a dealer out of state. The dealer advised me to have a dealer in my state send him a signed FFL. Normal firearms transfer, no problem I thought.

I went to a dealer whom I normally buy bulk ammo from. I have purchased two pistols from him and other guns.

Well when I inquired about the transfer, which I know he does on a regular basis, the guy went ballistic! Started yelling and shouting and became quite unintelligible. Now I have dealt with him for a long time and I have never had a problem, he has my CCW permit on file so he knows I am not a creep.
I gently tried to remove myself from his store and finally made it out the door. It took me about two hours to calm down and try to figure out what happened

I finally went to a range where I shoot bullseye on monday nights and they will handle the transfer without any problems.

I am still puzzled by the reaction of the dealer, he really got nasty with me and called the dealer I purchased the gun from a crook and accused me of trying to put him out of business. The dealer is the importer of a line of high quality shotguns, and they are not crooks, have always treated me well. He admitted to me that he did not know the dealer!

The guy lost a customer, I buy reloading supplies in bulk and will take my business elsewhere.

I live in New York and deal with @ss****s every day but this really got to me, I am not the type to argue and I left this guys store trying to smile.

I guess I am naive in some ways, I was in no way trying to pull anything shady, just trying to arrange to get my gun. Sometimes this industry puzzles me?

Geoff Ross
 
If he was concerned about CUSTOMER LOYALTY - he should realize that that went out with the 50's. If he was so concerned - why didn't he offer to get you those guns at a better rate or something?

Customer Service, I guess went out with the 80's...

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"America is a melting pot, the people at the bottom get burned while all the scum floats to the top."


RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
The Critic formerly known as Kodiac
 
Perhaps it's very frustrating to your dealer as well. Went to mine trying to get a Winchester "Stealth" He made a few dozen phone calls to no avail. I really wanted the controlled feed and user friendly trigger.
No luck. Then I decided I would go for a Remington PSS and still no luck. Still no luck. Went to a dealer in SGN , paid full retail and got what I wanted because my friend, FFL, said "if you can find what you are looking for send it here" Charge? Ten bucks. All I could tell him was I was paying too much and he wasn't making anything but the ten bucks. Anyway, my dealer probably spent his ten bucks on phone calls for me.
Loyalty still works!
Hank
 
Without knowing all of the details...
I work in a small gunstore. I do not get commision. The owner is a lifelong friend of mine. He would be upset if he didn't get a chance to order the firearm for you, too. Hopefully he would not over react as your ex-dealer did.
Cat
 
K80 Geoff:

I think most of us are loyal to our local dealers. A place that is close by, that offers the chance to handle and get the feel of the firearm is greatly appreciated--something that isn't possible via out of state purchases. However, when I can't get something I want locally for a reasonable ammount over what its available for on the internet--I'll go elsewhere. If the dealer has a problem with that, he can pucker up and smooch my backside. Forget this dealer, it sounds like that local range is maybe the place to do your future business.


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RKBA!

[This message has been edited by Lucas (edited August 26, 1999).]
 
Interesting reaction. I own a gunstore and I can tell you that the only time I have trouble with a transaction like that is when someone who has never bought anything from me wants to do that.

I don't handle it by going ballistic though. I just charge enough to make it worth my while. It's the same for internet sales and SGN or GL sales.

I am in business to make a living and if a customer can't understand that, he or she can look for someone else to do the transaction. No problem or heartburn, just business.

OTOH, if it's a regular customer who has helped me build up my business by buying from me over a period of time and has taken the time and made the effort to find something he knows I don't usually carry, then why not? I do the transfer and charge the standard basic fee and keep the customer.

If they do it too often and continually try to go around me buy "wholesale" all the time I just up the charge or invite them to go to another dealer. Again, no problem.

It's too bad you had to deal with that behavior. We're not all like that.

BTW, did you really mean a TWO GAUGE over/under? That would be something to see. :)

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Dennis

"That no free man should ever be disarmed".
wrightknife@ixpres.com
 
I like think that I am Loyal to my local dealer. I by all of my new firearms from him. I also constantly refer others to him. Lately I have had him transfer more out of state to me than I bought from him, but all of those were used and 2 were preban ARs which he normally does not carry and does not have access to. And his customer service is awesome. Last time I got a transfer through him he didnt even charge me because NICS was down and I had to wait an extra day. That meant an extra trip back to town cause I llive 40 mins away.

SO if anyone is in Tucson check out WEST of The Pecos guns.
 
