Buds Gun Shop
- Thread starter JaxNovice
- Start date
- Status
Darkside852003
Member
I also caught that. The Series 70 Colt I wanted jumped almost fifty dollars.
indie
Member
wow, i just checked that out.
the gun i was going to buy from them a couple of weeks ago jumped up 25 dollars.
the gun i was going to buy from them a couple of weeks ago jumped up 25 dollars.
JP from Phoenix
Member
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2007
- Messages
- 241
yeah first they tacked on like 5 bucks on every gun then "Free Shipping" lol i was gonna make a thread on this myself.
Are there any other sites that have their selection that have good prices? I have a shop i go to that is comparable to buds prices after you add the shipping and ffl fees the shop is maybe 20 dollars more which is worth the convienience of being able to handle the goods
Are there any other sites that have their selection that have good prices? I have a shop i go to that is comparable to buds prices after you add the shipping and ffl fees the shop is maybe 20 dollars more which is worth the convienience of being able to handle the goods
Average Joe
Member
Don't forget the 3% extra for using a credit card.
CDignition
Member
so shop somewhere else... 
ServiceSoon
Member
Don't you agree that it is ethically wrong that the majority of the retail gun busineses have taken advantage of the requirement to use an FFL? I personally think it sucks.
As much as I disagree with most government bureaucracy, especially federal government rules and regulations that aren;t authorized by the constitution, I must say that according FDIC § 167 it is illegal to impose a surcharge on a cardholder who elects to use a credit card in lieu of payment by cash.
Source:
http://www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/rules/6500-500.html#6500167
Highland Ranger
Member
Damn businessmen - trying to make money!
How dare they!
How dare they!
pbonebright
Member
Most places call it a 3% cash discount, I wasn't aware there was a law to that effect. If I remember correctly I paid them $40 for shipment last time I dealt with them and felt like I still got a great deal. So if they can sell a few more guns by advertising free shipping and customers see all of the costs up front it is just good business.
Black Adder LXX
Member
I'm actually glad. It's been tough for me, because Bud's was always *so* much cheaper than my favorite local broker. I'm not a rich guy, so more than the difference is a big deal for me. Now I can deal with my local guy, which is what I wanted to do in the first place. Thanks Bud's!!!
Monkeybear
Member
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2006
- Messages
- 1,178
If the price difference from Bud's is only say $20-30 less than your local guy, once you factor in the old prices plus the cost of shipping against the new prices with free shipping, then I would say your local guy probably has some really fair prices. I would have just paid the extra money to keep such a fair dealer in business, and if $20-30 is a lot of money to you then perhaps you shouldn't be buying so many guns
Be Happy You Have the Option
If they have the firearm you have been looking for, and the local dealer is out of stock...the deal is whatever the deal is... I ordered a firearm that no one locally could provide...at a pretty good price, without sales tax?
If they have the firearm you have been looking for, and the local dealer is out of stock...the deal is whatever the deal is... I ordered a firearm that no one locally could provide...at a pretty good price, without sales tax?
scurtis_34471
Member
I bought a S&W M&P 9c from them a few months back. The gun was $399. Then I had to pay a 3% credit card fee. Then shipping and insurance. On this end I had to pay FFL and NICS. The total came to $470. Sounds terrible, right? Wrong. My local gun shops wanted anywhere from $620 to $660 + tax + NICS for the same gun. I saved over $200.
I hadn't noticed.
But it's not like their prices are going to drop after the 'free shipping offer' - they probably did it just to coincide with their new prices. Just going through the gun cases at Cabela's this week, their prices have gone up $30-50+ as well on a lot of guns.
But it's not like their prices are going to drop after the 'free shipping offer' - they probably did it just to coincide with their new prices. Just going through the gun cases at Cabela's this week, their prices have gone up $30-50+ as well on a lot of guns.
About the 3% - that's the norm at gun shops and gun shows, it seems. Someone must have challenged it and gotten nowhere, but I don't see how you can list the 'cash price,' tack on 3% and then call
I'm also pretty sure most of these places are screwing customers - we just got a shiny new credit card machine, and we're only getting charged 1.3% on fraud-protected cards (ie personal) and 3% on un-protected (ie government cards). Unless they consider FFLs a higher risk than small construction firms.
