A gun shop episode that left a bad taste in my mouth...

[lonegunman]

For starters the shop owner took a pass on the gun. He got a crack at it and passed, whast does he care if someone else buys it?

It would have been far smarter to follow the lady out the door and talk to her in the parking lot then if you had interest buy it elsehwere.

The temper tantrum is the mark of a loser with lousy prices. I'd make an effort to do business in the future. I have a rather intense dislike for people who cannot stop ranting when they hear an apology. Point was taken, understood, apology offered with sincere meaning, now get over it.

 

[hso]

The thing I've always done is after the shop turns the firearm down I ask the owner and the shop owner, "Do you mind if I take a look at that?". I've never gotten a "Yes, I mind." Any transaction is made outside out of respect for the shop. If the shop is too busy to ask the shop owner, I wait outside for the person with the firearm and ask if they would be willing to sell it.

There's a very delicate etiquette in not using your favorite privately owned gun shop as a private hunting ground for interesting firearms. I want the shop to stay open and be profitable, but once they've declined to purchase something that is of interest to me I'm not hurting their bottom line by respecting them and dealing with the firearm owner in the parking lot.

 

[Werewolf]

I've listened to more than one dealer bemoan the net (and the AWB sunsetting).

Darwin will take care of those guys.

The survivors will embrace the net and make it their own. Get a website and the world or at least the whole of the USA if you're an FFL becomes your customer.

Can anyone say Buds Gun Shop? That guy is the perfect example of a gun dealer that embraced the net instead of cursing it.

 

[Black Butte]

It sounds to me like the proprietor may have been concerned with some underlying legal issue, such as a sale on the premises without a background check. Maybe some of Bloomberg's undercover operatives were rumored to be in the area. In his eyes it could have been a potential sting.

 

[Patriotme]

I've noticed that some of the local gunshows have begun to post signs stating the private sales are not allowed on the premises.

 

[trigun87]

I wonder if this happened in florida? Because I went to a local gun store and one of the employees warned me about exactly what the op did. I had a gun that I wanted to sell to them and they super low balled me, and a guy offered to buy it at a better price. The employee said " Don't let the owner see you guys talking about selling a gun amongst yourselves". He continued to tell me yesterday a similar situation happened and the owner lost his mind; similar to the OP. Either way the whole yelling thing is a sign of poor businessman, what if other customers saw.

 

[Fishslayer]

Bad form... I woulda gone outside if I was interested.

No need to yell & get insulting, tho. I don't know if I'd patronize that shop anymore...

Kinda got a two wrongs going on here...

 

[Erik M]

"you cannot do that in my propriety"

I missed the news report when FTF firearm sales became illegal in the USA. The FFL is a fool. You're better off shopping elsewhere.

 

[Crash_Test_Dhimmi]

The FFL has every right to act like a neanderthal
The Customer has every right to let his money do the talking and take his business elsewhere. I would take my money to a shop that respects its customers and its owners remembers to take their meds.

 

[Evergreen]

Just imagine if a salesman at a variety of any other businesses acted this way? Why do some gun shop owners feel like gods?? Whatever happen to customer service?? I say screw the guy.. Also, I would say screaming at a customer in such a manner can also be considered a threat and harrassment. If I was as much of a hardhead as the owner of the store, I think I could file a legal complaint against him. Of course, I am not really into getting into legal disputes with people. However, the guy could have just as easily said in a polite tone, "Please leave me store or the property if you will pursue outside gun deals."

Don't feel shy to post the name and store of this person. I would like to know who it is to make sure I and nobody I know gives this person business again. I am sorry, but you are the customer, and the customer is always right, even when he is wrong. There are a few exceptions like if you endanger another life, but this applies to more then just gun stores. I am sure if you went on a test drive at a car dealer and started running red lights and swerving around pederstrians you would get yelled at too. These cases are very much the exceptions, in every other case, customers are treated with respect.

 

[Russ Jackson]

No cherry picking in another guys business. You found out the hard way. Why didn't you just ask the guy if he minded you talking to the customer after he passed. Personally I think you should have understood this before you approached the lady. I also think if you did buy it from the lady in the parking lot you owed the guy a finders fee. The owner never should have yelled he should have told you that that cherry picking is not allowed in his shop...Russ

 

[Kentucky_Rifleman]

To those of you who say the OP made a mistake, I disagree. The owner had just turned down the gun flat, not low-balled an offer. Had he low-balled an offer, it would have been rude to say "I'll give you a little more than that."

The OP might have followed the woman out and made his offer in the parking lot, but I don't feel he was in the wrong to do it inside the store.

From the OP's description of the owner's reaction, it was uncalled for.

I would go way out of my way to never go back.

