Am I getting ripped off?

Status
Not open for further replies.
The Gun Store was Great

I called the store manager today and asked if I could get the gun with a 3.5 inch barrel instead. He said it was no big deal. All he has to do is drop a 3.5 inch barrel in the gun and call it a day. I don't know if I'm going to get cash or store credit for the difference, but I'll be happy either way.

Someone on this thread implied that if paying $100 too much for a gun bothered me, I probably couldn't afford to buy it to begin with. That is pure crap. I make very good money, but that doesn't mean I enjoy throwing it away pointlessly. The money I save by returning to my original purchase of the 3.5 inch barrel will go straight back into shooting.
 
glad it worked out for you...

for what it's worth, count me amoung those that agree with you. While you probably should have known going in what the going price was for the gun was, it seems a little shady to charge OVER MSRP. I'd rather give my money to a dealer that is making an honest profit (even if his price is a bit high) instead of one that blatently overcharges and hopes to find someone who is under-informed.

I may get flamed for my opinion, but that's just how I feel.
 
This was definitely my bad to some degree, but it was the degree of overcharging that had me pissed. I did research the price of the regular 3.5" version of the gun. The general online price was between $290 and $305. Figure adding $15-25 for shipping and $20-25 for FFL transfer and the local dealer's price of $350 was perfectly fine. When I got to the shop, the sales guy up-sold me to the 5" version. I had not researched that, so I did not know that the street price of the longer barrel is only $10-20 higher than the 3.5" barrel, not $75. In fact, I can buy an entire Walther P22 5" conversion kit for about $100. The only place I could find a $75 price difference between the two versions of the gun was on Walther's website. Had I researched the longer version of the gun in advance, I would have known that it made no economic sense to pay that much for it and would have stuck to my original purchase plan.

Lesson learned - avoid impulsive upgrades and stick to known factors.
 
Well done on negotiating.

Be aware that the barrel on the P22 is fixed under normal circumstances, ie you don't remove it during basic takedown for cleaning. To remove or change a barrel requires the use of a wrench. I mention this as you will be getting a 3.5" that wasn't installed by the factory and may just work loose during range time. Just as a heads up pay attention to this, if your accuracy goes to pot check if the barrel is still firmly attached.

If you get store credit get some CCI MiniMags.
 
Thanks for the heads up on the barrel loosening. That makes sense. I'll probably just make tightening things up part of my cleaning routine to avoid that problem.
 
I just bought a 3.5" P22 in Bi-tone for $289+Tax from a local store. Great little shooter so far.
 
I thought the background check was complimentary since you decided to do them a favor and BUY THE GUN FROM THEIR STORE!!!!

and paperwork fees??? :what: LOL thats a good one, thanks for that...I needed a good laugh.
 
They charged me $5 for the background check. The other shop where I bought my first gun charged me $10.

Next time, it might be worth driving to Orlando to find a bigger store. Maybe I'll check out the Bass Pro Shop. We don't have an Academy Sports anywhere near here. Every shop in town is just plain pricey. The more I read, the more it seems like I'm paying too much for local convenience.

At least the 3.5" gun I "downgraded" to won't cost much more than I'd pay online, plus shipping and FFL. This has been a huge learning experience and I doubt I will make the same mistakes again.
 
For possible future reference...

scurtis_34471 what gun shop are you going through? My parents live in Ocala as well, although I don't personally know of any decent shops around Ocala. There is one in Leesburg on 44, here is the info for it. Although, I have yet to go there but I have heard good things. Plus if you're near the 200 & 75 area it's only a 30-40 minute drive.

The Gun Shop Inc. & Gun Range, 1310 State Road 44, Leesburg, FL 34748.
Phone: 352-787-4570
Facilities include: Indoor Pistol (25 yds), Indoor Rifle (50 yds)
Hours of Operation: M-F 10 TO 7S-10 TO 5
Range Access: Public
Email: [email protected]

Info above was taken from http://www.nrahq.org/shootingrange/findlocal.asp?State=FL

-Ryan
 
Thanks. I'll check that out. The stores I've checked out so far include Jerry's Pawn and Gun, The Ocala Armory, American Gun, Guns & Gold and a few other Pawn/Gun type places. Jerry's has the largest selection and has the most ammunition/accessories too. American Gun is small, but has great service and they carry a few lines the others don't. I got a decent price on my Bersa, but some of their other guns are way high ($570 for a CZ PO1). The Ocala Armory also had good service, but their prices were even higher than the other too and they are pretty far from my house. I don't feel like I should post which dealer I bought the P22 from, because its not like they went out of their way to cheat me and I was a dope for not checking prices in advance.
 
I have no problem with negotiating a price but I fully believe it should be done prior to the purchase. If there were no waiting period you would have been stuck with your choice. A retail business has the right to ask for whatever price they feel someone will pay. That is the basis for free enterprise. Have you never seen a car go for more than the sticker price because it is a new model or there is a shortage of that particular model or it is a limited production vehicle, etc., etc., etc. Remember MSRP is manufacturers SUGGESTED retail price, not the maximum that can be asked. I am glad things worked out well for you and I am not flaming you at all. Ultimately if both you and the dealer are happy that is all that matters, but I think holding the impending idea of disputing it with your credit card over the dealers head is wrong as well. Once you sign on the dotted line that should be all there is to it.......in my opinion.
 