I'm also pretty sure most of these places are screwing customers - we just got a shiny new credit card machine, and we're only getting charged 1.3% on fraud-protected cards (ie personal) and 3% on un-protected (ie government cards). Unless they consider FFLs a higher risk than small construction firms.
JP from Phoenix
Member
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2007
- Messages
- 241
I realized i can get a Glock 19 cheaper at one of local shops than i could with buds, makes me wannt pick it up so bad.
I was not suggesting that Buds did not have good prices already. I was simply pointing out that this "free shipping offer" was a transparent attempt to raise prices. If they came out and said "hey there is a price increase" I would not have batted an eye. Profit makes the world go round.
I received an email from them regarding the free shipping. So I surfed on over to check out the deals and noticed that the prices had gone up at least as much as the shipping or more. My first reaction was they must be kidding.
Im not complaining about a price increase necessarily. I dont like them, but if they need to raise prices or simply can raise prices then go for it. The market will adjust. Either people will stop buying or they will continue to buy because they still offer a good value.
From a business standpoint what they should have done in my opinion is announce the price increase letting everyone buy before they go up. Once the prices were raised they should have announced free shipping for a limited time to help offset the price increase. Either one or both of these tactics would have been a better business decision to help create and maintain goodwill than just raising prices, then offering free shipping without an explanation.
Im not complaining about a price increase necessarily. I dont like them, but if they need to raise prices or simply can raise prices then go for it. The market will adjust. Either people will stop buying or they will continue to buy because they still offer a good value.
From a business standpoint what they should have done in my opinion is announce the price increase letting everyone buy before they go up. Once the prices were raised they should have announced free shipping for a limited time to help offset the price increase. Either one or both of these tactics would have been a better business decision to help create and maintain goodwill than just raising prices, then offering free shipping without an explanation.
Zen21Tao
Member
In Buds defense, they are a business and the goal of business is to maximize profits. With companies like CDNN, SOG, and KY Imports no longer advertising their deals over the internet, Buds has lost some of its competition. Yes, many buyer email/call for prices and request catalogs from those places that no longer advertise, but many, like myself, just bypass them altogether now. If my business isn't valuable enough for them to provide me internet prices, I will happily buy elsewhere.
Also, remember that we are only talking about price. No one here has shown that Buds' margins have actually changed. It could be that they have had to increase prices to offset increases in their overhead costs (e.g. distributors, supply chain, etc.). Keep in mind, Buds is a volume dealer. They have a high product turn over at low margins. Local dealers operating in lower volume at higher margins can offset their higher overhead by temporarily lower their margins and increase their prices slowly enough not to be noticed. A volume dealer like Bud's can't do this. They have to maintain their small margins.
In fact, we could actually be worse off in the long run if volume dealers like Buds tried to absorbed their higher overhead costs and keep the same prices if these lower prices translate into a lower margin that can't sustain their overhead. The result could be the end of volume dealers like Buds and without the completion from their low margins, local shops would be increase their margins much higher than they are now.
Also, remember that we are only talking about price. No one here has shown that Buds' margins have actually changed. It could be that they have had to increase prices to offset increases in their overhead costs (e.g. distributors, supply chain, etc.). Keep in mind, Buds is a volume dealer. They have a high product turn over at low margins. Local dealers operating in lower volume at higher margins can offset their higher overhead by temporarily lower their margins and increase their prices slowly enough not to be noticed. A volume dealer like Bud's can't do this. They have to maintain their small margins.
In fact, we could actually be worse off in the long run if volume dealers like Buds tried to absorbed their higher overhead costs and keep the same prices if these lower prices translate into a lower margin that can't sustain their overhead. The result could be the end of volume dealers like Buds and without the completion from their low margins, local shops would be increase their margins much higher than they are now.
Catalina
Member
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2007
- Messages
- 67
The way around this regulation is here:
http://www.retailers.com/eduandevents/ask/askchargeforcredit.html
http://www.lesjones.com/posts/002959.shtml
You mockingly award a discount for cash, not a surcharge for credit.:banghead:
If gun business margins are so bad you can't afford bank card charges, it's time for a new line of work.
wuchak
Member
I just checked and they didn't raise prices across the board. The S&W 642 and 638 are still $389, and the SP101's are still $424.
- Status
