I found a rifle I had been looking for at an online retailer for $460 w/ free shipping.  
Since everything seems hard to find right now I went down to a local gun shop I had not been to in a while to see if he would do the transfer.
He had the exact same rifle for $560.  I talked to him about it and told him about the one I was planning on buying.  He said "why not just buy mine"
His transfer fee is $30 so I figured I would try to work something out.  I asked if he would take $510 for the rifle.  He said he can't adjust any of his prices or we will lose money.
Went on to tell me how he sells everything as low as he can.  Said he is probably going to quit doing online transfers for people because these big online stores ruin his business.
Now mind you this is a small shop.  10 people inside would crowd the place.  He also had about 10 AR15's, and the cheapest was an M&P for $1700...
I just shook my head and left.  Called up another guy I know who is a bit further away and only does transfers.  He runs a furniture shop and does transfers on the side for $20.
Now I do respect his right to charge whatever he wants just as I have the right to not pay it.

My questions are.
Was my offer unreasonable given the price at the online store?
Do you believe these "big online retailers" like Buds are ruining the local guys?

the big online retailers are keeping the local guys honest in my opinion. He will not loose money by dropping his price on that M&P.

You chose, wisely.

He could have taken the (almost) free $30, but it's his business.

Its not the online stores ruining his business its his stupid fucking panic prices.

If you would've split the difference and offered $525 do you still think he would say no?



Just asking. Not trying to be an ass even though I get called one almost everyday.

What was the firearm?  Some manufacturers have fixed pricing so everyone pays the same thing. Others run specials that the big boys can really take advantage of, things like buy 10 get 1 free and they cost average them out with no limits.  There really isnt any reason to sell an MP Rifle for $1700 unless its a loaded up Vtac or something similar.  Even then that is pushing it.

I can understand stores refusing to transfer something they have standing in stock... As long as it is the same weapon.

I had a local place refuse to allow a rifle to be shipped in / transferred through them as the had a "similar" rifle... The one I wanted was .308, the one they had in the shop was .300WinMag.  That to me was out of line.
As a result, I took my business elsewhere and have continued to do business elsewhere since.

$30 profit on $500 is a tiny margin. If he doesn't have to stock it, $30 profit without having to tie up any money in inventory or risk slow turnover or even selling it at a loss isn't bad. At some point, LGS is going to be a service industry where they are just transferring weapons.

Savage TR SR is the rifle I was trying to get him to come down on the price.

Well I did tell him I had come in to order it from kygunco and seen he had one.  Offered $510 which would have been $30 more than what I ended up paying.  He said he would not budge on any prices.  People were buying up a bunch of old 50rd boxes of 22lr at $6 a box though

Sounds like he's not a very good salesman.



 

My LGS doesn't get butthurt if I buy online and transfer, he gets his $25 and I keep coming back.

Thats funny, I'd say 90% of the transfers I do are TERRIBLE deals! Like the gen 4 glock 26 I did today the guy paid $780 for. We sell em for $539.
And when I see someone getting a smokin deal, I congradulate them.

I would have done the same thing.

Edit: Meaning I would have left.

This is just my 2 cents, but it sounds like he pissed away an easy $30.

There is a reason he had about 10 ARs.  Also saw a CETME for $1100.

He's full of shit IMO for not dropping the prices, online sales are keep the brick and mortar places honest IMO. I have friend that runs a very small shop as well but his prices beat almost anything I can buy online. He charges a just a straight fee on top of his wholesale price. Another friend runs a brick mortar store as well in a small town, but the store has probably 10 million inventory, he often sell things to be at cheaper than i can buy online especially after you consider the $25 transfer fee. I would say the place you went either is bad a getting good deals himself or he is full of shit, and not doing transfers for the free $30 is just downright stupid IMO.

He did not refuse to do the transfer.  I just chose to go elsewhere after his rant about online sales ruining business.

LGS just did the same thing to me.  I told him exactly what I could get it online for, with transfer and shipping, which was $670.  He wanted $680 + tax for his gun.  Told him if he'd do $680 out the door I'd buy it.  When his best price was $705, I walked away.  His lost sale, tough shit.  I know the wholesale price on the gun I wanted was $575.00.

How many transfers a day does he have to do to keep the lights on at $30?  A lot of guys bitch about paying $15.   Large online shops get better pricing from distributors.  Buds has all their guns drop shipped so there is virtually nothing for overhead in their gun sales.  So they are happy to make $20-$30 on a gun sale as they have no time/money into it.  

I have worked both sides local and online sales and the one thing I came to understand is that online stores are killing LGS.  Soon all that will be left are large online retailers, Big Box stores and kitchen table dealers.

Right now LGS are having trouble getting product so they need to charge more to make up for the lower volume of sales.  If you normally sell 20 ar 15's in a month and can only get 5 you have to make up that margin somehow hence the $1700 S&W M&P.

Consumers love online as it gets them the lowest price and best selection andLGS cannot stock all the products and compete on price.  Most online shops do not warehouse their products so overhead is low. People bitch their LGS does not carry cool stuff of their price is too high.  Viscious circle.

He will not loose money.  What he is failing to do is take into account is opportunity cost.  So he can sell the rifle at $510 and make a few bucks but not continue having money wrapped up in inventory or take whatever his transfer fee is.  What he fails to understand is you can find someone to do a transfer.  What is hurting his business is his failure to adapt.

Using sale tax as bargaining point is not fair.  You are supposed to pay sales tax to your state on online out of state transactions so expecting him to cut into his profit so you can save money you should be paying anyway is not right.  Fair would have been buying it from him for the online price plus shipping and paying the tax.  No transfer fee. defrauding the taxpayer is some FSA thinking there.

Right, and I'm sure you pay sales tax on EVERYTHING you buy online, right.  Either that or you don't make ANY online purchases.  I play by the rules the government lays out.  If they wanted sales tax collected on interstate commerce, then they would have the businesses collect it that do interstate commerce.  Negotiating is negotiating, you're either good at it, or suck at it.  You either want to make a sale or you don't.