On a somewhat related note, I have deliberately trolled gun-show tables and back-doored table dealers who were low-balling offers on guns. I've listened to more than one "Trader-Horn" piss and moan over me paying a fair price for a gun he was trying to buy at half value. I usually smile and walk away. Some may think this rude, but is it any more rude than the guy low-balling his offer?

KR

 

[AnimeFanatic5602]

Even if it wasn't me being yelled at, I would've marched right up to the counter and told him that he'd just lost my business. Asking to see the rifle was not the same as offering to buy it.

 

[Gryffydd]

if you did buy it from the lady in the parking lot you owed the guy a finders fee.

Hah. This might make sense if he'd asked the dealer to find him that particular gun, and then tried buy it direct. The dealer didn't find it for him so why should he owe him anything?

 

[ljnowell]

Screw the owner of that shop and screw owners that low ball people out of firearms and get pissy when others call em on it.

The OP should have told the owner to eat a S*** sandwich and freaking left. There is zero reason a gun shop owner should ever treat their customers like that. PERIOD.

I am just waiting for the day when they make it so you can order guns on the net and have them sent to your home.

It will be the death knell of crappy gun store owners using their FFL to browbeat local shooting populations

If a shop owner paid what a gun was worth, and then sold it for what it was worth, then he would make no money. If he offers 50% of value on a 400 dollar gun, then has it in inventory for 6 months to sell it for 350, because everyone haggles, he made 150 bucks for holding it for 6 months. During this time his shelf space and money are tied up into it.

 

[Corey]

I've noticed that some of the local gunshows have begun to post signs stating the private sales are not allowed on the premises.

I always thought that part of the whole reason gunshows existed was for private parties to get together and buy, sell, and trade guns.

 

[Full Metal Jacket]

he probable just paid his gun bill and could not afford the gun in question and got ticked off seeing a lost sell he passed on

private sales on gunhop property can be seen as selling guns without the proper paperwork in the eyes of the ATF.

most folks use a little sense, and don't engage in such transactions on their propery, or right in front of the gunshop owner.

i do think the gunshop owner mentioned in the OP was very rude though, he certainly could have been nicer about it.

 

[danez71]

This is simple in my eyes.

Shopman should have said "if you two want want to buy/sell using my services I'm happy to help.... If you want private party sell and not use my services, take it away from my shop".


After he passed on making an offer..... there is NO harm in another asking to SEE it.

Any type of offering between the two private parties in his shop is very poor taste.

For him to yell across the store.... incredibly unprofessional. If I was a bystander, I'd seriously consider not coming back at all.

 

[Spector]

I had a bad experience with a gunshop owner about 20 years ago. I was price shopping 3 different pistols and I wrote the prices down on paper. The gunshop owner blew up and accused me of getting the prices for his competitor. I told him what I was actually doing and said I'd turn my list over to him and just leave, if he wanted it that way........but I'd never come back. After a few more days of price shopping it turned out the first gunhsop had the lowest price on a Ruger MK 2 I had priced. When I went back in his shop I reminded the owner who I was and told him he had the lowest price so I came back to ''buy''.

We got along well for years after that and I actually got to like the guy. He was sometimes rude to other people and I didn't like the way he sometimes talked to his wife and sister who worked there, but I began to realize he had his problems just like the rest of us. Since I retired I don't have occasion to be in the area where his shop is located much anymore.

Still, I've never regretted going back and trying to explain what I was doing when he got so mad. I've read many of the posts here and see truth on boths side of issue involved.

If you still feel bad that the incident happened at all, then you might go back and explain to the owner that you were not deliberately trying to make him mad and that upon reflection you can see his side of it. If he reacts reasonably then keep talking until the bad feelings are gone on both sides.

Most stocking dealers sure don't want to lose customers.....at least needlessly.

If he becomes loud and beligerant when you explain then just tell him ''bye, I won't come back, and it's likely that most of my friends won't return either. Have a good day.''

Don't be stubborn.......and give him one more chance not to be stubborn as well. If he bulls up and gets nasty then walk away knowing you've done all that any decent man should have offered to do to make things right. He'll eventually pay financially and emotionally.

From the sound of the guy it could easily be the same gunshop owner I spoke of earlier.....or even another stocking dealer I know of.......Mike

 

[Deltaboy1984]

The owner was over the top rude and I would not do business with him again!

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

I missed the news report when FTF firearm sales became illegal in the USA.

It has nothing to to with being illegal. The gun store is private property, and the owner can disallow any behavior on that property he wants.

