Posted: 4/4/2008 1:37:45 PM EDT
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I strongly advocate supporting locally owned businesses, outdoor stores of any kind in particular. But, the gun store I usually deal with has irritated me and Bass Pro Shops is 30 minutes away and Gander Mtn. is 5 minutes away. I called the gun store I deal with on Monday, and asked them to track me down a Remington Model 11-87 youth 20 gauge on Monday. I never heard back, so I called today. The guy I spoke with on Monday is a kid who works part time...long story short, he dropped the ball and didn't look into it for me. Today, I spoke to the guy I normally work with and he promptly located one from his dealer and can have it for me in a week or so. The problem is, I want it next week, so my son will have it for turkey hunting next weekend. The kid who dropped the ball cost me a week and now it is doubtful I will have the gun when I want it. The other problem is that this gun store is also asking $639.00 plus shipping on special order, while BPS has it for $629 in stock, GM has it in stock for $639.00, and another locally owned gun store an hour away has it in stock for $599.00. What to do? I don't mind spending a little more to support a local store. Should I bitch to the owner and ask him to get it in next week and waive the shipping charges? Or, buy it from a store that has it in now and let my gun store know they dropped the ball and lost a sale? Or, other? How much, if any, are you guys willing to pay extra to support a local store rather than Wal-Mart, Bass Pro, Gander Mtn, etc...? Blake |
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The local store dropped the ball... Buy the Remington 11-87 20 gauge on your terms... You need it for hunting... Why wait... Go the BPS and have at it... Let the owner know why he lost the sale...  Best of all... A hunting trip is planned between you and you son... Your kid will love you for it no matter where you bought it from... |
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I just make sure to let them know the other prices that I have been seeing. For example, I'll go to my local guy, ask him to order a gun and get a price quote. If it's over the cheapest price I have seen on the web, I ask if he can match it. Usually, they will...or come very close. If they say they can't go that low, they will offer to do a transfer for $20.00. I like the idea of having as many gun stores in the US as possible so I try to give all my money to the little guys to get them going. As for them dropping the ball, I would let them know your dissatisfaction, and it probably won't happen again. |
| You answered the question yourself and I know you want to be loyal,But I believe in keeping ones word and few people now a days seldom do.Buy the gun at the cheapest place you can and take your son hunting like you planned.Just because someone else dropped the ball shouldn't be enough to let it ruin your holiday or hunting season. |
| I recently had the, almost, same thing happen to me. I wanted a new handgun, CZ P-01, and there was only one store that had one in stock like I wanted. Another store had a od colored one but it wasn't to my liking. So I called my local store on Monday, maybe Tuesday, to order one for me. They said they ordered it and it should be here by wednesday. I called yesterday since I didn't hear anything from them about it and they said that the distributer that they use was on vacation. Then they said ok, just placed your order, might be here by Friday or Monday for sure. I didn't get a call saying hey, the distributer is not available right now so it might take a little more time etc...or anything. Which I think would have been appropriate. But I guess I'll wait and see if they call me on Monday, since they didn't call today! But if they don't call me on Monday, I'm going to look elswhere. |
| I had the same issue as you, I always try and buy everything from my local store (unless they are grossly over priced), I purchased a rifle from local store and is suppose to come with the case and 2 magazines. Turns out he gave the case to someone else and can't find the second mag. So he makes good by getting the case back (good) but it takes him 3 weeks to get a promag magazine (bad), I say they are shit he says they are as good as the factory (BTW get FTF all the time). So I basically go a little further away, to a home own shopped, get what I want and pay decent price. He lost a ton of $ all to save a few bucks on a mag. |
+1 couldn't have said it better my self! |
