White Horseradish
Member
This is an interesting situation. I can understand the shop for being confused, but I am rather disappointed and I think they made the wrong decision.
A couple of weeks ago I found a place here that had some Bulgarian Makarovs for sale. $149 looked like a pretty good price. Now, at that point in time I was not a US citizen yet. I've had the interview and had the letter scheduling the swearing in ceremony for the 11th of this month(that's yesterday). I would have waited until after the ceremony, but I was pretty sure the Maks would be sold out by then. I was not worried about the NICS, since I have purchased long guns before and did not have any problems.
I got a state purchase permit from the local PD and went down to the shop. The NICS check came back delayed. So I waited. Three days later (This is already Tuesday, the 10th.) the shop calls me and tells me the NICS came back OK. I go down there again, wait around some more. I get as far as putting cash on the table, but this person (some type of manager?) comes out of the back room and tells me they would not sell to me because I am not a citizen. I told her I would be a citizen by the same time next day, but that had little effect. The salesperson was much nicer and told me to come back and see her directly as soon as I had the citizenship paperwork.
So, today (the 12th) I go down there yet again. I bring my certificate of naturalization. They tell me that now they want to run another NICS check on me. However, there has been a slight change in my name in the course of naturalization. So, they tell me they won't run a NICS check until I change my drivers license to the new spelling. They also want me to get the purchase permit reissued.
I'm sure you all know how fast a name change on a drivers license goes. I am sure that what I want will not be available by the time I'm done, and that is the most annoying part.
What I don't understand is why would these guys not sell to me in the first place. The law includes legal permanent residents. The state is OK with me - they gave me the permit. The feds are OK with me - the NICS check came back clean. What's the hangup? If this is a company policy, why wouldn't they tell me they don't sell to non-citizens right away? Why would they want to run another check on me once I brought my citizenship papers?
I'm sure most of this is motivated by excessive desire to CYA, but what it amounts to is really crappy customer service. I wasted time and gas running back and forth to these guys and I did not have to. I still want to buy a cheap Makarov, but right now I feel like I don't ever want to be a customer of that particular company.
So, do you think I am justified in being annoyed with these guys?
A couple of weeks ago I found a place here that had some Bulgarian Makarovs for sale. $149 looked like a pretty good price. Now, at that point in time I was not a US citizen yet. I've had the interview and had the letter scheduling the swearing in ceremony for the 11th of this month(that's yesterday). I would have waited until after the ceremony, but I was pretty sure the Maks would be sold out by then. I was not worried about the NICS, since I have purchased long guns before and did not have any problems.
I got a state purchase permit from the local PD and went down to the shop. The NICS check came back delayed. So I waited. Three days later (This is already Tuesday, the 10th.) the shop calls me and tells me the NICS came back OK. I go down there again, wait around some more. I get as far as putting cash on the table, but this person (some type of manager?) comes out of the back room and tells me they would not sell to me because I am not a citizen. I told her I would be a citizen by the same time next day, but that had little effect. The salesperson was much nicer and told me to come back and see her directly as soon as I had the citizenship paperwork.
So, today (the 12th) I go down there yet again. I bring my certificate of naturalization. They tell me that now they want to run another NICS check on me. However, there has been a slight change in my name in the course of naturalization. So, they tell me they won't run a NICS check until I change my drivers license to the new spelling. They also want me to get the purchase permit reissued.
I'm sure you all know how fast a name change on a drivers license goes. I am sure that what I want will not be available by the time I'm done, and that is the most annoying part.
What I don't understand is why would these guys not sell to me in the first place. The law includes legal permanent residents. The state is OK with me - they gave me the permit. The feds are OK with me - the NICS check came back clean. What's the hangup? If this is a company policy, why wouldn't they tell me they don't sell to non-citizens right away? Why would they want to run another check on me once I brought my citizenship papers?
I'm sure most of this is motivated by excessive desire to CYA, but what it amounts to is really crappy customer service. I wasted time and gas running back and forth to these guys and I did not have to. I still want to buy a cheap Makarov, but right now I feel like I don't ever want to be a customer of that particular company.
So, do you think I am justified in being annoyed with these guys?