Last edited:
A note of "paperwork fees". It varies according to your state. I own a gunstore in Utah. When you do the 4473 and call in the background check the call goes to a state agency rather than the NICS system. We're charged $7.50 for anybody without a CCW. With a CCW, it is free.

So it really depends on your state. I don't mark it up, I pass it on.
 
Keep in mind what FN PS90's where going for. At least 1500.00 over MSRP and they still are a little over if you want a black one.

Free market sometimes you get the deal and sometimes you gotta pay to play
 
I have no problem with negotiating a price but I fully believe it should be done prior to the purchase.
Click to expand...

With almost everything else we buy, stores have best price guarantees and return policies. In fact, 30-day returns on unopened goods are mandatory in most states. Why do we think guns should be any different? If I find a better price, why shouldn't I be able to cancel the transaction?
 
Because the stores that have those policies are mostly big box stores. Home Depot has policies like that, GREAT of course when you finally find someone in what ever Dept. your in the shmuck has no clue what your talking about. Then you wander around "his dept" for another half hour and then you find what you asked him about.
If you want the perks of those stores be prepared for everything that comes along with it. I live in cow country and go to my small local True Value. It has been there since the earth cooled, Does not have 500 kinds of light switches, prices are about 3% higher then the Big Box. BUT when I needed a grade 10 inch and a quarter 5" long bolt with nut they had it. When I asked about grade 8 or 10 at the Depot the pindly ant draw they opened for me had less then what I had in my tool box at home.

I'm just saying there are pros and cons to everything. I prefer to deal with the owner of the store and his knowledge base instead of some min wage part time working Mom no matter how pretty she is
 
Because the paperwork has already been started. Because the dealer has pulled that gun off the market for YOU and could have potentially lost a sale to another customer on that same firearm. There are so many variables we may not know all of them. Suppose you bought a gun and while waiting for the paperwork to go through the government announced a ban on that weapon and the prices went through the roof overnight??? Should the dealer be able to cancel the transaction or would you expect him to uphold his end of the agreement???
 
scurtis_34471,

some of the posts in this thread sound a little discouraging but dont let it bother you. We all make mistakes and learn from them, next time do all the neccesary research you need before you make a final purchase and if possible in your area...wait until a show comes to town to make the purchase. I say that because there are more dealers to choose from, you can see what the average price is among the dealers for what you want to buy and show dealers are very easy to bargain with. Update us on your current purchase when you find out what the store owner's reply to your demand is.
 
Be interesting when you go to trade for a Ruger or Browning. Because you will find out how unrelieable and inaccurate yours is. If you will even get offered 1/2 what you paid.. Sorry but most of what I read about that pistol isn't good besides fact makes a glock look like a beauty queen
 
you are gonna have the barrel swapped out and you haven't even shot it yet.

swapped by some guy in some shop in greater Ocala. Probably his first time doing it too. Uh can anybody say... poof... there goes the warranty on your brand new gun. I mean your brand new used parts replaced gun. I hope he doesn't scratch it.

I hope it works for you.

who are you gonna blame if the reliabilty sucks or the accuracy is bad? Walther, the dealer, or maybe yourself?

good luck man.
 
you are gonna have the barrel swapped out and you haven't even shot it yet.
Click to expand...

This gun was designed to have an interchangeable barrel. In fact, you can buy the gun in a kit with both barrels. You can also buy whichever barrel you don't have from Walther and do the switch yourself. It is designed to do this, it is simple to do and it does not void the warranty. The barrel he is installing is not used. It comes from one of the many P22s they stock. He will simply make that gun into a 5" and my gun into a 3.5" and everyone will be happy. There is no liability involved in this.

maybe the guys prices are high becuase he has several other customers that do the same thing to him.
Click to expand...

What a crock. I am still paying full retail and then some for this gun. I am simply paying it on a less expensive version of the gun. This switch costs the dealer nothing. It would be no different than it would have been if I had bought the gun I went in to buy in the first place. You guys are being completely irrational about what is fair when it comes to gun dealers. A gun shop is a store like any other store.

One person argued that only big box stores have return policies, but that is absolute crap. If I go into a high-end audio boutique and buy a pair of speakers for $2000, nobody would question my right to return them a couple days later. Very close to 100% of all retail stores that deal in new goods allow returns. In most cases, they are required to under State law. I can understand a gun shop not taking a return on a gun that has been shot. I can understand that it can be difficult to tell whether or not the gun is still new. From that point of view, I can understand not allowing returns. In this particular case, the gun has never left the store and they know it is new.

What about the "paper work?" Big deal. New paper work can be filed. Cost of doing business.

Another thing I would like to point out to all of you holier-than-thous who have been riding me. When I called the manager of the gun shop, I did not threaten to stop payment on my card. I did not bitch about the price I paid for the gun. All I did was tell him that subsequent research lead me to regret my decision to go with the longer barrel and ask him if it would be possible to trade down to the smaller gun. He immediately agreed and was very nice about it. I really don't see why anyone here has a problem with that.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

K
  • Locked
Walther P22: Which barrel length to get?
Replies
6
Views
1K
trapshooter
T
oldironsights
  • Locked
Walther PPQ
Replies
3
Views
953
Fishbed77
F
N
  • Locked
Question about 1911 mainspring housings ...
Replies
21
Views
2K
bigfatdave
B
P
  • Locked
my trip to the gun shop...
Replies
11
Views
727
Ivy Mike
Ivy Mike
G
  • Locked
JP Sauer 1913
Replies
4
Views
530
Grey Morel
G
Back
Top