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This is a topic close to my heart, and covers more than just gun stores. There have been countless times where I have been looking for a particular product at local stores. When they don't have the product in stock, they usually respond with "I can order it for you." Well, I hate to be the party pooper, but if I wanted to wait for something to come in the mail, I'd order it myself and save the markup. I understand that small shops can't be expected to stock every little thing in anticipation that somebody might come along and buy it one day. Fine. But don't tell me you can order it for me. I have a computer. I can order almost anything (short of complete firearms) I want without any help, thank you very much. Usually, I can find exactly what I want by simply shopping around at a few different locationsuntil I find it. Sometimes, I do have to order online. But I do try to buy locally for 2 reason. First, when I pay for something, I like to take possession of it at the same time. If I'm going to part with my money, I want my product. I don't like to wait for stuff to come in the mail, and if it's available locally, I'll always buy it that way over ordering it. Usually, the difference in price is close to the shipping cost (often less than same day air). So I walk away with the item I want, on the day I pay for it, for about the same price I'd pay if I had it rush delivered to my home. The second reason is that I do like to support local stores, because if they stay in business, then they will be there when you do really need something (common) on short notice. |
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Look you can always find cheaper prices in the big sporting goods chain stores or someone out of state. Your local gun shop is always going to be a little more expensive simply because they have to charge sales tax and don't have the the ability to buy in volume like your chain sporting goods store. All they have to offer is customer service or special firearms like a Mauser C96 or the Red 9 version. Maybe you need to fit a child for their first shotgun. You can't do that over a computer or at a chain store because they don't have the time or probably don't know how to in the first place. Your local gun store provides many services that chain stores and out of state vendors cannot. So failure to buy at your local shop only means that you will soon have no gun shop in town. Remember they have to pay their expenses and employees. They don't have the luxury that the chain stores have by being able to run a store at a deficit. Support your Local Gun Shop Buy from them or the next time you need them you will discover they have closed up due to lack of business. |
That's hard to do when they refuse to carry the weapons I want and refuse to transfer on them because "You cant hunt with that" or "We dont sell guns like that and we wont accept them shipped here." 
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I'm done with local gun shops. I've dealt with several that advertise that they will match prices. Occasionally when I find a deal online for a firearm I call to see if the local shop will match the price. Nope. Now the shops are jacking up the transfer fees $27 to $37. One shop charges a flat fee plus 10% the cost of the firearm at their price! Ammo is ridiculously expensive. Wally World beats them hands down on ammo. Why even bother. In fact for the heck of it I called on the price of CZ-75B, Academy has them for $406.00, the gun shop wants $469.00. I ask what they could do on the price since Academy is lower. Nothing they say. I then ask how much does an FFL transfer cost. "We don't do transfer anymore." So why the hell should I bother with them? |
Neither do the employees at my local gun shop. In fact when I wanted to get my shotgun fitted they said leave it here and our gunsmith comes in once a week to pickup the jobs. They contract out their gunsmith services. I asked who the gunsmith was and they told me the name of a respected gunsmith that I was recommended by a shooting friend. This gunsmith works out of his home and takes jobs from individuals. So why the hell would I leave my shotgun sitting for days on end when I can drop it off at the gunsmith and not pay a middleman for storage and markup fees? In fact I didn't pay anyone I ordered a Knoxx SpecOps stock installed it myself and couldn't be happier. |
| Gun shops to me are like any other local business. I support and frequent the one that treats me well, and never bother going to the one that doesn't. It really is that simple to me, I'm not going to spend my money in a place that has treated me very rudely almost every time I went there. The good shop is about 15-20 minutes from here, the bad one is 5 minutes, and yes I make the drive. |