I can totally understand a store owner not wanting customers to low-ball sales in the store, like others have said; what would stop someone from just standing near the counter and offer a few dollars difference on every gun the store owner wanted to buy or sell? That being said there is no reason to yell at a customer. Unless you were doing something unsafe, yelling is totally inappropriate. If I were you, I would go back and politely inform the owner that he permanently lost my business because of his theatrics.

 

[HOOfan_1]

I had a bad experience with a gunshop owner about 20 years ago. I was price shopping 3 different pistols and I wrote the prices down on paper. The gunshop owner blew up and accused me of getting the prices for his competitor. I told him what I was actually doing and said I'd turn my list over to him and just leave, if he wanted it that way........but I'd never come back. After a few more days of price shopping it turned out the first gunhsop had the lowest price on a Ruger MK 2 I had priced. When I went back in his shop I reminded the owner who I was and told him he had the lowest price so I came back to ''buy''.

I was actually doing the exact same thing recently, writing down prices at different places on paper. I went to plenty of shops, some were very helpful and others were aloof and apparently didn't give a rip about my business.

I would not have gone back to the guy who accused me of something without having the slightest clue what he was talking about. If I did go back, it would be to tell him about the sale he lost (although I certainly hope I would be above that).

Seems to be a bad trend in the firearms retail industry...bad customer service at the point of sale. Whether it be dealers at gun shows with a stick up their butt, or semi-retired workers at gun shops who look down at most of their customers and never worked customer service before, so have no idea how to gain customer service skills.

I've wiped places like DeGoff's in Richmond VA off of my list of places to shop due to their bad attitudes and complete reluctance to sell anything other than Remington and Browning rifles, basically acting as if all others are a joke.

The shop owner in the OP was way out of line. I can understand if there are many reasons he couldn't have something like that going on in his shop, but he needs to learn better ways to deal with it, or he needs to leave the retail sector. Anyone who thinks his behavior was acceptable would be very lucky to last at any well run retail establishment.

 

[gym]

A little off topic, but I know of 2 gun shops that are fairlly new and are doing great. Small personal service, low overhead, and they are in touch with what the customer wants. No haggling, the guy gave me the lowest price "i know the guns" and we were done in 15 minutes.
Just as a comparison, an old time shop I had called to see if a gun was in stock. Was just the typical crap we always talk about, 3 guys sitting smoking cigars, no one acknowledged me when I came in and stood at the counter for 5 minutes. All the lights were off, "i thought they were closed", until I looked through the gates. The Kimber I had gone to look at, was all marked up, "it looked like someone dropped it" I mean bad, and it was a new gun. I didn't even try haggling with the guy as I had got the price on the phone the day before. He knew nothing about makes and models, told me the new glocks won't be out for some time. He immediatlly went back to his cronies, instead of trying to sell me anything or try to order me what I wanted. They were renting guns for $30 dollars an hour. Is that the price now? All guns. A kid wanted to shoot a few, so I overheard the discussion. He could switch between 3, 9mm's they had. But dosen't that seem high? Of course range time and ammo were seperate.

 

[WillDe83]

I also think if you did buy it from the lady in the parking lot you owed the guy a finders fee.

Please explain why he would owe a finders fee to this guy?

 

[Sapper771]

Let me make sure I understand this:

1.) THE GUN SHOP OWNER PASSED ON BUYING THE RIFLE FROM THE LADY.

2.) SATURNO V ASKED THE LADY IF HE COULD SEE (NOT BUY!) THE RIFLE AS SHE WAS LEAVING.

3.) GUN SHOP OWNER COMES UNGLUED AND YELLS AT SATURNO V IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE SALES FLOOR.


SaturnoV,

IMO, the shop owner is completely in the wrong. I see that you did nothing wrong, Saturno V. You did not interupt the owner as he was speaking with lady about the rifle. You waited til the owner had ended his business with the woman. You did not attempt to purchase the rifle in the shop. You simply asked to see the rifle, in which I see no harm or foul.
The shop owner went out of bounds when he decided to yell at you. No competent businessman will yell or berate his customers....its bad business that can lead to permanently locked doors. The shop owner could have easily advised you that if you were to purchase the rifle from the lady, that you needed to do so off of the property. The shop owner could have also advised you and the lady as to why the transaction needed to occur off his property, then there would be no misunderstandings on either side. Again, there is no harm in doing so.

I have done the same thing that you did in many shops. I was never yelled at. Once, I was kindly reminded that I would have to leave the store to complete the transaction, and that was that. I was not yelled at or belittled.

If I was in your position, I would not return to that store. The owner evidently does not need you as a customer. If I was in the store when the owner yelled at you, I would also not come back to his shop. I have been in similar situations while in gun shops and I also no longer darken their doors. Your the customer, you have a choice on where to spend your money, and whether they like it or not, they need customers.