If I get alot of responses with a different opinion than my own, I will remove this.

A few days ago I was in the area of Shoot Straight Range and Gun Store in Tampa. It's a nice store with a large inventory. I stop in, along with my friend that was with me. Looked around and thought I'd buy a newer version of Jon H. Gutmacher book. Now, it's funny that the 20 to 30 minutes I was there, four different people asked if I needed help, which is good. But when I'm ready to check out, standing at the front register with book in hand, 10 minutes went by before someone noticed. Finally ready to purchase my book, the guy behind the countre takes the book, scans it, gives me the total purchase price.

I hand him my credit card (the one that has my picture on it), and he swipes it. Then he asks me what my phone number is. Explains to me it's used to verify my credit card. I've never been asked that, but gave it to him anyway. He types it into the cash register then asks me for my Drivers License and said he needs to swipe that into the cash register as well.

Um, I'm sure you get the point and to make this short I was really confussed and annoyed that it was taking me more ID's to buy a $28 dollar book than it takes me to buy a gun.

Anyway, I just left. As I'm walking out the guy behind the counter yells, "That's ok Sir, I'll put the book back for you."

I stopped at another shop on the way home. Got the book, they swiped my card and I was out the door 30 seconds later.

For shits and giggles I called my credit card company and they said there was no reason for any of this. If there was a problem verifying the card, a message of DENY would come up along with a CALL US.

Shoot Straight has a really nice store, but high prices. I even mentioned to one of the guys behind the counter that I'm buying another hand gun. He asked why I'm not buying it there. I told him where I found it for much less. He gave me the "oh" look while I got an eyes rolled look and walked away...because they know where they stand.

Anyhoo, rant over.



Brad

Fair enough on the rant. Might do better to post it in the Florida Hometown forum (as far as meaningful results).

I have been there before. Nothing special then, besides inventory. Sounds worse now...

High prices, rude and invasive. Sounds like a pleasant place to shop.

I just stopped in their Orlando store to purchase a M9.  The kid told me to wait until the next gun show and buy it from them then.  The next show is in March.

The kid should be fired on the spot...

If it were my store I would never let a customer with cash in hand walk out of a store without a purchase, but then again what do I know?  I am only in sales...




Bigfeet

Sounds like the Radio Shack marketing treatment.  Be glad they didn't ask for a stool sample.

That's why  I pay cash

Bought a gun from there a while back. Smooth transaction and had a great salesman..

$489 for a brand new Glock 19 right before the election wasn't too bad, imo. I'd go back.

It sucks you had a bad experience, shit happens I guess.

They wanted that info to get you on their spam list. Or sell the info to other marketers.

Bike shop in my area does the same thing. A letter to the head office cut that crap off quick.
I still won't go there unless they have a sale that is to good to pass up.

I always just make up a phone number, or give them the phone number of someone I dislike. This has the added benefit of flooding the database with bad data, which makes it less useful to marketers overall, even more so than having no data at all.

You got lucky then, because I talked to the guy behind the Glocks about when we will see the 4th generations hit the market. He didn't even know they had a 4th Gen...followed by telling me (when I didn't even ask) that you can't get a 9mm glock anywhere, especially the G19. They have been on backorder for more than 3 months now. At least that's what he said.



Brad

I actually did give them a fake phone number, but when he asked to swipe my Drivers License...well, I don't have a spare fake DL with me.



Brad

I buy from the one in Apopka. I deal with the manger when I buy firearms and he gives me a fair price. Although, now that I am in Corrections, I can do better elsewhere. The last time I was there I bought a holster and  they did ask for all of my info. I just  declined to give it to them. They have it all anyway on a few 4473's but they don't need to swipe my DL in a cash register.

Khadafi or Kaleed whatever his name is(owner) is very hit and miss to deal with. Today you are his best friend and tomorrow he will charge you double. He also has 2 stores here in the Orlando area. They are great if you are looking for a "new piece of kit" according to all of the Super Tactical HSLD Operators there behind the counter.

......................

Interesting.

Me and my roommate both bought G19's, and they had a few in stock then.. this was the Monday before the election, I believe.

That sucks, I probably will try and steer clear since most of the responses here are bad.

Sounds like an overpriced shop with rude sales people.

There should be no reason for the rudeness with today's economy.

I don't disagree with LOOKING at a DL to go with a CC.   Places that do this do not take down the # if their motive is just a backup piece of ID.   They sound like they are selling a list.

Trust me, this is very possible.

Yep, at first I just opened my wallet to show him the DL thru the clear plastic. He said I had to take it out so he can swipe it thru the cash register. Then I heard this loud, "HELL NO" from somewhere. Voices in my head I think. Business given to someone else.



Brad

Yeah... there'd be no swiping of anything going on.

Look at my DL?  Yes... swiping it?  No.

phone number sure, looking at your licence, sure, swiping it just spells trouble to me.

Shoot Straight is full of D-Bags.  The ones in Orlando are just as bad.

I love going to the gunshow and watching the guy at the Shoot Straight booth ride around on his Segway yelling at his teenage sales staff.

I don't buy from them.

Shoot Crooked as we like to call it where I'm from is by far the crappiest store I have done business with. The service is terrible, and they are way overpriced. I love how if they don't have it you can't get it cause its back ordered a 100 years or you have to me a high speed operator to get it.

I think the segway guy is hiding from me i go at least every other show for years and ive never seen him.


My only bad experience with them is they randomly have higher retail prices on guns and insist it's factory retail.

You left the house without enough MONEY to buy a  book?
BOO HOO.

It sucks being in that position. I worked at a gear store for a while, and I knew for a fact we were over priced on two specific companies, but not gun companies. People would always point this out to me, what the hell am I supposed to do? If I could change it I would. I had one asshole customer get incredibly angry at me because it cost more than anywhere else, but no one else had it in stock. I can't change my companies price structure, and they don't allow me to price match if you just tell me that it is cheaper somewhere else.

I've got three kids; two are teenage daughters.  If I ever have cash, it doesn't last past my first exchange with my  princesses.  Its a grand day when I have two bucks in my pocket.

I got a brand new G19 without night-sights five weeks ago; they've had the $60 pricier g19 with night sights still in their inventory 10 weeks.

repost in feedback