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In retrospect, you're probably wishing you had made a follow-up call within a day or two when the part-timer hadn't phoned you back. Still, I'd go with the local guy if he'll make amends for the screw-up.. Talk to the owner about sweetening the deal with a case, cleaning supplies, extra tubes (not sure the standard ones include one for turkey hunting, anyway) or a break on shipping, etc. In fact, why SHOULD you pay shipping? Does he charge shipping for the items he DOES have on the shelf? I'd think the money he saves (and the customer inconvenience of needing to order it) by having a slim inventory would argue for HIM paying the shipping, not you. It's not like this is a hard-to-find or special order. Not knowing how experienced or new your son is, maybe a two-week time frame was a little too tight for finding, obtaining, and making sure he's safe with it. Maybe better to put off the trip a while so you don't have to rush things. You could just get him pumped up for now by giving him an empty gun case.  The 11-87 is a great choice. Be sure to get a proper punch (brass or other soft type) for the occasional removal and rinsing-lubing of the trigger group (but not disassembling it). Also make sure he learns the cleaning and proper order and facing of the "piston rings" I forget the actual name, as well as other important cleaning and lube points. I was taught to keep the gas system free of lube and use it sparingly elsewhere, but check the manual. Too much lube or in unnecessary areas seems to act as a trap for residue, unburned propellant, or even produce it when hot gas meets the lube. Also when cleaning, remove the choke tube and clean it and the barrel threads. |
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Drive an hour and buy it for $599. Always support the guy with the lowest price in an effort to keep prices low. You go pay $639 for it and next time everyone will be asking $639+ and you will wonder what happened to the $599 price. You drove it up by showing the market would bear the higher price. |
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I'd go to the store an hour away with the cheap price. I like to support the little guys. I'd also make sure to tell them exactly why they lost this sale. The business owner needs to know how his employees are doing, if no jone tells him he may not know. And like it or not, when you're the owner, if your guys fuck up, you fuck up too. |
Was this in Tulsa? I have only found one here that isn't rude and downright hateful to it's customers. |
I support 2/3 of my local fun stores. I used to support all my local fun stores and would gladly pay 50- 100 bucks over what I could get it else where. The 1st strike was when I realized what these guys were doing, they would buy stuff from AIM and mark it up 20%. The 2nd was when they offered a friend of mine 180 bucks for Hungarian under folder made by ORF. Their reasoning was; "parts kit Ak's aren't worth as much"  . The 3rd is when they told some one it was illegal for them to buy a lower receiver for an AR and put an upper on it. The other 2 fun stores are great, ORF usually takes off tax or throws in an extra mag or 2. The other always throws in a free box of ammo and takes 10-20 bucks off the price.
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They do themselves in. Back when i got my saiga-12 (about 5 years ago) I had the cdnn catalog and the price for it. I said to the local shop owner "If you'll order for me this I will gladly pay you 10% more ($33 at the time) and I will pay in cash ahead of time". I had the cash in my pocket, he looked at the ad and said "CDNN is a bunch of Whores for posting dealer prices to anyone, I won't sell it to you for that and those are junk anyway, bunch of whores". For $33 he wouldn't make a 2min phone call and a 3 min fed check once it came in. BTW, the shop was empty so it's not like he was really busy or anything. -JTP |
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I will almost always shop local unless there is a significant price difference. By significant I meant at least 40-50% difference. The two local shops here know my name when I walk in and sell at or below MSRP. These guys have a store front and are paying rent unlike so many places on line. Plus shopping local ... if its not right .. they make it right. They also shop with me and return the favor. Like it or not we are a capitalist nation ...everybody has to make money to live. |
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I understand your desire to support your local store but please gauge whether that concept will really return what its worth to you. I purposely maintained almost all my firearm related purchasing to my local store for years. I had spent many tens of thousands of dollars at this one store, and very rarely bought anywhere else. I was friends with the owner, and ate many times a week at the owners husbands bar/grill. I had hunted with her husband numerous years. I decided I wanted to piece together an AR in a particularly detailed vintage, and there was no way I could have just "ordered" one in such a configuration. I ordered numerous parts from this dealer, but they did not carry much in the way of AR stuff, were not particularly knowledgeable in ARs and really catered to mostly the CCW and hunting crowd. So, I was going to have to search for many