i work the similar gun show circuit that Bachman does, I see them at Mesquite, Dallas Market Hall, Houston Reliant Center, and Houston @ George R. Brown Convention Center.
i have purchased from them since they are a distributor. in fact i just did this week. i have a very good working relationship with them.
simply put, a dealer like myself cannot compete in terms of raw pricing with a distributor. distributors buy in bulk and thus get better deals so they can sell for less. that is the bottom line.
there are alot of people who will go to the lowest priced dealer in the show and pay cash, which is why they probably add 3% for credit cards. Bachman Pawn & Gun is not the only dealer who operates this way mind you.
there are other people who will go looking for the best "salesman." that means spending time with the person, answering their questions, being knowledgeable about the item they're looking at, being open to a little negotiation, or if not, being nice about it and explaining why, maybe going the extra mile to show the buyer that personalized attention. just being nice, smiling, talking to them with respect whether or not they don't know anything about the product to a guy who knows more than you about the product (yes there are many people who know more than me!)
the people who like the personalized attention are generally willing to pay a little more. the ones who know exactly what they want are generally willing to forgo the conversation, walk up, pay for it, fill out a yellow sheet, and leave.
there are other dealers that not only charge a credit card surcharge, but take a $20 deposit before you fill out a yellow sheet. if you back out of a sale due to a NICS Delay, they keep the $20. yes, at a gun show. so you are locked into a sale or you eat $20 so you can't go readily buy it from someone else, perhaps someone more local to where you live - you will be delayed anyway. for people with a CHL i suppose that is not a problem.
one thing i tell customers while i am at gun shows, is that yes dealer X over there may have a lower price on his gun vs. mine, but if you are not paying cash, then add his 3% mark up that i don't have, if you're delayed he'll keep $20 while i will not, and most of all, if you have a trade in, they may give you very little value in trade (remember, if they sell for less they buy for less, so if they can buy a new firearm for less they won't give you alot for your used firearm).
another thing is that i am a certified Bushmaster armorer (i sell alot of AR-15's) and my partner is a full time gunsmith and a certified Bushmaster armorer as well, so we stand by all of the items we sell, new or used. we will fix it for free if you buy from us and it breaks (not from your own abuse). others can't say that because they do not have the facility, knowledge, skill, or time to do it. that generally sets us apart from most of the other dealers in the show.
that is what makes a gun show good for the buyer though. if you go to Dealer X and he has terrible customer service but good prices you can take your money next door and buy from Dealer Y.
sorry to hear about your bad experiences but it is good food for thought for all dealers to read.