I've occasionally done transfers through my usual dealer. Most of the time, he has or can get what I want, but sometimes, something comes up that he can't do, for whatever reason.

This dealer is priceless. Last gun I bought from him, he knocked 5 bucks off the holster, and threw in a case, bore brush, 4 targets, and an extra mag. Why? Because I spend a metric sh!tload of cash in his store, I answer other customers' questions when he's busy (at his request), and I help out with his CCW classes.

In sum: Good will works both ways.

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"Taking a long view of history, we may say that
anyone who lays down his arms deserves whatever he gets."
--Jeff Cooper
 
FWIW--

Of course, loyalty can go both ways. I've been a regular customer at a small, local gunshop for about fifteen years, almost to the exclusion of any other source. In return, the owner there gives me a modest but appreciated break on his prices. He also gives me a fairly good deal on the guns I trade away.

Anyhow, he doesn't seem to mind transfers, and most of his customers are fine with what he charges for them. OTOH, I remember one customer (not a regular) who was hostile about the charge and openly complained about how much it cost for so "little" effort on the part of the dealer. I wasn't sure what to think about the customer's complaint, but several of the posts in this thread have helped clarify the dealer's perspective for me.

BTW, my local gunshop has stayed in business while several others in the area have come and gone. I think this success is due in part to courtesy. I've never seen the owner or any of his clerks behave with other than good grace to their customers, old and new. And, usually, the customers reciprocate. I personally see no good reason for the dealer/customer relationship to be otherwise, and would not do business with a dealer who behaved like Geoff's.



[This message has been edited by jimmy (edited August 27, 1999).]
 
Strange response.

Geoff, have you personally had firearms purchases shipped through that dealer before, or did you purchase guns that he had in stock?

Most dealers can certainly grasp the idea that each time you walk into their store, you might make one of those *rare* "impulse purchases". Wh0, me? *ahem!* However, I have encountered one or two dealers that really did not want to receive guns that you've already paid for. I can only conclude that some of those folks want to set the prices and don't like you knowing what they may have paid. The guy that I currently deal with has sold me a few guns out of his stock, as well as receiving other guns, stripped AR receivers and the like, no trouble at all. He charges $20.00 for the trouble, which I'm cool with. He has one quirk, which I also agree with: Before he agrees to receive a gun for you, he asks that you show him either NRA or GOA proof of membership. Hey, it's his shop, his rules, too.

With Wal-Mart and similar mega-stores running the small places out of business, the guy you encountered should be kissing up big time just to keep his business from sliding. Go figure...
 
Forget the hassles next time....go to a Pawn shop. You want what? Sure,no prob........ I've done it before. He checks your permit,you sign the papers,and wala.....your out the door.
 
Perhaps I should clarify, the gun is only available from the dealer I purchased it from, local dealers cannot get the gun at this time. It is the first issue of the gun from a German manufacturer, wasn't supposed to be here untill November. The dealer is selling it to me because I put down a deposit expecting the gun to come sometime next year, the manufacturer has delivered a few guns early and the dealer, who could have sold the gun several times, honored my deposit and will sell it to me first! The dealer is a first class operation and will get business from me in the future.

All I needed was someone with an FFL to bring the gun into my state. As to the former gun shop I used to patronize, I purchased three guns from him and each had to be ordered, he did not have them in stock and he obtained them for me. He knows that the new gun is not available from his suppliers. I would have gladly paid him a processing fee that would have made him money than any of my other purchases from him. He would have made several hundred dollars on the deal!

I guess that what I am trying to get at is that I would like to have a local dealer whom I can trust and who will try to get what I need. I am a small businessman myself and would not expect something for nothing or ask him to pull any shady deals, I know how the government is and would not jeopardize his business. I do not expect miracles but don't want to be abused.

BTW the gun is a two barrel set, 20 and 28 ga, not a two gauge gun ( that would be interesting!)

Geoff Ross

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Damn!...I need more practice!
 
I live in Hastings, Michigan I live two blocks from the local gun shop {Bobs Gun & Tackle}. The guy that owns it is Bob Hayes he is my cousin, I hate the store, I hate the service, I hate the high prices but not bob.
I drive 100 miles round trip to Kalamazoo to a gun shop called On Target.

So anyone in the area I would say try them out first.

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"Are we at last brought to such an humiliating and debasing degradation that we cannot be trusted with arms for our own defense? Where is the difference between having our arms under our own possession and under our own direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?"
- Patrick Henry

http://www.homestead.com/gunrights/Guns_and_Gunrights.html

ICQ no. 46780559
 
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