components. I purchased a lower from a online dealer and had it transfered to my local dealer. I had seen the gunbroker listings and had noted that my local dealer advertised transfers at $20.00. When I returned to the store to retrieve the lower, the owner was all in a pissed off huff and spoke to me as though I had the plague. I was abit taken back. She rang up the transfer at $50.00. When I questioned the charge, she flatly told me if I was gonna buy shit on the internet I can take my business elsewhere and if I wanted the lower I will pay the $50.00. I paid up, and left the store at her request to "not let the door hit me on the way out" when she handed me my receipt. I've never been back. That was about two years ago. That was over a lower that cost just slightly over a hundred bucks... Around town, I hear that business there has fallen flat... No wonder. Just remember, supporting your local store may not be appreciated by even your local store... Just because somebody owns a business in no way means they can run it decently nor gather loyal customers. Do what is best for you, then consider the vendor. CPO SWCC US Navy (Retired) |
| I buy from the local guy when I can. I do not ever ask him to special order something. I know this will result in full blown retail. I will however buy from his stock and he will do $8 transfer's for private party sales. His in stock prices are pretty darned good so I've no problem there. He is not high volume and this is not his full time business but he's good to deal with. |
agreed, but using the capitalist logic in your post, online vendor's have made themselves more efficient than their store front competition. Since the consumer will always search out the cheapest price it is not the consumers fault the local fun store is losing business, its the fun store inability to adapt. |
That's pretty much it. I think I'll call him tomorrow and see what reasonable deal we can work out. Blake |
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I would love to support the local gun stores but the prices are just so marked up I just can't do it. A couple of years ago when I was in the market for a new hunting rifle I went to one of the local shops. And had this conversation: Me: Hello do you have any Sako 75's? Employee: Yes, but we only stock the deluxe models. But we could order whatever model you want, what model are you looking for? Me: The "Hunter", in 6.5x55 Swedish mauser. Employee: (Pulls out the the Beretta catalog, finds the Sako section and points to the correct model) You mean this one right? Well it's going to run you this much (points to the MSRP of $1350 or so) plus another $50 plus tax. Me: You mean to tell me you charge full MSRP and then some? Employee: Well.....yes. Me: Thank you for your time. (I turn around and walk out) I ended up buying that very same rifle for $1100 from a very nice gunshop in Kansas City and having it transferred to me. Say what you will but three hundred dollars is three hundred dollars. I could have dealt with paying $50-$100 more then I did to support a local business, but for $300 more they can go to hell. |
Went into a local shop here to purchase (order if need be) an AR. I was heavily leaning toward the SW M&P or Colt (not cheap). They only currently had a Colt Hbar in stock, but I asked the guy about some options & pricing on several models. He walks me to a rack (50ft from the actual guns) and takes a S&W catalog (no... a 10 page brochure) off the rack, hands it to me, and walks away . I thumb through the booklet and walk back to the counter, prepared to look @ the Colt and ask about ordering some different models. As I get to the counter, the guy turns to me, says (quote) "Save up about $1400 and come back & we can order you something." then walks to the back room. OH F* NO!!! The nerve! Does he know how much $$ I make/have? Do I look poor? Is he just an ASS? I had just received my bonus at work, which is 40% of my ANNUAL salary! I could have bought most of the guns in his case @ once (pending ATF approval ). I went to Academy Sports that afternoon to get something for my son's Tball team, the had a Bushmaster AR15 M4 instock. Looked @ it about 5 mins, liked it, and paid cash. Got out much cheaper than @ the shop, w/ a gun I liked. The guy @ Academy was awesome. Great customer service. I will probably never walk back in that shop again. They are the only ones that currently stock an AR mag & I needed extras for the range, but instead of going there to buy some, I ordered PMAGs online and suffered @ the range w/ 1 mag.
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The last local near me did himself in. Got swept by somebody almost every time I was in. Couldn't order what I wanted and then when I found it, transfer fees made it over the retail price that he couldn't get them at. Thank YOU but no thanks. I can go a little further and not look down the barrels of customers ccws. |